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Lappy9000
2009-05-05, 03:01 AM
For any DM's out there, I have a question for you: How often do you give out magic items to your players?

Now, naturally, I don't mean just handing them over (unless you actually do that), but how available you make magic items to your players. Do they live in a world where magic items are conveniences and a casual way of life, or are magic items powerful, deadly, and shrouded in mystery?

Personally, I fall closer to the latter. Very rarely do I award magic items after adventures, despite the world being fairly high-magic in nature. No-one seems to mind, after all, when they do get their hands on powerful weapons or arcane devices, it's a thing to celebrate.

So, yes, how available to you make magic items for your players?

Talic
2009-05-05, 03:08 AM
Both.

I treat them like technology.

Everyone can get a toaster. Not everyone can get a Flux Capacitor.

grautry
2009-05-05, 03:24 AM
Varies on the campaign.

Last time we played in a low-power(well, the world was low-power; the PCs were exceptional) but high-magic-item availability game. Basically, a gigantic war between the gods tore apart the multiverse and anyone of importance was drafted into the war. The survivors were the lowly peons and their descendants who hid in pocket realms. Since the war destroyed virtually anyone of importance, there were magic items by the bucketful - there was no one really to use them.

This time we're playing in a low-magic-item-availability world(kind of a LOTR-esque setting) but to compensate we get something along the lines of Vow of Poverty benefits.

I must admit that I like the second approach better. Magic items are truly special and one in a kind without causing further problems with D&D balance.

Satyr
2009-05-05, 03:28 AM
Magic items should be rare and mysterious, and therefore they need to be at least somewhat exclusive. I generally prefer to make items rare, but powerful and a decisive element of the character they belong to. I hate the dull and standardized magical items, as this is nothing but a waste of potential. In my campaigns every single magical item is effectively a minor artefact (a very minor one, in many cases), and is basically unique.
Than again, I mostly play Serpents and Sewers by now and this was especially designed so that characters are competent in themselves without being addicted to magical items.

ondonaflash
2009-05-05, 03:37 AM
One at the end of a Major Adventure, and an exceptionally potent one at the end of a campaign. Occasionally, powerful villains will carry additional magic items as well.

Kurald Galain
2009-05-05, 03:38 AM
For any DM's out there, I have a question for you: How often do you give out magic items to your players?
Usually I keep them rare; I don't like the "christmas tree" effect that people seem to expect of 3E and 4E.


are magic items powerful, deadly, and shrouded in mystery?
That, yes. I also tend to not fully explain what the item does, and let them figure it out over the course of the session.

Galileo
2009-05-05, 03:57 AM
Both.

I treat them like technology.

Everyone can get a toaster. Not everyone can get a Flux Capacitor.

Maybe where you come from. Here, toasters are banned and the hardest part of getting a Flux Capacitor is getting the DeLorean to stick it in.

Sinfire Titan
2009-05-05, 03:57 AM
I follow the WBL guidelines with regards to magical abilities that affect stats or duplicate spells, but I also tend to hand out a nice gob of treasure for the players taking down something far above their level.

For example: I recently rewarded my players for taking down a Large Bloodhulk despite it being a CR6 (they are 3 ECL 3 characters, so it had them out-gunned by a mile and a half) and not dying in the process. The were given the following items from a wish-list we worked out before the campaign began (we assigned their full 20th level WBL before actually starting, so I could map out treasure and track their progress).

2 Wands of Enlarge Person (modified with the Fortify spell feat, effectively a 2nd level spell)
1 Eternal Wand of Entangle
1 Wand of Impeding Stones
3 Minor Schemas of Lesser Restoration
2 Eternal Wands of Greater Shield
2 Wands of Lesser Vigor

That's a little over 30k GP. Despite that humongous bonus of treasure, none of it is exactly overly useful to them at this level (the Eternal Wand of Entangle, the Wand of Impeding Stones, and the wands of Enlarge Person are the most powerful items in the bundle in terms of offense, and they haven't even used a single charge yet).

For the record: They are a caster-less party, effectively. If I gave this to a party of Clerics, Druids, and Wizards, I'd be asking them to shoot me. The desperately needed this boost (and they haven't used a single item yet). Don't let that 30k fool you, every last one of those was carefully picked based on the benefits it would give the party. They won't be getting (decent) treasure for a little while.

