[4e] Quick Question

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I'm purchasing items for a new 4e character (a warforged fighter starting at 4th level with 840 gp, the cost of a 4th level item), and I'm unsure of something involving pricing. Two items I plan on having for him are a Magic Weapon (+1) and Magic Armor (+1), which both cost 360 gp. The problem is that I'm not sure if the cost of the initial weapon and armor (a craghammer at 20 gp and a suit of plate armor at 50 gp respectively) are factored into the cost of the magic items, or if the 360 gp cost only covers the enchantment involved, and I need to purchase the physical items seperately.

If the former is the case, the stuff will only cost 720 gp, whereas if I need to buy the actual weapon and armor as well, it will cost 790 gp. I've already purchased eight javelins for my character with the remaining gold assuming the latter is the case. If I don't need to spend the 70 gp on the physical weapon and armor, then I'm going to buy an Everburning Torch and some more javelins, not bothering with a Standard Adventurer's Kit since, as a warforged, I don't eat, drink or sleep.

So which is the correct amount? 720 or 790? Thank you. :smallsmile:

[Jokes]

720gp. The listed price is what the weapon costs, not the enhancement. The exception to this is for the Enchant Magic Item ritual, where you need the base weapon for the ritual to be cast. But the cost of mundane equipment at higher-than-one level is negligible enough to be ignored for the most part.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

720gp. The listed price is what the weapon costs, not the enhancement. The exception to this is for the Enchant Magic Item ritual, where you need the base weapon for the ritual to be cast. But the cost of mundane equipment at higher-than-one level is negligible enough to be ignored for the most part.

I want to make sure I don't have any physical gold, since my character's backstory is that he's been in a "coma" for several years and all the equipment he has is what he was created with. It wouldn't make sense for the "statue" out in the middle of nowhere that appears to be guarding a temple that doesn't exist anymore to just have some spare gold lying nearby that the occasional passerby simply ignored.

[mobdrazhar]

climber's kit is always useful. and even more pitons... they can be used for more than just climbing equipment... also can never have too much rope.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

While I appreciate the shopping advice, I don't think I'll buy stuff "in preparation for adventuring" for this guy. His concept is that he's a construct that was tasked with guarding a temple, but when the god of the temple died he went inactive and the temple was destroyed, so when he "wakes up" years later, he finds himself without purpose and decides to go with the adventurers that reactivated him to protect people since that's the one "programming" that he can still follow in this brave new world. He wasn't exactly intended for adventuring, which is why he wasn't given useful adventuring gear when he was made. Sure I'll probably buy these kinds of things later, but at this point, I think being armed and having a light source (since he kept watch 24/7, even at night) should be enough.

He's not even going to really understand the concept of money early on. Don't worry, it's not like he's going to take a vow of poverty or something, but he won't see much use for wealth, using whatever treasure he finds to upgrade his gear, since that's the practical thing to do, and give the rest to the poor and suffering to help improve their lives.

[mobdrazhar]

well if you're looking at it from that point of view then if you can afford it (AFB atm) then why not look at making the weapons and armour WF components from the Eberon PG. you could say that they are equipment that he was able to scavenge off other guardians in the temple that hadn't woken.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I don't know if I can afford those. I'd only have about 100 gp or so left from buying the magic items, and since the WF items are magical, they're likely more expensive than that. Plus, scavenging really isn't something he can do until he joins the party. Here's his backstory, which probably can explain it better than I can:

Back in the days when Pelor flourished as the lord of the day, keeper of time and the shining light of hope for all that is good, his white marble temples stood all over the lands. One of the most famous of these temples was the Solar Spire, a massive tower that served as a repository of sacred texts and holy relics. Because of the precious nature of the items within, the Spire was always heavily protected. The tower was full of powerful guards and traps, several of Pelor's mightiest servants, and it was situated at the base of a great cliff with only a single bridge to the cliff serving as an entrance, and that entrance was guarded by The Vigilant.

