Pearl of Power, Lesser [3.5 Magic Item, PEACH]

[Fortuna]

Pearl of Power, Lesser

While most pearls of power are unlimited in their application, there exist those that are limited to perform only one specific function. These pearls are able to restore memory of only one spell, chosen at the time of crafting. Fortunately, they are significantly cheaper than their more powerful brethren.

Strong transmutation; CL 17th; Craft Wondrous Item, creator must be able to cast the spell to be recalled; Price 750 gp (1st), 3,000 gp (2nd), 6,750 gp (3rd), 12,000 gp (4th), 18,750 gp (5th), 27,000 gp (6th), 36,750 gp (7th), 48,000 gp (8th), 60,750 gp (9th), or 52,500 gp (two spells).

[Temotei]

Interesting. I like it. Although abuse is probably open...well...casters...yeah. I'll stop there. :smallcool:

[Saintheart]

Yeah, balance is potentially an issue. Admittedly it would take a lot of cash to do it, but you could hang a pearl necklace around your neck with your entire spellbook on speed dial, no? ;)

[DracoDei]

Price should be less than half of an Eternal Wand, since those can be used twice a day, and don't require you to know the specific spell, let alone have prepared it that day.

[ericgrau]

Eternal wands don't let you use your own caster level and save DC.

[DracoDei]

Eternal wands don't let you use your own caster level and save DC.

A point... tempted to say straight up "Half the price of an eternal wand", but it is probably more useful than that since you are probably going to buy them for your meat-and-potatoes spells, not the spells you cast only rarely.

[ericgrau]

A wizard could craft these for the spells he almost always prepares anyway, making them almost as good as full blown pearls of power. As for the rest of his spells, he'd simply get regular pearls of power. In the end he's just as strong as he'd be w/o this item and he's saved some money. I'd even be tempted to raise the price a little.

[DracoDei]

A wizard could craft these for the spells he almost always prepares anyway, making them almost as good as full blown pearls of power. As for the rest of his spells, he'd simply get regular pearls of power. In the end he's just as strong as he'd be w/o this item and he's saved some money. I'd even be tempted to raise the price a little.
That assumes that the spells in question both are high enough level to matter over an eternal wand, and that the wizard can afford enough of them for the situation you describe. Are you sure that things work out that way?

[ericgrau]

With popular spells like glitterdust and grease that remain in use later, yeah, usually. Utility spells are usually best put on scrolls anyway so that leaves combat spells and buffs. Combat spells benefit from high save DCs and buffs benefit from having a high caster level for a long duration.

When balancing anything out you got to assume the player will be smart not stupid nor randomly. Any optimizer will only take enough of these pearls for his major combat spells and then use different magic items for the other spells. Otherwise something like this will get abused before you can say "free gold", and not b/c the player is trying to break the system or anything. Just from playing it a little smart.

[paddyfool]

Heh. When I saw the thread title, I mistakenly thought this might be referring to a one-shot pearl of power (one that allows you to immediately remember one spell cast the same day, but that crumbles to dust on use). Not sure what it should cost - clearly more than a scroll to cast a spell of the same level (more versatile and uses the character's DC etc.), but clearly also significantly less than a proper pearl of power. Maybe 100 GP for first level, 400 GP for second, etc. And I've no idea what I'd call it, now that this name's taken... any ideas?

[Zom B]

For the one-shot pearl of power, you could go with something cheaper than a pearl. Pebble of Power?

[deuxhero]

A "pebble of power"'s cost is easily found using the guidelines in the DMG/srd.