The characters are a Shifter Totemist/Barbarian with Vow of Poverty, A Dragonborn Mongrelfolk Dragonfire Adept, and a Human Factotum. They are fairly optimized (the VoP feat won't start hurting the Totemist until about 15th level, and even then he can bypass the weaknesses thanks to his Soulmleds and build options), but even still they nearly died to the Bloodhulk (a good roll from the Totemist is what ended up killing it, but that was after he needed a healing spell from a hireling).

monty
2009-05-05, 03:59 AM
the hardest part of getting a Flux Capacitor is getting the DeLorean to stick it in.

Not the 1.21 jigawatts?

Starscream
2009-05-05, 04:09 AM
I tend to be fairly generous, but I prefer to hand out items that are quirky and strange than those that are strictly powerful.

For instance, I'd much rather give my players a potion of Reduce Person than one of Enlarge Person. Even though they are of equal level and value, Reduce is more likely to be used in an interesting, creative, and out of combat manner, whereas Enlarge will just be chugged by the barbarian next time the party faces something tough so he can dish out more damage.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, turning into the Incredible Hulk is every barbarian's dream, but it's too predictable. I like the idea of presenting my players will challenges that they might already have the solution to in their inventories, if they are just clever enough to see it.

AslanCross
2009-05-05, 04:43 AM
I stick with treasure guidelines as much as possible and tend to give out "cute" magic items: highly situational (or-one shot), interesting ones, instead of "awesome" ones that the PCs are going to end up using in every encounter, more than some of their own class features.

I run mostly Eberron now, so much of the knowledge of magic is applied as public-access technology (everbright lanterns, lightning trains, dragonshards)--but access to high-level spellcasting is extremely limited. For example, while you could probably buy scrolls of 2nd level spells, it's almost impossible to find a cleric who can cast resurrection---clergy are typically experts.

Talic
2009-05-05, 05:05 AM
I'm glad my reference was caught. It was either that or the "nuclear wessels".

Tsotha-lanti
2009-05-05, 05:17 AM
It depends on the campaign, because each setting has its own tone, and the rarity or proliferation of magic is part of the tone.

Forgotten Realms - WBL, Aurora's Magic Shoppe, the works. This held true in AD&D, too, because I grew up on the Gold Box AD&D computer games.

Dragonlance - Each magical item has a story and/or a purpose.

Dark Sun - What's a "magic item" ? Say, would you heroes be interested in raiding the Dragon's pyramid? I hear there's an iron helmet inside, and I'll pay you a hundred gallons of water for it!

Ravenloft - Magic? You mean Faeries? Pshaw, children's tales -aarggh an Arak is eating me!

In other games, the tone similarly decides how common magic is. In Glorantha, it's always the person who's more important than the weapon, even when that weapon is the power of Death made manifest in the mortal realm. In Middle-Earth, magic is almost always subtle and tied to apparently mundane physical manifestations, and the items reflect this. And so on...

Morty
2009-05-05, 08:57 AM
I don't have much experience DMing D&D - I GMed freeform and other systems, but D&D I've just played - but if I were to run it, I'd stick to WBL guidelines as long as it'd make sense - the exception would be that I'd much rather give a PC one strong item than several weak ones. That, and for non-casters I much prefer items that provide static bonuses. It helps reduce the "magic is more flashy technology" feel a little bit, which is always good.

kieza
2009-05-05, 10:15 AM
I generally stick to WBL (4e), but I try to give each player an artifact-style weapon tailored precisely for them.

In terms of availability, they get stuff from adventuring as loot, but if they want to buy stuff, it gets complicated: they can make items themselves, but only up to their level; if they want to get something more powerful, they need to find a magecrafter who can make it, and that can take time, not to mention the magecrafter might have a backlog of commissions. On occasion, they find what they're looking for on the secondhand market, but that doesn't happen often. (5% chance, more for common items like Magic +x)

Starbuck_II
2009-05-05, 10:41 AM
Maybe where you come from. Here, toasters are banned and the hardest part of getting a Flux Capacitor is getting the DeLorean to stick it in.


Do you use the standard one or the bio-converter that uses any organic compound?
Featured in BttF Part 2.

Zhalath
2009-05-05, 03:56 PM
When my players get a magic item, I'm sure that that's what they're getting. In my games, magic items are important, usually. The players can buy them, but only really weak ones. Big items are plot devices.

Knaight
2009-05-05, 04:40 PM
It varies highly depending on setting, but the average is probably low to none, and if you take the modern and science fiction out, the average is still medium to low. The highest magic game I have ever run makes making magic items easy. On the other hand, they tend to take up about 500-1000 calories a day each, so killing somebody and taking them doesn't work well, and if you tried to approach typical 3.5 christmas tree you would have to spend the majority of your time eating. Stuff can hit the food supply still, so that's pretty risky.

TheCountAlucard
2009-05-05, 04:41 PM
I try and make magic items available to players, but I try and spice the items up a little. For instance, if one of the PCs finds a +1 shocking longsword, it may or may not have other traits, like keeping track of its number of kills and telepathically informing the PC of where the PC stands compared to its "high score."

horseboy
2009-05-05, 04:46 PM
I don't run D&D, so I'll try and convert the concepts over.
For Booster potions (CLW Pots), poultrices (resist poisons) they're basically just aloe, comfrey and ginseng (or local equivalent) given a slight half-magic kick. As such they're pretty common anywhere plants grow. For full on Healing potions ( CSW pot) require a lab like glass work so are far less common out in BFE. Blood Charms are generally available in Head Shop like places, so the city needs to be big enough to support such a clientele.
Things with elemental kernels woven into them (Clothes that don't get dirty, tea kettles that heat water without a fire) are available anywhere there's an Upper Middle Class.
Thread items (Magic items, though they all function kinda like Weapons of Renown) are only available in Major Metropolitan areas. Even then you're not guaranteed to find something specific. It takes a master Weaponsmith 9 months to make a suit of threaded plate armour, so yeah, he may only make one every 5 years or so. Unless you want to commission one and wait a year to get it. It doesn't even do anything "cool" like float, or have the ability to look like a Tux during formal occasions, it's just "+'s". I usually weave in one major item per player. Once they've got that one mastered then they get a second. Meanwhile I build something thematic and cool for each character, it also gets woven in, kinda like:
Roliatah’s Honour Braid

Worn by the human Roliatah, this honour braid is dedicated to his second mount Jadewing. Jadewing was a griffon that was brought down with a flame cannon from a Theran Kila. The fall had nearly killed them both. Roliatah performed the Ritual of the Hero for Jadewing. He wore the braid for the rest of his life. He always had a very strong tie to his mounts and used every opportunity to improve his mounts though whatever magic he could find. That honour braid became the pattern item symbolizing his love for his mount(s).

Max Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 9

Rank 1: 200
Key Knowledge: Must learn the name of the item, (Thereby learning the rider’s name) and the name of Jadewing.
Effect: +1 Mount’s Physical Defense.

Rank 2: 300
Effect: +2 Mount’s Physical Defense. +1 Mount’s Spell Defense

Rank 3: 500
Key Knowledge: He must learn the name of the vessel that shot down Jadewing
Effect: Bloodshare +1; +1 Mount attack

Rank 4: 800
Effect: +2 Mount Spell Defense, +2 Mount attack

Rank 5: 1000
Deed: Must find the grave of Jadewing and erect a monument. This is worth 500 legend points.

Effect: Bloodshare +2, +3 Mount attack.

Satyr
2009-05-05, 05:01 PM
Yes, magical items that grow with the character are a neat trick, especially when a character has to fulfil a certain task to "unlock" the item's powers. The character becomes more attached to such an item and it will play a larger role in the character's vita and adventures.

TheCountAlucard
2009-05-05, 05:17 PM
Yes, magical items that grow with the character are a neat trick, especially when a character has to fulfil a certain task to "unlock" the item's powers. The character becomes more attached to such an item and it will play a larger role in the character's vita and adventures.Yep. That's why Weapons of Legacy had so much potential, but disappointed so many people... :smallfrown:

ZeroNumerous
2009-05-05, 05:23 PM
Both.

I treat them like technology.

Everyone can get a toaster. Not everyone can get a Flux Capacitor.

Basically this is what I subscribe to as well. +1 Longswords are dimes a dozen if you're fighting the right foe. +6 stat items or similar items are much less common.

chiasaur11
2009-05-05, 05:54 PM
I'm glad my reference was caught. It was either that or the "nuclear wessels".

Now say it in Russian!

afroakuma
2009-05-05, 05:59 PM
In my own campaign setting, magic items are doled out like the artifacts in Valkyrie Profile: most of the time, your jobs involve hunting one down on behalf of your employer. Very rarely will you obtain them yourself, but they're out there, they're available and if you really wanted one it would be no great shakes to just take one.

Curmudgeon
2009-05-05, 08:51 PM
Magic items as treasure? All enemies are equipped with the most appropriate magic items for their needs, and PCs have access to all of that stuff when they win the battles. But specific magic items? That depends on the item. Straight numerical enhancements on weapons, and commonly used items like most potions and Heward's Handy Haversacks are readily available. Other things require either a shopping quest (mostly to get to a big city), or for the PCs to learn to Craft things for themselves. Strange items like Dust of Sneezing and Choking may require a major quest.

tcrudisi
2009-05-05, 11:07 PM
I try to follow the WBL chart in 4e. I feel cheated if I am playing and the DM doesn't follow the WBL. An example is when my level 7 Bard picked up a level 28 periapt; I was aghast. Of course, it was also the first magical item that my Bard had picked up in his career, which annoyed me. After all, the monsters are statted and designed to be fought by appropriately geared PC's. When you start getting off the WBL chart, you end up screwing with the encounters (either making them too hard or too easy), and that is frustrating as both a player and a DM. At level 7 I should have a +2 magical weapon. If I don't have a magical weapon, then I will hit 10% less often than I otherwise should, and that can be very dangerous.

monty
2009-05-05, 11:12 PM
I try to follow the WBL chart in 4e. I feel cheated if I am playing and the DM doesn't follow the WBL. An example is when my level 7 Bard picked up a level 28 periapt; I was aghast. Of course, it was also the first magical item that my Bard had picked up in his career, which annoyed me. After all, the monsters are statted and designed to be fought by appropriately geared PC's. When you start getting off the WBL chart, you end up screwing with the encounters (either making them too hard or too easy), and that is frustrating as both a player and a DM. At level 7 I should have a +2 magical weapon. If I don't have a magical weapon, then I will hit 10% less often than I otherwise should, and that can be very dangerous.

If encounters are that dependent on precisely what gear you have, then either the DM doesn't know how to estimate challenges properly or you're doing something seriously wrong.

afroakuma
2009-05-05, 11:20 PM
If encounters are that dependent on precisely what gear you have, then either the DM doesn't know how to estimate challenges properly or you're doing something seriously wrong.

No, I tried to debate this with a 4E player and got a very similar answer. It really is geared to run like a CRPG or MMORPG - you apparently do need the right gear at the right level to fight the right monsters.

Makes it hard to design a low-magic, grimdark 4E campaign world, I can tell you. :smallfrown:

monty
2009-05-05, 11:28 PM
No, I tried to debate this with a 4E player and got a very similar answer. It really is geared to run like a CRPG or MMORPG - you apparently do need the right gear at the right level to fight the right monsters.

Makes it hard to design a low-magic, grimdark 4E campaign world, I can tell you. :smallfrown:

Every time I come across a 4E discussion, it makes me glad my friends still play 3.5 - or better, other systems entirely.

The way I see it, equipment is inherently temporary, as opposed to feats or class levels or whatever. Having to design encounters based on something that can be so easily given or taken away seems silly to me. Obviously, you need some reasonable expectation, so you don't have the paladin dual-wielding Holy Avengers against the level 1 kobolds, but some deviation should be able to be absorbed by the system.

nightwyrm
2009-05-05, 11:36 PM
If encounters are that dependent on precisely what gear you have, then either the DM doesn't know how to estimate challenges properly or you're doing something seriously wrong.

You're not dependent on having a specific item in 4e, you're dependent on having an item. Any +X item appropriate for your level would be ok, the special abilities of the item is just gravy and relatively minor. You don't even need the exact bonus for a particular level. Every +1 that you're off from the expected +X is simply a 5% difference in the hit rate. A 5-10% is usually not that big a deal in most games.



Makes it hard to design a low-magic, grimdark 4E campaign world, I can tell you. :smallfrown:

Running low magic is actually much easier in 4e than in 3.x. Because the math behind 4e is so transparent, all the DM need to do is to incorporate the bonuses you would've got from magic items into the PC levelling structure and not actually give out anything, then the numbers would still work out.

tcrudisi
2009-05-06, 08:54 PM
You're not dependent on having a specific item in 4e, you're dependent on having an item. Any +X item appropriate for your level would be ok, the special abilities of the item is just gravy and relatively minor. You don't even need the exact bonus for a particular level. Every +1 that you're off from the expected +X is simply a 5% difference in the hit rate. A 5-10% is usually not that big a deal in most games.

QFT.


Running low magic is actually much easier in 4e than in 3.x. Because the math behind 4e is so transparent, all the DM need to do is to incorporate the bonuses you would've got from magic items into the PC levelling structure and not actually give out anything, then the numbers would still work out.

