# Is there a magic item of constant effect True Seeing?



## Neijin (Feb 13, 2007)

I know I have seen it somewhere.  Not the DMG one that is ~30 mins a day, I'm looking for a constant effect item.  I'm looking for a 3.5 edition item.  Thanks.


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## Hypersmurf (Feb 13, 2007)

Neijin said:
			
		

> I know I have seen it somewhere.  Not the DMG one that is ~30 mins a day, I'm looking a constant effect item.  Thanks.




From memory, there was the Helm of Vision in Defenders of the Faith for 3E.

-Hyp.


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## Sound of Azure (Feb 13, 2007)

Hyp is correct. The item also gives you a minor insight bonus to AC. It's rather expensive, at over 91,000 gp.

You may also have an intelligent magic item with the extraordinary ability (Greater Power in 3.5) to grant you true seeing at will. You have to command it to activate, so it's not quite constant.

This adds 81,000gp to the price. (Found in the Arms and Equipment Guide, also a 3.0 book).


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## Perun (Feb 13, 2007)

There also the Hathran _Mask of True Seeing_, from FR's _Unapproachable East_. It costs 75,000 gp, but UE is a "3.25" product (one of the accessories produced shortly before the release of D&D 3.5), so I'd take it with a grain of salt.

Regards.


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## Neijin (Feb 13, 2007)

Hmmm.  Thank you for pointing out the 3.0; I should have specified 3.5 in my title.


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## KarinsDad (Feb 13, 2007)

Perun said:
			
		

> There also the Hathran _Mask of True Seeing_, from FR's _Unapproachable East_. It costs 75,000 gp, but UE is a "3.25" product (one of the accessories produced shortly before the release of D&D 3.5), so I'd take it with a grain of salt.




I considered taking that for my Hathran Cleric, but decided it was too game breaking to have such a potent item useable all of the time by a PC.


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## pawsplay (Feb 13, 2007)

It's a pretty straightforward effect, and it's the right slot, so you could always reality check that price against the DMG guidelines.


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## Wolfwood2 (Feb 13, 2007)

I'd require it to be an Epic item.

Constant True Seeing would be one of the most useful effects in the game.  It's one of those uber-spells, like Mind Blank, that allows you to ignore an entire category of effects.


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## pawsplay (Feb 13, 2007)

Wolfwood2 said:
			
		

> I'd require it to be an Epic item.
> 
> Constant True Seeing would be one of the most useful effects in the game.  It's one of those uber-spells, like Mind Blank, that allows you to ignore an entire category of effects.




I think that's overreacting. It's nearly 100k in gold, which means a PC crafting one could take more than a year, and you don't have to make them common. Further, the wearer would still be vulnerable to mind-affecting abilities that might cause him to give bogus information, someone could use _limited wish_ to steal or negate it, a _greater dispel magic_ would suppress it, and so forth. Plus, such an item provides no defenses against nonmagical means.

Forbidding it is futile, as it would be utterly simple to own enough true seeing items to have it going nearly all the time, at that price.


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## Seeten (Feb 13, 2007)

The Eye of Palmabron?


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## frankthedm (Feb 14, 2007)

pawsplay said:
			
		

> I think that's overreacting. It's nearly 100k in gold, which means a PC crafting one could take more than a year, and you don't have to make them common.



The spell is 1 minute a level, that doubles the cost. The DMG formula you suggest nearly make it an epic item.

5th level spell x cleric level 9 x 2000 GP x 2 for continuous effect on a 1 minute / level spell. That is 180000gp 

Then you add 100 x component cost. 25000 gp more. This won't make it epic, but it costs like one.


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## Neijin (Feb 14, 2007)

An interesting comparison is to reverse engineer the price for constant effect Mind Blank on the +1 Halfweight Illithidwrought plate from Underdark p71.  The market price is listed as 146,650.  1650 for MW full plate + 25000 for the (+1 Halfweight Illithidwrought) leaves a balance of 120,000 for constant effect Mind Blank.  

Sure, 90,000 gp is too cheap, but consider that 205,000 gp would represent 27% of a 20th level character's suggested wealth.  By way of comparison let us examine the Rob of Eyes, which weighs in at a whopping 120,000 gp.  Remember that pricing this is an art, not a science.

To extract a likely price analysis, let's take the 120 darkvision & see invisibility to start.  See Invisibility is a 2nd level spell with a duration of 10 mins/lvl (3 x 2 x 2000 x 1.5)=18,000.  27,000 gp for 1.5 multiplier on price for multiple effects.  Darkvision- 60 ft darkvision is 12,000 gp so doubling for 120 ft and then multiplying by 1.5 would net it at 36,000.  The +10 to Search and Spot would be 15,000 +15,000, for a total of 30,000.  The drawbacks probably mitigate some of the cost of the Dex to AC retention.  
So far 36,000 +30,000 +27000=93,000.  I would say 27,000 for the Dex retention is about right considering the drawbacks.  If evasion is worth 25,000 by itself in a ring, and is arguably better than improved uncanny dodge, then 27,000 with a couple drawbacks is ok.  I mention evasion as a means of pricing class abilities only.  It is fielder's choice as to what to designate as the primary power, this is all estimating anyway.

Now, let's try to engineer a price for true seeing.  120 ft darkvision that can see in magical darkness?  Ballpark that at 50,000 if you multiply the 36,000 by 1.5 and ad hoc 4,000 off.  See Invisibility prices out at 27,000 gp.  A crystal ball with true seeing is 80,000 gp, which is fairly comparable.  The increase in range with the crystal ball is offset by the 1 hr activation time.  The target gets a save, but the user can be in a place of safety.  Also, the crystal ball is effectively an "unslotted" magic item, so its price is inflated accordingly.  While is has true seeing on it, this one doesn't offer much, although I found it interesting that if you had it be a slotted item it would be 40,000 or 60,000 gp depending on how you did the math.    

Personally, I would ballpark this item at 150,000 gp, certainly no higher than 175,000.  If slotted Mind Blank is worth only 120,000, then True Seeing, a spell three levels lower should be reasonably close. The cost of 100 True Seeing casts is 25,000 gp, so 120,000 (it is comparable in the immunities it provides) + 25,000 in material component costs +5,000 ad hoc would put it at 150,000.  A Tome or Manual +5 is 137,500, and a Staff of Life is 155,750.  A would put this item on par with the two of these and not with a weapon +10.  That's my 2 cents, feel free to disagree.


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