I just developed this quarterstaff for an adventure I'm writing. One of my regulars is a particularly avaricious treasure whore. I'm guessing they're going to want to sell it if they get their paws on it. I would appreciate FMV inputs for this weapon, mostly so that I can lather up my money-grubbing player with an in-game appraisal and then deny them a willing buyer.
This item is overly complicated. You have multiple saves. And technically it gives a minimum of
Here is how I would change it: (keeping it +1 to hit, damage and AC)
Attunement: Attuned by someone that has at least one ki point.
Ki point for defense is also way complicated. Simply it: While attuned, you can use Patient Defense as a free action rather than a bonus action.
If they miss because of the Disadvantage caused by Patient Defense, [i.e. they hit on first attack, but missed on second.] they roll a DC 13 Dex Stumble check as per ...
If they hit even with Disadvantage, you can take an attack against them as an reaction.
Simpler, easier to understand, only one save.
As is, your item is a Very Rare item at the least - it lets any monk cut damage in half at a MINIMUM, at the cost of a mere 1 Ki point.
I think the item I wrote up is closer to a rare item. But I could be wrong.
I don't think it has a significantly higher value that a +1 Quarterstaff, because it's only useful to Monks. The number of monks in the world with a lot of gold to spare? Probably very few I would think, kinda goes against monkishness.
Mog_Dracov's suggestions are all necessary adjustments. This item is just way too complicated, and difficult to understand. Keep it simple. I think there's a flaw in the item design, in that enemies just start making saving throws when they attack or bad stuff happens to them. This means it's a passive item; the player doesn't need to do anything with it in order to be getting the positive effects, they just happen around it. So I would change it to be simpler (I'd never go for things like "remove bonuses to attacks" this is needlessly complicated) and I'd also make it active, e.g. you can force a saving throw once per turn on a successful melee hit. Try to avoid having to roll endless saving throws every turn, it will get old fast.
I must ask - why are you putting in a monk-specific magical weapon if one of the other characters is likely to try to sell it?
The only way to assess the market value is for you to consider how many monks there are out there with gold to burn, and how many magic items there are around in general.
I allow my players to buy +1 weapons for 1000gp. So that would be the cost of a basic +1 Quarterstaff for me. Then you have some other abilities that only work if you're a monk, but (as written) the staff is pretty powerful so maybe... 2000gp? I just don't see monks with high levels of gold as being common, and specialist items by their nature have reduced value compared to say a Quarterstaff +2 that anyone could use.
It's worth considering whether the shops in your world work like in games (sell whatever to anyone) or if they work like the real world (if you try to sell a load of carrots to a jeweller, you will probably not succeed!).
So yes, they want to sell the item. Perhaps they will be refused in various places which do not recognise the magic ("That's just a stick!"). Perhaps they are marked as con artists and investigated. Maybe they end up directed t oa criminal underworld which trades exotic weapons. Maybe they are strong-armed or bribed by the same organisation to obtain an item for them. That sort of thing.
As for the price, how much do you want to give them? What can they buy with it? How common are magic items? no point selling magic items for loads if they grow on the magic quarterstaff tree, and vice versa if they are extremely rare!
As for the price, how much do you want to give them?
This above all, or you just compound your problems down the line. People try to invent entire economies to price things and then become bound by those rules.
If I was dropping a magic item that no one in the party could use, it would basically be equivalent to an art object. You don't need to invent art styles and art critics and calculate who would like this particular piece of art. You just assign it the value you intend to hand out and move on. Obviously try to be consistent with the world, but 99% of tables will not notice or appreciate the difference between ballparking and meticulous calculation based on a simulated economy.
Good point about monks with money. I dissociated attunement (intermediate version) and effects (shared version) from ki to broaden usability. I'm going for an Aikido vibe, so I wanted to preserve the idea of redirecting the energy of an enemy's attack. I retooled the effects for failed and successful enemy hits.
I don't want to overthink price, just looking for a baseline. 1kgp seems like a good place to start, then let the players and dice figure out the reset.
Thanks for the input.
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Hi all,
I just developed this quarterstaff for an adventure I'm writing. One of my regulars is a particularly avaricious treasure whore. I'm guessing they're going to want to sell it if they get their paws on it. I would appreciate FMV inputs for this weapon, mostly so that I can lather up my money-grubbing player with an in-game appraisal and then deny them a willing buyer.
Cheers!
This item is overly complicated. You have multiple saves. And technically it gives a minimum of
Here is how I would change it: (keeping it +1 to hit, damage and AC)
Attunement: Attuned by someone that has at least one ki point.
Simpler, easier to understand, only one save.
As is, your item is a Very Rare item at the least - it lets any monk cut damage in half at a MINIMUM, at the cost of a mere 1 Ki point.
I think the item I wrote up is closer to a rare item. But I could be wrong.
I like your simplification. thanks for the feedback.
I don't think it has a significantly higher value that a +1 Quarterstaff, because it's only useful to Monks. The number of monks in the world with a lot of gold to spare? Probably very few I would think, kinda goes against monkishness.
Mog_Dracov's suggestions are all necessary adjustments. This item is just way too complicated, and difficult to understand. Keep it simple. I think there's a flaw in the item design, in that enemies just start making saving throws when they attack or bad stuff happens to them. This means it's a passive item; the player doesn't need to do anything with it in order to be getting the positive effects, they just happen around it. So I would change it to be simpler (I'd never go for things like "remove bonuses to attacks" this is needlessly complicated) and I'd also make it active, e.g. you can force a saving throw once per turn on a successful melee hit. Try to avoid having to roll endless saving throws every turn, it will get old fast.
I must ask - why are you putting in a monk-specific magical weapon if one of the other characters is likely to try to sell it?
The only way to assess the market value is for you to consider how many monks there are out there with gold to burn, and how many magic items there are around in general.
I allow my players to buy +1 weapons for 1000gp. So that would be the cost of a basic +1 Quarterstaff for me. Then you have some other abilities that only work if you're a monk, but (as written) the staff is pretty powerful so maybe... 2000gp? I just don't see monks with high levels of gold as being common, and specialist items by their nature have reduced value compared to say a Quarterstaff +2 that anyone could use.
It's worth considering whether the shops in your world work like in games (sell whatever to anyone) or if they work like the real world (if you try to sell a load of carrots to a jeweller, you will probably not succeed!).
So yes, they want to sell the item. Perhaps they will be refused in various places which do not recognise the magic ("That's just a stick!"). Perhaps they are marked as con artists and investigated. Maybe they end up directed t oa criminal underworld which trades exotic weapons. Maybe they are strong-armed or bribed by the same organisation to obtain an item for them. That sort of thing.
As for the price, how much do you want to give them? What can they buy with it? How common are magic items? no point selling magic items for loads if they grow on the magic quarterstaff tree, and vice versa if they are extremely rare!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
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This above all, or you just compound your problems down the line. People try to invent entire economies to price things and then become bound by those rules.
If I was dropping a magic item that no one in the party could use, it would basically be equivalent to an art object. You don't need to invent art styles and art critics and calculate who would like this particular piece of art. You just assign it the value you intend to hand out and move on. Obviously try to be consistent with the world, but 99% of tables will not notice or appreciate the difference between ballparking and meticulous calculation based on a simulated economy.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Good point about monks with money. I dissociated attunement (intermediate version) and effects (shared version) from ki to broaden usability. I'm going for an Aikido vibe, so I wanted to preserve the idea of redirecting the energy of an enemy's attack. I retooled the effects for failed and successful enemy hits.
I don't want to overthink price, just looking for a baseline. 1kgp seems like a good place to start, then let the players and dice figure out the reset.
Thanks for the input.