The Sound of Light [3.5e Item]

[Milo v3]

Lute of Serene Light
This lute appears to be made from a strange wood which slowly changes colour. This lute has six thin strings made of solidified colour. The lute is perfectly crafted can grants a +2 circumstance bonus on all Perform check involving its use. In addition to this, the person holding the Lute can, as a standard action, pluck one of the strings to activate its magical energy.

When used in this way the user may select one of the strings, the spell attuned to that string is then cast as if cast by a level 1 bard.

Blue String: Ray of Frost
Green String: Acid Splash
Purple String: Shocking Grasp
Red String: Flare
White String: Mage Hand
Yellow String: Dancing Lights

Each string can only be used three times per day. The uses of this item aren't recharged at the end of the day. Instead it's uses are recharged when touched by sunlight for the first time in a day.

Faint Transmutation; CL 1; Craft Wondrous Item, Ray of Frost, Acid Splash, Shocking Grasp, Flare, Mage Hand, Dancing Lights; Price 3880 gp. Weight 2lb.

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The concept for this item was created by aphoticConniver.

[Yitzi]

Quite cheap for the effects by the normal pricing rules, although the fact that the spells are so weak and each costs a standard action probably makes it ok.

[Milo v3]

Quite cheap for the effects by the normal pricing rules, although the fact that the spells are so weak and each costs a standard action probably makes it ok.

100gp (Lute Cost) + (6,000 gp (User activated Spells)/1.6666666666666666666666666666667 (3 charges)) = 100 + 3599.9999999999999999999999999999

Or 3699.999999999999999999999999999
or 3700 gp.

[Siosilvar]

Eh, I'd go about pricing it similarly to a staff. Double cost for not needing the spell on your list, multiply the cost by 2000/750 to make it use-activated instead of charged, then multiply for uses/day.

750gp (first level spell) + (3/4)*750*1*(1/2)gp (zeroth-level spell) + 4*(1/2)*750*(1/2) (remaining zeroth-level spells) comes out to 1781.25gp, all the multipliers above put it at 5900gp in all. Add your 100gp lute and that makes 6000 even.

Regardless of what its price would be by the formulas, I think it's fairly priced as it is, and I especially like the idea behind it. I could see this being a line of items, with higher-level ones being things like prismatic guitars.

[Debihuman]

Aura is faint not weak; it should be Perform (stringed instrument) check, Wondrous has no "e" and it should weigh 2 lbs. Sirene is a type of cheese. Do you mean serene perhaps?

Debby

[Milo v3]

Aura is faint not weak; it should be Perform (stringed instrument) check, Wondrous has no "e" and it should weigh 2 lbs. Sirene is a type of cheese. Do you mean serene perhaps?

Debby

Fixed the Aura and Wondrous. The perform check was copy and pasted from Masterwork Musical intrument which this item is.
As for the Sirene, thanks I away mix up the spelling for Serene.

[Yitzi]

100gp (Lute Cost) + (6,000 gp (User activated Spells)/1.6666666666666666666666666666667 (3 charges)) = 100 + 3599.9999999999999999999999999999

Or 3699.999999999999999999999999999
or 3700 gp.

How do you get 6000? A single use-activated spell is 2000, not 1000. I'd treat them as 1800 (since it's working more like a command word item, needing a standard action to activate), but even so multiplying by 6 gives way more than 6000.

[Milo v3]

How do you get 6000? A single use-activated spell is 2000, not 1000. I'd treat them as 1800 (since it's working more like a command word item, needing a standard action to activate), but even so multiplying by 6 gives way more than 6000.

Actually each of the spells are level 0 so:

Spell Level: A 0-level spell is half the value of a 1st-level spell for determining price.

So it is 1000 not 2000.

But it think I might change it to command word.

[Steward]

Actually each of the spells are level 0 so:

Isn't Shocking Grasp a 1st level wizard / sorcerer spell?

I really love this item though. It sounds like an awesome quest item for a low-level musician, or even a gift to a bard who just graduated from bard camp.

[Yitzi]

Actually each of the spells are level 0

Not Shocking Grasp. But yes, treating them as level 0 will make a big difference.

[Milo v3]

Isn't Shocking Grasp a 1st level wizard / sorcerer spell?

I really love this item though. It sounds like an awesome quest item for a low-level musician, or even a gift to a bard who just graduated from bard camp.

That is what I get for not checking I suppose...

Not Shocking Grasp. But yes, treating them as level 0 will make a big difference.

Yep.