Magic Item Crafting Rules

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Who Can Create Magic Items?

In Epic Path, any character who has the skills, talents, and resources may create magic items.

• The Paladin praying before an altar, literally sweating blood from the force of her faithful devotion? She's making that amulet with her Divinity.
• The Fighter crisping at an anvil as he welds honest steel to dragon claws in a fire fueled by an elemental? He can use his Warcraft for this job.
• The Ranger standing in a forgotten grotto, singing as she weaves a cloak out of dryad hair and assassin-vines? She's using Naturalism.
• The Rogue hiding in a bell tower, stealing chimes from the Great Bell to power her new Chime of Opening? That's Spycraft she's using to steal that magic.
• The Monk meditating under a waterfall, infusing his Gauntlets with the pounding might of the plunging river? He's using his Reason to capture that power.
• And yes, that Wizard casting spells in his tower as he labors over dusty tomes of lore? He's using boring old Spellcraft to get the job done.

They're ALL making things, and there's nothing any more or less magical about any of these methods of production.

Keep reading to see how this all works.

Magic Item Creation

• To create magic items, characters must have the Creator feat. No exceptions!

• All items list a caster level required. Spellcasters use their own, natural caster level to satisfy this requirement. Non-spellcasters (who have the Creator feat) gain an Effective Caster Level based on the number of skill points they have spent on either Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spycraft, or Warcraft. This Effective Caster Level can never be higher than the class level of the class which qualifies for the skill they are using for the creation roll. For example, if a Paladin takes the Creator feat at 15th level and has spent seven skill points in Divinity, then for item creation purposes she has an effective caster level of seven (not ten). Conversely, if that same Paladin had fifteen ranks in Divinity, her Effective Caster Level is fifteen for item creation, even though her class skill bonus gives her effectively eighteen ranks of Divinity. Although, the extra ranks do make the item Creation roll easier(see below).

• The Creator feat represents the innate talent required to handle magic and infuse it into an object. Creator allows a character to invest time and money in an item's creation. At the end of this process, the character must make a single skill check (using any of Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft, or Warcraft) to finish the item. If an item type has multiple possible skills, you choose which skill to make the check with.

• The DC to create a magic item is 10 + the caster level of the item. Note that you CAN attempt to craft items with a Caster Level higher than your own Caster Level or Effective Caster Level! While possible, this is not recommended. Failing this check means that the item does not function and the materials and time are wasted. Failing this check by 5 or more results in a cursed item. Note that cursed items are almost always subtle, IE, the creator does not know they are cursed. All creation rolls with a chance for a cursed item are made in secret by the GM.

• 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). The DC to create a magic item increases by 5 for each prerequisite the creator does not meet. The only exception to this is the Creator feat, which is mandatory. In addition, you cannot create potions, spell-trigger, or spell-completion magic items without meeting its prerequisites. Note that due to this requirement, it is much easier for a spellcaster to make these items, as seeking substitutes for a potion takes just as long as seeking a substitute for a mighty sword.

• It should be stated clearly that the prerequisites are NOT set in stone. Substitutions are allowed and encouraged. Instead of a scroll of fireball to empower an item with magic, a barbarian might go and get breathed on by a red dragon while holding it. Instead of a Jump spell, a Monk might leap off a cliff while wearing the item to be empowered. Creativity is allowed and encouraged. In only the most prosaic of cases should hiring an NPC to cast a spell be the preferred method. How boring such a solution is.

• 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 (or the allowed substitutions) 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. Similarly, if a spell is required that has a minimum caster level of five (such as a fireball) and you substitute a CR16 Dragon's breath for it, then the caster level of that substitution should be caster level 16. In all cases, the GM adjudicates and has the final say on substitutions. If a player tries to substitute a fire beetles blast for a meteor swarm, referee's are encouraged to be cruel.

• Total Material costs for items are always half of the base price in gp. For many items, the market price equals the base price. Armor, shields, weapons, and items with 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), but it does increase the final market price.

• In addition, some items cast or replicate spells with costly material components. For these items, the market price equals the base price plus an extra price for the spell component costs. The cost to create these items is the magic supplies cost 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 an appropriate place in which to work. The nature of such a place can vary wildly. A noisy pugilarium full of hard-training warriors might be ideal for a Brawler to work on his new amulet of natural armor, but it's probably not going to be a good place for a Sorcerer to get anything done.

• • For users of Spellcraft, any place suitable for preparing spells is suitable for making items.
  • Warcraft works best in forges and smithies and training halls; rough, rude places of strife.
  • Spycraft works best in hidden spyholes full of small secretive nooks and hidden tools.
  • Naturalism works great in grottoes and caves and glades, anywhere the Green is strong and vital.
  • Divinity works well in temples and crypts and ossuaries, anywhere the sense of the Divine is strong.
  • Reason works best in libraries and meditation halls, dojos and saunas, places where quiet thought is enhanced.

• Once you have a good work place, creating any item requires at least one day (eight hours of uninterrupted work) for every caster level the item has. The minimum time to create any item is seven days of work, no matter how low the caster level is.

• If the conditions are not good, then work can still progress on a magic item, but all times are tripled. It is really a good idea to find a good place to work.

• If the item being made is not one that naturally 'fits' with the skill being used, then all creation times are tripled. It's a bad idea for a Wizard to try and make a suit of armor using Spellcraft, just like its a bad idea for a Prowler to try to make wand using Warcraft. Note that many items are just weird (like Wondrous items) and such items should not be penalized unduly by this rule. GM's are encouraged to be merciful. It is encouraged that GM's set times 'in-between' fast and slow as they see fit, to fine-tune the process.

• These time penalties DO NOT stack! If you're going to use Spycraft to make a great axe, you might as well not worry about finding a proper hole to work in, it's not going to get any slower.

• For example: If a Warlord uses Warcraft and a forge to make a magic breastplate, then the time is as above for fast crafting. If that same warlord then tries to make a magical staff with that same forge, they certainly may do so, but the time for such a deed should be tripled at a minimum. Similarly, if a Wizard seeks to make a wand of fire in his study, such a feat is done in the time laid out above. If that same Wizard wants to make a flaming sword in his study, then the time required should be tripled. Note that simply changing workplaces has no effect on this process: The Warlord in the study makes the staff no more quickly, and the Wizard in the forge doesn't fare any better with the sword either. In all cases, they can both make the items they want, but it would be much quicker and easier if they made each others item, and simply swapped for them.

• Potions and scrolls are an exception to these rules; they can take as little as 2 hours to create (if their base price is 250 gp or less). Scrolls and potions whose base price is more than 250 gp, but less than 1,000 gp, take 8 hours to create. The character must spend the gold at the beginning of the construction process. Regardless of the time needed for construction, a creator can create no more than one magic item per day. This time can be halved by increasing the DC to create the item by 5. So a potion worth less than 250 gold can be made in an hour if the DC is increased by 5. In all cases, 1 hour is the minimum time to create such items.

