How do you guys (DM's) deal with this?

[questionmark693]

Your players find a magic item. None of them are arcane casters, so nobody has identify. I used to have them roll spellcraft checks to identify magic items and their command words, but at level one to five ish, thats less feasible. So how do you guys let your players find out what a magic item is?

[OldTrees1]

1) Have them test it. Try the sword in battle, search the rod for a command word, put on the ring and jump off a 15ft ledge.

2) Pay for an identify in town.

3) Tell the PCs as if it were identified.

[questionmark693]

Is it not super wrong to just tell them what it is?

[Tim Proctor]

Have them spend 110 gp to have it identified in a town.

[Telonius]

I tell them what it is when they get it. Identifying items is one of the parts of the game that's been in my "No fun for anyone" file ever since I started playing.

[hymer]

I'm in the 'Just tell them' camp. There are too many magical items in 3.X for it to be fun to identify them individually.

[Diarmuid]

One of the FR books mentions a variant rule where magic items will self-identify 50% of the time (or maybe 40%).

The other options are what people have mentioned. Honestly, levels 1-5 the group really shouldnt be finding all that many magic items that identifying them should take all that much effort.

Read Magic will identify scrolls, Spellcraft can identify potions, and paying others for the effort is always an option if they have access to people.

Another easy thing is to simply put an Artificer's Monocle (MIC p72) into the loot somewhere. It's fairly cheap (1,500gp) and turns anyone who can cast Detect Magic and has some ranks in Knowledge: Arcana into an item identifying savant.

[Kudaku]

Kind of depends on the situation... Which is a dull answer.

In general I make them have someone identify it if they can't do it on their own.

However I also tend to offer "non-treasure" rewards for quests as they progress in the storyline. In my last campaign the party knew a friendly bard back in town *cough Chask cough* who would do free on-the-spot spellcraft checks for them because they always bring him the most wonderfully interesting objects.

This gradually also extends to having conditions removed at the local temple, have the local sage provide knowledge checks, the local inn providing food, lodging and mounts free of charge etc.

In general the costs involved are negligible and it's a nice way to make the party bond with NPCs in the area and make the local town memorable :smallsmile:

[Crustypeanut]

I used to be in the "Just tell them" department, but I've found it much more rewarding to make them figure out what it is themselves.

I play PF, so identifying items is as simple as a Spellcraft Check while Detecting Magic, though, so its not that difficult. At a DC of 15+Item's CL, they can easily identify almost anything they'd get at a low level anyways. Except an Ioun Stone. I recently threw them an Ioun Torch and.. it boggles me that it has a CL of 12th, requiring a DC 27 to identify. Heh, they're going to be disappointed in that one, thats for sure.

The Pearl of Power I requires a DC 32, which none of them can reach at level 3. Not that it is much use anyways, since we have no prepared arcane casters.

But.. for a few days they carried around a Potion of CLW that their two casters (At least, their two casters with spellcraft) failed to identify due to horrible rolls. They assumed it was a potion of healing, but didnt' want to risk testing it just in case. They were relieved that their assumptions were correct when they finally got around to identifying it, though.

So.. I like making my players work on figuring out what their items are when they find 'em. Makes them eagerly want to find out what they are if they can't do so immediately, and it makes for a good experience in my opinion.

But, not all groups are the same, so its reasonable enough for some to just tell 'em.

[manyslayer]

Count another for the just tell them. I figure as long as someone in the group has detect magic and some ranks in Knowledge: Arcana and/or Spellcraft they should be able to figure it out during their next downtime.

[Silva Stormrage]

I second an artificer's monocole. Its pretty useful.

[Suddo]

Wizard (or Sorc or Artificer)NPC that is just in the group to find new and interesting items to learn more things. Depending on the level he can try and go for Signature Spell Identify or simply min/max his Spellcraft.

