The mighty Magic Item Creation Rules.
I'm looking to create a custom Wondrous Item. All the applicable cost schemes are either for standard action activation or continuous. I'd like to have activation take a swift action (although an immediate action or free action would be nice too).
Are there any published rules for creating such an item? What are they?
The section Creating Magic Items says
Using metamagic feats, a caster can place spells in items at a higher level than normal.
Thus, by incorporating a spell modified by the metamagic feat Quicken Spell into the creation of a custom magic item (therefore substantially increasing one or more prerequisite spells' effective levels therefore the item's market price), the item could possibly be activated as a swift action. Like all custom magic items, however, actually creating such an item hinges upon the GM, but this is, at least, a starting point for negotiations.
Examples of existing items that have as a creation prerequisite the feat Quicken Spell include the spell totem, which is like a minor ring of spell storing except that the wearer can take a swift action to use a stored spell when the wearer assumes animal form, and (with a different kind of activation time yet a similar and interesting effect) the ring of vengeful blood magic, which allows a bloodraging wearer thrice per day to cast as an attack of opportunity a 3rd-level-or-less casting-time-of-1-standard-action-or-less spell.
(Many magic items take a swift action to activate without needing the feat Quicken Spell as a creation prerequisite. However, no guidelines exist for creating these besides, as always, comparing them to existing items.)
It depends on the creation and the magic spell that is being imbued into the item. As described from below from Pazio.
To use a magic item, it must be activated, although sometimes activation simply means putting a ring on your finger. Some items, once donned, function constantly. In most cases, though, using an item requires a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. By contrast, spell completion items are treated like spells in combat and do provoke attacks of opportunity. Activating a magic item is a standard action unless the item description indicates otherwise. However, the casting time of a spell is the time required to activate the same power in an item, regardless of the type of magic item, unless the item description specifically states otherwise.
Now this says that most activations will be of a standard action. However certain items that say otherwise (and will be noted within the items stats) will/can be used as that given action (weather it be free/swift/movement).
And the hyper link is as follows if you wish to look further into it. As it will go thru each of the four magic item activations..
