Rules of the Game - Making Magic Items

The statement "I want to make a magic item" has the power to freeze a DM's blood. Players, too, can find the item creation process intimidating. Sometimes these fears are justified, especially when someone invents an entirely new item and then wants to sit down and make it. Many magic items, however, aren't so hard to make. This series of articles examines the magic item creation process in detail, beginning with fairly straightforward items and moving on to the more troublesome ones.



Take a look at a few terms you'll encounter in this article and in the rules when they discuss magic items.

Activation: Most items won't work until they are activated, usually with the activate magic item action.

All magic items in the core D&D game use one of four activation methods: spell completion, spell trigger, command word, and use. All of these are discussed on page 213 in the Dungeon Master's Guide and in Part Two of Using Magic Items. An item's activation method greatly affects its cost. In general, the easier an item is to use, the more it costs.

Base Price: A value used to determine how much is costs to make or buy an item. An item's base price depends on what the item does and how often it can do it. Table 7-33 in the Dungeon Master's Guide shows typical base prices for magic items.

Caster Level: Every magic item must have a caster level, which determines the item's own saving throw bonuses when the item must make a saving throw. If an item can produce a spell effect, its caster level determines any level-based variables the spell effect might have (such as range and damage). An item's caster level also determines how susceptible the item or the spell effects it produces are to dispel magic effects.

In general, the higher an item's caster level, the more it costs to buy or make.

When creating items, the creator's caster level must be at least as high as the item's caster level. Your caster level is your level in the class that gives you access to a particular spell needed for the item (see the section on prerequisites). In some cases, your caster level will be less than your class level; if so, the class description notes it. For example, a paladin's caster level is one-half her paladin level (a paladin of 3rd level or lower has no caster level at all).

If you are multiclassed, you may have different caster levels for the spells you have by virtue of your various classes. For example, a 4th-level paladin/5th-level sorcerer has a caster level of 2 for paladin spells and a caster level of 5 for sorcerer spells. If you have taken a prestige class, your levels in that class may stack with levels in another class to determine your caster level. Otherwise, your levels in your various spellcasting classes usually don't stack for purposes of determining your caster level.

If you draw on different classes to get access to different spells you need for an item, you must use the lowest of the various applicable caster levels.

Charge: A discrete unit of an item's power that is used up when someone activates the item. For example, a newly created wand has 50 charges. An item becomes non-magical when all its charges are used up.

In general, a charged item cannot be recharged.

An item also might have a limited number of uses each day (such as a rod of enemy detection, which works three times a day). The rules sometimes refer to these limited daily uses as charges per day. When this article refers to a charge, however, it means something that is permanently used up.

Item Slot: A specific part of the user's body where an item must be worn before it can function. Sometimes it is simply called a slot.

For certain kinds of magic items, some item slots work better than others. For example, items related to movement are cheapest to make when they're made as boots. Items that don't require slots usually cost more to make (and thus to buy) than items that do not.

Market Price: The cost, in gold pieces, that an item brings on the open market. Sometimes this is simply called price. An item's market price is a retail price (or the price a character must pay when buying the item). Characters who sell used items can expect to get only half the market price.

An item's market price is its base price, plus the cost of any extra special materials the item requires, plus an increase for any additional experience the creator must expend when making the item (see Magic Item Creation Basics).

Spell Level: For purposes of creating magic items, a spell's level is the level where the spell appears on the item creator's class spell list. For example, hold person is a 2nd-level spell for a bard or cleric, but a 3rd-level spell for a wizard or sorcerer. In general, the lower the spell's level, the less it costs to make an item that stores or produces the spell. Items from the Dungeon Master's Guide usually are made by whatever character has the required spells available at the lowest possible spell level.

Whenever a 0-level spell is used in making a magic item, treat the spell's level as 1/2 when calculating the item's cost (see Magic Item Creation Basics).



Creating a magic item requires time, money, and experience, among other things. Chapter 7 in the Dungeon Master's Guide covers the process in detail. Here's an overview of what's involved, along with some additional notes:



Every item has a list of prerequisites, which are shown right after the item's caster level in the item's description. (If a character wants to make a new item, the item's description must include a list of prerequisites.) Typically, a list of prerequisites includes one feat and one or more spells; however, an item's prerequisites can include multiple feats, spells, and also miscellaneous requirements such as level, alignment, skills, and race or kind. When two spells at the end of a prerequisites list are separated by "or," only one of those spells is required in addition to every other spell mentioned prior to the last two. For example, the prerequisites for a ring of three wishes are the Forge Ring feat and wish or miracle, meaning that either the wish or miracle spell is required as well as the Forge Ring feat. In addition, the item's creator must have a caster level at least as high as the item's caster level (see page 215 in the Dungeon Master's Guide). Also, an item's creator must have a caster level high enough to cast any prerequisite spell the item has.

Two or more characters can work together to create an item, with each character providing one or more prerequisites. To provide a spell prerequisite, a character must have prepared the spell (or know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard). The rules say you can use a spell completion or spell trigger magic item or a spell like ability that produces the desired spell effect to provide a spell prerequisite. A command or use-activated item cannot provide a spell prerequisite.



Every magic item has a base price. Table 7-33 in the Dungeon Master's Guide gives formulas for estimating base prices. Whenever a formula includes a spell's level, treat a 0-level spell as 1/2 level. For example, a scroll that contains a 0-level spell has a base cost of 1/2 x caster level x 25 gp.

Someone, usually the item's creator, must pay half the base price in gold pieces for the supplies consumed while creating the item. The item's creator also must invest experience points. The experience cost is 1/25th the base price. Under the core D&D rules, no one but the item creator can pay this experience cost (but see the notes on cooperatively making an item in Part Seven).

According to the rules, you can never spend so much experience that you lose a level -- though you can delay gaining a level and instead keep your experience points available for item creation (or spellcasting). If you do so, you always can change your mind. That is, you can gain a new level anytime you have enough experience to do so, even after delaying awhile. See Rules of the Game: Reading Spell Descriptions for information on delaying level advancement.

Some items require additional materials, which entail extra costs (see the section on equipment and materials). The extra cost increases the item's market price, but not the experience the creator must expend.

Some items might also have an extra experience cost, which usually happens when they involve spells that have an experience cost of their own. An additional experience cost increases the item's market price by 5 gp per extra XP spent.

Table 7-32 in the Dungeon Master's Guide summarizes item creation costs.

If a character abandons an unfinished magic item to work on a second item (see the section on time), any money or experience spent on the first item is wasted. The supplies purchased for the abandoned item cannot be reused, and another character cannot pick up where the creator left off.

DMs might want make an exception for some kinds of special supplies, such as masterwork items. For example, if someone begins working on a +2 longsword and then abandons the project in favor of another item, the 4,000 gp and 320 XP (the sword's base price of 8,000 gp, take half of that to determine the cost of supplies and 1/25th of that to determine the experience cost) are wasted. However, the masterwork longsword purchased to make the item (at a cost of 315 gp) can be used for another magic sword.

When two or more characters cooperate to create an item, they must agree among themselves who will be considered the creator. Use the designated creator's caster level for any aspect of the item creation process that uses the creator's caster level. The designated creator pays the XP required to make the item. The rules don't say so, but it's best to assume that when a character provides a prerequisite spell that has an XP component he or she also pays the XP costs for that spell.



For every 1,000 gp in an item's base price (or fraction of 1,000 gp), the creator must spend one day working on the item. For example, an item with a base price of 1,000 gp or less takes one day to make. An item that costs more than 1,000 gp, but no more than 2,000 gp, takes two days to make. A potion always takes just one day to make, no matter what the base price (see page 286 Dungeon Master's Guide).

For purposes of item creation, a day of work is 8 hours. You cannot rush the process by working longer each day. The rules say that the days you spend working on an item need not be consecutive -- you can leave the project for as long as you like and return to work anytime. Likewise, interruptions during your working day don't affect the process. If an attack breaks your concentration, you can resume working after the danger has passed. As an optional rule, you might want to add 1 hour to the total time required that day for each interruption the creator suffers. In any case, if you can put 8 hours of effort into an item during a day (or 8 hours plus extra time for interruptions), that day counts as a day you've spent working on the item. If you can't put in 8 hours of work on an item, the whole day is lost, but there's no other ill effect on the creation process.

A character can work on only one magic item at a time. If a character starts working on a second item, the first item is automatically abandoned (see the section on costs).

Other than the loss of prerequisite spells (see the section on prerequisites), and the time requirement, item creation doesn't impose any restrictions on your activities during the days when you work on an item.

You must expend all the money and experience required to make an item when you begin the process. If an item has a spell (or spells) as a prerequisite, you must have the spell or spells available to you at the start of each day that you work on the item; the spell or spells are used up for that day when you begin working on the item. Since you're not actually casting the spell, you don't expend any extra experience or money for expensive material components each day. Instead these costs are added to the item's overall creation cost according to the kind of item (see Parts Two through Five). For example, a ring of invisibility has a base price of 20,000 gp (which happens to be the same as its market price), and it takes twenty days to make. A wizard making a ring of invisibility must prepare an invisibility spell each day spent working on the ring, and the spell is expended, just as if cast, each day as soon as work on the ring commences. A sorcerer working on a ring of invisibility need not prepare any spells, but he must know the invisibility spell. Each day the sorcerer works on the ring, one of the sorcerer's 2nd-level spells is expended as soon as work on the ring commences. A character relying on a scroll to provide the required invisibility spell would need at least 20 scrolls -- one for each day of working on the ring.



Creating an item requires peace, quiet, and comfort, just as preparing spells does (even when the item creator doesn't need to prepare spells). The surroundings need not be luxurious, but they must be free from overt distractions. Exposure to inclement weather prevents the necessary concentration, as does any injury or failed saving throw the character might experience while working (but see the section on time).

Any location a character uses for item creation also must have enough space to hold any special equipment and materials the item requires (see the Equipment and Materials below and in Parts Two through Five). If an item requires very little in the way of equipment and materials (for example, a scroll), the character may find a suitable creation environment almost anywhere.



Chapter 7 in the Dungeon Master's Guide gives very brief descriptions of what's required to create various kinds of items. The details are pretty sketchy, but that helps keep things simple. At the very least, making an item requires supplies that cost one half the item's base price. Some items require additional supplies, such as a masterwork item for a magic weapon or suit of armor or special material components if the item requires spells that have costly components. Some items also require special equipment, such as metalworking tools. Supplies bought to make one magic item cannot be reused in another item, but tools usually can be. Parts Two through Six examine the required equipment and supplies in detail.





Of all the magic items described in the Dungeon Master's Guide, scrolls that contain low-level spells are the cheapest and easiest to make. That's because a scroll is just a spell made ready to cast and stored in a written form.

Prerequisites: To make any scroll, you need the Scribe Scroll item creation feat. (The feat itself has a caster level of 1st as a prerequisite.) The creator must also have prepared the spell to be scribed (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard).

Caster Level: A character creating a scroll can set the caster level for the scroll at any level from the minimum level that character would have to be to cast the spell up to that character's caster level when casting that spell. For example, a 10th-level wizard creates a scroll with a fireball spell on it. Fireball is a 3rd-level spell for a wizard, and a wizard must be at least 5th level to cast it, so the wizard in this example must create the scroll with a caster level of at least 5th. Since the example wizard is 10th level, the scroll can't have a caster level higher than 10th.

Equipment and Materials: Making a scroll requires high-quality writing materials (pens, inks, and parchment or paper) that must be previously unused. That is, no matter how many times you write a scroll (even a scroll with the same spell stored on it), you must pay the full cost to create the scroll. You also need any material components or focuses required to cast the spell. Material components are consumed when you make the scroll, but focuses are not (just as would happen if you cast the spell). If the spell description contains any unusual actions in connection with material components (for example, the stoneskin spell requires the caster to sprinkle diamond dust on the spell's recipient), ignore them -- material components are consumed when you create the scroll.

The scroll also requires a writing surface (which can be reused). Because a character can write almost any place where the parchment won't blow away in the wind, you can certainly write a scroll while encamped in the wilderness, or just about anywhere else.

Base Price: You can look up base prices for most scrolls in Chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, but I find it easier to use the formula for spell trigger items from Table 7-33 in the Dungeon Master's Guide: spell level x caster level x 25 gp.

Creation Cost: The monetary cost to create a scroll is half the base price, plus the cost for any expensive material component the spell requires. In this case an "expensive" component is any component with a monetary cost listed in the spell description. For example, the stoneskin spell requires 250 gp worth of diamond dust. As noted earlier, you also must provide any focuses the spell requires. The cost for a focus (which can be considerable) is not included in a scroll's creation cost because you can reuse it (for another scroll or to cast the spell or both).

The experience cost to create a scroll is 1/25th the base price, plus any experience component the spell has. For example, the commune spell requires 100 XP from the caster; making a scroll with a commune spell costs an extra 100 XP.

In the case of spells that have variable XP costs, your best choice is to allow the character creating the scroll to decide how much extra experience to spend. When someone uses the scroll, what the scroll can accomplish is limited by how much extra experience the creator put into the scroll. For example, the permanency spell has an XP component that varies according to a second spell that is to be made permanent. If someone creates a scroll with a permanency spell and decides to spend an extra 1,000 XP, that scroll can make permanent any spell that would take 1,000 XP or less from the permanency caster (such as alarm, magic fang, or invisibility). If the character using the scroll uses it to make a spell with a cost of less than 1,000 XP permanent, the unused XP are wasted.

Market Price: A scroll's market price is its base price, plus the cost for any expensive material components the spell requires. If a spell also required an extra XP cost, the market price increases by 5 gp per extra point spent.

Example Scroll Costs: Suppose the 10th-level wizard in our previous examples creates some of the scrolls we've talked about here. The scrolls' creation costs and market prices would be as follows:

A scroll of fireball with a caster level of 5th has a base price of 375 gp (3 x 5 x 25). The gp cost to create the scroll is 187 gp, 5 sp (1/2 the base price of 375 gp). The XP cost to create the scroll is 15 XP (1/25 the base price of 375 gp). The market price is the same as the base price.

A scroll of fireball with a caster level of 10th has a base price of 750 gp (3 x 10 x 25). The gp cost to create the scroll is 375 gp (1/2 the base price of 750 gp). The XP cost to create the scroll is 30 XP (1/25 the base price of 750 gp). The market price is the same as the base price.

A scroll of stoneskin with a caster level of 9th has a base price of 900 gp (4 x 9 x 25). The gp cost to create the scroll is 700 gp (1/2 the base price of 900 gp) plus 250 gp for the diamond dust. The XP cost to create the scroll is 36 XP (1/25 the base price of 900 gp). The market price is 1,150 gp (the base price of 900 gp plus 250 gp for the diamond dust).

A scroll of permanency with a caster level of 9th that is suitable for making a spell with extra XP cost of up to 1,000 XP permanent has a base price of 1,250 gp (5 x 10 x 25). The gp cost to create the scroll is 625 (1/2 the base price of 1,250 gp). The XP cost to create the scroll is 1,050 XP (1/25 the base price of 1,250 gp plus the extra 1,000 XP for the spell). The market price is 6,250 gp (the base price of 1,250 gp plus 5,000 gp for the extra XP cost).

Scroll Miscellany: A couple of other things are worth noting here. First, the permanency scroll takes two days to create because its base price is more than 1,000 gp, but not more than 2,000 gp. Nevertheless, the creator pays extra monetary and XP costs for the permanency spell only once because the scroll only works once. Still, the creator must have the spell permanency prepared (or otherwise available) each day he works on the scroll.

Also, all the scrolls shown in the Dungeon Master's Guide contain a single spell. There's not actually any rule that limits scrolls to a single spell (see page 237 in the Dungeon Master's Guide). To create a scroll of multiple spells, combine the spells' base costs to determine the scroll's creation time and XP costs. If the multiple spell scroll is abandoned, the whole expenditure is wasted.

