Magic Item Creation

To create magic items, spellcasters use special feats which allow them to invest time and money in an item’s creation. At the end of this process, the spellcaster must make a single skill check (usually Spellcraft, but sometimes another skill) 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 5 + the caster level for the item. 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 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 caster does not meet. The only exception to this is the requisite item creation feat, which is mandatory. In addition, you cannot create potions, spell-trigger, or spell-completion magic items without meeting its prerequisites.

While item creation costs are handled in detail below, note that normally the two primary factors are the caster level of the creator and the level of the spell or spells put into the item. A creator can create an item at a lower caster level than her own, but never lower than the minimum level needed to cast the needed spell. Using metamagic feats, a caster can place spells in items at a higher level than normal.

Magic supplies for items are always half of the base price in gp. 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 a fairly quiet, comfortable, and well-lit place in which to work. Any place suitable for preparing spells is suitable for making items. Creating an item requires 8 hours of work per 1,000 gp in the item’s base price (or fraction thereof), with a minimum of at least 8 hours. Potions and scrolls are an exception to this rule; 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, just like any other magic item. The character must spend the gold at the beginning of the construction process. Regardless of the time needed for construction, a caster can create no more than one magic item per day. This process can be accelerated to 4 hours of work per 1,000 gp in the item’s base price (or fraction thereof) by increasing the DC to create the item by 5.

The caster can work for up to 8 hours each day. He cannot rush the process by working longer each day, but the days need not be consecutive, and the caster can use the rest of his time as he sees fit. If the caster is out adventuring, he can devote 4 hours each day to item creation, although he nets only 2 hours’ worth of work. This time is not spent in one continuous period, but rather during lunch, morning preparation, and during watches at night. If time is dedicated to creation, it must be spent in uninterrupted 4-hour blocks. This work is generally done in a controlled environment, where distractions are at a minimum, such as a laboratory or shrine. Work that is performed in a distracting or dangerous environment nets only half the amount of progress (just as with the adventuring caster).

A character can work on only one item at a time. If a character starts work on a new item, all materials used on the under-construction item are wasted.

Cooperative Crafting

If you need another character to supply one of an item’s requirements (such as if you’re a wizard creating an item with a divine spell), both you and the other character must be present for the entire duration of the crafting process. If the GM is using the downtime system, both you and the other character must use downtime at the same time for this purpose. Only you make 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 second character is providing a spell effect, that character’s spell is expended for the day, just as if you were using one of your own spells for a requirement. If the second character is a hired NPC, you must pay for the NPC’s spellcasting service for each day of the item creation.

Magic Item Gold Piece Values

Many factors must be considered when determining the price of new magic items. The easiest way to come up with a price is to compare the new item to an item that is already priced, using that price as a guide. Otherwise, use the guidelines summarized on Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values.

The correct way to price an item is by comparing its abilities to similar items (see Magic Item Gold Piece Values), and only if there are no similar items should you use the pricing formulas to determine an approximate price for the item. If you discover a loophole that allows an item to have an ability for a much lower price than is given for a comparable item, the GM should require using the price of the item, 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.

Some new items are really existing magic items with a different weapon or armor type, such as a dagger of venom that is a rapier 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 rapier of venom has a price of 8,320 gp instead of the dagger of venom‘s price of 8,302 gp.

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	Bonus squared x 2,500 gp	Ioun stone (dusty rose prism)
Natural armor bonus (enhancement)	Bonus squared x 2,000 gp	Amulet of natural armor +1
Save bonus (resistance)	Bonus squared x 1,000 gp	Cloak of resistance +5
Save bonus (other)1	Bonus squared x 2,000 gp	Stone of good luck
Skill bonus (competence)	Bonus squared x 100 gp	Cloak of elvenkind
Spell resistance	10,000 gp per point over SR 12; SR 13 minimum	Mantle of spell resistance
Weapon bonus (enhancement)	Bonus squared x 2,000 gp	+1 longsword
Spell Effect	Base Price	Example
Single use, spell completion	Spell level x caster level x 25 gp	Scroll of haste
Single use, use-activated	Spell level x caster level x 50 gp	Potion of cure light wounds
50 charges, spell trigger	Spell level x caster level x 750 gp	Wand of fireball
Command word	Spell level x caster level x 1,800 gp	Cape of the mountebank
Use-activated or continuous	Spell level x caster level x 2,000 gp2	Lantern of revealing
Special	Base Price	Adjustment Example
Charges per day	Divide by (5 divided by charges per day)	Boots of teleportation
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 charge 4	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.

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.

Adding New Abilities

Sometimes, lack of funds or time make it impossible for a magic item crafter to create the desired item from scratch. Fortunately, 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.

The cost to add additional abilities to an item is the same as if the item was not magical, less the value of the original item. Thus, a +1 longsword can be made into a +2 vorpal longsword, with the cost to create it being equal to that of a +2 vorpal 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 any additional ability to that item 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 ring of invisibility multiplied by 1.5.

Adding more magic to an existing item can be quite simple or very math-intensive. If the item’s current and proposed abilities follow the normal pricing rules (particularly with weapons, armor, and shields), adding the new abilities is a matter of subtracting the old price from the new price and determining how many days of crafting it takes to make up the difference.

Example: Patrick’s wizard decides to use his downtime to increase the armor bonus on his bracers of armor +1 to +3. The price difference between the two types of bracers is 8,000 gp, so Patrick’s wizard must spend 8 days and 4,000 gp (half the 8,000 gp price difference) upgrading his bracers’ magic. If he has fewer than 8 days before the next adventure, he’ll need to finish his crafting while traveling or use accelerated crafting in town to speed up the process.

For most other items, GMs should use the multiple different abilities rule to determine the item’s new price: increase the cost of the new ability by 50%, add that to the total price of the item to get the new price. Then subtract the old price from the new price to determine the difference, and determine how many days of crafting it takes to cover the difference.

Example: Lisa’s paladin has horseshoes of a zephyr and wants to hire Patrick’s wizard to add the powers of horseshoes of speed to her current horseshoes. Their GM, Jessica, decides that this is a suitable item and tells Lisa and Patrick they can proceed. The price of horseshoes of speed is 3,000 gp, increased by 50% for the multiple different abilities rule to 4,500 gp. Patrick’s wizard must spend 5 days and Lisa’s paladin must pay 2,250 gp (half the 4,500 gp price difference) to add the new property to the horseshoes, resulting in an item worth 10,500 gp (6,000 gp originally + 4,500 gp for the new property).

For specific magic armor and weapons, the price for the base item may be hard to determine, as some abilities may have been priced as plus-based properties and some as gp-based properties. Without knowing which is which, how to increase the price (using the plus-based table or flat gp addition) can’t be determined. If this happens and nobody can agree on a fair price, it’s best to not upgrade the item, or ask the GM for permission to pseudo-upgrade the item by swapping it for a different item with a price that can be calculated with the normal rules.

Example: Lisa’s paladin has a holy avenger that she wants to upgrade with the flaming special ability. a holy avenger has a price of 120,630 gp, but when not in the hands of a paladin, it functions as a + 5 holy cold iron longsword, which has a price of 100,630 gp. The 20,000 gp difference in the prices of these two possible base weapons includes the sword’s spell resistance, greater dispel magic once per round, and the limitation that the extra powers don’t work for non-paladins. Jessica and Lisa talk about pricing ideas for a while, but can’t figure out a fair way to price the upgrade. Lisa decides to upgrade her character’s armor instead.

The multiple similar abilities rule is specifically for items that don’t use a magic item slot (such as staves), and can’t be used for items that do use a magic item slot. The existing staves all use this rule for pricing the cost of their spells. When adding abilities to these items, remember that they’re priced with the highest-level spell at 100% of the normal cost, the next-highest at 75%, and all others at 50%, which means that adding a new spell that’s between the lowest and highest spell level can alter the cost of the other abilities in the item. Increasing the number of charges required for an ability also affects the cost of that ability (see Creating Staves). Because staff pricing is so complex, a GM might want to forbid adding new abilities to staves, or limit new abilities to the lowest-level spell already present in the item.

Altering Existing Magic Items

The standard rules don’t allow item creation feats to alter the physical nature of an item, its default size, its shape, or its magical properties. For example, there is no mechanism for using crafting feats to change a steel +1 longsword into an adamantine +1 longsword , a Large +1 chain shirt into a Medium +1 chain shirt , boots of speed into an amulet of speed, or a +1 unholy longsword into a +1 flaming shock longsword. Many GMs might decide that these kinds of transformations are impossible, beyond the scope of mortals, or not as cost-efficient as crafting a new item from scratch. Others might allow these sorts of transformations for free or a small surcharge. Keep in mind the following warnings.

GMs who wish to allow some of these sorts of alterations should consider using the original item as a talismanic component for the final item.

Adjusting Character Wealth by Level

You can take advantage of the item creation rules to hand-craft most or all of your magic items. Because you’ve spent gp equal to only half the price of these items, you could end up with more gear than what the Character Wealth by Level table suggests for you. This is especially the case if you’re a new character starting above 1st level or one with the versatile Craft Wondrous Item feat. With these advantages, you can carefully craft optimized gear rather than acquiring GM-selected gear over the course of a campaign. For example, a newly created 4th-level character should have about 6,000 gp worth of gear, but you can craft up to 12,000 gp worth of gear with that much gold, all of it taking place before the character enters the campaign, making the time-cost of crafting irrelevant.

Some GMs might be tempted to reduce the amount or value of the treasure you acquire to offset this and keep your overall wealth in line with the Character Wealth by Level table. Unfortunately, that has the net result of negating the main benefit of crafting magic items — in effect negating your choice of a feat. However, game balance for the default campaign experience expects you and all other PCs to be close to the listed wealth values, so the GM shouldn’t just let you craft double the normal amount of gear. As a guideline, allowing a crafting PC to exceed the Character Wealth by Level guidelines by about 25% is fair, or even up to 50% if the PC has multiple crafting feats.

If you are creating items for other characters in the party, the increased wealth for the other characters should come out of your increased allotment. Not only does this prevent you from skewing the wealth by level for everyone in the party, but it encourages other characters to learn item creation feats.

Creating Magic Items for Profit

The expectation in a standard campaign is that the PCs go on quests to fighting monsters and collect treasure. In other words, you aren’t supposed to stay at home, work at day jobs, and earn wages instead of adventuring. The game mechanics reinforce this by only allowing you to sell items for half their normal price because it assumes selling them to an NPC shopkeeper, so even if you craft a bag of holding, you can’t sell it yourself for full price because you don’t have your own store to sell it in. This prevents you from profiting by crafting an item (and paying half the price to do so) and selling it for the full market price.

However, the downtime system allows you to build a business such as a tavern or even a magic shop, and earn money from that business while you’re away adventuring. You might want to use an appropriate business to sell crafted items for more than half price, but the downtime system already accounts for using a building to generate money, as well as spending personal time helping run the business (see Run a Business). A typical magic shop earns about 3 gp per day, or perhaps 4–5 gp per day if a skilled owner PC directly participates in running the business. Because magic items are very expensive (with the most common potions costing 50 gp or more, far higher than what most commoners can afford), this income represents many days where the business sells nothing, followed by selling one or two high-priced items, which averages out to a few gp of profit per day. In other words, just because you can craft one + 1 longsword each day doesn’t mean you’re likely to sell one each day in your shop. The GM has two options for resolving this mercantile dilemma.

Creating Magic Armor

To create magic armor, a character needs a heat source and some iron, wood, or leatherworking tools. He also needs a supply of materials, the most obvious being the armor or the pieces of the armor to be assembled. 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.

Creating magic armor has a special prerequisite: The creator’s 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 prepared the spells to be cast (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any material components or focuses the spells require. The act of working on the armor triggers the prepared spells, making them unavailable for casting during each day of the armor’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 armor may entail other prerequisites beyond or other than spellcasting. See the individual descriptions for details.

Spellscribed Armor

Source: PZO9467

The myriad of threats that adventures face often go well beyond mere weapons, so many spellcasters trained in the use of armor seek to augment it with spells.

Any spellcaster with both Craft Magic Arms and Armor and either Scribe Scroll or Brew Potion can create spellscribed armor. A single suit of armor can be inscribed with a number of spells equal to its base armor bonus (not including its enhancement bonus).

For example, a suit of breastplate armor (which has a +6 armor bonus) can have up to six spells inscribed on it. If you are using the piecemeal armor rules, only a piece of armor that grants an armor bonus can be spellscribed.

The maximum level for spells contained in spellscribed armor depends on the type of armor being inscribed.

Light armor, a buckler, or a light shield can hold up to 3rdlevel spells; medium armor or a heavy shield can hold up to 6th-level spells; heavy armor or a tower shield can hold up to 9th-level spells.

An inscribed spell is a spell-completion item that only the wearer of spellscribed armor may activate, and only if he is proficient with the type of armor worn. The inscribed spell vanishes when activated. The inscribed spell must be visible to the wearer and must be touched as part of its activation. Otherwise, suits of spellscribed armor are treated as scrolls (except that using them doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity) and use the rules for spell-completion items.

The process to create spellscribed armor requires access to expensive etching and scribing materials worth an amount of gold pieces equal to the inscribed spell’s level × the creator’s caster level × 100 (plus the price of any expensive material components).

Spells inscribed on armor can be dispelled as if they were separate magic items (treat them as scrolls), wholly independent of the suit of armor on which they are etched.