[nedz]

By the book.
Some items you can work out without too much trouble, others require an identify. If you think this is bad you should have played AD&D where Identify itself was unreliable, more so at high level due to the increased chance of spurious results.

[Rogue Shadows]

Test it.

Or alternatively, make an Appraise check or a Bardic Knowledge check, with drastically reduced DCs from what the epic level rules enforce:

Potion or scroll: 10 + caster level
Armor, shield, weapon, ring, staff, wand, or wondrous item: 15 + caster level
Rod: 20 + caster level
Minor artifact: 25 + caster level
Major artifact: 50

[Trasilor]

For me, this has always been a big "It Depends"

Generally for any static boost (stat, to hit, AC, resistance, etc), I flavor-fully explain that item is of significantly superior quality to their current gear and then tell them the bonus. I mean, do you really want to constantly adjust rolls to reflect the magical enhancement? Their knowledge if a sword is MW vs +1 is immaterial to the sword's damage.:smallamused:

Otherwise pretty basic rules:
Scrolls must simply be read magically
Wands - spell craft check usually works (only if they can actually use it)
Rings - By the time they can get these, they can afford the Identify by the local wizard.
Staffs - I don't normally give these out, but they can afford the 110 gp spell
Rods - again, not normally given out, but they can afford the 110 gp spell
Wonderous Items - They usually have figure it out.

For simple things, usually the item will have some simple clue. More interesting things require at least a knowledge arcana / detect magic combo. Unique items need to figure out via spell, or other deductive purposes.

Also, some of my players will wear the item before understanding what it does. This can be fun if the item 'kick in' at very opportune/misfortune times.

[qwertyu63]

Unless it is plot important, just tell them what it is. More fun that way.

[Diarmuid]

Maybe that's more fun for you, but some people find the efforts of discovery and the reward of gaining that information fun as well.

As with most questions about how to handle something specifically...it depends on what your group enjoys about the game.

[Raven777]

Go to town, stay awhile, and listen!

[lytokk]

I've gotten rid of the identify spell completely. Instead, all I make them do is a knowledge (arcana, religion or psionics) roll to determine the item. DC is 10 + caster level required to craft the item. Also bardic knowledge works. I know religion isn't 100% applicable to the figuring out how a magic item works, but I felt that divine characters needed some ability to figure these things out.

[Icewraith]

Mostly just tell them, or try for a knowledge (arcana) check. There are always exceptions though. Just like a good chunk of combat can get really boring if you know the DM's not legitimately (but fairly) trying to kill your characters, magic items become tame if there's not the occasional backbiter sword, belt of giant strength and gender changing, or Rod of One Durr thrown in.

(The Rod of Wonder is usually vendored by cautious players anyway since it can be dangerous and unpredictable. The Rod of One Durr identifies as a fully charged Rod of Wonder, but when used in any type of mercantile transaction generates a magic mouth that says "DURRRRRRRRRRRRRR" and then disintegrates. NPCs within 60 ft must make a DC 35 sense Motive check or immediately become hostile to the adventurers apparently trying to sell fake magic items. Vengeful intelligent creatures with double or triple standard treasure often keep one or two in their hoards/stashes as a final "F U" to any greedy adventurers that manage to kill them and take their stuff.)

[cakellene]

Go to town, stay awhile, and listen!

I don't think he's alive anymore.

[Kudaku]

One downside to the "just tell them" option is that it makes it much harder to slip "interesting" items into the party's treasure allotment without them realizing. Off the top of my head I can think of at least two adventure paths that have items with primary and secondary functions which require different Spellcraft checks to identify.

I'd put in a spoiler note here but even naming the APs seems like a bit of a spoiler - feel free to PM me if you want the details.

[Twilightwyrm]

Have them spend 110 gp to have it identified in a town.

While this is a legitimate method of doing this, this tactics is liable to get on the player's nerves. Given how much unidentified treasure a party is likely to find, given that if some of this is potions/scrolls then will almost certainly be less than the price of identifying them, and given that many of these items will be sold back, already at half price, it would not be unreasonable for the party to become overly frustrated with this process, especially if they had other things in mind for their drastically dwindling fortune.

[Crustypeanut]

While this is a legitimate method of doing this, this tactics is liable to get on the player's nerves. Given how much unidentified treasure a party is likely to find, given that if some of this is potions/scrolls then will almost certainly be less than the price of identifying them, and given that many of these items will be sold back, already at half price, it would not be unreasonable for the party to become overly frustrated with this process, especially if they had other things in mind for their drastically dwindling fortune.

This is why I love PF - You do not need Identify to identify magic items, and the spell itself no longer has a costly material component. It acts as Detect Magic, plus granting a +10 to identifying items.

Honestly, if I were still playing 3.5, I would just go with the old "Tell them" group.

[Totema]

Try to leave a hint to tip off the players to its function. For example, something I sometimes do is give low-level players a wand of cure light wounds with a label that says "First Aid".

[prufock]

I tend to give custom equipment tailored to the PCs, rather than generic stuff from the books (though that's usually available if they want to buy/make it). Generally, just using it will display what it does, when there isn't some wise old man to explain it.

Generic items are often commonly known designs.

[Crustypeanut]

Try to leave a hint to tip off the players to its function. For example, something I sometimes do is give low-level players a wand of cure light wounds with a label that says "First Aid".

I plan on using that tactic to trick my players. Hue hue hue


"Oh, hey guys, this vial says 'Greater Healing' on it." *Drinks it*

..
..
..

*Dies*

Heh, at the least, it'll make them actually check their consumable magic items from then on, when their Potion of Cure Serious Wounds is actually a mis-labeled Potion of Inflict Serious Wounds that just *happens* to be laced with a potent ingested Con poison that would kill them if the negative energy damage doesn't.

;)

[AKA_Bait]

I just tell them if it's a static bonus item (e.g., a +x weapon or armor) so that if they use it immediately I don't have to keep altering the math when they are in combat. For wondrous items or anything less plainly mechanical I make them go through the ordinary identify steps or figure it out by use. How else could a Bag of Devouring ever serve it's purpose?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Generally 100 gp per magic item for Identify components, or 110 gp per magic item for NPC spellcasting of a 1st level spell plus components, is one of the costs of adventuring. Then you have to consider that an NPC hired to identify items may not be completely honest with the party, so they may need to go get a second opinion and pay that fee twice. Psionic Identify is free but it takes 8 hours to perform, or the Appraise Magic Value feat in CV takes 8 hours and 25 gp. You could get eight Identifies in during the amount of time it takes for just one of those, so you're basically paying for more efficient use of time.

[Thurbane]

If someone is willing to dip Dragonfire Adept 1 - you can identify 1 magic item a round all day long, with no components.

Alternatively, have them make friends with a Dragonfire Adept NPC who will do this for a token amount.

[nedz]

Cleric with the Oracle domain gets Identify, as does a Cloistered Cleric.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If someone is willing to dip Dragonfire Adept 1 - you can identify 1 magic item a round all day long, with no components.

Alternatively, have them make friends with a Dragonfire Adept NPC who will do this for a token amount.

Actually, it's one item per two rounds. You need to spend a standard action to activate Magic Insight, then before it ends you spend a full-round action to to end it prematurely by identifying an item you're touching. Still probably the most efficient way of identifying magic items ever.

[nedz]

I believe that the divine versions just need a divine focus, so they avoid the 100gp fish too. The Oracle domain comes free with the Divine Oracle PrC.

[Thurbane]

Actually, it's one item per two rounds. You need to spend a standard action to activate Magic Insight, then before it ends you spend a full-round action to to end it prematurely by identifying an item you're touching. Still probably the most efficient way of identifying magic items ever.
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to correct me on that. :smalltongue:

But yes, we can all agree it's better than 1 hour and 100gp of materials...