One advantage to creating a scroll with multiple spells is that you have to use only one action to get out the scroll during an encounter. Once you have the scroll in hand, you can read any spell it contains. DMs should feel free to set a reasonable limit to the number of spells you can search through on a multispell scroll before you have to use an action to find the one you want. I recommend a maximum of seven spells. If a scroll contains more spells than that, it takes a move action to find the correct one. As spells are used from a scroll, the writing that stores them vanishes from the scroll, which can make the remaining spells easier to search.



A potion is somewhat similar to a scroll because it is a stored spell in drinkable form (or in spreadable form in the case of an oil). Unlike a scroll, only certain kinds of spells can be made into potions or oils. The spell must be 3rd level or lower, and it must have a casting time of less than 1 minute. The spell stored in the potion or oil must have a target entry in its spell description (see Reading Spell descriptions) and be a spell that the caster can target upon herself or upon an object she touches. A spell with a personal range cannot be made into a potion or oil, and neither can a spell with an area or effect entry.

Spells that can affect multiple targets can be made into potions or oils, but the potion or oil affects only one target, no matter what the potion's caster level.

Prerequisites: To make any potion or oil, you need the Brew Potion item creation feat. (The feat itself has a caster level of 3rd as a prerequisite.) The creator also must have prepared the spell to be brewed into the potion or oil (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard).

Caster Level: A character creating a potion or oil can set the caster level for the potion or oil at any level from the minimum level that character would have to be to cast the spell up to that character's caster level when casting that spell, just as noted for scrolls.

Equipment and Materials: Making a potion or oil requires a level working surface and at least a few containers in which to mix liquids (and to store the finished item), a source of heat to boil the brew, and fresh ingredients from which to make the potion. Some DMs require a potion maker to pay 500 gp for an alchemist's lab, but 5 gp for artisan's tools ought to be sufficient. The tools can be reused and their cost isn't included in the cost to make or buy a potion or oil.

Potion making probably isn't something you can do while camping out.

Base Price: You can look up base prices for most scrolls in Chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, but I find it easier to use the formula for single use, use-activated items from Table 7-33 in the Dungeon Master's Guide: spell level x caster level x 50 gp.

Creation Cost: The monetary cost to create a potion or oil is half the base price, plus the cost for any expensive material component the spell requires, just as with a scroll.

The experience cost to create a potion or oil is 1/25th the base price, plus any experience component the spell has, just as for a scroll.

Market Price: A potion or oil's market price is its base price, plus the cost for any expensive material components the spell requires. If a spell also requires an extra XP cost, the market price increases by 5 gp per extra point spent.

Potion Miscellany: A potion or oil always takes one day to brew, no matter what its base price. Your character may create wondrous items that are similar to potions (for example, an elixir of fire breath), but such items are made with the Craft Wondrous Item feat and their creation times aren't limited to one day.

Creating Wands 

Wands aren't very complex items; they simply store a single spell 50 times. For game purposes, a wand is something like 50 identical scrolls, each waiting to be triggered one at a time. A spell stored in a wand must be 4th level or less, but it can be any kind of spell.

Prerequisites: To make any wand, you need the Craft Wand item creation feat. (The feat itself has a caster level of 5th as a prerequisite.) The creator also must have prepared the spell to be stored in the wand (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard). Also see the notes on caster level.

Caster Level: A character creating a wand can set the caster level for the wand at any level from the minimum level that character would have to be to cast the spell up to that character's caster level when casting that spell. For example, a 10th-level wizard creates a wand of fireball. Fireball is a 3rd-level spell for a wizard, and a wizard must be at least 5th level to cast it, so the wizard in this example must create the wand with a caster level of at least 5th. Since the example wizard is 10th level, the wand can't have a caster level higher than 10th.

Equipment and Materials: Making a wand requires a wand and assorted oddities that serve to focus magic into to the wand and hold it there. Such items might include prisms, expensive inlays for the wand itself, powders to treat the wand, and other sundries that are either consumed in the wand-making process or incorporated into the wand.

Base Price: You can look up base prices for most wands in Chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, but I find it easier to use the formula for spell trigger items with 50 charges from Table 7-33 in the Dungeon Master's Guide: spell level x caster level x 750 gp.

Creation Cost: The monetary cost to create a wand is half the base price, plus 50 times the cost for any expensive material component the spell requires (just as with a scroll, except that you must pay the cost 50 times for the wand's 50 charges).

The experience cost to create a wand is 1/25th the base price, plus 50 times any experience component the spell stored in the wand has.

Market Price: A wand's market price is its base price, plus 50 times the cost for any expensive material components the spell requires. If the spell in the wand also required an extra XP cost, the market price increases by 5 gp per extra point spent, times 50.

Example Wand Costs: Suppose the 10th-level wizard in our previous examples creates a wand of fireballs or a wand of stoneskin. The wands' creation costs and market prices would be as follows:

A wand of fireballs with a caster level of 5th has a base price of 11,250 gp (3 x 5 x 750). The gp cost to create the wand is 5,625 gp (1/2 the base price of 11,250 gp). The XP cost to create the wand is 450 XP (1/25 the base price of 11,250 gp). The wand's market price is the same as its base price.

A wand of fireballs with a caster level of 10th has a base price of 22,500 gp (3 x 10 x 750). The gp cost to create the wand is 11,250 gp (1/2 the base price of 22,500 gp). The XP cost to create the wand is 900 XP (1/25 the base price of 22,500 gp). The wand's market price is the same as its base price.

A wand of stoneskin with a caster level of 10th has a base price of 30,000 gp (4 x 10 x 750). The gp cost to create the wand is 27,500 gp (1/2 the base price of 30,000 gp plus 50 times the spell's component cost of 250 gp). The XP cost to create the wand is 1,200 XP (1/25 the base price of 30,000 gp). The wand's market price is 42,500 gp (the base price of 30,000 gp plus 12,500 gp for the expensive material components).

Wand Miscellany: All the prices noted here are for fully charged wands (50 charges). As noted in the Dungeon Master's Guide, a wand always has 50 charges when created -- it isn't possible to create a wand with less than full charges. A used wand, however, sells for less. To calculate the price, divide the cost of a fully charged wand by 50 and multiply that by the number of charges remaining. For example, a wand of fireballs with a caster level of 10th and 32 charges remaining is worth 450 gp per charge remaining, or 14,400 gp.

As noted for scrolls in Part Two, add extra costs for the spell in a wand once for each time the wand can be used, in this case 50 times, not once for each day it takes to make the wand. That is, an extra gold piece cost for a wand is always 50 times the spell's component cost, and an extra XP cost for a spell increases the XP cost to make the wand by 50 times the spell's XP cost. The market price for a wand that stores a spell with an XP component would increase by 50 times the XP cost, times 5 gp.



Staff creation is a little trickier to handle than wand creation because a staff stores multiple spells. A staff can hold a spell of any level. A staff holds 50 charges, and activating the staff releases a spell effect and drains one or more charges from the staff.

Prerequisites: To make any staff, you need the Craft Staff item creation feat. (The feat itself has a caster level of 12th as a prerequisite.) The creator also must have prepared the spells to be stored in the staff (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard). A few staffs have other prerequisites; for example, you must have a lawful alignment to craft a staff of defense. Also see the notes on caster level.

Caster Level: Setting the caster level for a staff works much like setting the caster level for a wand, but there are a few catches. A staff has one caster level for all the spells it can produce, and that caster must be at least 8th. As with a wand, however, the caster level must be at least as high as the caster level the creator would have to have to cast any of the spells stored in the staff, and no higher than the creator's caster level. For example, suppose a staff can produce several different spell effects, including sleep and mass suggestion. A 1st-level wizard can cast a sleep spell, but no staff has a caster level lower than 8th. In addition, mass suggestion is a 6thlevel spell for a wizard, so the staff would have to have a caster level of at least 11th.

Equipment and Materials: According to Table 7-32 in the Dungeon Master's Guide, creating a staff requires a masterwork quarterstaff, but the general notes for creating staffs on page 287 says the staff cost is subsumed in the cost to make the item. The extra 300 gp for a masterwork quarterstaff does not seem to be included in the staff prices shown on pages 243-245 in the Dungeon Master's Guide. If you allow magic staffs to function as masterwork quarterstaffs in your campaign, you should add the masterwork quarterstaff cost to the cost to create the staff (and to its market price).

