There are two primary methods of enchanting weapons and armor.

Orichalcum Items

The first is to create the item using an alchemical substance known as Orichalcum. Using Orichalcum, weapons gain from a +1 to a +3 bonus, to both accuracy (i.e. the wielder’s Attack Bonus) and to the amount of Base Damage that they deal. For armor, this substance can provide a +1 to +3 to both its Armor Rating and to the DEF of the person wearing or wielding it.

Orichalcum is created in small golden bronze ingots which are then used to create weapons and armor. Items made using Orichalcum cannot receive any bonuses from permanent enchantments, although they can receive other enchantments. Items made with Orichalcum cannot have greater than a +3 bonus ever.

Items made from Orichalcum cost 500 gp for each ingot of Orichalcum required in its making. Here is a short list that provides some guidelines on pricing:

Enchanted Items

Items that are magically enchanted with bonuses have a cost of 300 gp per +1 bonus, and unlike items made with Orichalcum, the bonuses only apply to a single aspect of the item; either accuracy or Base Damage for weapons and either DEF or Armor Rating for Armor. However, items can be enchanted with bonuses for both, and each may have up to a maximum magical bonus of +5.

These items also usually cost an extra 1,000 gp for each ability that the item has that is associated with the primary purpose of the item. Unassociated abilities, such as separate scaling for additional Base Damage, will cost 2,000 gp per ability.

Each item will also have a base cost associated with. This base cost is 250 gp for each foot of length that the weapon has (rounded up). Armor has a base cost of 250 gp for point of Armor Rating that a non-magical version of that armor has. Helms, Bracers and Greaves have a base cost of 100 gp if they are made of Soft Leather, 200 gp if made of Reinforced Leather, and 300 gp if made of metal. Full suits of armor (includes armor, helms, braceers, and greaves) have a base cost of 400 gp per each non-magical point of Armor Rating that it provides its wearer.

Therefore, the actual cost of a weapon or armor is its base cost, plus the cost of any magical bonuses plus the cost of any other abilities.

Sample Weapons & Armor

Here is a short list of examples that also include the cost breakdowns showing how the price was derived:

Bracers of Defense: Soft leather bracers, DEF 3, AR 1 (cost: 1,000 gp — 100 gp base, 900gp for magical +3 to DEF)

Bracers of Defense: Metal bracers, DEF 5, AR 5 (cost: 3,000 gp — 300 gp base, 2,700 gp for magical +5 to DEF, magical +4 AR)

Dagger of Returning: Orichalcum dagger has +1 to both accuracy and damage. It teleports back to the thrower’s hand at the beginning of the round after it was thrown. (cost: 2,750 gp — 250 gp base, +500 gp for the Orichalcum enhancement, +2,000 to teleport back to thrower’s hand)

Dancing Sword: This is a magical broadsword that will float and fight of its own volition when drawn and thrown into the air. A Dancing Sword will fight for up to a maximum 2 rounds per level of its wielder each day, and the rounds need not be consecutive. It has the same attack bonus as the wielder, and it may only attack once per round. (cost: 4,000 gp — 1,000 gp base, +1,000 gp to use the wielder’s attack bonus, +2,000 gp to fly/dance)

Dragonscale Armor: Full suit, including helm, bracers, and greaves, of reinforced leather armor made from the hide and scales of a dragon. It protects as full plate (DEF +2, AR 12), but only encumbers as reinforced leather (Pen -2, Imp 4). The wearer of such a suit is also completely immune to the breath weapon of Dragons of the same type that the armor was made from. However, any Dragon seeing a person wearing such a suit of armor would be so enraged that he would attack that person without mercy. (cost: 5,900 gp — 2,800 gp base for reinforced leather, +1,000 gp for immunity to the Dragon’s breath weapon, +2,100 gp for +2 DEF and +5 AR)

Firebow: Longbow that causes any arrows fired from it to burst into flame doing an additional +3 Fire damage along with the normal base damage. The fire damage also scales separately from the normal arrow damage (i.e. does double normal Scaled Damage, half from fire, half from the arrow, AR is applied against the arrow damage and fire damage separately). (cost: 5,400 gp — 1500 gp base, +1,000 for fire damage, +900 gp for +3 damage from the fire, +2,000 gp for fire damage scaling)

Frostbow: Longbow that causes any arrows fired from it become super cold doing an additional +5 Cold damage along with the normal base damage. The cold damage does not scale separately. (cost: 4,000 gp — 1500 gp base, +1000 gp for the cold damage, +1,500 gp for +5 damage from the cold)

Holy Sword: +2 accuracy; deals double damage to Demons, Devils, and Undead. The double damage applies only when the Holy Sword is wielded by Clerics or Paladins of “good” deities. In the hands of all others, it is simply a sword with a +2 modifier to the wielder’s attack bonus. (cost: 3,850 gp — 1,000 gp base, +600 gp for the +2 accuracy, +3,000 for double damage to Demons, Devils & Undead, -750 gp for the double damage being limited to Cleric & Paladins)

Shield of Belnus: This 2’ diameter round shield of polished steel was made to honor Belnus, the god of the Sun. It is a normal shield with a +2 magical bonus (total of +5 to DEF). Its face is inscribed with a stylized sun symbol. If the wielder of the shield holds it forth towards a Demon, Devil, or Undead creature, as if he were brandishing a Holy Symbol, the creature must make a Save as if the shield actually were a Holy Symbol. (cost: 3,100 gp — 500 gp base, +600 gp for the +2 bonus to DEF, +2,000 gp for the Holy Symbol capability)