The Vigilant was a gift to the Pelorians created by the servants of Moradin. A large statue of black iron and gold fashioned in the shape of a mighty warrior who could come alive to defend the entrance to the Solar Spire from unwanted intruders. Unlike most golems, unthinking constructs that blindly followed instructions, The Vigilant was given the spark of a soul, allowing it to reason and make its own decisions, allowing it to test would be visitors to the Spire and decide whether they were worthy of being allowed to enter the Solar Spire. For generations, The Vigilant tirelessly protected the temple from those who would steal or despoil the holy treasures within, but all that changed when the Gods went to war against one another.

During one of the battles, the Solar Spire itself came under attack, and as it had done many times before, The Vigilant prepared for battle, even though now it faced an entire army rather than a single person or a small group. But it never got the chance to engage the enemy, for at that very moment, Pelor was slain, disrupting the holy powers of his faithful, including The Vigilant, whose glittering eyes and sigils went dark as it froze in place, standing in the pose of a ready guardian while the enemy army gleefully rushed past it to sack the Solar Spire. Once the temple was thoroughly pillaged and all who lived within were slain, an earthquake shook the area, and the Solar Spire collapsed. The enemy army tried to carry The Vigiliant off as a trophy, but found they could not move it, and their attempts to destroy it or remove its golden ornamentation failed. Eventually, they just left it there, a silent, motionless sentinel guarding a bridge that went to nowhere bearing the symbol of a god that everyone would soon forget about.

For years, The Vigilant has been trapped in its paralyzed state, while the land around it has changed and been conquered, now belonging to the followers of Tiamat. Vines and moss now cover it, but neither rust nor time have diminished its form. While The Vigilant is known by some in the area as a local landmark, it is located in an out-of-the-way place, usually only visited by hunters, explorers and the occasional tourist. No one knows if it's possible for the construct to be "woken up," or how one would do such a thing, but if it were, it would certainly find itself without a purpose, the god it serves dead, and the place it defends in ruins.

Once he joins the party, he'll certainly obtain treasure from adventuring and stuff, but he'll only keep what he needs to upgrade his gear, and donate the rest to the poor. Through travelling with the party, he'll learn the power of money, but greed will always be uncomprehendable to him.

[Excession]

Perhaps you could explain the extra gold as decorative gold inlay that you remove and have changed into coins when you next get to town. In a region following Tiamat, the glint of gold will tend to attract the wrong sort of attention.

You could also explain the extra adventuring gear as devices added by the dwarves that built you. Being prepared for anything seems like something Moradin would be respect. Go go gadget climbing kit!

[NMBLNG]

Healing potions or some other kind of healing/protecting item. Maybe spare weapons. The guardian was built for a temple filled with other people that might be able to aid in a fight or might need some first aid.

[Ceaon]

Also, if there are no items you want to buy and you don't want the spare gold either, you could just, you know, not have the gold.
I mean, it's not like making money disappear will damage the economy or something. :smallamused:

[Revlid]

A chest in the temple with whatever stuff you want inside it (be that gold, just to get rid of, or potions, or minor items, or whatevs). Another character suggests they nominally belong to your warforged, so he takes them.

[Kurald Galain]

Stock up on lockpicks, climber's stuff, tools, and rope. Problem solved :smalltongue:

[Badgerish]

Seconding the idea of having a piece of jewelery/decoration with value equal to your 'spare' gold.

Alternatives are magical consumables (potions/whetstones), remember that not all 'potions' are actually liquids that you drink. Could be a little clay tile with runes on, which can be activated with a minor action for healing (or a standard action to use it on other people)

[Hal]

You can always fluff some of your equipment as being part of your construction, sort of like a D&D Inspector Gadget. Climber's kit? Spikes form in your hand and feet. Grappling hook? You have a built in grappling gun. Lock pick? One of your fingers can pop off to form the tools.

[Mando Knight]

You can always fluff some of your equipment as being part of your construction, sort of like a D&D Inspector Gadget.

I doubt a Fighter wants to dump his Wis like that.:smalltongue: