Price check: Bracers of the Whirlwind

[Thurbane]

I was wondering if someone could help me out with a price for the following item:

BRACERS OF THE WHIRLWIND
Price (Item Level): ? gp (?)
Body Slot: Arms
Caster Level: ?
Aura: ?
Activation: Swift (command)
Weight: 1 lb.

Each of these mithril bracers are adorned with an inlay of a golden sword.

These bracers have 3 charges, which are renewed each day at dawn. They allow you to make a Whirlwind Attack, exactly as if you had the feat of the same name. This uses 1 charge. They also allow the wearer to hurl a slashing weapon as per the whirling blade spell (SC 238). This also uses 1 charge.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, haste, whirling blade.
Cost to Create: ? gp, ? XP, ? days.

[Craig1f]

I was wondering if someone could help me out with a price for the following item:

BRACERS OF THE WHIRLWIND
Price (Item Level): ? gp (?)
Body Slot: Arms
Caster Level: ?
Aura: ?
Activation: Swift (command)
Weight: 1 lb.

Each of these mithril bracers are adorned with an inlay of a golden sword.

These bracers have 3 charges, which are renewed each day at dawn. They allow you to make a Whirlwind Attack, exactly as if you had the feat of the same name. This uses 1 charge. They also allow the wearer to hurl a slashing weapon as per the whirling blade spell (SC 238). This also uses 1 charge.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, haste, whirling blade.
Cost to Create: ? gp, ? XP, ? days.


The Aura should be the same as that of the whirling blade spell, or the haste spell, whichever is higher. The cost should be the price of mithral bracers, plus the cost of an eternal wand of haste, plus the cost of an eternal wand of whirling blade, times 1.5 (since eternal wands work twice a day).

Caster level should be the minimum level required to cast both spells.

Weight should be the weight of bracers, divided by two (for mithral).

[daggaz]

What are you talking about man? Those things are pretty much below the power level of just a simple haste spell (an extra attack action per round for X rounds per day?). Whirlwind only allows you to forgo a fullattack option in order to attack once each at highest BaB anything within reach. That requires two things, being within threat range of a full attack yourself, and having more than just one guy to hit within range anyhow.

Haste alone is infinitely more useful, in my book. You dont have to worry about anybody else but you and one other opponent.

And even then, why would it be "the price of mithral bracers, plus the cost of an eternal wand of haste, plus the cost of an eternal wand of whirling blade, times 1.5" You are saying here that it is both whirling blade AND haste, which its really not. You dont get to use each ability three times a day. They eat eachother up.

Me, I would price it as the more expensive of eternal wand of haste or whirling blade, plus price of mithral bracers, times 1.5...

[Xefas]

I think it would be something around 30,000gp market value.

Which means it would take 15,000gp, 1200xp, and 30days to craft.

[Blasterfire]

What are you talking about man? Those things are pretty much below the power level of just a simple haste spell (an extra attack action per round for X rounds per day?). Whirlwind only allows you to forgo a fullattack option in order to attack once each at highest BaB anything within reach. That requires two things, being within threat range of a full attack yourself, and having more than just one guy to hit within range anyhow.

Haste alone is infinitely more useful, in my book. You dont have to worry about anybody else but you and one other opponent.

And even then, why would it be "the price of mithral bracers, plus the cost of an eternal wand of haste, plus the cost of an eternal wand of whirling blade, times 1.5" You are saying here that it is both whirling blade AND haste, which its really not. You dont get to use each ability three times a day. They eat eachother up.

Me, I would price it as the more expensive of eternal wand of haste or whirling blade, plus price of mithral bracers, times 1.5...
He said the price of an eternal wand of haste because the spell haste is used in the creation of the bracers, per the description.

[Fax Celestis]

Whirlwind only allows you to forgo a fullattack option in order to attack once each at highest BaB anything within reach. Correction: everything within 5'. Everything within reach is Improved Whirlwind Attack.