In any case, making a staff requires the same sorts of esoteric materials required to make a wand.

Base Price: You can determine the base price for a staff in much the same way that you determine a wand's base price, but there are catches here, too. Because each staff's spell effects draw on the same pool of charges, you don't have to pay the full cost for every one of them. Instead, the staff's highest level spell has the full base price (spell level x caster level x 750 gp).

The staff's next highest-level spell costs only 75% of the usual base price (spell level x caster level x 750 gp x 0.75).

All the remaining spells in the staff cost only 50% of the usual base price (spell level x caster level x 750 gp x 0.5).

Further reductions in base price are possible. When a spell requires two or more charges, divide the base price by the number of charges required.

Creation Cost: The monetary cost to create a staff is half the base price, just as with a wand. If a staff stores a spell that has an expensive material component, add the cost of that component, times the maximum number of times the staff could produce that spell. That is 50 divided by the number of charges the spell requires.

The experience cost to create a staff is 1/25th the base price, plus any extra costs for the spells the staff stores. Apply the extra experience cost according to the number of times the staff could produce the spell, as noted previously for costly spell components. If a staff holds two or more spells that incur extra creation costs, apply only the largest extra cost. You use only the highest cost because any charge used up reduces the number of spells left in the staff, even when the spell the staff produces doesn't have an extra cost.

Market Price: A staff's market price is its base price, plus the costs for any expensive material components the spell requires. If any spells in the staff also required an extra XP cost, the market price increases by 5 gp per extra point spent. In both cases, the market price increases according to the number of times the staff could produce the spell that requires either of these elements. If you had two or more spells with extra XP costs or monetary costs, you'd increase the cost to create and market prices for whichever spell you used to set the staff's creation cost (which will be the highest extra cost; see the section on creation costs).

Example Staff Costs: The staff of frost from the Dungeon Master's Guide has a caster level of 10th and can produce the following spells: ice storm, wall of ice, and cone of cold (2 charges). The staff has a base price of 56,250 gp, which was calculated as follows:

Cone of Cold: 18,750 gp ([5 x 10 x 750] x 0.5 for two charges). Since cone of cold also is the highest level power, there are no further reductions.

Wall of Ice: 22,500 gp ([4 x 10 x 750] x 0.75 because this is the power with the second highest level).

Ice Storm: 15,000 gp ([4 x 10 x 750] x 0.5 because this is an additional power).

Adding the base costs for the various powers together gives us our total: 18,750 gp + 22,500 gp + 15,000 gp = 56,250 gp.

The monetary cost to create this staff is half the base price: 28,125 gp.

The experience cost to create this staff is 1/25th the base price: 2,250 XP.

Let's suppose we create a new staff, the staff of remediation. We'll give this staff a caster level of 16th, and the following powers: greater restoration (2 charges), atonement (3 charges), break enchantment (2 charges),and remove curse. This staff has a base price of 83,498 gp, which was calculated as follows:

Greater restoration: 27,998 gp ([7 x 16 x 750] x 0.3333 for three charges and rounded up to the nearest whole gold piece). Since greater restoration also is the highest level power, there are no further reductions. The staff can produce 25 atonement effects, for an extra experience cost of 12,500 XP. The staff also can produce 16 greater restoration effects at an XP cost 8,000, but we use the higher cost for the atonement effects.

Atonement: 22,500 gp ([5 x 16 x 750] x 0.5 for two charges and x 0.75 for the power with the second highest level).

Break Enchantment: 15,000 gp ([5 x 16 x 750] x 0.5 for two charges and x 0.5 again because this is an additional power).

Remove Curse: 18,000 gp ([5 x 16 x 750] x 0.5 because this is also an additional power). Adding the base costs for the various powers together gives us our total: 27,998 gp + 22,500 gp + 15,000 gp +18,000 gp = 83,498 gp.

The monetary cost to create this staff is half the base price, 41,749 gp.

The experience cost to create this staff is 1/25th the base price: 3,340 XP (also rounded up). In addition, the atonement spell costs the caster 500 XP when used to remove the effects of voluntary actions. Let's assume that an atonement spell from the staff can remove the effects of voluntary actions. The staff can produce 25 atonement effects, for an extra experience cost of 12,500 XP.

The market price is the base price of 83,498 gp plus 5 times the extra XP cost (62,500), for a total market price of 145,998 gp.

As noted for wands, apply extra costs for a spell's material and XP components once for each time the staff can produce that spell, not once for each day the creator spends working on the staff.

None of the examples presented here include an extra 300 gp for a masterwork quarterstaff. As noted earlier, add this extra cost to the staff's creation cost and market price if you decide to allow magic quarterstaffs to function as weapons in your campaign.

When pricing a staff, don't worry if several powers have the same level. The highest-level power the staff has is always full price (unless it requires multiple charges). The next highest level power costs only 75% of the basic value, even if it happens to be the same level as whatever power you chose as the highest level power, and all remaining powers are only 50% of the basic price. You can see this concept at work in the price examples presented here.

Staff Miscellany: All the prices noted here are for fully charged staffs (50 charges), just as for wands. You can calculate the market price for a partially charged staff the same way that you calculate the cost for a wand. When a partially charged staff has a power that normally has an extra monetary or XP cost, you must first calculate the staff's base price and then add the extra cost according to the number of times the partially charged staff could produce those effects. For example, if our staff of remediation had 24 charges remaining, its new base price would be 1,670 gp (base price divided by 50 and rounded up) times 24, or 40,080 gp. The partially charged staff could produce atonement 12 times, which raises the price by 30,000 gp (12 x 500 x 5 gp), for a total market price of 70,080 gp.

The atonement spell has a variable XP component. It would be possible to create a staff of remediation without the extra cost for the XP component (see the notes on scrolls in Part Two), but, if so, an atonement effect from the staff could not remedy the effects of misdeeds.

A Note on Rounding: Normally one rounds fractions down to the next highest whole number in the D&D game. In the case of magic item prices, it's customary to retain fractional gold pieces when they work out to an even number of silver pieces. So, for example, a cost that works out to 1,251.5 gp would be 1,251 gp, 5 sp, not 1,252 gp.

Also note that when calculating the effects of an extra monetary or experience cost for a charged item, use the number of effects the item actually can produce; you should round down. For example, 50/3 is 16.667 (approximately); however, you can't use fractional charges to create a fractional effect, so a fully charged staff with a power that uses 3 charges can produce that power only 16 times.




Any of these items can prove fairly easy to create, particularly when an enhancement bonus is the only magical property the item has. Some items of this kind have a wide array of powers; fortunately, most of these extra powers merely increase the item's effective enhancement bonus, which makes them fairly easy to handle.

Prerequisites: To make a magic weapon, armor, or shield, you need the Craft Magic Arms and Armor item creation feat. (The feat itself has a caster level of 5th as a prerequisite.) The creator also must have a caster level at least three times the enhancement bonus of the weapon, armor, or shield. If the item has a special ability that is priced as an enhancement bonus increase (see the section on costs), that ability has its own caster level requirement (as shown in the description for the special ability), and the creator must meet the higher of the two caster level prerequisites. For example, to create a +2 longsword, a character must have a caster level of at least 6th. The keen weapon property has a caster level of 10th. To create a +2 keen longsword, a character must have a caster level of at least 10th, which is the higher of the two prerequisites. This item would be priced as a +3 magic weapon, but the caster level prerequisite is still 10th, not 9th (as it would be if the weapon's actual enhancement bonus was +3).

If any spells are listed among the item's prerequisites (or among the prerequisites for any special properties it has), you need to have those spells prepared each day you work on the item (or you must know the spells, in the case of a bard or sorcerer). Each day you work on the items, the prerequisite spells are used up, just as they are for a scroll.

Caster Level: A weapon, suit of armor, or a shield that has only an enhancement bonus has a caster level equal to three times the enhancement bonus. A special ability for a weapon, suit of armor, or a shield has a caster level given in its description. A weapon, suit of armor, or a shield with a special ability must have an enhancement bonus of at least +1 to have a special ability, and the item uses the highest caster level.

These caster levels are fixed -- the creator cannot adjust them as he can for a scroll, potion, wand or staff.

Equipment and Materials: To make a magic weapon, suit of armor, or shield, you need a set of tools suitable for working the material from which the item is made, such as metalworking tools for a magic longsword. You also need a masterwork item to receive the magic, a fire source, and a collection of oddments similar to materials used to create wands. The rules don't specify the kind of fire source, but a small brazier, campfire, fireplace, or furnace should suffice. The cost for the fire is subsumed in the basic cost for materials, as is the cost of the sundry other materials you need.

Cost: The base cost for the item's enhancement bonus is shown on Table 7-2 or 7-9 in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The base cost for any special abilities of the item is shown in the descriptions for those abilities. Some items have costs expressed in gold pieces, and such costs are added directly to the base cost for the item's enhancement. Most weapon, armor, or shield special abilities, however, are expressed as increases to the item's enhancement bonus (more about that in Part Seven). To determine the cost for such a special ability, apply the modifier to the item's actual enhancement bonus and use the cost for the increased bonus from Table 7-2 or 7-9 in the Dungeon Master's Guide. It's possible for one item to have both kinds of special abilities; in that case, add up the actual enhancement bonus and the modifiers to it and determine the base cost for the effective bonus, then add the costs for any special abilities that have costs expressed in gold pieces.

Creation Cost: The monetary cost to create a magic weapon, suit of armor, or shield is half the base price, plus the cost of the masterwork item.

The experience cost to create the item is 1/25th the base price.

If the item (or its special properties) has a prerequisite spell that has an extra monetary or XP cost, you generally do not have to pay those costs to make the item. That is because weapons, suits of armor, or shields usually do not produce spells, so you just need to understand a particular set of spells to create the magic that the item requires.

Market Price: The market price for a weapon, suit of armor, or shield is the base price, plus the cost of the masterwork item.

Example Weapon, Armor, and Shield Costs: A +2 keen longsword would have a base price of 18,000 gp and a market price of 18,315 gp calculated as follows:

The actual enhancement bonus is +2 and the keen property adds +1 to that for an effective bonus of +3. A +3 weapon has a base price of 18,000 gp according to Table 7-9 in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The cost to create this weapon is half the base price (9,000 gp) plus the cost of a masterwork longsword (315 gp). The experience cost to create the weapon is 1/25th the base price, or 720 XP. The market price is the base price plus the cost of the masterwork longsword (18,000 gp + 315 gp = 18,315 gp).

This weapon would have a caster level of 10th, which is the caster level for the keen property because that is higher than the caster level for the actual enhancement bonus, which is 6th (3 x 2).

A +1 chain shirt of silent moves would have a base price of 4,750 gp and a market price of 5,000 gp calculated as follows:

The enhancement bonus is +1 and the silent moves property adds 3,750 gp to the base price. The base price for +1 armor is 1,000 gp according to Table 7-2 in the Dungeon Master's Guide (1,000 gp + 3,750 gp = 4,750 gp). The experience cost to create the armor is 1/25th the base price, or 190 XP. The market price is the base price plus the cost of the masterwork chain shirt (4,750 gp + 250 gp = 5,000 gp).

The caster level for the silent moves property is 5th and the caster level for the actual +1 enhancement is 3rd, so the armor has a caster level of 5th.

A +3 heavy steel shield of bashing and undead controlling would have a base price of 65,000 gp and a market price of 65,170 gp calculated as follows:

The enhancement bonus is +3. The bashing property adds +1 to that for an effective bonus of +4. The undead controlling property adds 49,000 gp to the base price.

The base price for +4 armor is 16,000 gp according to Table 7-2 in the Dungeon Master's Guide (16,000 gp + 49,000 gp = 65,000 gp). The experience cost to create the shield is 1/25th the base price, or 2,600 XP. The market price is the base price plus the cost of the masterwork heavy steel shield (65,000 gp + 170 gp = 65,170 gp).

The caster level for the bashing property is 8th, the caster level for the undead controlling property is 13th, and the caster level for the actual +3 enhancement is 9th, so the shield has a caster level of 13th.

Weapon, Armor, and Shield Miscellany: No weapon, armor, or shield made with the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat can have an actual enhancement bonus higher than +5 or an effective enhancement bonus (after adjustments for special abilities) higher than +10. The epic rules allow epic item creators to break these limits. When special properties have prices expressed in gold pieces, there is no limit to the number of those properties you can add, even if you're not playing an epic game. However, the limits on how much experience a character can spend at once (see Part One) set a practical limit on how powerful an item a non-epic character can make.

When a magic weapon, suit of armor, or shield is made from a special material, such as adamantine or mithral, the cost for the special material replaces the masterwork cost for the item because the costs for special materials generally include the cost for a masterwork item (check the special material's description to be sure). For example, a +2 adamantine keen longsword would have a base price of 18,000 gp and a market price of 21,015 gp calculated as follows:

The actual enhancement bonus is +2 and the keen property adds +1 to that for an effective bonus of +3. A +3 weapon has a base price of 18,000 gp according to Table 7-9 in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The cost to create this weapon is half the base price (9,000 gp) plus the cost of an adamantine longsword (3,015 gp). The experience cost to create the weapon is 1/25th the base price, or 720 XP. The market price is the base price plus the cost of the adamantine longsword (18,000 gp + 3,015 gp = 21,015 gp).

Cold iron doubles the cost for an item (but not the cost to make it a masterwork item). In addition, cold iron naturally resists magic and is harder to enspell than other materials. Add 2,000 gp to the cost of an item's enhancement bonus and special abilities. According the D&D FAQ, however, you add the 2,000 gp only once if you're adding multiple abilities. For example, a +2 cold iron keen longsword would have a base price of 20,000 gp and a market price of 20,330 gp calculated as follows:

The actual enhancement bonus is +2 and the keen property adds +1 to that for an effective bonus of +3. A +3 weapon has a base price of 18,000 gp according to Table 7-9 in the Dungeon Master's Guide, plus 2,000 for working with a cold iron item. The cost to create this weapon is half the base price (9,000 gp) plus the cost of a cold iron longsword (330 gp). The experience cost to create the weapon is 1/25th the base price, or 800 XP. The market price is the base price plus the cost of the cold iron longsword (20,000 gp + 330 gp = 20,330 gp).

• When creating a magic weapon, you have the option to have the weapon shed light when drawn. Doing so does not alter the cost to make or buy the weapon. Weapons that shed light do so continually and the light is as bright as a light spell (see page 221 in the Dungeon Master's Guide). 

Creating a magic double weapon works just like creating two magic weapons, except that you add the cost of a masterwork weapon only once. For example, a dire flail that has +1 enhancement bonus at each end has a base price of 4,000 gp (2,000 gp for +1 enhancement x 2). The monetary cost to create the weapon is 2,000 gp plus 690 gp for a masterwork dire flail. The experience cost to create the weapon is 1/25th of the base cost (160 XP). The market price 4,690 gp (4,000 gp + 690 gp). A crafter can create a magic double weapon with only one magic end.



At this point, most of the items we've examined have costs that can be calculated by applying a formula based on the spells whose effects they duplicate or on the values of their enhancement bonuses. Many of the items we'll consider this week don't duplicate spell effects and don't have enhancement bonuses, and they have costs derived mostly from a game designer's good judgment rather than any formula. As with weapons, armor, and shields, however, you can't go far wrong when creating these items yourself if you stick to examples you find in the rulebooks.



A ring can duplicate a spell or it can have unique powers. In either case, the procedure a character follows when making the ring is the same. As one would expect, a ring that duplicates a spell has a cost determined in much the same way as a scroll's or staff's costs is determined. Other rings have costs that someone has assigned (more about that in Part Seven).

Fortunately, the rings included in the Dungeon Master's Guide and other rulebooks have complete descriptions, so you don't have to do many calculations to figure out how much the ring might cost.

Prerequisites: To make a magic ring, you need the Forge Ring item creation feat. (The feat itself has a caster level of 12th as a prerequisite.) The creator also must have a caster level at least equal to the ring's caster level and must meet any other prerequisites noted in the ring's description. Anyone creating an entirely new ring must include a list of prerequisites along with the new ring's item description.

