Question about creating a new magic item with charges

[Klandare]

I am working on a new magic item for my campaign that gets charged up by absorbing specific damage and then has available spell options to expend the charges.

I am trying to see if there is a way to create automate some of this on the character sheet?

The item is a fire shield:

Grants fire resistance
Absorbs up to 40 points of fire damage to charge itself
All charges dissapate in the morning
Each 10 points of absorb fire damage equals 1 charge
Can never have more than 4 charges held but if some are used then can absorb more fire damage for more charges



Charges can be expended by casting the following spells:

Burning Hands (1 charge)
Scorching Ray (2 charges)
Melf's Minute Meteors (3 charges) (does require concentration)
Fire Shield (4 charges) (fire or cold version)



Creating the effects for the spells is simple and I have done before.

The charges I am not as sure about as they go UP instead of down right off.

The one that I don't think is possible is the absorbing of fire damage. Since it is just fire I could not just use Temp Hit Points or is there some way to create it such that I can make an effect that tallies up to that 40 point total and then spill-over affects the character and then gained back again when charges are expended?

I know this is a complex item with many moving parts.

I am still working out some of it as I am not sure if I want it to suck in that damage or it gets that damage but the character is still affected by the damage. Also not sure if i want it to take full damage level before save/resistance coming into play.

I might change the charge dissipation in the morning since the shield might not be as useful if the charges are all gone all the time and you aren't fighting things with fire much.

Thoughts, ideas, any clue on how to do some of those effects issues?

Thanks for all the help and love the community.

[LordEntrails]

Fire resist is just create and action that adds an effect.
Expanding the charges is relatively easy. Just copy the spell powers into a uniquely named power group.

I can't think of any way to do the 40 points of absorption or 4 charges etc. But I'm not a guru on effects and actions so it wouldn't suprise me if someone had a creative way to do that part of it.

[kp9911]

Subbing to this, Ive also always been wondering what is the best way to handle charges. I think creating a power group with the a set amount of spells per day or something but not really sure.

[Myrdin Potter]

I seem to remember giving the item the ammo property or something like that gives you the same little check boxes like arrows...

[Zacchaeus]

There isn't an easy way to give it the absorbed points. You can use the preparation mode to track the usage of the charges but counting how many hit points is problematic. I suppose you could have an NPC with 40hp and use it's wounds as your counter but that's a bit complicated.

[LordEntrails]

Subbing to this, Ive also always been wondering what is the best way to handle charges. I think creating a power group with the a set amount of spells per day or something but not really sure.


I seem to remember giving the item the ammo property or something like that gives you the same little check boxes like arrows...

There are basically two ways; You can make it a power group and give it uses per day/rest, or you can make it a ranged weapon and give it ammo. I don't think there is a big advantage one way over the other if the damage is simple. If it has saves and effects, then a power group is imo better.

[Klandare]

There isn't an easy way to give it the absorbed points. You can use the preparation mode to track the usage of the charges but counting how many hit points is problematic. I suppose you could have an NPC with 40hp and use it's wounds as your counter but that's a bit complicated.

That is an interesting idea. If I did just make an NPC (like clone a commoner NPC and change the HP), would I be able to share it with the PC owning the shield and have it on the CT? If it can go on the CT, would he be able the update the HP when expending charges (which gives the shield back some of its absorption ability)?

[Zacchaeus]

That is an interesting idea. If I did just make an NPC (like clone a commoner NPC and change the HP), would I be able to share it with the PC owning the shield and have it on the CT? If it can go on the CT, would he be able the update the HP when expending charges (which gives the shield back some of its absorption ability)?

You could put it on the CT and you could give control to the PC but the PC wouldn't be able to do anything with it's hit points. Only the DM can play around with hit points on the CT.

[Andraax]

You can create an item that has [HEAL] in the name, and when dropped on an NPC will "heal" them (decrease wounds and increase available hit points). You can have it roll dice or put a fixed number into the damage section.

[DragonsDen13]

Could you make the item as a PC, allowing ownership to the player, and then do the following:

Set the character's hit points to 41 and pre-set it to 40 damage (leaving it at 1 health).
Create a couple of abilities with a heal effect of 5 and 1. Every time it absorbs, use the heal affects to add health back to it. When it is at 41 health it has absorbed all it can
Create the other abilities as normal but add an extra effect that deals 10, 20, 30 etc damage to "self" to reflect the used charges.

This allows it to continue to re-absorb more after usage.

[Klandare]

Could you make the item as a PC, allowing ownership to the player, and then do the following:

Set the character's hit points to 41 and pre-set it to 40 damage (leaving it at 1 health).
Create a couple of abilities with a heal effect of 5 and 1. Every time it absorbs, use the heal affects to add health back to it. When it is at 41 health it has absorbed all it can
Create the other abilities as normal but add an extra effect that deals 10, 20, 30 etc damage to "self" to reflect the used charges.

This allows it to continue to re-absorb more after usage.

If I did this, when the PC is added in would they end up also on the party sheet? (meaning that xp/money/etc would be divided to them also?)

[LordEntrails]

No, the GM has to manually add characters to the sheet.

[Klandare]

Then making a PC and having him also control that one make sense.

Thanks a lot for all the advice.

I hope to have our session this weekend where he will get the shield. I will let you know how it works out.