Anyway, let's go with this:

Command Word Whirling Blade: Spell Level*CL*1800
3*5*1800=27000
Whirlwind Attack Bonus Feat: Prereqs*Minimum feat level*1800
3*4*1800=21600
(there's no guideline for a bonus feat price, but we'll use the command-word spell price)
Second ability: *1.5
21600*1.5=32400

27000+32400=59400

Uses per day: 59400/(5/3)=35640gp

[Thurbane]

Wow...seems on the expensive side for what I considered to be a mid-level magic item. Perhaps designating the haste spell as the basis for the whirlwind attack was a bad idea. Maybe swap it out for cat's grace.

I would have thought a feat granting item would be more along the lines of gloves of arrow snaring, which function 2/day. I realise that whirlwind attack is a much harder feat to qualify for, however...

[SadisticFishing]

Correction: everything within 5'. Everything within reach is Improved Whirlwind Attack.



Not true, since 3.5 I think, "When you use the full attack action, you can give up your regular attacks and instead make one melee attack at your full base attack bonus against each opponent within reach."

[Fax Celestis]

You could probably reduce the price from my formula (35,640) by 10% (to 32076) by requiring the wearer to possess a prerequisite feat for Whirlwind Attack, or by 20% (to 28,512) by requiring them to possess them all.

[Fax Celestis]

Not true, since 3.5 I think, "When you use the full attack action, you can give up your regular attacks and instead make one melee attack at your full base attack bonus against each opponent within reach."

Right, right. Why do I always mix that up? Imp. Whirlwind Attack is a standard action, not the reach thing.

[Nostri]

@Fax: I'm pretty sure the Whirlwind Attack feat lets you make a single attack at your highest attack bonus in lieu of making a full attack. At least this is what it says in the SRD:

Whirlwind Attack [General]
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, base attack bonus +4.
Benefit: When you use the full attack action, you can give up your regular attacks and instead make one melee attack at your full base attack bonus against each opponent within reach.
When you use the Whirlwind Attack feat, you also forfeit any bonus or extra attacks granted by other feats, spells, or abilities.
Special: A fighter may select Whirlwind Attack as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Also I have a question- what is an eternal wand and which books is it from? I'd thought I'd heard of all the various kinds of magic items either through reading the book it's in or via these boards but this is a new one to me. Any help?

Edit: Wow, not only was I ninja'd there were three other posts in before mine, I suddenly feel very slow...

[Thurbane]

Eternal wands are in the MIC, but I think the originated in the Eberron setting. Basically, they hold a low level spell that is usable 2/day, instead of using charges.

[Iku Rex]

The whirling (MIC, +1) weapon ability looks like a possible basis for such an item. The scabbard of keen edges pretty much duplicates the keen (+1) ability for 16000. It's non-slotted, so 8000 gp for a slotted item isn't too far off. The bracers of lightning (MIC) sort of duplicate the shock (+1) ability for 11000. They require a swift action every round to use, but in return they work on all your weapons and in wild shape, in addition to magic item set powers. 8000 for an always-on shock ability would be reasonable.

So, a pair of bracers duplicating a +1 weapon ability would be around 8000 gp IMO.

Whirling blade bracers would be vaguely similar in power to the deathstrike bracers (MIC, 5000) IMO.

Having both together with separate 3/day powers would be 8000+7500 = 15500. I'd say 12000 gp for the item in the OP. More expensive than most of the bracers in the MIC, but still worth buying.

[tyckspoon]

Wow...seems on the expensive side for what I considered to be a mid-level magic item. Perhaps designating the haste spell as the basis for the whirlwind attack was a bad idea. Maybe swap it out for cat's grace.

I would have thought a feat granting item would be more along the lines of gloves of arrow snaring, which function 2/day. I realise that whirlwind attack is a much harder feat to qualify for, however...

That's why the guidelines are guidelines, after all. One of the steps in pricing an item is supposed to be 'compare to items of similar function and see if the calculated price is in roughly the same range.'

[Thurbane]

Many thanks for the responses. :smallsmile: