Magic Item Crafting - Formulating an Item

Adding up to an Item

So far, we have defined a magic item as requiring several materials and we now know how we divide those materials into types and influences. Next, we need to look at item value and how it is used to pick the crafting materials used for fabrication.

Minimum Material Cost = Required Number of Materials x Material Base Cost (from Rarity)

and

Base Labour Cost = Minimum Item Value - Minimum Material Cost

The above formulae give us some immediate numbers to work with. For example, a +1 longsword is permanent, uncommon and therefore worth a minimum of 500gp. Uncommon materials have a base value of 50gp and a minimum of eight are required to make a magic item with a permanent enchantment. This totals a minimum material cost of 400gp and also gives us a labour cost of 100gp. This labour cost could be considered the profit if you made the item yourself.

The materials selected to craft a magic item must follow two more rules as follows: at least half the required number of materials must be the correct type and at least half the required value must come from items with the correct influence. To meet these requirements, an item may have more materials than required, up to a maximum of one and a half the minimum, required number. For example, a player wishes to pay a craftsguild to produce a ring of fire resistance for her:

• The ring is rare and has a permanent enchantment. It therefore requires at least 8 (but no more than 12) materials totalling at least 4,000gp.
• As the item is a ring, the player needs at least 4 materials traditionally used to create jewellery such as metal and/or gemstones.
• The item is governed by the Fire influence so requires at least 2,000gp worth of materials that have the Fire influence themselves.
• The player will need to pay 1,000gp labour.

Extra Rules:

Crafting a potion requires that one of the materials be a solvent of the same rarity as the final product.

Crafting a scroll requires that one of the materials be a paper and one of them be an ink. The paper must be the same rarity as the final product.

Some items may not conveniently fit into a single influence and therefore may require a secondary influence. In these cases, less value is required: only the value of one crafting material of the correct rarity is needed. For example, an Ioun stone of Strength is easy to describe as being governed by the Force influence but it also flies under its own power and therefore has a secondary influence - Air. As it is a permanently enchanted, very rare item the Ioun stone of Strength would require 20,000gp of Force materials and 5,000gp of Air materials.

Table of Contents:

• Introduction & Terms
• Materials & Influences
• Formulating an Item
• Checks & Progress
• Help & Hindrance
• Optional Rules

Related Articles:

• Butchery
• Herbalism
• Poisonmaking