Dust of ______, pricing and uses

[sukael]

Are the dust of appearance and other dust items single-use or unlimited-use? The description of the items don't indicate the former (like feather tokens specifically do), but the pricing does.

If single-use, is there anybody who's dissected the pricing of these?

I'm asking mainly because I've been pondering making a dust of wonder item with the uses of all of them, and either a few charges a day or unlimited use.

 

[Shin Okada]

I have never thought someone thinks those dust items to be anything other than one-use. They are dust and meant to be sprinkled.

Well, regarding their costs, it seems that they are not simply following the item creation table. It will be mainly because they are not exactly copying the spell effects.

Regarding "wonder" type items, though it is just my personal opinion, don't bother.

In my experience, players rarely actually try to use items which produces random effects. In the days of chromatic DnD, there were almost no way other than actually using the item to identify it's effects. But today Identify spell is easily accessible and PCs meant to get other good magic items, too. So only few player actually bother to try random effect.

 

[sukael]

Regarding "wonder" type items, though it is just my personal opinion, don't bother.

In my experience, players rarely actually try to use items which produces random effects. In the days of chromatic DnD, there were almost no way other than actually using the item to identify it's effects. But today Identify spell is easily accessible and PCs meant to get other good magic items, too. So only few player actually bother to try random effect.

Oh, I didn't mean for it to be a random-use item! "Wonder" in this case being a catch-all term instead of meaning something like a rod of wonder.

Like the few other multi-use items around, you'd get to pick which ability of it you use when you activate it.

 

[Shin Okada]

Oh, I didn't mean for it to be a random-use item! "Wonder" in this case being a catch-all term instead of meaning something like a rod of wonder.

Like the few other multi-use items around, you'd get to pick which ability of it you use when you activate it.

I see. But how the user chooses the effect when sprinkling the said poweder? They are meant to be use activated items.

 

[sukael]

I see. But how the user chooses the effect when sprinkling the said poweder? They are meant to be use activated items.

You say the right command word, of course. (After all, if you're getting multiple uses out of it, the "single use, use-activated" effect doesn't fit anymore...)

 

[Shin Okada]

Well, there is no clear rule to modify existing specific item in the way you are trying to.

But if I were you, just consider each item as a equivalent of "Single use, use-activated" spell effect items and appropriately multiply the cost.

I mean, if you make a bottle of Dust of Appearance which has 50 charges, it is now "charged" item, which costs 1/2 of "command word" item. The base cost of Single use, use-activated" is 50 and "charged" item is 900. So multiplying the cost of Dust items by 18 seems to be a good start to me.

Or, if you make a bottle of Dust of Appearance which can be used, say, once per day, the base cost for such item is 360 gp, or 7.2 times more than "Single use, use-activated" items. So making a bottle of Appearance which re-produces enough dust for one use everyday maybe 7.2 times more expensive than simple dust of appearance.

Then, if you want to make a multi-effect item, follow "Multiple different abilities" rule
I mean, "multiply higher item cost by 2" and add up.

The result will be a very expensive item and the player may just buy usual bottles or bags dust of their choice and buy HHH. But if found in a dungeon, it could still be an interesting item.

 

[sukael]

I mean, if you make a bottle of Dust of Appearance which has 50 charges, it is now "charged" item, which costs 1/2 of "command word" item. The base cost of Single use, use-activated" is 50 and "charged" item is 900. So multiplying the cost of Dust items by 18 seems to be a good start to me.

Or, if you make a bottle of Dust of Appearance which can be used, say, once per day, the base cost for such item is 360 gp, or 7.2 times more than "Single use, use-activated" items. So making a bottle of Appearance which re-produces enough dust for one use everyday maybe 7.2 times more expensive than simple dust of appearance.

Actually, I hadn't even thought of doing it that way at all. That's a great idea.