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Hal
2009-06-08, 11:30 AM
One of the things that has stuck in my mind with 4e and loot is the distribution of magic items. It's not terribly useful when my DMs use random loot; the utility of the item might best benefit someone who's already swimming in magic items, but selling the items at 1/5 their purchase price is a terrible waste. However, it breaks both immersion and flow when the DM says, "Okay, you find a level 5 magic item. Make it whatever you want." Good for the player who gets it, but it tends to result in ~20 min. breaks where players are delving through AV to find something suitably useful.

I might be DMing in the near future, and I had an idea I wanted to run past the fine folk here.

My plan was to first do loot almost entirely in gold pieces, with consummable magic items thrown in (because most players don't want to spend much money on something they can't keep).

As for weapons and armor, here was my idea: Give the players one "versatile" weapon and some "versatile" armor. The weapon/armor can change form only so long as that player holds on to it. The armor would be able to change type (in case a player took training in hide/scale/plate). The weapon would be restricted by type; it can be any heavy blade, but it can't turn into a crossbow.

These items would always be a magic weapon/armor with an enchantment at or below the character's current level. The player can change the enchantment on the weapon or armor, but only during a short rest, and there is still only one use of a daily power through the equipment, even if you change its enchantment.

My main motivation for this was to get away from handing out magic items in the fashion I've seen so far. It'll give the players a chance to try out different enchantments on gear to see what works for them (hopefully without slowing down the game to find a new enchantment after every encounter). Plus, I'd like to think that this could be an interesting plot device.

This isn't helpful to characters who dual-wield, but I figure the flow of gold should make it possible to buy secondary weapons (or items for other slots).

I worry this could be over-powering, since the players wouldn't be stuck with whatever decision they made on their equipment, but the gear would never be enchanted above current level and would require time to "adjust," so I'm not sure how overpowered it could be.

Any thoughts?

Starsinger
2009-06-08, 11:34 AM
That's a very neat idea, if it doesn't pan you, you could try the traditional wish lists (ask every player for a few items of each level that they would like and then you have a smaller amount of randomized loot to pick from), or you could have magic items come in the form of "phlebotinum shards" which a blacksmith/artificer/whatever have you can forge into an appropriate item during off time.

lordhack
2009-06-08, 02:06 PM
Sounds pretty good, I'm running my first 4e campaign at the moment, and I don't think doing that would unbalance the game at all, and if it does, it might be making them too weak rather than too strong. Most loot given out, according to the treasure tables, should be above the level of the PCs. You may want to allow them any enchantment 2 levels higher than themselves. Anyway, report how it turns out.

Mando Knight
2009-06-08, 03:18 PM
You can also make all of the found weapons/armors "coincidentally" be those most often used by the party, like making a Holy Avenger Bastard Sword available if there's a Bastard Sword-wielding Paladin in the group, but give them a Vanguard Execution Axe if there's an often-charging Dwarf Fighter instead.

Kurald Galain
2009-06-08, 03:25 PM
Two words: Transfer Enchantment.

It's a ritual that essentially converts a +3 Sword of Mystic Awesomeness and a plain old spear, into a +3 Spear of Mystic Awesomeness and a plain old sword.

Or, well, you could subscribe to the idea that players ought to be happy with, and try to make the best use of, the items they've got, rather than pick a build off the internet and expect to get the items required to make it work.

Tiki Snakes
2009-06-08, 03:26 PM
You could always just have them pick 'signature' equipment. A certain heirloom weapon, armour, etc. Rather than giving them periodic replacements, focus on the heroic, iconic nature of their characters and give them item-levels instead. (So their weapons do not change, really, just become more powerful as they go on.)

You could fluff it in any number of ways. Weapons bathing in the escaping souls of those they slay - Their Fate and the forces surrounding them slowly infusing their Chosen Weapon - Their constant travelling to weird planes and sinister places infusing the items with arcane power, etc.

Then, if they did want to change the Type of Enchantment, or so on, they can always just make use of the appropriate enchantment switching rituals, etc. whichever they were.