First of Great work you all are doing! When I first started this game and I came across some loot of valuable gems, rings and necklaces I thought " I need to save these for item creation." When I got the Feat Craft Wonderous Item I was disapointed that the necklace wasn't used in the creation of the Magic item. Also that I could create a magic item with just the xp and value expenditure inside the tower of the moat house. Ive been a Dm for the last 24 years with all the editions of D&D when they came out. While just using the gold expenditure makes it easy for the player it does even come close to Rp. Is there a way to make some of the requirements for item creation where you need a suitable necklase of value for part of the creation process? Or if nothing else to make it so you must be inside of a town/city to create them (This could emulate the access to a lab of some sort and the cost of creation in parts being purchase in the town) As a DM Ive always enforced that you need to gather the components as part of the cost. This way you as a Dm have some control over what the party gets. Seriously creating a circlet of Intellect +6 before or at level 10 is preposterous and can have some very unbalancing effects or gauntlets of Strength +6. But at least if they are in a town during the creation and time passes acording to the rules for item creation then there is less of a problem. Yet another Question: Is it within the realms of possibility for Recipes to be found for differnt wonderous items? While Dming a Mage Ive had the player serveral times ask for the Dmg. When I ask why they say to see what items they can create. Once again how does it happen that when the character raises a level they suddenly gain Instant knowledge on what they can and cannot create. They dont or shouldnt, a creative Dm will allow them to stumble across a lab that with have experimental notes on trial creations of a few magical items. Therein The recipes Idea. There are several powerful mages in the game, each could have notes added that will unlock/open up area's in the Craft wonderous item section. You might even find a recipe to create a Circlet of Intellect +6 off of the Balor Gaurdian. It would be more of a suitable reward. I seriously dont have a clue as to how hard or complex this would be to do, or if its even possible to work out. If it is, even though I have no coding skills if you need dialog's or what not for quests or others let me know, my times limited but Im still happy to help.
and how does it happen that a character all of a sudden has much more blood and gains a lot of experience in areas he hasn't even heard of before, all at once, while wandering around for ages without the slightest improvement to his abilities? you cannot apply logic to most rpg systems... especially the lvl based ones... and most attempts at doing so will either unbalance the game, or just be very funny (like the typical mmorpg roleplayer saying "i'm (numberoflevels) years old").
Here's another few solutions I use... 1) roll intelligence or wisdom checks to see if the character would have a chance of deducing the basic theory behind the item/spell creation 2) very similar to bardic lore, as you go around and adventure, you're bound to learn things that arent directly reflected in your character's stats or abilities. after all, a wizard pours over tome after tome, she may have made notes about item creation back when she was studying at Pigmole's Academy or whatever. for clerics... i dunno... divine guidance? 3) say "you want to see the DMG? fine. take a look then." and then proceed to wail upon the player with the guide until an all out melee is upon the group, and dont stop until either a) you step on a sharp, spikey minature with your bare feet or b) someone breaks something valuable. ... number three might be a good example for why i play CRPGs now
Most of my campaigns I start people out a 0 level, using greyhawk rules, which due to 3.5 have been modified, still when characters gain a level without using a skill(s) then they in turn lose the ability to use it though non-usage. When a character levels up the Rushing of more blood tries to simulate the persons experaince and knowledge of how they can better dodge in coming blows to take less damage from them, to parry or dodge or cast spells while being attacked. I dont paticulary agree to the system that people instantly gain new skills and spells, but then I employ the, Plan in advance, let the Dm know what your learning at night around the camp fire. Or what skills your attempting to learn in combat ( Certain modifiers may apply). Training is allowed though if not from the party then costs will be applied (Character in party may choose to charge the person anyhow) Also time spent is time away from adventuring. If the party doesnt want to wait two months on the person then the next adventure or several will leave that person behind while he/she/it gets training. Garner for priests I could see Divine guidance to a certain level, maybe more so if that character has special favor with the diety. Finding notes in spell books and such does go along the similar bounderies Ive listed for finding recipes. Though I guess a Int and wis check could work to a certain degree. Hmm ok comprimise Craft Wonderous Item/Potion/Scroll/Arms/Armor Give each item a DC then Character L + Int Mod or Wis mod + d20= Success or Failure Unfortunatly using this does not work well with 3.5 Rules but this does Creating a Item requires one day per 1,000 gp in the items base price, with a minimum of at least one day. Potions are an exception to this rule. They always take just one day to brew. The caster is assumed to work eight hours each day. He cannot rush the process by working longer. ( Thats eight hours per a twenty four hour period) So if the Item costs Sixteen thousand gp to create the mage will be working on that item for sixteen days. Dmg also says that they just need a quite comfortable place to work, a place to prepare or memorize spells will work. Creating armor on the other hand is a bit differnt. The character needs a heat source and some Iron,wood, or leather working tools as well as supplies and materials so for all practical purposes They would definatly need to be in a town to create it. If nothing else if with the cost of creation it actually implements the time spent to create the item as wel. If just this can be added then I will be more then happy to be placified by it.
I think this is a great idea (if it's possible of course). As soon as I picked up the craft wondrous items feat I found the game to be much more unbalanced in my favour. While this wouldn't be a huge difference, I think the feat would be quite a bit more fun to use than when you can make virtually any item as long as you have the req. spell (xp & gold were never an issue for me).
I take it the wizard in your campaign isn't part of a guild? A guild normally has access to all sorts of item creation recipes and components. By 5th level, any wizard should have had the opportunity to join a guild to assist in their further studies. It seems like you impose a lot of restrictions to the players because you are afraid of the abilities that they are rightfully getting. The cost of a wondrous item already includes the price of the material components. This is fact and the rest of this paragraph is my opinion as to why. In the cast of a headband of intellect, you are not simply casting spells on an already created mundane headband. You are using magic during the creation of a new headband to make it a magic item. That's why there are no rules that state you can make a headband of intellect +2 for only 1,500 gold if the existing jewel-encrusted headband you're using is already worth 500 gold. In any case, it appears you have a number of house rules that change the basic structure of the game as it is written. I'm guessing you also have a low-magic setting. These kinds of house rules shouldn't be expected to be seen in a CRPG that uses standard by-the-book rules for its implementation.
Kershek: You might want to post this on the official forum. The Co8 is just modding what is already in place and we can't alter the hard coded rules. The way crafting works is hardcoded the co8 can probably add items to it but the core element of how it is done is by troika.