• A creator can work for up to 8 hours each day in a proper setting and fulfill one day of the creation time.

• A creator cannot rush the process by working longer each day. Working sixteen hours in a single day does nothing but make you tired.

• The days spent to create an item need not be consecutive. Partially finished magic items stored so as to preserve their value keep indefinitely.

• A creator can allocate his time as he sees fit. Since magic items in progress keep indefinitely, he may schedule time to work on one as he wishes.

• If the creator is out adventuring and wants to make progress on an item even as he's busy swinging his sword, he can devote up to 3 hours each day to item creation, although he nets only 1 hours' worth of useful progress. This time is not spent in one continuous period, but rather during lunch, morning preparation, and during watches at night. In this way, 1 hour of progress is made per day, and no special requirements must be met, aside from finding three hours.

• If time is dedicated to creation while afield, first you must find or create a makeshift workspace. This work is generally done in a controlled environment, where distractions are at a minimum, such as a well secured dungeon room, a laboratory with guards, or a friendly shrine. Up to 4 hours a day may be spent in magic item creation in such a makeshift location, but that time is NOT divided, as long as the location remains viable.

• Work that is performed in a distracting, inappropriate, or dangerous environment nets only one third the amount of progress. See above.

• A character can work on only one item at a time. If a character starts work on a new item, all progress and materials used on the previous item are lost. So don't do that.

• Many magic items can be enchanted more than once. The most common examples are double weapons. Each end of a double weapon must be enchanted separately, and each end is treated as a separate weapon as regards to properties, etc. In NO case do any abilities ever stack! Adding Defending to both ends of a staff does NOT allow you to stack twice the AC. Ever. Somewhat more rare are suits of armor and shields with spikes. Spiked armor and shields can be enchanted twice, once as a suit of armor, and once as a weapon. Full price must be paid for all enchantments. Note that, again, in NO cases do any abilities ever stack! Placing the same enchantments on your shield spikes as the ones on your weapon or armor spikes provides the benefit of the enchantment only once. Also, as a note, some magic weapon properties, such as the Defending magic item property, require you to use your shield or armor as a weapon to gain its benefit of the property. The GM may rule that when using the shield or armor spikes as a weapon means you lose the actual shield or armor bonuses until the start of your next turn, just as if you used your shield for a shield bash.

Upgrading Existing Items

It is certainly true that getting a new, shiny item is a thrill. Many players greatly enjoy getting or making brand new magic items.

That said, there are also players who like their existing items. They have built back-story into an item, and it is now a part of the lore of their character. A classic example is the heirloom sword, passed down for generations, that the character has sworn to use.

Sadly, that +2 Scimitar with the fancy engraving that was so awesome and overpowered at level 4, is seeming a little...under-performing at level 14. Is the story-builder player just out of luck, stuck with an increasingly weaker weapon as they continue their career?

Of course not!

It is possible to enhance or build upon an existing magic item. Only time, gold, and the various prerequisites required of the new ability to be added to the magic item restrict the type of additional powers one can place. If you wish to devote the resources to it, that family heirloom can become a sky-splitting artifact of blinding power. Indeed, GM's should encourage this sort of behavior! Storied items are fun!

Simply put, you never lose value by enhancing an existing item. Calculate the cost of the item as it will exist when you upgrade it. From that, subtract the cost of the item as it exists now. Voila! The difference is the cost of the upgrade. Don't tank that Creation roll!

For example: A +1 longsword can be made into a +2 holy longsword, with the cost to create it being equal to that of a +2 holy sword minus the cost of a +1 longsword.

If the item is one that occupies a specific place on a character's body, the cost of adding an additional ability to that item which is NOT usually associated with that item slot increases by 50%. For example, if a character adds the power to confer invisibility to her ring of protection 2, the cost of adding this ability is the same as for creating a new ring of invisibility multiplied by 1.5. Once completed, the new Ring of Invisible Protection has a value of the total spent upon it. For more details, see the general rules below for magic item costs.

Magic Item Gold Piece Values

Magic items have always had a certain mystery to them. Yes, there are comprehensive rules below for creating literally hundreds or thousands of items, but those rules should never get in the way of creativity. If a referee wants to put a cool item into her game, she can certainly do so, no matter how 'off the beaten path' that item is.

But then, the players will inevitably get tired of the shiny toy at some point and want to sell it.

How much is it worth?

Answering that question is fairly easy if you follow the guidelines below. But for many items, the GM is going to simply assign a value. This has a solid basis in reality: Many items are 'collector's items', and such things are, simply put, worth what someone will pay for them.

Assuming the item is a custom one, and is not TOO strange, the easiest way to come up with a price is to compare the new item to a reasonably similar item that is already priced, and use that price as a guide. For example, suppose the game includes a magical crowbar that will open windows. A handy thing, certainly. But if you compare the price to a Chime of Opening, the magical crowbar is obviously not as useful as the chime is. So the referee would be fully justified in saying that the magic crowbar that opens windows is worth half what a Chime of Opening is worth. Almost any item, no matter how fanciful, can usually be given a reasonable price using this method.

If, on the other hand, you like a little more certainty in your game, you can use the rules and tables below. But remember one thing: ALWAYS assess any item for relative merit. Players will want to use every technique and method they can to make their characters better. It is the referee's job to make sure that things stay in balance. Maintaining balance with custom items is quite difficult, so it is recommended that referrees use the rules laid out below for the large majority of their magic item rewards.

As stated above, the correct way to price an item is ALWAYS by comparing its abilities to similar items, and only if there are no similar items should you use the pricing formulas to determine an approximate price for the item.

It is inevitable that players will discover loopholes that allows an item to have an ability for a much lower price than is given for a comparable item. In all such cases, the GM should require using the price of the more expensive item as a minimum guideline, as that is the standard cost for such an effect. Most of these loopholes stem from trying to get unlimited uses per day of a spell effect from the "command word" or "use-activated or continuous" lines of Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values.

Example: Rob's cleric wants to create a heavy mace with a continuous true strike ability as a continuous spell effect, granting its wielder a +20 insight bonus on attack rolls. Holy mackerel! The formula for a continuous spell effect is spell level × caster level × 2,000 gp, for a total of 2,000 gp (spell level 1, caster level 1). +20 to-hit for a meager 2000 gold? To put it mildly, this is an effect that would break the game completely, and is so good that if the GM allows it for one player, ALL the players will want it as well. Consulting the Weapon Enhancement chart below, we see that a +5 enhancement bonus on a weapon costs 50,000 gp, and the +20 bonus from true strike is actually BETTER than the chart goes, even for Epic levels. A +18 enhancement costs 23 million gold, and a +20 enhancement would more than likely be somewhere around 70 million gold. Obviously this puts the idea of permanent True Strike out of reach for the player, and rightly so! Using the standard weapon enhancement rules, Rob buys a far more reasonable +1 mace.