Caster Level: A ring's caster level is fixed -- the creator cannot adjust it as she can for a scroll, potion, wand or staff.

Equipment and Materials: To make a magic ring, you need a set of tools suitable for working the material from which the ring is made, which usually includes metalworking tools. You also need a fire source and a collection of oddments similar to materials used to create wands. The rules don't specify the kind of fire source, but a small brazier, campfire, fireplace, or furnace should suffice. The cost for the fire is subsumed in basic cost for materials, as is the cost of the sundry other materials you need.

Cost: In most cases, a ring's base cost is the same as its market price. You need to beware of rings that duplicate spells with extra costs for material components or with XP components (see the notes on creation cost).

Creation Cost: The monetary cost to create a magic ring is half the base price.

The experience cost to create a ring is 1/25th the base price.

When a ring duplicates a costly spell, its description includes a cost entry, which gives the monetary cost to make the ring, plus the experience cost. The monetary cost is based on what the ring can do, and it was derived with help from Table 7-33 in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The experience portion of the creation cost is 1/25th the monetary cost, plus the extra XP cost for the spell. That extra cost is based on the number of times the ring can produce the effect (if the ring has charges) or 50 times the extra cost if the ring doesn't have charges.

Sometimes, a ring works only a certain number of times each day. If so the cost to create it is reduced (more about that in Part Seven).

Market Price: The market price for a ring is the base price, plus the cost of any costly components required for the spell it duplicates, plus 5 times any extra experience required to create the ring because of the spells it duplicates.

Example Ring Costs: As noted earlier, ring prices can vary quite a bit, depending on what the ring does. You can take most costs for rings directly from their descriptions; however, learning to use Table 7-33 is pretty important when you start designing new items, so let's go that route for our examples:

Ring of Protection +3: The ring provides a deflection bonus to Armor Class, which, according to Table 7-33, has a base price equal to the bonus squared x 2,000 gp. For a bonus of +3 that's 18,000 gp (3 x 3 x 2,000 gp). The monetary cost to create the ring is half that (9,000 gp) and the experience cost is 1/25th the base cost (720 XP).

Ring of Swimming: The ring provides a +5 competence bonus on Swim checks, which, according to Table 7-33, has a base price equal to the bonus squared x 100 gp. For a bonus of +5 that's 2,500 gp (5 x 5 x 100 gp). The monetary cost to create the ring is half that (1,250 gp) and the experience cost is 1/25th the base cost (100 XP).

Ring of Feather Falling: The ring provides a feather fall spell effect whenever needed. The closest entry on Table 7-33 is a use-activated spell effect, which has a base price equal to the spell level x the caster level x 2,000 gp. Feather fall is a 1st-level spell and the ring has a caster level of 1st; according to the formula, the ring should have a base cost of 1 x 1 x 2,000 gp. According to the ring's description, however, the price is 2,200 gp. Evidently the designer felt that having feather fall instantly available whenever you call is worth a little more than the formula indicates. The cost to create this ring is half the base price (1,100 gp). The experience cost is 1/25th base price (88 XP).

Ring of Three Wishes: The ring stores three wish spells, which are available to the wearer on command. Once all three wishes are used up, the ring is non-magical. There are two entries on Table 7-33 that are somewhat like this item; one is the scroll entry (single use, spell completion) which has a cost of spell level x caster level x 25 gp, and the other is the potion entry (single use, spell completion) which has a cost of spell level x caster level x 50 gp. Neither one of these actually matches what the ring does, but it's a good bet that the ring's value falls somewhere in between these two extremes. A look at the other entries in the table shows that a command activated item costs only about 90% of what the same item would cost if use activated. That is, a command activated spell effect has a price equal to spell level x caster level x 1,800 gp, which is exactly 90% of the use activated cost of spell level x caster level x 2,000 gp. If we take 90% of the potion value, we get spell level x caster level x 45 gp (50 x 0.9 = 45). However, a ring takes on an item slot and a potion does not, so another reduction is in order. If we assume the ring is worth about 85% of the use-activated value, we get a formula of spell level x caster level x 42.5 gp (50 x 0.85 = 42.5). Using this formula, we get a base price of 22,950 for the ring (9 x 20 x 42.5 gp x 3 = 22,950). The monetary cost to create the ring would be half the base price, 11,475 gp, which is exactly what the item description shows. The XP cost is 1/25th of the base cost (918 XP) plus the XP components for three wish spells or 15,918 XP (918 + 15,000). The market price for the ring is the base cost of 22,950 gp plus five times the extra XP cost (75,000), or 97,950 gp.

Ring Miscellany: As with a wand or a staff, a charged ring that has less than full charges is worth less than a fully charged item. A ring of one wish, for example is worth only one third what a ring of three wishes is, or 32,650 gp. Unlike wands and staffs, there's no rule that says you must create a charged ring with full charges. A ring of one wish has a base price of 7,650 (9 x 20 x 42.5 gp) and a cost to create of 3,825 gp plus 5,306 XP.



The defining characteristic of a rod is that it has multiple powers that don't duplicate any known spell.

Prerequisites: To make a magic rod, you need the Craft Rod item creation feat. (The feat itself has a caster level of 9th as a prerequisite.) The creator also must have a caster level at least equal to the rod's caster level and must meet any other prerequisites noted in the rod's description. Anyone creating an entirely new rod must include a list of prerequisites along with the new rod's item description.

Caster Level: A rod's caster level is fixed -- the creator cannot adjust it as she can for a scroll, potion, wand or staff.

Equipment and Materials: According to Table 7-32 in the Dungeon Master's Guide, a rod that can function as a weapon requires a masterwork weapon of the appropriate kind (such as a masterwork dire flail for a rod of flailing). If a rod can function as several different weapons, only one masterwork weapon is required (the largest or the most expensive weapon in the array makes the most sense). The prices for the example rods on pages 233-237 in the Dungeon Master's Guide, however, don't include extra costs for masterwork weaponry, so it's best to assume that the weapon cost is subsumed in the creation cost for the rod.

Rods that don't function as weapons don't require a masterwork weapon. Otherwise, making any rod requires the same sorts or equipment and materials as making magic armor or a magic weapon.

Cost: Rod prices are difficult to formalize, so when creating a rod from a rulebook it's best to refer to the rod's description (see Part Seven for notes on setting prices for new items). In most cases, a rod's base cost is the same as its market price.

Creation Cost: The monetary cost to create a magic rod is half the base price.

The experience cost to create a rod is 1/25th the base price.

Market Price: As noted earlier, the market price for a rod is the same as base price.

Example Rod Costs: Here are the calculations for making a rod of enemy detection from the Dungeon Master's Guide.

The listed market price for this rod is 23,500 gp, which is the same as the base price. The monetary cost to make the rod is half the base price (11,750 gp). The experience cost is 1/25th the base cost (940 XP).



A wondrous item can have any kind of magical powers, but in general, creating a wondrous item is just like creating a magic ring or rod.

Prerequisites: To make a wondrous item, you need the Craft Wondrous item creation feat. (The feat itself has a caster level of 3rd as a prerequisite.) The creator also must have a caster level at least equal to the item's caster level and must meet any other prerequisites noted in the item's description. Anyone creating an entirely new wondrous item must include a list of prerequisites along with the new item description.

Caster Level: A wondrous item's caster level is fixed -- the creator cannot adjust it as she can for a scroll, potion, wand, or staff.

Equipment and Materials: A wondrous item requires the same sorts of equipment and supplies as a ring or rod requires. The cost for these items is subsumed in the item's creation cost.

Cost: As with a rod, it's best to refer to the wondrous item's description (see Part Seven for notes of setting prices for new items). In most cases, a wondrous item's base cost is the same as its market price.

Creation Cost: The monetary cost to create a wondrous item is half the base price.

The experience cost to create a rod is 1/25th the base price.

Market Price: As noted earlier, the market price for a wondrous item is the same as its base price.

