[3.P] Prices for 3 items based on 3 spells from Complete Arcane

[ImperatorK]

I'd like to hear your opinions on what prices should the following custom magic items have:
- CL 19 1/day item of Giant Size (spell from Complete Arcane)
- CL 19 1/day item of Minute Form (spell from Complete Arcane)
- CL 20 1/day item of Body Outside Body (spell from Complete Arcane)

[ketaro]

Giant Size 1/day: 53,500 gp

Minute Form 1/day: 60,800 gp

Body Outside Body 1/day: 56,000 gp

But you already knew that. I imagine you are asking for opinions because those spells have a straight 1 Minute duration instead of a duration measured by 'per level' like most spells; except Body Outside Body with an odd duration of 1 per 2 levels.

But unless you personally want to change the rule, the Creating Magic Items chart is pretty explicit on what price modifiers based on spell duration it allows.

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.

On that, however, this strictly applies to Continuous items. If your item has charges per day, it's part of the "Use-activated" side of the "Use-activated or Continuous" line on the Creating Magic Items chart and thus the little footnote does not apply at all.

Edit: Still putting my thoughts together kind of edit.

It'd be more appropriate to calculate the items based on the "Command Word" line of the chart instead though, thus reducing the above listed prices by...I unno, roughly 10k. Based on looking at the actual items used as examples for the two different Spell Effect items and how only the "Command Word" item example has Charges Per Day. Doing so also removes any question as to how to calculate the price as their is no footnote full of variable price modifiers attached to the "Command Word" price formula.

[ImperatorK]

I indeed know the guidelines, but they aren't always accurate. The resulting prices aren't always appropriate for the kind of power or versatility the item will give. That is why I'm asking for opinions.

[ketaro]

I don't see the problem when they're not being spammed or made continuous/permanent. One encounter a day, each, be super strong, impossible to find, or be throwing a bunch of clones at the problem that can't do anything remotely related to casting spells directly or indirectly.

If a player is crafting these himself and has CL 19+, then none of these are that big of a power spike in a game at or over level 20. If these prices can be afforded already, increasing them is merely a trifling matter that won't actually change the fact that the player now has any or all of these desired items nor will making them pay more make the items less or more powerful.

I've never felt a need to fiddle with prices like that. If an item can be afforded, it's going to be acquired regardless. *shrugs*

[ImperatorK]

Well, I don't need nor want the prices to be exactly perfect down to every copper piece, but if the guidelines say ~54k, but realistically the item should only cost ~50k, that might be the difference between affordable or not. And while I don't strictly adhere to the WBL guidelines, I do tend to keep them in mind for the sake of knowing how powerful, more-or-less, a character is.