Example: Patrick's wizard wants to create bracers with a continuous mage armor ability, granting the wearer a +4 armor bonus to AC. The formula indicates this would cost 2,000 gp (spell level 1, caster level 1). Checking the Armor table shows that bracers of armor +4 are priced at 16,000 gp and Patrick's bracers should have that price as well. Patrick agrees, and because he only has 2,000 gp to spend, he decides to spend 1,000 gp of that to craft bracers of armor +1 using the standard bracer prices.

These examples are extreme, but illustrate the pitfalls that GM's must be on the lookout for. At the same time, the GM should be careful to allow the players plenty of avenues for creativity. Don't strangle the life out of a game by outlawing all the fun, cool, wacky ideas that players come up with.

Last, there is a special case, where a player really likes a magic item's effects, but not how it looks. Some new items are really existing magic items with a different weapon or armor type, such as a dagger of venom that is a great sword instead of a dagger or a lion's shield that's a wooden shield instead of a metal shield. For these items, just replace the price of the non-magical masterwork item with the cost of the new type of item. For example, a great sword of venom has a price of 8,350 gp instead of the dagger of venom's price of 8,302 gp. And honestly, a great sword of venom? That's cool!

Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values

Effect	Base Price	Example
Ability bonus (enhancement)	Bonus squared x 1,000 gp	Belt of incredible 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	Removed from Game	Ioun stone (dusty rose prism) (also removed from game)
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	Removed from Game	Stone of good luck (also removed from game)
Skill bonus (competence)	Bonus squared x 100 gp	Cloak of elvenkind
Spell resistance	45,000gp for SR18, + added SR squared times 5000gp	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
No space limitation3	Multiply entire cost by 2	Ioun stone
Multiple different abilities	Multiply lower item cost by 1.5	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 charge4	Wand of stoneskin

• 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 An item that does not take up one of the spaces on a body costs double.
• ⁴ 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.

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 1/2 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 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.

Body Slot Affinities: After much careful thought, we have decided to follow the Pathfinder model on this topic, and simply remain silent upon it. This means that yes, you CAN make a pair of goggles that increases your Strength if you want to. Since all the items that increase Strength use the same magical bonus type, they do not stack. If you change the bonus type, that increases the cost and thus is already accounted for in these rules.

that said, GM's are encouraged to 'rein in' the excesses of players. It is highly recommended that following the general thematic guides here is good for keeping the tone of the game. Of course, every referee is allowed to run their game as they wish.

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 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 price by 30%.

Prices presented in the magic item descriptions (the gold piece value following the item's slot) 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 the 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. 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. Staves follow the formulas closely, and other items require at least some judgment calls.

Stacking Bonuses

With the exception of dodge bonuses to AC, bonuses from multiple sources which use the same bonus type (e.g. enhancement, item, morale, etc.) do not stack with each other. Similarly, you may not create custom magic items which evade this rule by providing the same magical benefit, such as a bonus to Intelligence, but use a different bonus type. This is strictly against the rules as it will break the game.

Example: Jojo the alchemist has a Headband of Vast Intelligence, which provides him a +4 enhancement bonus to his Intelligence ability score. He wants to build a custom magic item called "Inventor's Goggles" which gives a +4 insight bonus to Intelligence. Sounds like a great idea, but it is against the rules. Sorry, Jojo!

Cooperative Crafting

If you need another character to supply one of an item's requirements (e.g. a wizard creating an item with a divine spell requirement might request the assistance of his party's paladin), both you and the other character must be present for the entire duration of the crafting process. If neither character has the Cooperative Crafting feat, the assistance of the second character provides no benefit other than fulfilling the spell requirement of the item's creation.

Only one person involved in a magic item's creation needs to have a 'good' skill for the item. A Barbarian can use her Naturalism skill to help a Fighter make a cloak that shape-shifts him into the form of a boar, and their progress will not be divided by three. Similarly, the Fighter can use his well-equipped foundry workshop to make that cloak with no loss in time, since only one of them needs a 'good' working environment to avoid the time penalty.

In general, the person who is going to keep and use the item (or offer it for sale to NPC's) makes the skill check to complete the item — or, if there is a chance of creating a cursed item, the GM makes the check in secret. If the person who is going to keep and use the item has a lower skill than one of the people assisting, then it is allowed for the person with the highest skill to make the roll and allow the others to assist them. In all cases, if there is a chance for a cursed item, the GM makes the roll in secret. You never know if you got a cursed item until you try it out....

If a second player character is providing a spell to fulfill one of the prerequisites of item creation, that character's spell is expended for each day of the creation process, just as if you were using one of your own spells for a requirement. Note that if you are substituting for a spell effect, you generally only have to supply the substituted material once, with GM approval. Getting breathed upon by a dragon a dozen times in a row is reeeaally unpleasant.

NPC's can be hired to fulfill a spell prerequisite. If you do so, you must pay for the NPC's spell casting service for each day of the item creation. Note that NPC's will rarely if ever have the Cooperative Crafting feat.

If at least one of the characters involved in the item creation has the Cooperative Crafting feat, they are allowed to use the Aid Another action during the crafting process to provide a +2 untyped bonus on any Craft, Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft checks related to the making of the item, and their assistance doubles the number of hours of progress made each day. Note that multiple people with the Creator feat and Cooperative Crafting can assist in creating a magic item. In such cases, each person with the Cooperative Crafting feat may use the Aid Another action to add a +2 untyped bonus to the creation roll, and adds another multiple to the amount of progress made each day.

Example: Two Creators work on an item together. One has a 'good' skill for the item (Spycraft used to make a crystal ball, for example) and one of them has a 'good' place to work (a quiet sylvan grove for a Druid's Naturalism.). They would normally gain eight hours of progress per day of work, but since they are both working and the Druid has the Cooperative Crafting feat, they make sixteen hours of progress each day, and the final creation roll gains a +2. If three Creators work together and any of them have a 'good' skill and any of them have a 'good' work place, they make 24 hours of progress for each day of work, and at least two of them have the Cooperative Crafting feat, the final roll is at +4. Any number of player characters may aid another using Cooperative Crafting. I mean, they paid a feat for the privilege!

No matter how many creators work together, no item can be made in less than three days. Sorry!

Note that in order to use the "aid other" ability while making magic items, the assisting character must have the Cooperative Crafting feat.

Creating Magic Armor

To create magic armor, a character needs a good heavy workshop. There must be a powerful heat source such as a blown forge or magical fire. There must be a strong anvil and high-quality tools of many, many kinds. There must be adequate room to work, with benches and tables. Finally, there should be a supply of materials, the most obvious being the armor or the pieces of the armor to be assembled. A good forge can be a cozy affair, or a massive workshop that sprawls and rambles through many rooms of a castle. In no case is any workspace ever portable.