Creating Magic Weapons

To create a magic weapon, a character needs a heat source and some iron, wood, or leatherworking tools. She also needs a supply of materials, the most obvious being the weapon or the pieces of the weapon to be assembled. Only a masterwork weapon can become a magic weapon, and the masterwork cost is added to the total cost to determine final market value. 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 weapon, 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 weapon triggers the prepared spells, making them unavailable for casting during each day of the weapon’s creation. (That is, 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.

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.

Creating Potions

The creator of a potion needs a level working surface and at least a few containers in which to mix liquids, as well as a source of 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.)

The imbiber of the potion is both the caster and the target. 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.)

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.

Creating Rings

To create a magic ring, a character needs a heat source. 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.)

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

Creating Rods

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

Creating Scrolls

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.)

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.

Creating Staves

To create a magic staff, a character 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, but then activating that particular spell 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.)

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

Creating Runes

Source: PAP5

To create a rune, a character needs a supply of arcane inks and scar-inducing irritants. 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.

Creating Wands

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. Market value is double this creation cost. 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.)

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.

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.

Dynamic Magic Item Creation

Source PFU

In folklore, a major part of any magic item’s mystique is the tale of its creation. With the dynamic magic item creation system, the crafting of magic items becomes a quick but interesting story in which the whole party can participate. Items created in this way have unusual properties that lend them character and remind the PCs of the choices they made during item creation.

Along with adding flavor to the crafting of magic items, this system changes the average cost of magic item creation to be variable—generally more expensive for a single creator, and possibly less expensive for a group that works together. The standard system for the creation of magic items leads to automatic successes during crafting, and given enough days of downtime, it can lead to a wild power imbalance between PCs who opt into the crafting system and all other characters. The system presented here encourages characters to work together to play out the story of the item’s creation while also adding unique touches to the resulting item.

For groups that prefer a more in-depth experience, replace the required skill checks below with roleplaying scenes.

Overview

The magic item creation system in this section divides the creation of magic items (other than potions and scrolls) into a series of challenges that the creators try to overcome. These challenges represent either setbacks or opportunities in the course of the creation process. The first and final challenges in the process are the same for every item: preparing the vessel and completing the item.

Between those steps, the characters face a number of random challenges based on the total market price of the item. The process includes one additional challenge per 5,000 gp in the item’s market price (minimum 1), though the GM could increase or decrease the number. Having more challenges means it’s more likely that an item will have unexpected properties, for good or ill. It also makes the item’s creation more expensive or time consuming on average for less skilled characters, and conversely the process will likely be cheaper and faster for a highly skilled party.

Challenges

Each challenge the PCs face represents a setback or opportunity in the magic item creation process. This system assumes that the PCs involved are gathering exotic ingredients, searching through the notes of others who have crafted similar items, and dealing with unexpected mystical variables. It allows the entire party to participate, so anyone who wishes to help counts as a creator, and only one creator needs to have the required item creation feat.

Attempting Challenges

Each challenge presents two tasks. One creator can choose a single task to attempt, or two creators can each choose to do a different task. This choice of tasks to attempt must be made before rolling any associated checks. Creators can’t take 10 or 20 (even with bardic knowledge or skill mastery) or benefit from aid another on item creation tasks.

Some tasks don’t require checks, but present other conditions for success. If a creator takes on such a task, it must be completed before attempting a task that involves a check.

If the creators decide to attempt both tasks for a given challenge, each task must be attempted by a different creator. For instance, when faced with a sesquipedalian elucidation challenge, a wizard might pull out his dictionary and attempt a Linguistics check, while a rogue might choose to make up her own big words and attempt a Use Magic Device check. The number of tasks attempted and their success or failure determines the outcome of the challenge, as detailed below.

One Task Attempted	Both Tasks Attempted	Challenge Result
—	Succeed at both	Critical success
Succeed	Succeed at one and fail the other by less than 5	Success
Fail	Succeed at one and fail the other by 5 or more	Failure
—	Fail both	Critical failure

Challenge Format

The stat block for a challenge includes a short description and the following sections.

Tasks: These are the options a creator can choose from when trying to complete the challenge. They contain only short titles, and the GM should interpret the specifics in an interesting way that makes sense based on the story.

Results: These entries cover the consequences of success or failure. Use the results from only one category; a critical success doesn’t also give the benefits of a normal success, and a critical failure doesn’t also impose the effects of a normal failure.

Paying For The Item

The default cost for item creation with this method is 85% of the item’s market value. Various challenges can raise and lower this amount. A party encountering and critically succeeding at a large number of challenges can likely bring the cost below 50%.

You must purchase weapons, armor, and other items that require masterwork or ingredient components separately to begin the process. Subtract those costs from the item’s market value for the purposes of all cost calculations (though not for the purposes of the required creation time or number of challenges encountered).

Before attempting the first challenge, the PCs purchase the initial materials by spending 25% of the item’s market price. As part of the final challenge, the PCs must pay the remaining amount, accounting for any adjustments.

The PCs can abandon an item at any time. They don’t have to pay the remaining amount, but they can’t use the materials from one attempt on another item.

Creation Time

The default amount of time it takes to create an item with this system is the same as in the normal item creation rules. The process can’t be accelerated by increasing check DCs as with the normal rules.

Space the challenges out evenly. For instance, having four challenges for a 10,000 gp item (two base, two random) means having a challenge at the beginning, another after 3 days of work, the third challenge 7 days in, and the final on day 10.

Adjustments

The first challenge, preparing the vessel, sets some base statistics for the new magic item. Further challenges can cause adjustments to the magic item. The GM can create her own challenges, and should consider the DCs of the challenge’s tasks when deciding adjustments. Challenges with lower DCs should typically have benefits that merely avoid negative adjustments, while challenges with higher DCs should be more likely to add beneficial adjustments.

Cost: Challenges that adjust the cost increase or decrease the crafting cost by increments of 5% of the final market price. The cost can go over 100%, meaning the item would cost more to make than its market price. The final cost can never be lower than the initial 25% investment; the characters can’t get a refund of that expenditure.

Time: Challenges may add or subtract the number of remaining days of work required to create the item. When this happens, adjust the timing of challenges accordingly. The total number of days of work can never decrease below 1, nor can it decrease below the number of days the characters have already spent crafting the item. For example, if on day 3 of a 5-day process a successful challenge decreases the time by 1 day, the final challenge will happen on day 4 instead. But if the result says to decrease the time by 3 days, the PC is instead able to attempt the final challenge immediately.

Perks, Quirks, and Flaws: A challenge may add a beneficial perk, a somewhat neutral quirk, or a detrimental flaw to the item (see pages 187–191). These three types of adjustments give an item a distinct flavor that sets it apart from others of its kind. The GM should secretly roll for perks, quirks, and flaws as they occur, rerolling duplicate or contradictory results. Detect magic and identify typically don’t reveal an item’s perks, quirks, and flaws; analyze dweomer does, though only once the item is complete.