Once again: QFT. Having run both systems, 4e really makes it easy on the DM when it comes to transparency and buffing/unbuffings monsters.


If encounters are that dependent on precisely what gear you have, then either the DM doesn't know how to estimate challenges properly or you're doing something seriously wrong.

In this case, I will blame the DM. His method for giving out magical items is nothing short of pure madness. The casters never receive magical implements; they must be purchased. The ranger practically started with an artifact sword. The rogue at level 4 had a +3 magical sword (level 13 magical item). I didn't receive any magical items until ~ level 6 or 7 whenever I received the level 28 amulet. And yeah: in either 3.x or 4e you can tell a difference whenever you greatly distort magical items in that way. He wasn't changing the encounters. In fact, he likes to throw overpowered encounters at the party where the casters require a natural roll of 19+ to hit and the melee's (due to superior magical weapons and a bias towards melee) need a 13+ usually. It shows. That's why when I run 4e I always make sure to follow the WBL chart in my games: and it shows. My players typically hit on rolls of 10+ (all of them) in normal encounters ... which is about the 50% hit rate that I imagine players should usually have. My players don't get frustrated, they are constantly receiving magical items as the WBL chart suggests, and they are happy. To me, that is what speaks volumes -- they are happy, whereas in the game where the DM doesn't follow the WBL chart, we are disgruntled.

Lappy9000
2009-05-06, 10:27 PM
Running low magic is actually much easier in 4e than in 3.x. Because the math behind 4e is so transparent, all the DM need to do is to incorporate the bonuses you would've got from magic items into the PC levelling structure and not actually give out anything, then the numbers would still work out.And that is less work...how? :smalleek:

monty
2009-05-06, 10:30 PM
Running low magic is actually much easier in 4e than in 3.x. Because the math behind 4e is so transparent, all the DM need to do is to incorporate the bonuses you would've got from magic items into the PC levelling structure and not actually give out anything, then the numbers would still work out.

I just eyeball the encounter difficulties, and give out experience relatively arbitrarily based on how I feel they performed. Most of the time, I don't even look at CR. I'm not entirely sure how it can be easier than that.

Waspinator
2009-05-07, 01:04 AM
The problems seem to come in when a DM is not following the standard wealth-by-level rules but sends enemies at the party that are on the standard that a normal wealth-by-level party would fight. There are ways to make D&D lower-magic and less item-dependent (see Midnight), but you need to modify the standards the enemy is held to also if you don't want things to get horribly unbalanced.

nightwyrm
2009-05-07, 01:47 AM
And that is less work...how? :smalleek:

This is due in part to 3.x's calculation of WBL by actually using the total gp values of the PC's items. It's less transparent what the effects of reducing wealth would be on a character's power. Also, compared with 4e items, 3.x items have a lot more variety of effects. 3.x items offers mobility options, ability to bypass damage reduction or immunities, stat increases, defensive capabilities beyond simple increases to AC or saves etc. Giving out less 3.x wealth is gonna have a greater effect than making the character have a lower chance of hitting or a greater chance of getting hit. Trying to rebalance a less wealthy 3.x PC for their level to the CR system is gonna be more difficult overall.

nightwyrm
2009-05-07, 02:16 AM
I just eyeball the encounter difficulties, and give out experience relatively arbitrarily based on how I feel they performed. Most of the time, I don't even look at CR. I'm not entirely sure how it can be easier than that.

Then you aren't really working with the 3.x system are you? That's like saying Windows runs perfectly coz I use a Mac. (For the record, I'm a PC guy). If your group of lv 20 PCs enjoys killing the orcs you throw at them, that's perfectly fine, but that's not what the 3.x CR system expects lv 20 PCs to be doing.

The wealth-by-level and the encounter balance system (whether 3.x CR or 4e xp allocation) are intrinsically linked. The whole WBL expectation came about because there was an effort to figure out what level of difficulty of monsters would be a good fight of a party of PCs of a certain level. When the game designers came up with the monster difficulty scale, they had to make certain assumptions. They could either assume that the PCs have no magical gear, or they could assume the PCs have a certain amount of magical gear. If they designed the scale assuming the PCs have no magic gear, then any magic items the DM gave out would make the fight easier than what the scale would indicate. If the designers assumed a certain amount of magic gear, then the scale would only be correct if the PCs actually have that amount of gear and the abilities those gear offers. Thus WBL is created and deviations from that WBL would require the DM to recalibrate the monster difficulty scale.