Armor to be made into magic armor must be masterwork armor, and the masterwork cost is added to the base price to determine final market value. Additional magic supply costs for the materials are subsumed in the cost for creating the magic armor—half the base price of the item. If the character has a Craft:Armor skill they can roll to make their own masterwork armor, although it is usually fastest to purchase a masterwork item from a less-skilled NPC smith.

Creating magic armor has a special prerequisite: The creator's effective caster level must be at least three times the enhancement bonus of the armor. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met. Magic armor or a magic shield must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus to have any armor or shield special abilities.

If spells are involved in the prerequisites for making the armor, the creator must have either 1) prepared the spells to be cast (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard), 2) Purchased scrolls of the spells, 3) Have the spells otherwise available such as in a wand, or 4) have worked out with the GM in advance any allowed substitutions (a jug of white dragon blood from a dragon of the proper challenge rating to substitute for a polar ray spell, for example) and must provide any material components or focuses the spells require. The act of working on the armor triggers the prepared spells, or integrates any allowed substitutes. The spells are not available to cast, and the substitutes are consumed in making the item. (Those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.)

Creating some armor may entail other prerequisites beyond or other than spellcasting or substituted materials. See the individual descriptions for details.

• Time Required: Crafting magic armor requires one day for each CL of the item, minimum of seven days.

• Feat(s) Required: Creator.

• Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft

Magic armor and shields have three types of improvements that may be applied to them:

Enhancements

Magical enhancements range from +1 to +9. As a firm rule, the maximum enhancement an armor or shield may have is equal to one quarter of the campaign level, round up. This maximum Enhancement Bonus cap must not be exceeded at normal play levels to maintain balance. Any attempt to wear armor or wield a shield more magically enchanted than this results in the character taking a non-proficiency penalty, with the possibility of even more dire consequences (such as insanity, or becoming dominated by the armor's will). At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and armor and shields may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.

While armor and sheild enhancement bonuses are nearly always used to increase the AC bonus, some armors contain innate properties from special materials, which may also be increased via the enhancement bonus. An example of this is the adamantine armor's DR 3/- property. Players may dedicate enhancement bonuses to increasing these innate properties instead of the armor's AC bonus. However, the armor's total enhancement bonus is always the sum of any of these, and no armor or shield may ever have an enhancement bonus greater than +9. For details on special material innate properties, and the effects of using enhancement bonuses to increase them, see the Dweomermetals And Other Special Materials page. Enhancement bonuses may never be used to apply a property that the armor does not already have innately from its special materials.

Properties

Magic Item Properties are additional traits, bonuses or effects the magic armor or shields grant or perform on top of the normal functionality of that armor or shield. Armor and sheilds must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus before any magic armor properties may be added to them. The limit to the total value of all armor properties that may be added to a suit of armor or shield is one quarter of the campaign level, rounded up. This maximum Magical Properties cap must not be exceeded at normal play levels to maintain balance. No item may ever have the same property twice. At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and armor and shields may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.

Absolute Bonus

By adding together the plus values of the Enhancement Bonus and Magical Properties of a suit of armor or a shield, you determine the armor's Absolute Bonus. For example, a +2 Expeditious Plate Mail has a +4 Absolute Bonus, since the Expeditious property has a +2 cost associated with it. The Absolute Bonus plus the special material costs (if any) determine the total magic item cost of the item. The maximum possible Absolute Bonus of any magic weapon, armor or shield is +18, though the maximum allowed in a given campaign varies by the campaign's current player level (See the tables below for details). At level 36, all restrictions are lifted, and weapons, armors and shields may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.

Materials

Mundane armors are assumed to be made of forged iron or crude leathers and furs. Fragile armors are usually made of crude iron, untreated hides, or bone. Masterwork armors are assumed to be made of high quality steel, similar to historical Damascus or Wootz (forging good steel was often a happy accident before the chemistry was fully understood). Armor and shields made from fantastic materials are possible as well, such as the classic mithril and adamantine. A list of special materials and their properties can be found on the Dweomermetals And Other Special Materials page. In all cases, only ONE material may be used in the construction of a single suit of armor or a single shield, even after the Apotheosis. Unless the referee allows it, of course.

Table: Magic Armor Enhancement Limitations

Campaign Level	Max Enhancement Bonus	Max Magic Properties	Absolute Bonus	Cost
1 - 4	+1	no properties	+1	1,000
		+1 worth of properties	+2	4,000
5 - 8	+2	no properties	+2	4,000
		+1 worth of properties	+3	9,000
		+2 worth of properties	+4	16,000
9 - 12	+3	no properties	+3	9,000
		+1 worth of properties	+4	16,000
		+2 worth of properties	+5	25,000
		+3 worth of properties	+6	36,000
13 - 16	+4	no properties	+4	16,000
		+1 worth of properties	+5	25,000
		+2 worth of properties	+6	36,000
		+3 worth of properties	+7	49,000
		+4 worth of properties	+8	64,000
17 - 20	+5	no properties	+5	25,000
		+1 worth of properties	+6	36,000
		+2 worth of properties	+7	49,000
		+3 worth of properties	+8	64,000
		+4 worth of properties	+9	81,000
		+5 worth of properties	+10	100,000

Table: Epic Magic Armor Enhancement Limitations

Campaign Level	Max Enhancement Bonus	Max Magic Properties (Note: +5 is the minimum allowed for Epic)	Absolute Bonus	Cost
21 - 24	+6	+5 worth of properties	+11	200,000
		+6 worth of properties	+12	400,000
25 - 28	+7	+5 worth of properties	+12	400,000
		+6 worth of properties	+13	800,000
		+7 worth of properties	+14	1,500,000
29 - 32	+8	+5 worth of properties	+13	800,000
		+6 worth of properties	+14	1,500,000
		+7 worth of properties	+15	2,500,000
		+8 worth of properties	+16	4,500,000
33 - 35	+9	+5 worth of properties	+14	1,500,000
		+6 worth of properties	+15	2,500,000
		+7 worth of properties	+16	4,500,000
		+8 worth of properties	+17	7,500,000
		+9 worth of properties	+18	11,500,000
Apotheosis!	unlimited	unlimited	unlimited	impossibly expensive

Armor is always created so that if the type of armor comes with a pair of boots, a helm, or a set of gauntlets, these pieces can be exchanged for other magic boots, helms, or gauntlets.

Caster Level for armor and shields

The caster level of a magic shield or magic armor with a special ability is given in the item description. For an item with only an enhancement bonus, the caster level is three times the enhancement bonus. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met. As always, caster level can either be a character's 'native' caster if they actually cast spells, or their Effective Caster Level they gain from having the Creator feat and ranks in either Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft. Note that even spell casters have to have the Creator feat to make magic items.

Shields

Shield enhancement bonuses stack with armor enhancement bonuses. Shield enhancement bonuses do not act as attack or damage bonuses when the shield is used in a shield bash. The bashing special ability, however, does grant a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls (see the special ability description).

