Pricing of a modified Rod of Withering?

[Slaved]

I was looking at modifying a rod of withering to fit a character concept and I was wondering what the new price should be.

Rod of Dissolution
A rod of dissolution acts as a +1 light mace that deals no hit point damage. Instead, the wielder deals 1 points of damage to strength, dexterity, constitution, wisdom, intelligence, and charisma to any living creature she touches with the rod (by making a melee touch attack). If she scores a critical hit, the living creature gains a negative level instead of taking the ability damage. Against nonliving creatures this mace deals 5d4 damage (plus strength and other modifiers but no bonuses from this weapons enhancement). If she scores a critical hit then the nonliving creature is dazed for 1 round. This weapon does no damage to innanimate objects.
In any case, the defender negates the effect with a DC 17 save (Fortitude for living creatures, Will for nonliving creatures).

For comparison,

Withering: A rod of withering acts as a +1 light mace that deals no hit point damage. Instead, the wielder deals 1d4 points of Strength damage and 1d4 points of Constitution damage to any creature she touches with the rod (by making a melee touch attack). If she scores a critical hit, the damage from that hit is permanent ability drain. In either case, the defender negates the effect with a DC 17 Fortitude save.
Strong necromancy; CL 13th; Craft Rod, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, contagion; Price 25,000 gp.

The effect to the living is the important part here, I added in the nonliving part so that it would not be worthless against those types so that part can be changed easily, damage seemed better than adding disruption. If the DC can be made to be scaling based on the wielder that would be great as well. I thought maybe 10 + base attack bonus but I could find nothing to compare that with for cost.

If this is in the wrong forum I am sorry, I saw some posts here asking about pricing.

 

[DarkJester]

I'd allow a -1 to all stats rod of withering at the same price. You'd be doing more stat damage overall but to less effect. It'd take a lot more touches to get someone to drop.

The negative levels instead of permanent damage are more powerful, but it's not that big of a deal since crits with a 20/x2 weapon arn't all that common. I don't think it fits with the flavor of the rod though.

I'm not sure what you were getting at with the stuff vs. non living creatures. Is this so you can have the rod do something to things immune to ability drain? It seems kind of awkward. I don't think it's to powerful though.

All in all I'd probably say something like 35-45,000 gp.

 

[Slaved]

Thanks DarkJester, any suggestions about how to change it then? I was looking for mechanics already in place and negative levels seemed like a good choice. The nonliving part was indeed to have something to do versus creatures who would not be effected by the stat damage or who might be healed with the negative levels.

Thanks for the help.

 

[DarkJester]

Thinking about it again:

Well my biggest beef with it not feeling right is the the abilities vs living seem opposed to the abilities vs non-living. If the rod is going to "suck the soul" out of someone then I'm fine with the all-stat draining effect and level drain, but this type of item doesn't seem like it should work on non living creatures.

If, on the other hand, it just generally makes things fall apart I'd probably go with con damage and the damage vs objects seems fine. Maybe throw some flavor text in there that opponents or objects destroyed via the rod are turned into dust / puddles of goo.

 

[Slaved]

I was going more for the dissolution/denaturation side rather than soul sucking yes.

I guess that I could change it to be 2 points of damage to all stats on a critical rather than the negative level though.

Flavor text about creatures looking oddly like they have been dead quite some time and degraded while nonliving creatures that are destroyed look pitted, dissolved, and partially disintegrated would definately be good to add though.

 

[DarkJester]

Also, why the two different saves? I think you should just go with a fortitude save and have it effect objects as well. Undead can still be effected that way.

Having it be a will save makes it be more powerful, as quite a few monsters (animals, dire animals, vermin, purple worms etc) have very low intelligences and could be taken out in 2-3 hits with low will saves.

 

[Slaved]

I typically assume that living creatures will have a higher fortitude save in general while undead will typically have a higher will save in general. Hence I made it fortitude save for living and will save for nonliving.

Living creatures would have their biology fight off the problem, repairing damage and keeping the damage from occuring with its natural mechanisms.

Nonliving will have to fight off the invading force with sheer force of will, sort of what keeps them from falling apart normally already.

I chose the saves that I felt would be the higher in general so that the item would not be too overly powerful.

 

[DarkJester]

<Nod> I guess the two save mechanic just rubs me for being unfamiliar.

 

[Slaved]

If that rubs you the wrong way then how about my wanting for the save DC to be based on who is wielding the weapon?

That would mostly be so that it would be useful early on and later on without having to make half a dozen different versions to be traded in and out as time goes on though.

 

[Slaved]

Just thought I would bump this once to see if I could get any more comments before letting it sink away