Minor Variations 

Sometimes, a player doesn't want an entirely new item, just something with a few alterations. For example, a player with a monk character would love to have an amulet of mighty fists, but she has grown to depend on the extra protection she gets from her amulet of natural armor. So, the inevitable question arises: Does an amulet of mighty fists have to be an amulet? The answer is of course not! However, that begs another question: If not an amulet, what kind of item should it be?

The Body Slot Affinities sidebar on page 288 in the Dungeon Master's Guide can help answer the second question. A look at the table there shows that bracers (combat), gauntlets (destructive power), or even a belt (physical improvement) are the most appropriate alternatives. Considering that our example monk wants to pound foes with her fists and that she probably already owns bracers of armor, gauntlets probably are the best bet. So, what should the gauntlets cost?

You can reasonably assume that a pair of gauntlets of mighty fists ought to have the same base cost and market price as the amulet (6,000 to 150,000 gp), depending on the enhancement bonus the item provides. The +1 version (6,000 gp) has a monetary cost to create of 3,000 gp (half the base price) and an experience cost of 240 XP (1/25th the base cost).

On the other hand, a +1 magic weapon (such as a +1 spiked gauntlet) costs only 2,000 gp (for the magical enhancement). Another quick look at the table on page 288 of the Dungeon Master's Guide shows that the amulet slot is best for items that involve protection and discernment, not attack, so it's a good bet that the amulet's price already had an adjustment for an uncustomary item slot. That makes sense, because almost any creature can wear an amulet or necklace and the amulet works on unarmed attacks and natural weaponry. The amulet of mighty fists probably also is intended for familiars and animal companions as well as monks.

That uncustomary item slot adjustment is x 1.5 (see Table 7-33), so the base cost and market price for the gauntlets would be 4,000 gp (6,000/1.5). The item should have the same caster level as a magic weapon with the same enhancement bonus (3 x the bonus), and it would require the Craft Wondrous item feat.

Okay, what happens if the character in question already has magic gauntlets, too, or just wants to keep that glove/gauntlet item slot available for some other useful item, such as gauntlets of ogre power or gloves of Dexterity? That's not a problem, either. There's no reason why someone could not create a robe of mighty fists, or a vest of mighty fists. Such items should have the same cost as the amulet (remember that we're assuming the amulet already has a cost increase of 50% for an uncustomary slot), so a +1 vest or robe of mighty fists would have a market price of 6,000 gp.

DMs who just aren't inclined to give the monk a break on such items might want to charge 6,000 gp for the amulet or gauntlets and 9,000 gp for the robe or the vest. I think that's excessive, and I suspect that most players would, too.



As noted back in Part One, creating an entirely new item requires writing a full item description, so let's talk about that. It would be helpful to be familiar with the elements in item description. Rules of Game covered that in detail. The notes presented here are heavily based on ideas and advice from my colleagues Rich Baker and Sean K Reynolds.



You can call an item whatever you want, but make sure you don't choose a name that suggests an item slot that doesn't fit the item. For example, don't call your new item a skullcap of ultimate coolness unless it actually uses the headband/hat/helmet/phylactery slot.



Explain exactly what the item does and how often the item can do it, and what the user must do to activate the item. Remember that many kinds of items have default activation methods, such as spell trigger for a wand or staff, command word for a ring, rod or wondrous item, and use-activated for most weapons and items that provide bonuses.

A thorough explanation of the item's powers will help you set the item's price and also will avert many arguments down the road. Beware of evocative descriptions that sound great but don't have any meaning in the game. For example, an item that allows the user to steal another creature's dreams sounds cool, but what does it mean? Such a power could have several game effects. It might, for example, allow a brief glimpse into the subject's mind, much like a discern thoughts spell, or it might simply deny a sleeping victim the benefits of a full night's rest.



This is the kind of magic aura the item has when examined with a detect magic spell on it. List only the single most powerful or significant aura the item possesses (or that the item can produce). You should base this on the highest-level spell required to create the item.

Aura Power: Use one of the following:

• Faint (caster level 5th or lower)

• Moderate (caster level 6th-11th)

• Strong (caster level 12th-20th)

• Overwhelming (caster level 21st or more)
  

See the section on Caster Level for tips on assigning an item's caster level.


School: Choose the school from whatever prerequisite or power you used to set the aura power. If there is no spell for you to use here, use one of the following defaults:

• Armor and protective items - Abjuration
  

• Weapons or offensive items - Evocation

• Bonus to ability scores, skills - Transmutation 
  
  

• None of the above - Transmutation 

You can always set the caster level at the minimum for the highest-level spell involved with the item or for the highest-level caster level prerequisite for the item creation feats needed for the item.

You also can set the caster level higher than the absolute minimum necessary to create the item. In fact, it's a good idea to do this if you want your item to reflect some particular level-based variables in any spell effects the item produces. The examples of wand creation in Part Three show the effects of changing the caster level.

Some basic rules for setting a caster level follow:

Weapons and Armor: As noted in Part Four, weapons and armor have a minimum caster level of 3 times their enhancement bonus.

There's no hard and fast rule for setting the caster level for special properties. The best way to set a caster level for a special property is to find a comparable property in a rulebook and use that.

If a special property is similar to a spell, check out the notes on items that duplicate spells.

Item that Duplicate Spells: The caster level for a spell-producing item should be set at the minimum level required for item's creator to actually cast that spell. If you're a wizard making an item that produces finger of death (Sorcerer/Wizard 7), you should set the caster level at a minimum of 13, since you'd have to be a 13th level wizard to cast finger of death.

Items that Mimic Spells: Many items do things that aren't spells, but could be spells. The various flight items, such as the broom of flying or carpetof flying are good examples. These items work very much like the fly spell or overland flight spell (which also is a prerequisite for both items).

Think about what spell this effect is most like.

Effects You've Never Seen Anywhere: A small number of magic items have powers that don't have any parallels elsewhere in the system. The bag of holding and similar items, such as Heward's handy haversack, are prime examples.

When an item doesn't do anything that can be easily compared to a spell, you should compare your item against other items that seem to do similar things, and set the caster level appropriately. If you still don't have any idea of how to set the caster level, use the minimum character level required by the particular item creation feat necessary to make the item.



Your list of prerequisites must include the item creation feat necessary to make the item, the spells required, and any other prerequisites that you might care to include. Item creation feat names are pretty much self-explanatory. If you need help matching a feat to your item, refer to the earlier parts of this article series.

Spells: If your item duplicates or mimics several spells, each of those spells should appear in the list of prerequisites. On the other hand, don't go overboard here, especially when multiple spells do something similar to what your item does. For example, the ring of force shield has powers that are similar to both the shield and wall of force spells. This ring doesn't exactly duplicate a shield spell, however, and only wall of force is listed as a prerequisite.

Base Price and Market Price 

The rules offer you some help in this endeavour, but ultimately your own good judgement will prove the best guide.

Assigning a market price to a magic item is covered in detail in Chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. See Table 7-33. Items that provide simple bonuses to attacks, Armor Class, saving throws, or checks are fairly easy to evaluate.

If your item doesn't provide any bonuses and has no clear spell analogy, try comparing it against similar items. If that's not helpful, consider the question of when you think it would be appropriate for a PC to have one of your items. Should he have it at 7th level? According to Table 5-1: Character Wealth by Level in the Dungeon Master's Guide, a 7th-level PC is assumed to have 19,000 gp of gear. A reasonable cost for a single item that such a character might own would be somewhere between 10% and 40% of the character's total wealth. In this case, that's 1,900 gp to 7,600 gp.

Weapons, Armor, and Shields: Many weapon or armor qualities are not assigned a market price in cash, but they are instead priced as "+1 bonus", "+2 bonus," and so on. This was discussed in Part Four.

You can use this system when the property directly affects the offense (hit chance or damage dealt) of a weapon, or the defense (likelihood of a hit or damage received) of an armor. Otherwise, your new weapon property should be priced as a no-slot item. For example, armor of Strength +4 shouldn't be priced as a +2 or +3 armor bonus; instead it should be priced as a +4 ability enhancement (+16,000 gp), doubled to +32,000 gp because it doesn't use up any item slots (see Table 7-33).