A shield can be built such that it also acts as a magic weapon. This requires the shield to be equipped with shield spikes, and is handled as if the shield was a double weapon, namely, two sets of enhancements are applied to the shield and the costs are tracked as though they were two separate items, even though they aren't. Because shield spikes on a shield are really only one item, it is important to remember that like bonuses do not stack on the same item. For example, a property which grants an armor bonus to AC from the shield spikes would not stack with the armor bonus provided by the shield itself. Also, as a note, some magic weapon properties, such as the Defending magic item property, require you to use your shield or armor as a weapon to gain its benefit of the property. The GM may rule that when using the shield or armor spikes as a weapon means you lose the actual shield or armor bonuses until the start of your next turn, just as if you used your shield for a shield bash.

As with armor, magic properties built into the shield add to the market value in the form of additions to the bonus of the shield, although they do not improve AC. A shield cannot have an absolute bonus (enhancement plus special ability bonus equivalents) higher than +18. A shield with a special ability must also have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

Activation

Usually a character benefits from magic armor and shields in exactly the way a character benefits from non-magical armor and shields: by wearing them. If armor or a shield has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter the command word (a standard action).

Armor for Unusual Creatures

The cost of armor for non-humanoid creatures, as well as for creatures who are neither Small nor Medium, varies. The cost of the masterwork quality is also affected to the same degree. IE, if armor costs four times as much because it is size large, it costs 4 times as much to make it masterwork. The cost to enchant a size large suit of armor is unchanged, however, nor does the armor's size increase the time required for enchantment.

Creating Magic Weapons

To create magic armor, a character needs a good heavy workshop. There must be a powerful heat source such as a blown forge or magical fire. There must be a strong anvil and high-quality tools of many, many kinds. There must be adequate room to work, with benches and tables. Finally, there should be a supply of materials, the most obvious being the armor or the pieces of the armor to be assembled. A good forge can be a cozy affair, or a massive workshop that sprawls and rambles through many rooms of a castle. In no case is any workspace ever portable.

Only a masterwork weapon can become a magic weapon, and the masterwork cost is added to the total cost to determine final market value. If a character has the appropriate Craft:Skill, they can create their own masterwork weapons but it is usually faster to simply buy a masterwork weapon from an NPC. Additional magic supplies costs for the materials are subsumed in the cost for creating the magic weapon—half the base price of the item based upon the item's total effective bonus.

Creating a magic weapon has a special prerequisite: The creator's caster level must be at least three times the enhancement bonus of the weapon. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met. A magic weapon must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus to have any melee or ranged special weapon abilities.

If spells are involved in the prerequisites for making the armor, the creator must have either 1) Prepared the spells to be cast (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard), 2) Purchased scrolls of the spells, 3) Have the spells otherwise available such as in a wand, or 4) Have worked out with the GM in advance any allowed substitutions (a jug of red dragon blood from a dragon of the proper challenge rating to substitute for a meteor swarm spell, for example) and must provide any material components or focuses the spells require. The act of working on the armor triggers the prepared spells, or integrates any allowed substitutes. The spells are not available to cast, and the substitutes are consumed in making the item. (Those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.)

At the time of creation, the creator must decide if the weapon glows or not as a side-effect of the magic imbued within it. This decision does not affect the price or the creation time, but once the item is finished, the decision is binding. Note that many properties emit light as well, and you cannot choose to NOT emit light if you take that property.

Creating magic double-headed weapons is treated as creating two weapons when determining cost, time, and special abilities.

Creating some weapons may entail other prerequisites beyond or other than spellcasting. See the individual descriptions for details.

• Time Required: Crafting magic armor requires one day for each CL of the item, minimum of 7 days.
• Feat(s) Required: Creator.
• Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft

A magic weapon is enhanced to strike more accurately and deliver more damage. Magic weapons have three types of improvements that may be applied to them:

Enhancements

Magical enhancements range from +1 to +9. As a firm rule, the maximum enhancement a weapon may have is equal to one quarter of the campaign level, round up. This maximum Enhancement Bonus cap must not be exceeded at normal play levels to maintain balance. Any attempt to wield a weapon more magically enchanted than this results in the character taking a non-proficiency penalty with the weapon, with the possibility of even more dire consequences (such as insanity, or being controlled by the weapon). At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and a weapon may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.

While a weapon's enhancement bonus is nearly always used to increase the weapon's to-hit and damage, some weapons contain innate properties from special materials, which may also be increased via the enhancement bonus. An example of this is an adamantine weapon's ability to ignore hardness. Players may dedicate enhancement bonuses to increasing these innate properties instead of the weapon's to-hit and damage. However, the weapon's total enhancement bonus is always the sum of any of these, and no weapon may ever have an enhancement bonus greater than +9. For details on special material innate properties, and the effects of using enhancement bonuses to increase them, see the Dweomermetals And Other Special Materials page. Enhancement bonuses may never be used to apply a property that the weapon does not already have innately from its special materials.

Properties

Magic Item Properties are additional traits, bonuses or effects the magic weapon grants or performs on top of the normal functionality of that weapon. A weapon must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus before any magic weapon properties may be added to it. The limit to the total value of all weapon properties that may be added to a weapon is one quarter of the campaign level, rounded up. This maximum Magical Properties cap must not be exceeded at normal play levels to maintain balance. At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and a weapon may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford. No item may ever have the same property twice.

Absolute Bonus

By adding together the plus values of the Enhancement Bonus and Magical Properties of a weapon, you determine the weapon's Absolute Bonus. For example, a +2 Keen Longsword has a +3 Absolute Bonus, since the Keen property has a +1 cost associated with it. The Absolute Bonus plus the special material costs (if any) determine the total magic item cost of the item. The maximum possible Absolute Bonus of any magic weapon, armor or shield is +18, though the maximum allowed in a given campaign varies by the campaign's current player level (See the tables below for details). At level 36, all restrictions are lifted, and weapons, armors and shields may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.

Materials

Mundane weapons are assumed to be made of forged iron. Fragile weapons are usually made of crude iron, bronze, or bone. Masterwork weapons are assumed to be made of good quality steel, similar to historical Damascus or Wootz (forging good steel was often a happy accident before the chemistry was fully understood). Weapons made from fantastic materials are possible as well, such as the classic mithril and adamantine. A list of special materials and their properties can be found on the Dweomermetals And Other Special Materials page. In all cases, only ONE material may be used in the construction of a single weapon, even after the Apotheosis. Unless the referee allows it, of course.

