CREATING MAGIC ITEMS

To create magic items, spellcasters use special feats. They invest time, money, and their own personal energy (in the form of experience points) in an item's creation.
Note that all items have prerequisites in their descriptions. These prerequisites must be met for the item to be created. Most of the time, they take the form of spells that must be known by the item's creator (although access through another magic item or spellcaster is allowed).
While item creation costs are handled in detail below, note that normally the two primary factors are the caster level of the creator and the level of the spell or spells put into the item. A creator can create an item at a lower caster level than her own, but never lower than the minimum level needed to cast the needed spell. Using metamagic feats, a caster can place spells in items at a higher level than normal.
Magic supplies for items are always half of the base price in gp and 1/25 of the base price in XP. For many items, the market price equals the base price.
Armor, shields, weapons, and items with a value independent of their magically enhanced properties add their item cost to the market price. The item cost does not influence the base price (which determines the cost of magic supplies and the experience point cost), but it does increase the final market price.
In addition, some items cast or replicate spells with costly material components or with XP components. For these items, the market price equals the base price plus an extra price for the spell component costs. Each XP in the component costs adds 5 gp to the market price. The cost to create these items is the magic supplies cost and the base XP cost (both determined by the base price) plus the costs for the components. Descriptions of these items include an entry that gives the total cost of creating the item.
The creator also needs a fairly quiet, comfortable, and well-lit place in which to work. Any place suitable for preparing spells is suitable for making items. Creating an item requires one day per 1,000 gp in the item's base price, with a minimum of at least one day. Potions are an exception to this rule; they always take just one day to brew. The character must spend the gold and XP at the beginning of the construction process.
The caster works for 8 hours each day. He cannot rush the process by working longer each day. But the days need not be consecutive, and the caster can use the rest of his time as he sees fit.
A character can work on only one item at a time. If a character starts work on a new item, all materials used and XP spent on the under-construction item are wasted.
The secrets of creating artifacts are long lost.
Table: Summary of Magic Item Creation Costs
Spell Component Costs
Magic Item Feat Item Cost Material2 XP3 Magic Supplies Cost Base Price4
Armor Craft Magic Arms and Armor Masterwork armor Cost x 50 (usually none) x 50 (usually none)
x 5 gp
1/2 the value on Table: Armor and Shields Value on Table: Armor and Shields
Shield Craft Magic Arms and Armor Masterwork shield x 50 (usually none) x. 50 (usually none)
x 5 gp
1/2 the value on Table: Armor and Shields Value on Table: Armor and Shields
Weapon Craft Magic Arms and Armor Masterwork weapon x 50 (usually none) x 50 (usually none)
x 5 gp
1/2 the value on Table: Weapons Value on Table: Weapons
Potion Brew Potion  - Cost (usually none) Cost (usually none) 1/2 x 25 x level of spell x level of caster 25 x level of spell x level of caster
Ring Forge Ring -  x 50 x 50
x 5 gp
Special, see Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Price Values, below Special, see Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Price Values, below
Rod Craft Rod 1 x 50 (often none) x 50 (often none) Special, see Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Price Values, below Special, see Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Price Values, below
Scroll Scribe Scroll - Cost (usually none) Cost (usually none) 1/2 x 12.5 x level of spell x level of caster 12.5 x level of spell x level of caster
Staff Craft Staff Masterwork quarterstaff (300 gp) x 50 / (# of charges used to activate spell) x 50 x 5 gp / (# of charges used to activate spell) See Creating Staffs, below See Creating Staffs, below
Wand Craft Wand - x 50 x 50
x 5 gp
1/2 x 375 x level of spell x level of caster . 375 x level of spell x level of caster
Wondrous
 Item
Craft Wondrous Item 5 x 50 (usually none) x 50 (usually none)
x 5 gp
Special, see Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Price Values, below Special, see Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Price Values, below
1 Rods usable as weapons must include the masterwork weapon cost.
2 This cost is only for spells activated by the item that have material or XP components. Having a spell with a costly component as a prerequisite does not automatically incur this cost if the item doesn't actually cast the spell.
3 If purchasing a staff, the buyer pays 5 x the XP value in gold pieces.
4 A character creating an item pays 1/25 the base price in experience points.
5 Some items have additional value from a masterwork item component.
An item's market price is the sum of the item cost, spell component costs, and the base price.
Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values
Effect Base Price Example
Ability bonus (enhancement) Bonus squared x 1,000 gp Gloves of Dexterity +2
Armor bonus (enhancement) Bonus squared x 1,000 gp +1 chainmail
Bonus spell Spell level squared x 1,000 gp Pearl of power
AC bonus (deflection) Bonus squared x 2,000 gp Ring of protection +3
AC bonus (other)1 Bonus squared x 2,500 gp Ioun stone, dusty rose prism
Natural armor bonus (enhancement) Bonus squared x 2,000 gp Amulet of natural armor +1
Save bonus (resistance) Bonus squared x 1,000 gp Cloak of resistance +5
Save bonus (other)1 Bonus squared x 2,000 gp Stone of good luck
Skill bonus (competence) Bonus squared x 100 gp Cloak of elvenkind
Spell resistance 10,000 gp per point over SR 12;
SR 13 minimum
Mantle of spell resistance
Weapon bonus (enhancement) Bonus squared x 2,000 gp +1 longsword
Spell Effect Base Price Example
Single use, spell completion Spell level x caster level x 25 gp Scroll of haste
Single use, use-activated Spell level x caster level x 50 gp Potion of cure light wounds
50 charges, spell trigger Spell level x caster level x 750 gp Wand of fireball
Command word Spell level x caster level x 1,800 gp Cape of the mountebank
Use-activated or continuous Spell level x caster level x 2,000 gp2 Lantern of revealing
Special Base Price Adjustment Example
Charges per day Divide by (5 divided by charges per day) Boots of teleportation
Uncustomary space limitation3 Multiply entire cost by 1.5 Helm of teleportation
No space limitation4 Multiply entire cost by 2 Ioun stone
Multiple different abilities Multiply higher item cost by 2 Helm of brilliance
Charged (50 charges) 1/2 unlimited use base price Ring of the ram
Component Extra Cost Example
Armor, shield, or weapon Add cost of masterwork item +1 composite longbow
Spell has material component cost Add directly into price of item per charge5 Wand of stoneskin
Spell has XP cost Add 5 gp per 1 XP per charge5 Ring of three wishes
Spell Level: A 0-level spell is half the value of a 1st-level spell for determining price.
1 Such as a luck, insight, sacred, or profane bonus.
2 If a continuous item has an effect based on a spell with a duration measured in rounds, multiply the cost by 4. If the duration of the spell is 1 minute/level, multiply the cost by 2, and if the duration is 10 minutes/level, multiply the cost by 1.5. If the spell has a 24-hour duration or greater, divide the cost in half.
3 See Body Slot Affinities, below.
4 An item that does not take up one of the spaces on a body costs double.
5 If item is continuous or unlimited, not charged, determine cost as if it had 100 charges. If it has some daily limit, determine as if it had 50 charges.
MAGIC ITEM GOLD PIECE VALUES
Many factors must be considered when determining the price of new magic items. The easiest way to come up with a price is to match the new item to an item that is already priced that price as a guide. Otherwise, use the guidelines summarized on Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values.
Multiple Similar Abilities: For items with multiple similar abilities that don't take up space on a character's body use the following formula: Calculate the price of the single most costly ability, then add 75% of the value of the next most costly ability, plus one-half the value of any other abilities.
Multiple Different Abilities: Abilities such as an attack roll bonus or saving throw bonus and a spell-like function are not similar, and their values are simply added together to determine the cost. For items that do take up a space on a character's body each additional power not only has no discount but instead has a 50% increase in price.
0-Level Spells: When multiplying spell levels to determine value, 0- level spells should be treated as 1/2 level.
Other Considerations: Once you have a final cost figure, reduce that number if either of the following conditions applies:
-Item Requires Skill to Use: Some items require a specific skill to get them to function. This factor should reduce the cost about 10%.
-Item Requires Specific Class or Alignment to Use: Even more restrictive than requiring a skill, this limitation cuts the cost by 30%.
Prices presented in the magic item descriptions (the gold piece value following the item's caster level) are the market value, which is generally twice what it costs the creator to make the item.
Since different classes get access to certain spells at different levels, the prices for two characters to make the same item might actually be different. An item is only worth two times what the caster of lowest possible level can make it for. Calculate the market price based on the lowest possible level caster, no matter who makes the item.
Not all items adhere to these formulas directly. The reasons for this are several. First and foremost, these few formulas aren't enough to truly gauge the exact differences between items. The price of a magic item may be modified based on its actual worth. The formulas only provide a starting point. The pricing of scrolls assumes that, whenever possible, a wizard or cleric created it. Potions and wands follow the formulas exactly. Staffs follow the formulas closely, and other items require at least some judgment calls.
Find topic in: Divine, Psionic, Rules of the Game
Divine Creation
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