quote:
Also, can she get a Balanced Silver-coated Orichalcum Jo...
2 lbs, $400, with Staff enchantment, holds up to 4 points as powerstone.
You cannot Balance a "fist or stick weapon". Jo staves are "stick weapons" regardless of material (by RAW).
You can't get the Staff enchantment on "non-organic" weapons. Orichalcum is metal.
As for the first... as per Kromm it's because the cost of the base weapon is too low. It is suggested that if a GM is going to allow it they raise the base cost of the stick or fist weapon to that of a "comparable" weapon. A Jo does sw+1 thr+1, the next closest two-handed weapon that is comparable is a Monk's Spade which costs $100. So treat the Jo as costing $100 for the Balanced upgrade... the other recommendation is apply the material cost first, then the Balance cost.
Instead of Orichalcum you want Dragonbone (from DF 8 Treasure Tables) so you can put Staff on it.
Dragonbone CF +24
Instead of wood for shafts and handles, weapons may be made with hard, lightweight, alchemically treated dragon bone, which is as durable as orichalcum. Dragonbone weapons and projectiles have the same benefits as orichalcum: They don’t break, and other weapons have a +2 chance of breaking when parrying a heavy dragonbone one. Dragon bone isn’t flexible, so bows may not be made from it.
Lastly, you want Sylvan...
Sylvan Staff: The hardest wood known to elf-kind has -1 to odds of breakage and can be made fine (+2 CF) for another -1 to odds of breakage. Its density concentrates the force of blows, giving +1 to damage as well! Wooden sticks (batons, light clubs, quarterstaffs, etc.) only: +15 CF.
Sylvan makes it 'Elven' for that valued 10% Elven price break you cheaty Elves get.
(Kromm has allowed that making a Sylvan Dragonbone Staff is perfectly okay if you want to drop the $$$ on it)
Also, Kromm allows any Sylvan staff to have Balanced added to it
after Sylvan (so apply the x4CF to $150).
Other modifiers you may have skipped;
Fine CF+2, adds +1 damage and decreases breakage by 1; Ornate +4 or +9, if you're thinking about going for a Power Item why not go whole hog; Silvered CF+2, for that day when you just have to beat a Wight to death with your staff.
Note, as per DF 8, Silvered counts towards part of the pricing of Decorative Embellishments, so Silvered CF+2 is equal to Ornate CF+1 (so you can reduce the CF of Ornate by 1 if you also make the item Silvered).
So... to sum up...
A Fine Balanced Silvered Sylvan Dragonbone Jo Staff (with Staff) is only $1,080 and has a PF 8 (based on a non-Enchanted price of $1,040).
Slap some Ornate on there at +3 ($80) and you slide up into PF 9. Add another $300 in "jewels or gilding or etc" and you can hit PF 10 (non-Enchanted value of $1,420, remember the Power item chart rounds
up to the nearest value).
[Fine $20 + Balanced $600 + Silvered $20 + Sylvan $150 + Dragonbone $240 + Jo $10 + Staff Enchant $40 = $1,080]