Another Way to Wish for More Wishes

[Crake]

Firstly, the Cost entry of an item does not distinguish between the "extra" and base, as seen in the exemplifying Ring of Three Wishes

Ironic that you should use that example:

In addition, some items cast or replicate spells with costly material components or with XP components. For these items, the market price equals the base price plus an extra price for the spell component costs. Each XP in the component costs adds 5 gp to the market price. The cost to create these items is the magic supplies cost and the base XP cost (both determined by the base price) plus the costs for the components. For example, a ring of three wishes has a market price of 97,950 gp, which includes 75,000 gp for the extra 15,000 XP that the creator must expend to forge the ring. The ring’s base price is only 22,950 gp (the market price minus the extra cost for the XP expenditure).

So yes, the guidelines very much do distinguish between base cost and extra cost.

Secondly, crafting reductions are typically to the Cost entry

Actually, the ones in the DMG all referr specifically to base cost as you can see in the table header "Base Price Adjustment". Since the cost of xp and material components are not a part of the base cost, they are an extra cost, again as noted in the heading for their part of the table "Extra Cost", they are not affected by this Base Price Adjustment. This is also apparent in other cost reduction methods, such as the Extraordinary Artisan feat, which again refers to Base Price, and not market value, which is the combined cost of the Base Price and Extra Costs.

Thirdly, your reading results in "limited charges per day" of several hundred Wishes being cheaper than an at-will item despite theoretically increasing the base by dozens of times over.

Firstly, it's not "my reading", it's the reading you get when you actually read the rules. Secondly, it's pretty well documented that having use activated or command word items with 5 or more daily uses breaks the guidelines, as the guidelines assume that 5/day and at-will are practically the same. Creating an item with 10 uses/day actually results in double the base price of an at-will item, so yes, this is a problem with creating items with more than 5+ daily uses, and at that point it should just be treated as an at-will item. So yes, while creating an item with hundreds of uses per day wish would reduce the Extra Cost of said item, it would multiply the Base Price by a huge margin as well.

This is why they are item creation guidelines, and why items with daily uses of 5 or more don't exist.

There is no 100x XP "extra cost", and daily charges do not halve it. What you are referring to is is that the base Cost entry of an at-will item is treated as if it were 100 or 50 charges the way the Ring of Three Wishes has three charges of Wish at 5,000 XP each, then for each XP so added you add 5 GP to final Market Price.

DMG Page 285, subheading 5, when referring to the Extra Cost of items that have spells with a material or xp cost:

If item is continuous or unlimited, not charged, determine cost as if it had 100 charges. If it has some daily limit, determine as if it had 50 charges

Note it does not say anything about adjusting the base price, this is purely a reference to the Extra Cost, as noted by the fact that subheading 5 is only applied to material and xp costs, which themselves are under the Extra Cost heading.

As this is one "Cost" entry, it can be absolutely flattened for monstrous leverage on an initial crafted scroll.

I hope I have amply demonstrated the distinction very clearly made by the rules between Base Price, Extra Costs, and total market value that you no longer believe this statement to be true.



So, to summarise, here is the breakdown of a 1/day ring of wishing:

Base Price: Continuous Item (SL9 x CL17 x 1800gp) = 275,400gp

Base Price Adjustment: Charges Per day: Divide by (5 divided by charges per day) 275,400/(5/1) = 275,400 / 5 = 55,080gp

Extra Cost: Spell has XP Cost (5000xp) (Item has daily limit, determine as if it had 50 charges) 5000xp * 50 = 250,000xp

Cost to create: Base Price/2 (55,080/2) = 27,540gp plus Base Price/25 in xp (2203.2 xp), plus extra cost of 250,000xp
Result: 27,540gp plus 252,203.2 xp

Market Price: 27,540gp plus 5gp x 252,203.2 xp
Total Market Price: 1,288,556gp

Meanwhile, the same breakdown for an at-will ring of wishing:

Base Price: Continuous Item (SL9 x CL17 x 1800gp) = 275,400gp

Base Price Adjustment: (none)

Extra Cost: Spell has XP Cost (5000xp) (Item is unlimited, determine as if it had 100 charges) 5000xp * 100 = 500,000xp

Cost to create: Base Price/2 (275,400/2) = 137,700gp plus Base Price/25 in xp (11016 xp), plus extra cost of 500,000xp
Result: 137,700gp plus 511,016 xp

Market Price: 275,400gp plus 5gp x 511,016 xp
Total Market Price: 2,830,480gp

Note that it does not incur a x10 multiplier for being an epic item, as it does not provide a bonus above the standard, however the 511,016xp cost to create would likely be your prohibiting factor, as that would be enough xp to probably level up at least 10-20 times depending on your level, so good luck accumulating that amount of xp without some sort of macguffinry