Revealing magic item powers

[Vagnarok]

How should one go about telling the PCs about a magic item that is only activated with a command word? I don't want to have my players to ignore a magic item just because they don't know what it does... Is there a way that I can get them to figure it out in game without me just telling them when they acquire the item?

[Hat-Trick]

Make them research it, have an NPC give it to them, maybe the instructions are written in draconic on it somewhere?

[Douglas]

Let the party wizard cast Identify on it? Or if there is no party wizard, make it easy to find an NPC willing to do it for them for an appropriate fee.

[Deth Muncher]

It's been said here on the forums, but I forget who by, so I'll repeat it: Sometimes, if you want PCs to use a magic item they have, have it so that a PDF file pops into their head when they pick it up, full of all the instructions on how to use it.

If you want them to work a bit harder, have someone make a Spellcraft check, or cast Identify.

[quick_comment]

Or make the command word something they might say.

[Istari]

Have the item give out a little magic and provide hints with it
Example: A healing ring
"As you finger around with the ring you feel a bit refreshed as though the ring is giving you some energy but its only a trickle."

Basically, have the item do very minor things associated with whatever it does so they experiment with it and try to activate it for real.

[ghost_warlock]

Or make the command word something they might say.

Good Command Words:
"Mine!"
"Gimme!"
"Die!"
"Brothel."

Bad Command Words:
"Please."
"Willy-Nilly."
"Speedo."
"Snugglebunny."

[Kyeudo]

I like to use "what" when using the "word they might say" method.

[MickJay]

Common command words are good if you want item to be triggered, but then why was a word so easy to accidentally say set to activate a powerful(?) magic item? I think it's better to either leave some clue, or make sure the item gets identified somehow.

[Vagnarok]

Well, I'm currently running a homebrew campaign world where arcane spells are extremely rare (thus far), so I'm hard pressed to give the PCs a way to cast identify or anything. It's fairly rare that they find magic items, so up until now I've just been writing hints on them in various languages, but some of them are more difficult. I might just go with the PDF suggestion, but that feels kind of like a cop out.

I was thinking of making the command word a commonly said word, but how would that translate for languages? If my character doesn't speak elven, but the word is in elven it's not terribly likely that he'd activate his item by accident. Considering this, I might make the weapons' words sensitive to meaning/intent, so that the actual language doesn't matter, as long as they want to talk about ice or something.

[shadzar]

Identify. If 4th edition, and no ritual exists, create one.

[Riffington]

Well, I'm currently running a homebrew campaign world where arcane spells are extremely rare (thus far), so I'm hard pressed to give the PCs a way to cast identify or anything. It's fairly rare that they find magic items, so up until now I've just been writing hints on them in various languages, but some of them are more difficult. I might just go with the PDF suggestion, but that feels kind of like a cop out.

Well, if spells are rare, magic items probably are as well. You have a few good options:
1. In the Forgotten Realms, most items basically self-identify.
2. If magic items are rare, they likely have associated legends. Bards probably know these legends.
3. leave clues/puzzles. This is fun if they like puzzles.
4. give them a magic item that casts identify once per day.

[kieza]

My approach: let the players work on it, roll dice when they say something with the intent of activating it, and if it's appropriate and the dice say 'yes', they were right. It saves the trouble of getting the party to pick up on hints, but gives them a sense of accomplishment when they succeed. I recommend aiming for 71-100 on d%.

[Cedrass]

A thread I did a while ago, may have some answers you seek: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111175

[BigPapaSmurf]

Dont forget it does not have to be a command word, you can put a switch or puzzle lock on the thing, have it triggered by thought/concentration, trigger it by a particular set movement, etc.

Just cause you don't have Identify doesnt mean you can't make something up that is not in a book. Have a method of meditation which can look inward, have a psychic which can see flashes of the objects past, have a special priest who can pray for enlightenment to his/her god(s), or just have the guy they killed have a diary cause his memory sucks(like the people who write their pin number on the back of their ATM card.)

[hewhosaysfish]

4. give them a magic item that casts identify once per day.

Now that's just cruel. :smallwink:

[Emy]

Drop them in an item shop. The cheapest scrolls are the ones of identify.

Wait, wrong game.

[Yuki Akuma]

"After fiddling with the thing for a few minutes, you work out that it is an x, and does y."

This is how it works by default in 4th edition. Which is why there's no Identify ritual.