If you're an experienced DM, you certainly can eyeball a lot of things and make it work out fine. Afterall, it's the only option available in pre-3.x editions. But if you want to create a monster difficulty scale (for newbie DMs, busy DMs, etc.) then you need to create a WBL expectation to match that scale.

For 4e, the outcome of deviations from that expected WBL is fairly obvious (it's mostly a simple matter of having different numerical bonuses) and it's easy to know what you need to do to either recalibrate the monster difficulty scale or how to make adjustments to the PCs so they would still work with the original scale. But for 3.x, the outcome of deviation from WBL is not so obvious and thus makes it harder for games with devations (both low wealth and high wealth) to use the CR system and have it work correctly.

Draz74
2009-05-07, 02:22 AM
If I'm DMing 3.5, I give in to the "Christmas Tree Effect" and just hand out most magical loot pretty freely (but make the players work hard to customize their loot -- no well-stocked "magic shops").

In my homebrew system, though, I'll be getting much closer to the "magic items are rare and have specific purposes, and grow along with their wielder" concept. Hopefully that will make it easier for DMs to give many of them names and histories and make them meaningful story devices.


Now say it in Russian!

Funny thing, that -- just shows how little Americans knew about Russia during the Cold War. Ensign Chekhov has trouble saying the "v" sound, it comes out "w"; but real Russians have trouble saying the "w" sound, it comes out as a "v."

Gralamin
2009-05-07, 04:40 AM
And that is less work...how? :smalleek:

At level 1, level 6, level 11, level 16, level 21, and level 26 the bonus increases by 1. So, for an easy way consistent with system expectations, split this into two steps:

Step 1) Character Creation
If you are level 1, skip this step.
At non-level 1 character creation a character should have Item of level +1, level, level -1, and gold of level -1. In a low magic campaign, the easiest way is to basically assign these for your players: "Level +1 went to Weapon, Level went to armor, Level -1 went to Neck slot". Then look at which bonus that would give based on the above (Or use the formula floor([X-1]/5 + 1), where X is the level), and give that bonus to the players.

Step 1 example: A group makes level 15 characters. You decide the 16 slot goes to weapon, the 15 to Armor, and the 14 to neck. You then find the bonuses ([16-1]/5 + 1 = 4, [15-1]/5 + 1 = 3, [14-1]/5 + 1 = 3). So the characters gain +4 to Hit and Damage, and +3 to all defenses.

Step 2) Loot.
Look at the Loot the game expects to be handed out to the PCs. Whenever an Item would give a higher enhancement bonus, instead work it into the story and improve the PCs bonus in that area.

Step 2 example: A level 1 character in the group should receive a level 3 item. [3-1]/5+1 = 1, which is above a level 1's +0. So the DM works it into the story, and the character gains +1 to Attack and Damage.

----

If even that is to complicated, and you want an easier system:
At level 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30, A character gains +1 to Attack, Damage, and all defenses.
If you want PCs to only get up to +5, instead they get it at 6, 11, 16, 21, 26.
If you want PCs to only get up to +4, instead they get it at 7, 14, 21, 28.
If you want PCs to only get up to +3, instead they get it at 5, 15, 25.
If you want PCs to have less then +3, its best to think better of it.

Lappy9000
2009-05-07, 07:18 PM
Far too complex

Also far too complex
Or just eyeball it :smallbiggrin:

My players have fun this way, and that's really all that matters! :smallcool:

shadzar
2009-05-07, 09:29 PM
The recent editions of D&D make me sick as player and DM both with how much people want to depend on magic items.

When I DM, I give very few magic items. If you will have need of a +X weapon later, then you will get it to make sure you have at least one or two in the party.

All other items must be made by the players if they want a make item.

Now they may come across a big city, that has something wherein some mission will require more than they have, so to help and for their services the players will be allowed to choose from some items that could be found in the local treasury.

In my games you would never stroll up and find Ye Olde Magick Shoppe. Not would you find a potions store. You are more than likely to find an herbalist or apothecary that would help a local church and a party member create some potions of some sort.

I do try to include odd magic items when called for in treasure tables. But it won't be something made for class/race combo X.

If you find magic armor, it was there as-is, because I design things like that prior to knowing the players character choices, to make it more fair. No possible way of playing favorites or accused of it that way.

Scrolls are found more often than other items, and may take time to identify as they may be written in odd magic texts, or written some other way that the casters of the party may easily recognize, but will be the same things they know of already.