Destruction: A few challenges can, if critically failed, destroy the in-progress item, which costs the PCs their current investment. Such challenges come with enticing benefits for critically succeeding, making them potentially worth the risk.

Base Challenges

The following two challenges bookend the dynamic magic item creation process. Preparing the vessel is always the first challenge, and completing the item is always last.

Prepare The Vessel

You must create or prepare an item to handle the magic you intend to instill within it.

TASKS

Forge a New Vessel Craft (item’s type) DC 15 + item’s caster level

Mystical Preparations Spellcraft DC 15 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success You have a superlative and efficient vessel. Set the base cost at 75% of the market price, and set the item’s creation time to 1 day per 2,000 gp of the item’s market price.

Success You have a satisfactory vessel. Set the base cost at 85% of the market price, and set the item’s creation time to 1 day per 1,000 gp of the item’s market price.

Failure You have a flawed vessel. Set the base cost at 100% of the market price, set the item’s creation time to 1 day per 500 gp of the item’s market price, and add one flaw.

Critical Failure The vessel is destroyed.

Complete The Item

You put the finishing touches on the item.

TASKS

Improvise Use Magic Device DC 15 + item’s caster level

Provide the Requirements Meet all the item’s prerequisites

RESULTS

Critical Success You complete the item with a masterful flourish. Reduce the item’s cost by 10%.

Success You have completed the item.

Failure The item is destroyed.

Critical Failure —

Random Challenges

The Gamemaster should roll on the table below to determine which challenges the player characters face while making the item. Alternatively, the GM can instead choose a particular challenge based on the circumstances of the campaign.

Table: Random Challenges

d%	Challenge
01–04	Aberrant mutation
05–08	Challenging construction
09–12	Contradictory instructions
13–16	Cryptic cross-reference
17–20	Distracting visitor
21–24	Emotion requirement
25–28	Energy overload
29–32	Enticing offer
33–36	Fragile components
37–40	Historic stumbling block
41–44	Illegal ingredients
45–48	Infested ingredients
49–52	Ingredients develop quasi-sentience
53–56	Intrusive spirit
57–60	Ley line convergence
61–64	Magical resonance
65–68	Planar peculiarity
69–72	Rare reference
73–76	Reagent shortage
77–80	Regal requisite
81–84	Sesquipedalian elucidation
85–88	Structural flaw
89–92	Sudden inspiration
93–100	Class-specific challenge

Aberrant Mutation

The item’s components have mutated, and so has your item, evolving in strange new ways.

TASKS

Alter Mutation Spellcraft DC 15 + item’s caster level

Analyze Mutation Knowledge (dungeoneering) DC 25

RESULTS

Critical Success Mutation proves helpful. 1 perk.

Success Mutation proves harmless. 1 quirk.

Failure Mutation proves harmful. 1 flaw.

Critical Failure Mutation spirals out of control. Item switches to a random item of the same type or slot, but of lesser value. If none exists, the item is instead destroyed; you lose 25% of the item’s market price and must start over.

Challenging Construction

One or more elements of your item’s design are particularly difficult to execute.

TASKS

Blueprint and Plan Knowledge (engineering) DC 25

Rely on Your Craftsmanship Craft (item’s type) DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Challenge exceeded. –1 day, –10% cost.

Success Challenge overcome. No adjustment.

Failure Construction proved costly. +2 days, +5% cost.

Critical Failure Construction botched. +15% cost, 1 flaw.

Contradictory Instructions

Two respected sources disagree vehemently on the next step in the process.

TASKS

Discern the Sounder Choice Knowledge (arcana) DC 15 + item’s caster level

Take a Middle Path Spellcraft DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Best of both worlds. –3 days, –5% cost.

Success Contradiction resolved. No adjustment.

Failure Misstep. +3 days, +5% cost.

Critical Failure Worst of both worlds. +7 days, +10% cost.

Cryptic Cross-Reference

You’re having trouble figuring out where to find the information you need across multiple volumes.

TASKS

Follow the Footnotes Linguistics DC 20

Make Something Up Use Magic Device DC 15 + the item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Perfect coordination. –3 days, –5% cost.

Success Excellent notes. –1 day.

Failure Lost in paperwork. +3 days.

Critical Failure Series of missteps. +3 days, 1 flaw.

Distracting Visitor

An unwanted interloper shows up while you’re trying to work, making it challenging to concentrate.

TASKS

Ignore the Distraction Concentration DC 15 + item’s caster level

Send the Visitor Away Diplomacy or Intimidate DC 20

RESULTS

Critical Success Unexpected helpfulness. –1 day, –5% cost.

Success Short chat. No adjustment.

Failure Distracted. +1 day, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Offended visitor interferes. +2 days, +5% cost, 1 flaw.

Emotion Requirement

In order to create the item, you need to harness a particular raw emotion.

TASKS

Elicit through Performance Perform (any) DC 20 + item’s caster level

Manipulate Others Bluff DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Power from emotional surge. –5% cost, 1 perk.

Success Harnessed emotions. No adjustment.

Failure Tepid emotions. +1 day, +5% cost, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Interference from opposing emotions. +3 days, +10% cost, 1 flaw.

Energy Overload

A sudden surge of energy builds up within your item, threatening to damage or destroy it.

TASKS

Channel into Your Body Fortitude DC 20 + item’s caster level

Divert to Another Item Craft (item’s type) DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Overload leveraged. –2 days, –10% cost, 1 perk.

Success Overload diverted. 1 quirk.

Failure Expensive damage. +7 days, +15% cost.

Critical Failure Eldritch explosion. Item destroyed. Creators take 1d6 points of damage per caster level of the item.

Enticing Offer

A shady figure approaches you with an offer that would make completing your item faster and cheaper.

TASKS

Discern True Worth Sense Motive DC 20

Incorporate Offer Spellcraft DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success It actually worked! –1 day, –5% cost, 1 quirk.

Success Avoid mischief. No adjustment.

Failure Not exactly as advertised. –1 day, –5% cost, 2 flaws.

Critical Failure Completely duped. +1 day, +5% cost, 2 flaws.

Fragile Components

Some of the most important components of your item are extremely fragile.

TASKS

Reinforce Design Craft (item’s type) DC 15 + item’s caster level

Use a Delicate Touch Sleight of Hand DC 15 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Flawless components. –10% cost.

Success Undamaged components. No adjustment.

Failure Damaged components. +1 day, +5% cost.

Critical Failure Item destroyed. Lose 25% of the item’s market price and start over.

Historic Stumbling Block

Your creation techniques have run across a challenging difficulty experienced by many past crafters.

TASKS

Learn from History Knowledge (history) DC 25

Solve It Yourself Spellcraft DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success An amazing workaround overcomes the issue. –3 days, –5% cost.

Success Stumble avoided. –1 day.

Failure Doomed to repeat the same mistake. +3 days, +10% cost.

Critical Failure Misapplied techniques result in disaster. +7 days, +10% cost, 1 flaw.

Illegal Ingredients

One or more of the necessary ingredients is flagrantly illegal, and needs to be acquired through criminal means.

TASKS

Entreat the Black Market Knowledge (local) DC 25

Smuggle It Yourself Sleight of Hand DC 30

RESULTS

Critical Success Sell surplus to a fence. –10% cost.

Success Found just enough. No adjustment.

Failure Failed procurement. +5 days, +5% cost, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Arrested and fined. +15% cost, creator attempting smuggling is arrested and sentenced to jail time or escapes custody and is on the run.

Infested Ingredients

Critical ingredients were infested by an exotic rot or colony of vermin, rendering them unusable.

TASKS

Procure Inexpensive Replacements Appraise DC 25

Purge the Infestation Heal DC 30

RESULTS

Critical Success Seller’s market. –5% cost.

Success Crisis averted. No adjustment.

Failure Gouged on prices. +10% cost.

Critical Failure Infestation spreads into item. +5% cost, 1 quirk, 1 flaw.

Ingredients Develop Quasi-Sentience

Somehow, one or more of your item’s components have developed a limited intelligence.

TASKS

Coax Ingredients to Greater Performance Handle Animal DC 30

Magically Force Ingredients into Order Spellcraft DC 15 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Item proceeds as normal but becomes an intelligent item of your alignment, and it likes you.

Success Ingredients work with you. 1 perk if you coaxed the ingredients; –5% cost if you coerced the ingredients.

Failure Ingredients rebel against you and escape or sabotage the item. +15% cost, 1 flaw.

Critical Failure Item proceeds as normal but becomes an intelligent item of a contrary alignment, and it hates you.

Intrusive Spirit

Your item’s creation draws the attention of a wandering spirit with some affinity for the item.

TASKS

Exorcise Spirit Knowledge (religion) DC 25

Seek Spirit’s Aid Diplomacy DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Spirit’s release. –3 days, –5% cost, 1 perk.

Success No adjustment for exorcising the spirit; –1 day, –5% cost, 1 quirk for seeking the spirit’s aid.

Failure Spirit’s interference. +3 days, +5% cost, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Spirit’s wrath. Item is cursed.

Ley Line Convergence

The item’s creation is dependent on the energy of intersecting ley lines or of another magical location.

TASKS

Adjust Accordingly Knowledge (arcana) DC 20 + item’s caster level

Find the Perfect Spot Knowledge (geography) DC 25

RESULTS

Critical Success Auspicious convergence. –2 days, 1 perk.

Success Satisfactory location. No adjustment.

Failure Misaligned location. +3 days, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Deleterious convergence. +10% cost, 1 flaw.

Magical Resonance

The magical auras of several components thrum with a strange resonance whenever they are near each other.

TASKS

Analyze the Cause Spellcraft DC 15 + item’s caster level

Follow the Rhythm Perform (any) DC 15 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Resonant power revealed. –1 day, 1 perk.

Success Resonance limited. 1 quirk.

Failure Resonance interferes. +1 day, +5% cost, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Out of control! +3 days, +10% cost, 1 flaw.

Planar Peculiarity

You realize that your item’s creation is influenced by planar convergences or other peculiarities.

TASKS

Consult a Planar Orrery Knowledge (planes) DC 25

Secure Outsider’s Assistance Diplomacy DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Perfectly aligned. –3 days, –5% cost, 1 perk.

Success Well aligned. –1 day.

Failure Poorly aligned. +1 day, 1 quirk, 1 flaw.

Critical Failure Catastrophically aligned. +3 days, +5% cost, 1 flaw.

Rare Reference

You uncovered a reference that a rare book located in a large library will help with the item’s creation.

TASKS

Check the Card Catalog Linguistics DC 20

Scan the Shelves Perception DC 30

RESULTS

Critical Success Expedient search. –3 days.

Success Found it! –1 day.

Failure Lengthy search. +3 days.

Critical Failure Huge delays and fees. +10 days, +5% cost.

Reagent Shortage

You suddenly realize that you don’t have enough stock of an important ingredient.

TASKS

Improvise a Substitution Craft (alchemy) DC 30

Search for More Survival DC 25

RESULTS

Critical Success Amazing combination. –5% cost, 1 perk.

Success Sufficient components. No adjustment.

Failure Missing component. +10% cost.

Critical Failure Terrible mix. +5% cost, 1 flaw.

Regal Requisite

Your item requires a king’s hair, a prince’s kiss, or some other participation from high-ranking nobility.

TASKS

Exploit Noble Ties Knowledge (nobility) DC 25

Falsify the Ingredients Use Magic Device DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Regal synergy. 1 perk.

Success No adjustment for noble ties; 1 quirk for falsified ingredients.

Failure Introduced impurities. 1 flaw.

Critical Failure Impurities and ostracism. +3 days, 1 flaw, creator attempting to exploit noble ties is ostracized at court.

Sesquipedalian Elucidation

The instructions for your next component are nearly impossible to understand due to abstruse language.

TASKS

Consult a Dictionary Linguistics DC 15 + item’s caster level

Make Up Your Own Big Words Use Magic Device DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Master of erudition. –3 days, –5% cost.

Success Instructions elucidated. –1 day.

Failure Nonplussed. +3 days, +5% cost.

Critical Failure Confounded. +7 days, +10% cost.

Structural Flaw

Partway through the creation process, you notice a flaw in the item’s physical design.

TASKS

Disassemble and Adjust Disable Device DC 30

Turn to Your Advantage Craft (item’s type) DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Surprising benefits. +1 day, –10% cost, 1 perk.

Success Meticulousness pays off. +1 day, –5% cost.

Failure Insurmountable flaw. +3 days, +5% cost, 1 flaw.

Critical Failure Item destroyed in disassembly. Lose 25% of the item’s market price and start over.

Sudden Inspiration

You are struck with a sudden stroke of brilliance and alter the creation process.

TASKS

Improve the Item Spellcraft DC 20 + item’s caster level

Improve the Methodology Knowledge (arcana) DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Incredible breakthrough. –2 days, –5% cost, 1 perk.

Success Breakthrough. 1 perk for improved item; –2 days for improved methodology.

Failure False lead. +1 day, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Terrible idea. +2 days, +5% cost, 1 flaw.

Class-Specific Challenges

To generate a class-specific challenge, determine which of the following challenges applies to at least one creator working on the item and pick one randomly from among those options. If none of these applies, choose a fitting challenge from the previous section (such as illegal ingredients for a rogue or rare reference for a wizard).

Challenge Appropriate Creators

Crisis of faith Divine spellcaster with a patron deity

Instability from within Spellcaster who draws power from within, such as an oracle or a sorcerer

Natural disaster Creator with a connection to nature, such as a druid or a ranger

Natural wonder Creator with a connection to nature, such as a druid or a ranger

Otherworldly aid Creator with a connection to outsiders, spirits, a patron, or a curse, such as an infernal sorcerer, an oracle, or a witch

Otherworldly interference Creator with a connection to outsiders, spirits, a patron, or a curse, such as an infernal sorcerer, an oracle, or a witch

Personal surge Spellcaster who draws power from within, such as an oracle or a sorcerer

Sign from the gods Divine spellcaster with a patron deity

Crisis of Faith

During the creation process, you experience ill omens from your patron deity that make you question your very faith.

TASKS

Persevere Will DC 20 + item’s caster level

Search for Answers Knowledge (religion) DC 15 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Perseverance pays off. 1 perk.

Success Crisis overcome. No adjustment.

Failure Shaken faith. +1 day, +5% cost, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Patron’s ire. +3 days, +10% cost, 1 flaw.

Instability From Within

Something within you emerges at an inopportune time and threatens the item’s creation.

TASKS

Account for the Instability Knowledge (arcana) DC 15 + item’s caster level

Roll with It Use Magic Device DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Instability exploited. –5% cost, 1 quirk.

Success Instability avoided. No adjustment.

Failure Erratic item. +5% cost, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Unstable item. +5% cost, 1 quirk, 1 flaw.

Natural Disaster

During a stage of the item’s creation in a natural setting, there’s an unexpected natural disaster.

TASKS

Harness the Power Use Magic Device DC 20 + item’s caster level

Take the Proper Precautions Survival DC 15 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Shaped by the disaster’s power. –10% cost, 1 quirk, 1 perk.

Success Danger avoided. 1 quirk for harnessing the power; no adjustment for precautions.

Failure Damaging disaster. +7 days, +10% cost.

Critical Failure Disastrous consequences. Item destroyed. Lose 25% of the item’s market price and start over. Creators take 1d6 points of damage per item’s caster level of an energy type appropriate to the disaster.

Natural Wonder

During a stage of the item’s creation in a natural setting, a rare wonder of nature reveals itself.

TASKS

Reflect on the Wonder’s Beauty Craft (item’s type) DC 20 + item’s caster level

Show Respect for Nature Knowledge (nature) DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Wondrous boon. –10% cost, 1 perk.

Success Inspiring wonder. –5% cost, 1 quirk.

Failure Ephemeral wonder. +1 day, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Distracting wonder. +7 days, +5% cost, 1 quirk.

Otherworldly Aid

Otherworldly beings are tampering with your item’s creation in an attempt to assist you.

TASKS

Alter Construction Accordingly Craft (item’s type) DC 20 + item’s caster level

Respectfully Redirect Their Efforts Diplomacy DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Incredible Aid. –6 days, –10% cost, 1 quirk.

Success Effective Aid. –3 days, –5% cost, 1 quirk.

Failure Ineffective Aid. 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Disaster. +3 days, +10% cost, 1 quirk, 1 flaw.

Otherworldly Interference

Otherworldly beings are meddling with your item’s creation, whether from near or afar.

TASKS

Convince Them to Stop Diplomacy DC 20 + item’s caster level

Use Protective Measures Knowledge (religion or planes) DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Otherworldly repairs. –3 days, –10% cost, 1 quirk.

Success Inconsequential interference. No adjustment.

Failure Unrelenting interference. +5% cost, 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Severe interference. +3 days, +5% cost, 1 quirk, 1 flaw.

Personal Surge

A surge of beneficial power springs up from unknown depths within you.

TASKS

Embrace the Power Use Magic Device DC 20 + item’s caster level

Focus the Surge Spellcraft DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Incredible surge. –3 days, –5% cost, 1 perk.

Success Surging boost. –1 day, –5% cost.

Failure Squandered surge. 1 quirk.

Critical Failure Overload. +5% cost, 1 quirk, 1 flaw.

Sign From The Gods

During the creation process, you receive signs that indicate your patron’s favor.

TASKS

Donate to the Faith Donate 5% of the item’s market price or more to the patron’s interests

Offer Prayers of Thanks Knowledge (religion) DC 20 + item’s caster level

RESULTS

Critical Success Divine intervention. Halve the remaining number of days, 1 perk.

Success Favor’s blessing. 1 perk.

Failure Ingratitude’s comeuppance. 1 flaw.

Critical Failure —

Perks

Perks are beneficial adjustments to an item, often gained from critical success at a challenge. The strongest perks tend to have the highest numbers on the table below. Reroll duplicates and perks that don’t fit the item. Feel free to invent your own perks or apply an appropriate perk without rolling.

Table: Random Perks

d%	Perk
01–04	Lightweight
05–08	Durable
09–12	Impervious
13–16	Energy-kissed
17–20	Sacred1
21–24	Faithful1
25–28	Shielding
29–32	Tentacled touch2
33–36	Inscribed
37–40	Eager
41–44	Enemy glow
45–48	Hated Foe3
49–52	Skillful
53–56	Exemplar4
57–60	Unassuming
61–64	Lucky
65–68	Draconic
69–72	Mindlinked5
73–76	Messenger
77–79	Healthful
80–82	Energetic3
83–85	Lunar
86–88	Solar
89–91	Potent
92–94	Spying
95–97	Resizing
98–100	Egoistic3

¹ Creator must have levels in a divine spellcasting class and have a patron deity.
² Item must be one that delivers effects upon touch, such as a staff or a wand.
³ Item must be a weapon.
⁴ Item must be a weapon, armor, or an activated item.
⁵ Item must be activated by a command word.

Draconic: Determine a random type of chromatic or metallic dragon. The item has a sheen in the color of that dragon’s scales, and grants its bearer 3 points of energy resistance against the damage type that dragon’s breath weapon deals.

Durable: The item has twice as many hit points as it normally would.

Eager: The item always wants to be worn or held by its owner. The owner can draw an eager weapon or handheld item as a swift action, don eager armor in half the time, and don any other eager item as a swift action, though it takes twice as long as normal to remove eager armor and 1 full round to remove or stow any other eager item. The DC to disarm or steal an eager item increases by 5.

Egoistic: All of the bearer’s feats and class features that affect a specific weapon or weapon group change to affect the egoistic weapon’s type or group as long as she possesses the weapon. If the bearer can specify more than one type or group, she can choose which weapon or group she retains and which switch to the egoistic weapon’s type or group.

Enemy Glow: The item glows when a specific type of creature is nearby. Either choose an appropriate type or roll one randomly on the ranger’s favored enemy list.

Energetic: The item deals 1 additional point of damage of an energy type randomly determined upon creation. This damage isn’t multiplied on a critical hit.

Energy-Kissed: The item is immune to a random type of energy, but doesn’t grant this immunity to its bearer.

Exemplar: The item is a perfect example of its kind, granting advantages against similar items. Exemplar weapons grant a +1 AC bonus against other weapons of that type (such as longswords), armors grant a +1 bonus on attack rolls against enemies wearing that type of armor (such as breastplates), and activated items grant a +1 bonus on saving throws against other items of that exact function (so a staff of fire would grant its benefit against other staves of fire, but not against any other staves).

Faithful: The item’s caster level is treated as 1 higher when its effects benefit the faithful of its creator’s patron deity or when used against worshipers of one faith hated by that deity (selected by the creator if the patron hates multiple faiths). The item also gains a +1 bonus on damage rolls against hated worshipers. If more than one creator qualifies, the creators must choose one of their patrons.

Hated Foe: The weapon deals 1 additional point of damage when it hits a specific type of creature. Either choose an appropriate type or roll one randomly on the ranger’s favored enemy list.

Healthful: The bearer of this item regains 1 additional hit point from any magical effect that causes her to regain hit points.

Impervious: The item’s hardness is 5 higher than usual.

Inscribed: The item’s bearer can spend a full-round action to inscribe a hidden message up to 25 words long on the item’s surface. This message remains invisible until either the next time a creature holds the item or a specific passphrase is spoken. Inscribing a new message erases the previous one.

Lightweight: The item weighs half as much as normal.

Lucky: Each day, there’s a 50% chance the item grants its bearer a +1 luck bonus on a random type of saving throw for that day.

Lunar: While exposed to moonlight, this item causes any enemy adjacent to the bearer to take a –1 penalty on saving throws against sleep and similar effects.

Messenger: Once per week, the item can transform into an animal and deliver a message as the animal messenger spell.

Mindlinked: The item is linked to the owner, who can command it mentally. The action cost is the same, but it doesn’t make noise and the activation is purely mental.

Potent: The item’s caster level is 1 higher than intended.

Resizing: This item automatically resizes itself to match the size of its bearer. The size change takes 1 minute.

Sacred: The item glows with the image of its creator’s holy or unholy symbol, counting as a holy or unholy symbol for all purposes. If more than one creator qualifies, the creators choose one of their patrons’ holy or unholy symbols.

Shielding: This item negates the first magic missile directed at it or its bearer each day. If a caster directs multiple missiles at the bearer simultaneously, reduce the number of missiles that strike the bearer by one.

Skillful: The item grants a +1 competence bonus on checks with a random skill.

Solar: While exposed to sunlight, this item causes an enemy adjacent to the bearer to become dazzled for as long as the two remain adjacent.

Spying: The item transmits sensory information to its owner, as if it were the sensor for a clairaudience/clairvoyance spell. The owner must concentrate on receiving this information instead of her own visual or auditory information as a standard action to gain this benefit, and the effect becomes inert while she isn’t concentrating. Determine randomly upon the item’s creation whether the item relays visual or auditory information.

Tentacled Touch: As the aberrant quirk, but the tentacles can extend, allowing the item to deliver any touch effects with an additional 5 feet of reach. This does not increase the weapon reach of a magic weapon.

Unassuming: The item registers as though it were non-magical, as though affected by a magic aura spell.

Quirks

Quirks are oddities that make an item unusual in a way that’s generally neither positive nor negative, or may be a little of both. The more beneficial or double-edged quirks are higher on the following table. Feel free to invent your own quirks or apply an appropriate quirk without rolling.

Table: Random Quirks

d%	Quirk
01	Flaw
02–04	Infested
05–08	Unusually colored
09–12	Color-altering
13–16	Mood coloration
17–20	Aberrant
21–24	Decorous*
25–28	Dirty
29–32	Junky
33–36	Magnificent appearance
37–40	Verdant
41–44	Noisy
45–48	Bloodthirsty
49–52	Levitating
53–56	Molting
57–60	Soprano
61–64	Bass
65–68	Giant-eared
69–72	Nose-enlarging
73–76	Spiritbound
77–80	Racially attuned
81–84	Loyal
85–87	Wet
88–90	Slimy
91–93	Unpredictable*
94–96	Convergent
97–99	Glittering
100	Perk

* Must be an activated item.

Aberrant: The item has eyes, maws, and tentacles, though this has no additional effect.

Bass: The bearer’s voice deepens an octave.

Bloodthirsty: The item shakes slightly whenever blood is spilled within 20 feet of it.

Color-Altering: The color of the bearer’s eyes, hair, or skin changes when she carries or wears the item.

Convergent: The item is connected to another plane, bringing its bearer into telepathic contact with an otherworldly entity. The entity can communicate with the bearer to serve its own ends. Choose an appropriate entity or choose randomly from among outsider subtypes. The entity shouldn’t be a being that can cause harm to the bearer through telepathic contact, such as a star-spawn of Cthulhu.

Decorous: The item activates only if the user says “please” and ceases function for 1 hour if the user doesn’t thank it afterward.

Dirty: The item is always covered in dirt or mud, no matter how often it is washed or cleaned.

Flaw: Roll on the table of flaws instead.

Giant-Eared: The item’s bearer’s ears increase to five times their original length.

Glittering: The item leaves a trail of glowing, magical motes as it moves. They dissipate after 1 round. This effect can be activated or deactivated with a command word.

Infested: The item is infested with vermin or other Fine creatures that do not interfere with its operation or harm the bearer.

Junky: The item looks extremely old, worn, rusted, or otherwise of low quality, hiding its true power.

Levitating: This item always floats slightly above the ground when laid down, dropped, or otherwise unattended.

Loyal: The item offers a perk (determined randomly upon creation) when used by one of its creators, but it presents a flaw (determined randomly upon creation) for all other users.

Magnificent: The item looks extremely powerful and valuable, even if it isn’t.

Molting: Scaled skin covers this item, and the item occasionally sheds the skin and grows a new one.

Mood Coloration: The item changes colors to reflect the mood of the bearer. Each item has its own mapping of colors to emotions, but someone with knowledge of the item’s quirk and its mapping who can see the color change gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Sense Motive checks against the bearer.

Noisy: The item makes an odd though not particularly loud noise when in use, such as a mace that squeaks when it’s swung.

Nose-Enlarging: The bearer’s nose becomes five times longer than usual.

Perk: Roll on the table of perks instead.

Racially Attuned: The item’s bearer counts as the race of one of the item’s creators (determined randomly upon creation) as well as her own.

Slimy: The item is covered in putrid slime, which seeps out to cover the bearer as well. The bearer gains a +5 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist checks, on combat maneuver checks to break grapples, and to CMD against grapples (these bonuses do not stack with grease or other similar effects), but takes a –2 penalty on Acrobatics, Disable Device, and Disguise checks, as well as on Diplomacy and Handle Animal checks except against creatures that aren’t bothered by putrid slime.

Soprano: The bearer’s voice rises by an octave.

Spiritbound: The item’s reality is imprinted onto its intended owner (creator’s choice), such that the item simply doesn’t exist outside of that owner’s possession.

The item can’t be lost or stolen, and it also can’t be sold or transferred.

Unpredictable: When activating the item, roll 1d6. On a 1 or 2, the DC and caster level of all the item’s effects are treated as 1 lower for this activation; on a 3 or 4, there is no adjustment; and on a 5 or 6, the DC and caster level of all the item’s effects are treated as 1 higher for this activation. If this puts the item below the minimum caster level for the intended effect, the activation fails but any charge or daily use is still consumed.

Unusually Colored: The item is an odd color for an item of its type, such as a sword that is bright pink.

Verdant: Leaves, moss, and vines cover the item, and leaves sprout from the targets of the item’s effects.

Wet: The item and bearer are constantly soaking wet. This imposes a –1 penalty on saves against environmental cold, cold effects, and electricity effects, but grants a +1 bonus on saves against environmental heat, fire effects, and catching on fire.

Flaws

Flaws are adjustments to an item that are detrimental in nature. Most are similar to curses, but not nearly as damaging or restrictive to the bearer. Whenever a challenge would add a flaw to an item, roll on the following table. In general, the more harmful flaws have higher numbers on the table. Reroll duplicates and flaws that do not fit the item. Feel free to invent your own flaws or simply choose an appropriate one.

Accumulating Flaws: The more flaws the item has, the more likely it is to become cursed. For each flaw beyond the first, add a cumulative +5 modifier to the d% roll until the item gains a curse (after which the +5 modifiers no longer apply). When you decide to create a new flaw or choose an appropriate one rather than rolling, you should still roll first to determine whether the item gains a curse instead.

Table: Random Flaws

d%	Flaw
01–04	Heavy
05–08	Fragile
09–12	Vulnerable
13–16	Energy weakened
17–20	Pungent
21–24	Faerie-lit
25–28	Singing
29–32	Vindictive1
33–36	Anomalous
37–40	Extremely infested
41–44	Addictive
45–48	Gluttonous
49–52	Slothful
53–56	Hallucinogenic
57–60	Obedient
61–64	Uncivilized
65–68	Allergic
69–72	Zealous2
73–76	Impotent
77–80	Pacifistic1
81–84	Backlashing
85–87	Wrathful
88–90	Proud
91–93	Slippery3
94–96	Enticing
97–99	Paranoid
100+	Cursed

¹ Item must be a weapon.
² Creator must have levels in a divine spellcasting class and have a patron deity.
³ Item must be a held item.

Addictive: The owner does not want to give up the item under any circumstances, and suffers the effects of severe addiction when denied access to the item.

Allergic: The item is especially sensitive to the presence of a particular type of creature, and ceases all magical functions whenever it is within 30 feet of such a creature. To determine the creature type, roll randomly or choose an appropriate type on the ranger’s favored enemy list.

Anomalous: The item is instead another random magic item of the same type or slot and the same or similar cost as the intended item.

Backlashing: When attacking with or activating the item, the user takes 1d6 points of damage from magical energy backlash.

Cursed: The item gains a curse. Roll to determine the curse, or choose an appropriate curse.

Energy Weakened: The item is particularly vulnerable to one random energy type. That energy type ignores the item’s hardness and deals double damage to the item (but not to the item’s bearer). Determine the energy type randomly, or choose one thematically tied to the challenge that caused the item to have the weakness.

Enticing: Others covet the item and seek to possess it. Upon touching or examining the item, any creature that does not possess the item must succeed at a DC 20 Will save or covet the item, seeking to gain it by whatever means is most expedient and advantageous, though it need not do so immediately. After one attempt to gain the item (or a successful save), a creature is immune to the item’s enticing effect for 24 hours.

Extremely Infested: As the infested quirk, but the vermin or other creatures crawl over the bearer, requiring her to succeed at concentration checks (DC = 15 + the spell’s level) to cast spells or use other abilities that require concentration.

Faerie-Lit: The bearer is constantly surrounded by colorful light, as if affected by a faerie fire spell.

Fragile: The item has half as many hit points as normal.

Gluttonous: The bearer must gorge upon 10 times as much food as normal or suffer the effects of starvation, ignoring effects that reduce the amount of food required (such as ring of sustenance).

Hallucinogenic: The bearer sees and hears mild hallucinations. While readily discernible as such, these hallucinations still impose a –2 penalty on Perception and initiative checks.

Heavy: The item weighs twice as much as normal.

Impotent: The item’s caster level is 1 lower than intended. If this would cause a wand or staff to fall below the minimum required caster level, reroll this flaw.

Obedient: The bearer takes a –2 penalty on all Will saves against effects that exercise mental control. This includes all mind-affecting charm or compulsion effects, as well as any effect the GM deems appropriate.

Pacifistic: When using this weapon, the wielder can only choose to deal nonlethal damage (in most cases imposing a –4 penalty on attack rolls), except against constructs and undead.

Paranoid: The bearer no longer trusts anyone and must attempt saving throws against all abilities and spells but her own, even those that are harmless.

Proud: The bearer can’t grant or gain any benefit from the aid another action.

Pungent: The item emits a foul and obvious odor. No mundane means can remove the stench, which overcomes even magical effects such as negate aroma.

Singing: The item constantly sings in a loud belting soprano or tenor. Silence and other such spells can suppress the sound as normal.

Slippery: The creature holding the item must succeed at a DC 15 Reflex save each round or drop the item.

Slothful: The bearer must rest for 12 hours each day to gain the benefits of a full night’s rest, ignoring effects that reduce the amount of sleep needed (such as ring of sustenance). This can affect the bearer’s ability to prepare spells or regain spell slots.

Uncivilized: The item doesn’t function in any area that would count as urban terrain.

Vindictive: When using this weapon, the wielder can only choose to deal lethal damage, not nonlethal damage. If the item can normally deal only nonlethal damage, this flaw overrides that restriction.

Vulnerable: The item has a hardness that is 5 lower than usual (to a minimum of 0).

Wrathful: In combat, the bearer’s mind is clouded by rage, and she must succeed at a DC 20 Will save to use any ability that can’t be used during a barbarian rage. This doesn’t allow a barbarian to use those abilities when she is in a rage.

Zealous: The item functions only for worshipers of the creator’s patron deity. If more than one creator qualifies, roll randomly between their patron deities.