Just for Fun -- Optional Rules: Lesser Magic Item Creation

Lesser magic items are the bridge between mundane items and magic items. They are affordable enough for a commoner to obtain yet useful enough for an adventurer of any rapport. The magic used when creating lesser magic items is relatively weak, and for any item to be imbued with lesser magic it must be a mundane item and have a base value of no more than 50 gp.

For magical detection purposes lesser magic items have dim auras that are notably weaker than the faint aura of minor magic items.

Table: Lesser Magic Item Effects

Effect	Description	Multiplier	School
Aesthetic *	item appears to be of masterwork quality, but remains mundane	1.25	illusion
Attuned *	lesser magic item’s effects work only for its creator	1.25	divination
Durable	+2d4 item hp (to a maximum bonus of +10)	1.25/instance	transmutation
Effective	+1 bonus to specific Craft skill to relevant crafting tool	2 / instance	enchantment
Filling *	double consumable effectiveness for sustenance (food & drink)	1.5	transmutation
Fortified *	+1d6 item hardness	1.25	transmutation
Lightweight *	- 1/4 item weight	1.50	transmutation
Lucky	+1 to specific saving throw (expends charge w/ next relevant save)	1.25/charge	enchantment
Self-mending*	item repairs itself to standard hp 1/day (unless destroyed)	3	transmutation
Specialized	+1 bonus to specific Profession skill on relevant kit, outfit or tool	2 / instance	enchantment

Calculating Creation Cost

To calculate the cost of lesser magic items sum the all of the associated item cost multipliers for imbued effects and then multiply the base price (market value) of the mundane item by that number. For instance, a 1 lb. basket (which has a market value of 4 sp) that has the self-mending effect and the lightweight effect would become a 0.5 lb. lesser magic basket of self-mending with a market value of 1 gp, 8 sp (18 sp).

Note that adding multiple lesser magic item effects to the same mundane item can potentially increase the cost of creation more than either of those same effects would if used individually. 

For instance, if imbuing a trinket (with a market value of 8 gp) with only one charge of the lucky effect would result in a total cost multiplier of 1.25, making its lesser magic item creation cost 10 gp. However, if that same trinket is also being imbued with the durable effect (which itself has a cost modifier of 1.25), the item’s total cost multiplier (calculated as the sum of all the cost multiplies applied to the item) now becomes 2.5, making the creation cost 25gp.

The market value for lesser magic items is typically one and a half times the cost to create them.

Creating a Lesser Magic Item

Any trained spell caster with access to the relevant school of magic may create a lesser magic item from a mundane item. Creating a lesser magic item does not require any magic item creation feats. The creator must be able to succeed a Spellcraft check with a DC equal to 10 + the sum of cost multiplies applied to the mundane item. Failure of this craft check destroys the mundane item.

The maximum total cost modifier for effects that can be imbued into a lesser magic item is equal to the caster level of the item creator. It requires one hour for every half point (0.5) of a lesser magic item’s total cost modifiers to create the item, and since the energy used for to imbue lesser magic is frail, the item must be created in a single uninterrupted time frame.