Table: Magic Weapon Enhancement Limitations

Campaign Level	Max Enhancement Bonus	Max Magic Properties	Absolute Bonus	Cost
1 - 4	+1	no properties	+1	2,000
		+1 worth of properties	+2	8,000
5 - 8	+2	no properties	+2	8,000
		+1 worth of properties	+3	18,000
		+2 worth of properties	+4	32,000
9 - 12	+3	no properties	+3	18,000
		+1 worth of properties	+4	32,000
		+2 worth of properties	+5	50,000
		+3 worth of properties	+6	72,000
13 - 16	+4	no properties	+4	32,000
		+1 worth of properties	+5	50,000
		+2 worth of properties	+6	72,000
		+3 worth of properties	+7	98,000
		+4 worth of properties	+8	128,000
17 - 20	+5	no properties	+5	50,000
		+1 worth of properties	+6	72,000
		+2 worth of properties	+7	98,000
		+3 worth of properties	+8	128,000
		+4 worth of properties	+9	162,000
		+5 worth of properties	+10	200,000

Table: Epic Magic Weapon Enhancement Limitations

Campaign Level	Max Enhancement Bonus	Max Magic Properties (Note: +5 is the minimum allowed for Epic)	Absolute Bonus	Cost
21 - 24	+6	+5 worth of properties	+11	400,000
		+6 worth of properties	+12	800,000
25 - 28	+7	+5 worth of properties	+12	800,000
		+6 worth of properties	+13	1,600,000
		+7 worth of properties	+14	3,000,000
29 - 32	+8	+5 worth of properties	+13	1,600,000
		+6 worth of properties	+14	3,000,000
		+7 worth of properties	+15	5,000,000
		+8 worth of properties	+16	9,000,000
33 - 35	+9	+5 worth of properties	+14	3,000,000
		+6 worth of properties	+15	5,000,000
		+7 worth of properties	+16	9,000,000
		+8 worth of properties	+17	15,000,000
		+9 worth of properties	+18	23,000,000
Apotheosis!	unlimited	unlimited	unlimited	impossibly expensive

Caster Level Required To Make Weapons

The caster level required to make a weapon with a weapon property is given in the description of the property. If a weapon has more than one weapon property, the caster level required to place the weapon properties is the highest of all the properties plus 2. For a weapon with only an enhancement bonus and no other abilities, the caster level or effective caster level required to make the weapon is three times the enhancement bonus. Thus, it requires a third level creator to make a +1 weapon, sixth level to make a +2, etc. If a weapon has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the caster level requirements must be met. As always, caster level can either be a character's 'native' caster level if they actually cast spells, or their Effective Caster Level they gain from having the Creator feat and ranks in either Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft. Note that even spell casters have to have the Creator feat to make magic items.

Additional Bonus Damage Dice

Some magic weapons deal additional bonus dice of damage. Unlike other modifiers to damage, additional dice of damage are considered bonuses and are not multiplied when the attacker scores a critical hit. In all cases, refer to the description of the weapon to see if there are specific rules for handling the bonus damage. If there are no rules in the weapon description, then these rules apply.

Additional Base Damage Dice

Some magic weapons gain improved or additional base damage dice. These dice DO improve with level as normal base damage dice do, and ARE multiplied when the attacker scores a critical hit. Increases to base weapon damage can be found in the form of additional dice, and as adders. In all cases, additions to the base weapon damage are multiplied by high level effects and are multiplied on crits. As a result, these effects are powerful and rare.

Ranged Weapons and Ammunition

The enhancement bonus from a ranged weapon does not stack with the enhancement bonus from ammunition. Only the higher of the two enhancement bonuses applies. Ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an enhancement bonus of +1 or higher is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Similarly, ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an alignment gains the alignment of that projectile weapon. Weapon properties of a ranged weapon do not stack with weapon properties of ammunition. If a character is using a ranged weapon with properties and has ammunition with properties, they may choose which properties to use with each shot as a free action. As always, no weapon may ever have the same property twice. If ammunition and a ranged weapon have the same weapon properties, only count the property once.

Magic Thrown Weapons

Weapons designed for throwing, such as the throwing axe or the careen (but not weapons with the ammunition property, such as skiprocks), gain the Lesser Returning property for free if they have an enhancement bonus or magic property worth an enhancement bonus of at least +1. If they have an enhancement bonus of +2 or greater (or magic properties equivalent to +2 enhancement or greater), thrown weapons gain the Greater Returning magic property for free. These properties cost nothing extra, and never increase the overall cost of additional upgrades, but they do count against the maximum possible enchantments the weapon can have.

Magic Ammunition and Breakage

Magical ammunition follows the standard rules for recovering expended ammunition. If the attack hits, the arrow, bolt or bullet is expended and not recoverable. If the attack misses, there is a 50% chance that the piece of ammunition is recoverable.

Light Generation

30% of randomly generated magic weapons shed light equivalent to a light spell. These glowing weapons are quite obviously magical. Such a weapon can't be concealed when drawn, nor can their light be shut off, and they usually make Stealth rolls more difficult by imposing a penalty to stealth rolls. If a weapon is specially crafted by a player or as a commission from an NPC, whether or not it gives off light is chosen by the player. Some magic weapon properties cause the weapons to always or never glow, as defined in their descriptions, and this cannot by changed by the player's desire at item creation.

Hardness and Hit Points

Each +1 of a magic weapon’s enhancement bonus adds +2 to its hardness and +10 to its hit points. See also Table: Weapon, Armor, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points. Weapon properties usually have no effect on hardness or hit points, but some do, so refer to these specific rules for the effects of each property. Special materials almost always have an effect on a weapon's hardness and hit points. See the tables below and on the Dweomermetals page for details.

Table: Weapon, Armor and Shield Hardness and Hit Points

Weapon or Shield	Hardness 1 4	Hit Points 2 3
Light blade	10	2
One-handed blade	10	5
Two-handed blade	10	10
Light metal-hafted weapon	10	10
One-handed metal-hafted weapon	10	20
Light hafted weapon	5	2
One-handed hafted weapon	5	5
Two-handed hafted weapon	5	10
Projectile weapon	5	5
Armor	special4	armor bonus × 5
Buckler	10	5
Light wooden shield	5	7
Heavy wooden shield	5	15
Light steel shield	10	10
Heavy steel shield	10	20
Tower shield	5	20

• ¹ Add +2 for each +1 enhancement bonus of magic items.
• ² Divide by 2 for each size category of the item smaller than Medium, or multiply it by 2 for each size category larger than Medium.
• ³ Add 10 hp for each +1 enhancement bonus of magic items
• ⁴ Varies by material. See below and Dweomermetals for details.

Table: Substance Hardness and Hit Points

Substance	Hardness	Hit Points
Glass	1	1/in. of thickness
Paper or cloth	0	2/in. of thickness
Rope	0	2/in. of thickness
Ice	0	3/in. of thickness
Leather or hide	2	5/in. of thickness
Wood	5	10/in. of thickness
Stone	8	15/in. of thickness
Iron or steel	10	30/in. of thickness
Argent	15	40/in. of thickness
Ambergold	18	30/in. of thickness
Bloodgold	5	25/in. of thickness
Bloodsilver	20	40/in. of thickness
Cuprium	adds +3 to base	adds +9 to base
Mithral	15	30/in. of thickness
Peacemetal	15	35/in. of thickness
Puremetal	12	30/in. of thickness
Adamantine	20	40/in. of thickness
Dolemetal	25	50/in. of thickness
Truemetal	30	50/in. of thickness
Paramount	40	60/in. of thickness
Glassteel	10	30/in. of thickness

Activation

Usually a character benefits from a magic weapon in the same way a character benefits from a mundane weapon—by wielding (attacking with) it. If a weapon has a weapon property that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter a command word (a standard action). A character can activate the special abilities of up to 50 pieces of ammunition at the same time, assuming each piece has identical abilities.

Magic Weapons and Critical Hits

Some weapon properties and some specific weapons have an extra effect on a critical hit. This special effect overcomes immunity to critical bits. Critical hits rolled with these weapons function against creatures not normally subject to critical hits, but only for the weapon property's effect. In such instances, on a successful critical roll, apply the magic weapon's special effect, but otherwise resolve damage as though it were a normal hit.

Weapons for Unusually Sized Creatures

The cost of weapons for creatures who are neither Small nor Medium varies (see Equipment). The cost of the masterwork quality is also affected to the same degree. IE, if a weapon costs four times as much because it is size large, it costs 4 times as much to make it masterwork. The cost to enchant a size large weapon is unchanged, however, nor does the weapon's size increase the time required for enchantment.

Creating Potions

Table: Potion Base Costs By Brewer's Class

Spell Level	Cleric, Druid, Wizard	Sorcerer	Bard	Paladin, Ranger*
0	25 gp	25 gp	25 gp	—
1st	50 gp	50 gp	50 gp	50 gp
2nd	300 gp	400 gp	400 gp	400 gp
3rd	750 gp	900 gp	1,050 gp	1,050 gp

• ^* Caster level is equal to class level –3.
• Prices assume that the potion was made at the minimum caster level. The cost to create a potion is half the base price.

The creator of a potion needs a large, firm, and level working surface and at least a few good quality containers in which to mix liquids, as well as a source of moderate and well-controlled heat to boil the brew. In addition, he needs ingredients. The costs for materials and ingredients are subsumed in the cost for brewing the potion: 25 gp × the level of the spell × the level of the caster.

All ingredients and materials used to brew a potion must be fresh and unused. The character must pay the full cost for brewing each potion. (Economies of scale do not apply. Sorry, brewing in a barrel just gets you beer.)

The imbiber of the potion is both the caster and the target of the potions effect. Spells with a range of personal cannot be made into potions.

The creator must have prepared the spell to be placed in the potion (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any material component or focus the spell requires.

Material components are consumed when he begins working, but a focus is not. (a focus used in brewing a potion can be reused.) The act of brewing triggers the prepared spell, making it unavailable for casting until the character has rested and regained spells. (That is, that spell slot is expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if it had been cast.)

• Time Required: See below.

• Feat(s) Required: Creator.

• Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft

The time required to create a potion is much less than other magic items, and varies based upon the cost of the potion. If they are worth less than 250 gold, the base time to brew a potion is 2 hours. Potions whose base price is more than 250 gp, but less than 1,000 gp, take 8 hours to create. The character must spend the gold at the beginning of the construction process. Regardless of the time needed for construction, a creator can create no more than one magic item per day unless there is a feat or class ability being used.

The time needed to brew a potion can be halved by increasing the DC to create the item by 5. So a potion worth less than 250 gold can be made in an hour if the DC is increased by 5. In all cases, 1 hour is the minimum time to create such items.

Creating Rings

To create a magic ring, a character needs a strong and finely controlled heat source such as a magical fire or a blown torch. He needs a small but solid anvil, strong and specialized clamps, magnifiers, and many many fine tools of good quality. He needs adequate space to work, such as a bench or table. He also needs a supply of materials, the most obvious being a ring or the pieces of the ring to be assembled. The cost for the materials is subsumed in the cost for creating the ring. Ring costs are difficult to determine. Refer to Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values and use the ring prices in the ring descriptions as a guideline. Creating a ring generally costs half the ring's market price.

Rings that duplicate spells with costly material components add in the value of 50 × the spell's component cost. Having a spell with a costly component as a prerequisite does not automatically incur this cost. The act of working on the ring triggers the prepared spells, making them unavailable for casting during each day of the ring's creation. (That is, those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.) If substitutes are being used to cover any required spells, they need to be of high quality and available in large enough amounts to substitute for many castings of the spell in question.

Creating some rings may entail other prerequisites beyond or other than spellcasting. See the individual descriptions for details.

• Time Required: Forging a ring requires 1 day per Caster Level of the item, minimum 7.

• Feat(s) Required: Creator.

• Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft

Creating Rods

To create a magic rod, a character needs a workspace. The nature of the workspace can be widely variable, for example, for many rods a fine cabinet-making shop with lathes and mills would be a fine place to start. For other rods, a foundry exactly similar to one used for magical weapons might be more useful, and for still other rods, a small, precise workshop such as one used for crafting magical rings might be best. The GM is encouraged to be merciful, and allow players to be creative in arranging a workspace. In addition to a good place to work, a supply of materials, the most obvious being a rod or the pieces of the rod to be assembled, is required. The cost for the materials is subsumed in the cost for creating the rod. Rod costs are difficult to determine. Refer to Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values and use the rod prices in the rod descriptions as a guideline. Creating a rod costs half the market value listed.

If spells are involved in the prerequisites for making the rod, the creator must have prepared the spells to be cast (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) but need not provide any material components or focuses the spells require. The act of working on the rod triggers the prepared spells, making them unavailable for casting during each day of the rod's creation. (That is, those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.)

Creating some rods may entail other prerequisites beyond or other than spellcasting. See the individual descriptions for details.

• Time Required Crafting a rod requires 1 day for each caster level of the item, minimum 7.

• Feat(s) Required: Creator.

• Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft

Creating Scrolls

Table: Scroll Base Costs By Scriber's Class

Spell Level	Cleric, Druid, Wizard	Sorcerer	Bard	Paladin, Ranger*
0	12 gp 5 sp	12 gp 5 sp	12 gp 5 sp	—
1st	25 gp	25 gp	25 gp	25 gp
2nd	150 gp	200 gp	200 gp	200 gp
3rd	375 gp	450 gp	525 gp	525 gp
4th	700 gp	800 gp	1,000 gp	1,000 gp
5th	1,125 gp	1,250 gp	1,625 gp	—
6th	1,650 gp	1,800 gp	2,400 gp	—
7th	2,275 gp	2,450 gp	—	—
8th	3,000 gp	3,200 gp	—	—
9th	3,825 gp	4,050 gp	—	—

• ^* Caster level is equal to class level –3.
• Prices assume that the scroll was made at the minimum caster level. The cost to create a scroll is half the base price.

To create a scroll, a character needs a supply of choice writing materials, the cost of which is subsumed in the cost for scribing the scroll: 12.5 gp × the level of the spell × the level of the caster.

All writing implements and materials used to scribe a scroll must be fresh and unused. A character must pay the full cost for scribing each spell scroll no matter how many times she previously has scribed the same spell.

The creator must have prepared the spell to be scribed (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any material component or focus the spell requires. A material component is consumed when she begins writing, but a focus is not. (A focus used in scribing a scroll can be reused.) The act of writing triggers the prepared spell, making it unavailable for casting until the character has rested and regained spells. (That is, that spell slot is expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if it had been cast.)

• Time Required: See below. Although an individual scroll might contain more than one spell, each spell must be scribed as a separate effort, meaning that no more than 1 spell can be scribed in a day.

• Feat(s) Required: Creator.

• Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft

The time required to create a scroll is much less than other magic items, and varies based upon the cost of the scroll. If they are worth less than 250 gold, the base time to scribe a scroll is 2 hours. Scrolls whose base price is more than 250 gp, but less than 1,000 gp, take 8 hours to scribe. The character must spend the gold at the beginning of the construction process. Regardless of the time needed for construction, a creator can create no more than one magic item per day unless there is a feat or class ability being used.

The time needed to scribe a scroll can be halved by increasing the DC to create the item by 5. So a scroll worth less than 250 gold can be made in an hour if the DC is increased by 5. In all cases, 1 hour is the minimum time to create such items.

Creating Staves

To create a magic staff, a character needs a workspace. The nature of the workspace can be widely variable, for example, for many staves a fine cabinet-making shop with lathes and mills would be a fine place to start. For other staves, a foundry exactly similar to one used for magical weapons might be more useful, and for still other staves, a small, precise workshop such as one used for crafting magical rings might be best. The GM is encouraged to be merciful, and allow players to be creative in arranging a workspace. For example, a coopery, used to make barrels, would be an unusual but perfectly appropriate place to build a staff, as would a library (assuming the stave incorprates tightly rolled paper in its construction) or a quiet grove (for staves made of natural branches).

To create a magic staff, a character needs also needs a supply of materials, the most obvious being a staff or the pieces of the staff to be assembled.

The materials cost is subsumed in the cost of creation: 400 gp × the level of the highest-level spell × the level of the caster, plus 75% of the value of the next most costly ability (300 gp × the level of the spell × the level of the caster), plus 1/2 the value of any other abilities (200 gp × the level of the spell × the level of the caster). Staves are always fully charged (10 charges) when created.

If desired, a spell can be placed into the staff at less than the normal cost, (or a weaker substitute used) but then activating that particular power in the staff drains additional charges from the staff. Divide the cost of the spell by the number of charges it consumes to determine its final price. Note that this does not change the order in which the spells are priced (the highest level spell is still priced first, even if it requires more than one charge to activate). The caster level of all spells in a staff must be the same, and no staff can have a caster level of less than 8th, even if all the spells in the staff are low-level spells.

The creator must have prepared the spells to be stored (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any focus the spells require as well as material component costs sufficient to activate the spell 50 times (divide this amount by the number of charges one use of the spell expends). Material components are consumed when he begins working, but focuses are not. (A focus used in creating a staff can be reused.) The act of working on the staff triggers the prepared spells, making them unavailable for casting during each day of the staff's creation. (That is, those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.) Any and all substitutes for spellcasting must be arranged in advance and are consumed in the creation process, as normal.

Creating a few staves may entail other prerequisites beyond spellcasting. See the individual descriptions for details.

• Time Required Crafting a staff requires 1 day for each Caster level of the item, minimum 7.

• Feat(s) Required: Creator.

• Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft

Creating Runes

To create a rune, a character needs a supply of arcane inks and scar-inducing irritants. Unlike most magical effects, runes can be created in almost any setting where two characters can sit together without moving for hours at a time. The cost for the materials is subsumed in the cost for creating the rune. Rune costs are difficult to determine. Refer to Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values use the item prices in the item descriptions as a guideline. Creating a rune costs half the market value listed.

If spells are involved in the prerequisites for making the rune, the creator must have prepared the spells to be cast (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) but need not provide any material components or focuses the spells require. The act of working on the rune triggers the prepared spells, making them unavailable for casting during each day of the rune's creation. (That is, those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.)

Creating some rune may entail other prerequisites beyond or other than spellcasting. See the individual descriptions for details.

• Time Required: Crafting a rune requires 1 day for each caster Level of the effect, minimum 7.

• Feat(s) Required: Creator.

• Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft

Creating Wands

Table: Wand Base Costs By Crafter's Class

Spell Level	Cleric, Druid, Wizard	Sorcerer	Bard	Paladin, Ranger*
0	375 gp	375 gp	375 gp	—
1st	750 gp	750 gp	750 gp	750 gp
2nd	4,500 gp	6,000 gp	6,000 gp	6,000 gp
3rd	11,250 gp	13,500 gp	15,750 gp	15,750 gp
4th	21,000 gp	24,000 gp	30,000 gp	30,000 gp

• ^* Caster level is equal to class level –3.
• Prices assume that the wand was made at the minimum caster level. The cost to create a wand is half the base price.

To create a magic wand, a character needs a small supply of materials, the most obvious being a baton or the pieces of the wand to be assembled. The cost for the materials is subsumed in the cost for creating the wand: 375 gp × the level of the spell × the level of the caster. Wands are always fully charged (50 charges) when created.

The creator must have prepared the spell to be stored (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any focuses the spell requires. Fifty of each needed material component are required (one for each charge). Material components are consumed when work begins, but focuses are not. A focus used in creating a wand can be reused. The act of working on the wand triggers the prepared spell, making it unavailable for casting during each day devoted to the wand's creation. (That is, that spell slot is expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if it had been cast.)

• Time Required: Crafting a wand requires 1 day per Caster level of the item, minimum 7.

• Feat(s) Required: Creator.

• Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft

Creating Wondrous Items

To create a wondrous item, a character usually needs some sort of equipment or tools to work on the item. She also needs a supply of materials, the most obvious being the item itself or the pieces of the item to be assembled. The cost for the materials is subsumed in the cost for creating the item. Wondrous item costs are difficult to determine. Refer to Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values and use the item prices in the item descriptions as a guideline. Creating an item costs half the market value listed.

If spells are involved in the prerequisites for making the item, the creator must have prepared the spells to be cast (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) but need not provide any material components or focuses the spells require. The act of working on the item triggers the prepared spells, making them unavailable for casting during each day of the item's creation. (That is, those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.)

Creating some items may entail other prerequisites beyond or other than spellcasting. See the individual descriptions for details.

• Time Required: Crafting a wondrous item requires 1 day for each caster level of the item, minimum 7.

• Feat(s) Required: Creator.

• Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft