Re: Magic Item creation: Notes D thru H. What? What???

[Jeffrey Vandine <jlv61560@yahoo.com>]

Well, again, my assumptions here may be off -- but I thought the idea was that as the magical utility of the item increased, the overall value of the item did as well.  In other words, if you're just casting a simple spell on the item, it's not a big deal, but if you're going all out on a 40-seek spell, you tend to jack up the price accordingly.

I also assumed by "value of the underlaying item," they meant the value of that item at the moment of casting - so if you had an item that already HAD enchantments on it, it would be worth correspondingly more.  But, again, these were my assumptions first reading the notes; and if it's that confusing to others, it's entirely possible I was making entirely unwarranted assumptions...

v/r

Jeff

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From: Rick Smith <rick_ww@lightspeed.ca>
To: tft@brainiac.com
Sent: Thursday, November 3, 2016 2:33 PM
Subject: Re: Magic Item creation: Notes D thru H. What? What???

Hi Jeff,

  Thinking about your idea... if an item takes a long time to enchant,

we charge a premium.  So this extra price just is added to the wizard's

profit?  When discussing the wizard's profit, there is no mention that 

these items give a bonus.

  Well, if ALL wizards did so, then everyone would have to pay them 

after all.  But, a +2 Charm is an F type item (so there is a 30% surcharge

on the item).  But this increases based on the value of the UNDERLAYING 

item!

  So a +2 Charm if cast on a ring (worth negligible), the charm costs 

$100,000.  However, if the same +2 charm is cast on some fine armor 

made out of Mithril, forged in the depths of time by the Dwarven gods,

then (since the non-magical armor is worth $1,000,000), casting the 

charm now costs $400,000???

  It does not make sense to me.

  Thanks for replying.  But I am still puzzled.

  Warm regards, Rick.

On 2016-11-03, at 2:18 PM, Jeffrey Vandine wrote:

Hmm.  I was under the impression that they were intended to support calculating the worth of the item in terms of "fair market value."  In other words, the whole point was to find out how much you were going to be charging someone to make it for them.  If you are making it for yourself, you wouldn't even bother with the notes.  But now you've got me wondering...

I wonder if Steve Jackson would answer a question on that?  Though at this late date, he might not remember either.  It's been what?  30+ years?

v/r

Jeff