Keep in mind that the rules and advice in Chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide are intended to help a reasonable person estimate what an item is worth in play. It's always a mistake to try to create the most powerful item possible for the lowest possible price or vice versa.

When the Formulas Fail: Table 7-33 provides the basic tool for determining item prices and costs, but many items don't fit the table. Many spells in the game work fine as spells, but spells come with built-in limits on their power, and chief among those is the simple fact that a spell is used up when cast and a character has only so many spells available each day. Many spells become world beaters when they're placed in items that work continuously or in items that can be reused over and over again. For example, a ring of invisibility is a command activated item that duplicates a 2nd-level spell, and its caster level is 3rd (the minimum to cast the spell). According to Table 7-33, such an item has a cost of 2 x 3 x 1,800 gp (spell level x caster x 1,800 gp). So, a ring of invisibility costs 10,800 gp, right? Wrong, it costs nearly twice that much (20,000 gp) because an endless supply of invisibility spells are worth something extra.

Use the Correct Formula: One item people frequently ask me about is a ring of true strike. The spell provides a whopping +20 insight bonus on attack rolls and negates miss chances arising from concealed targets. It's only 1st level, however, because it is a personal range spell with a duration of 1 round. That means you can normally manage one attack every 2 rounds when using the spell. Also, you can't bestow it on an ally (except for a familiar or animal companion) because of its personal range.

Assuming such a ring worked whenever it was needed and has a caster level of 1st, it would cost a mere 2,000 gp by the formula for a use-activated spell effect (in this case, 1 x 1 x 2,000 gp). Sharp-eyed readers will note that any continuously functioning item has a cost adjustment of x4 (see the footnotes to Table 7-33), which bumps up the ring's cost to 8,000 gp. That's a real bargain for an item that provides so much boost to a user's combat power. Much too great a bargain.

So, what would our example ring of true strike be worth? Insight bonuses aren't included on Table 7-33, but a weapon bonus has a cost equal to the bonus squared x 2,000 gp, so a +20 weapon would cost 800,000 gp. One can argue that the ring isn't quite as good as a +20 weapon because it doesn't provide a damage bonus. That, however, ignores the very potent ability to negate most miss chances. Also, the ring's insight bonus works with any sort of attack the wearer makes. On top of all that, the insight bonus stacks with any enhancement bonus from a magic weapon the wearer might wield. Still, 800,000 gp is a lot of cash and the lack of a damage bonus is significant, so some price reduction is in order. A 50% reduction might be in order, or 400,000 gp for the ring.

Would you pay 400,000 gp for a ring of true striking? I would if I could afford it. At a price of 400,000 gp, our mythical ring of true strike is something only an epic-level character could afford. That's fine, because epic play is where the ring belongs.



The sidebar on page 282 in the Dungeon Master's Guide causes a great deal of trouble. Here are a few tips to make the advice in the sidebar work for you.

Multiple Similar Abilities Versus Multiple Different Abilities: An item with multiple similar abilities costs much less than an item with multiple different abilities, so what's the difference? In this case, "similar" abilities are functions that draw from the same pool of charges, or that can't be used at the same time (or at least don't provide a great deal of extra benefit if they are used together), or all of the above. Sometimes, an item has powers that receive this similar abilities price reduction when the item's multiple powers work together to produce an overall effect, or when an item's powers must be activated separately, but that's fairly rare.

A staff is a great example of an item whose multiple powers are priced as "similar" abilities. Refer to Part Three for notes on pricing staffs. Remember, however, that all a staff's powers must have the same caster level; for an item that has a different caster level for different powers, be sure to charge full price for the most expensive power, 75% for the next most expensive power, and 50% for all other powers.

An item has multiple different abilities when they do not draw from the same pool of charges or otherwise don't interfere with each other. Usually, such powers must be activated separately. Most rods are good examples of this kind of item.

Slot-less Powers: According to Table 7-33, an item that doesn't take up space on the user's body has double the normal price. In many cases, it's appropriate to levy this extra cost when an item has multiple powers, especially when one power works continuously or the item's multiple powers tend to reinforce each other in play. The weapon that also bestows a Strength boost from an earlier example is a good example of this kind of item.



The best way to learn item pricing is to practice, so here are some examples taken from this very site:

Bracers of Brachiation: The slim bracers of brachiation grant the wearer a climb speed of 20 feet in forested areas. The user gains a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks, and it can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. In addition, while using its climb speed to move in forested areas, the creature gains a +2 insight bonus on initiative checks and Reflex saving throws.

Moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, spider climb, creator must have at least 10 ranks in Climb; Price 18,400 gp; Weight 1 lb.

The items were priced as follows:

+8 skill bonus = 6,400 (bonus squared x 100 gp). The skill bonus is limited to forested areas, and that would argue for a reduction, but the bracers also grant a climb speed of 20 feet in forested areas, so we'll leave this price alone.

+2 insight bonus on Reflex saves = 4,000 gp. A save bonus other than a resistance bonus is worth the bonus squared x 2,000 gp, or 8,000 gp according to Table 7-33. This one, however, is limited to Reflex saves made in forested areas, so we'll reduce that by half to 4,000 gp.

The +2 initiative bonus in woods is worth at least as much as the save bonus, 4,000 gp.

This is a multifunction item, so the cheaper functions have a price multiplier of x 1.5.

That makes the market price (and base price) 6,400 gp + 6,000 (4,000 x 1.5) + 6,000 (4,000 x 1.5) = 18,400. The monetary cost to create is 9,200 gp (half the base price); the XP cost to create is 736 XP (1/25th the base cost).

Figurine of Wondrous Power (Limestone Crab): A limestone crab appears as a miniature statuette, often badly eroded, of a crab. When the figurine is tossed down and the correct command word is spoken, it becomes a living monstrous crab. The monstrous crab obeys and serves its owner; it understands Common but does not speak. The monstrous crab can serve as a beast of burden, a mount, or a combatant as its owner desires. Unlike a normal monstrous crab, the limestone crab retains some of the qualities of stone when animated and has hardness 3. A limestone crab can be used twice per week for up to 6 hours per use.

If a limestone crab is broken or destroyed in its statuette form, it is forever ruined. All magic is lost -- its power departed. If slain in animal form, the figurine simply reverts to a statuette that can be used again at a later time.

A limestone crab always feels damp to the touch, as if it had just been plucked from a tide pool.

Moderate transmutation; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, animate objects, stoneskin; Price 10,000 gp.

No spell is analogous to what this item does (though the animate objects spell comes close). However, plenty of other figurines of wondrous power are in the Dungeon Master's Guide. A limestone crab is about as tough as a griffon (see the Far Corners of the World feature) for monstrous crab stats), so pricing equals the bronze griffon figurine of 10,000 gp.



As noted back in Part One, more than one character can cooperate in the creation of an item, with each participant providing one or more of the prerequisites. According to the rules, however, XP costs cannot be shared. One character must shoulder the XP burden alone.

If players in your game are avid magic item creators, you might want to experiment with shared XP costs. You can allow characters who work together on a magic item to divide up the XP cost any way they like. To share the cost, a character must provide at least one of the item's prerequisites. Any division of the XP cost is possible, provided that all the creators agree to the scheme.

If you have the kind of campaign in which some of your players pester the others to make magic items for them, you might want to allow any character to share the XP cost to make an item. An XP donor must be present each day during the item's creation (or at least when work begins on the item each day). Allow the XP donation to be strictly voluntary -- it doesn't work if the donor is magically charmed or compelled, or if the donor is bullied or intimidated into contributing. On the other hand, allowing evil spellcasters to force XP from unwilling victims might just add the right touch of nastiness to dark fantasy campaigns.



Skip Williams keeps busy with freelance projects for several different game companies and was the Sage of Dragon Magazine for 18 years. Skip is a co-designer of the D&D 3rd Edition game and the chief architect of the Monster Manual. When not devising swift and cruel deaths for player characters, Skip putters in his kitchen or garden (rabbits and deer are not Skip's friends) or works on repairing and improving the century-old farmhouse that he shares with his wife, Penny, and a growing menagerie of pets.

Based on the original Dungeons & Dragons® game by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.

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