Magical Items and New Players

[Trasilor]

Hello Playgrounders,

I am looking for some advice.

I was recently told that my players were not used to getting gold for treasure. Instead they usually get items. As a result, they had a difficult time spending their cash (i.e. they didn't know what to buy).

As a DM, have you had similar problems? How have you resolved it? Do you have a list of "must buys" (I have seen the compiled list of Magical Must Have's - was looking for something lower level - like 3-5)?

I want to help the players without sounding condescending (:smallsigh: "you are level 6 and you cannot fly?") nor reveal spoilers ("you really should invest in potions like water breathing"). Any thoughts on how I might do that?

[DigoDragon]

I want to help the players without sounding condescending (:smallsigh: "you are level 6 and you cannot fly?") nor reveal spoilers ("you really should invest in potions like water breathing"). Any thoughts on how I might do that?

Giving them those items as treasure is really the most efficient way to go. Intelligent monsters may stash some potions of Water Breathing in their lair so that they can hide some of their better loot under a lake for example. Not that gold isn't bad-- I've had PCs use their cash to build a stronghold base of operations, hire minions that later become back-up PCs in case someone gets killed on a mission, bribe the guards to look the other way while they raid the forbidden section of the queen's library for info on a Macguffin, etc. Find a good balance of cash and items and they will hopefully figure out some ideas from there. :smallsmile:

[Giddonihah]

A market that only happens to have things useful to them in stock might be appropraite here. Like only a few statboosting items, perhaps with great big neon lights pointing towards them, potion vendor with only useful potions in stock, weapon merchant who has a few variations on useful weapone enhancements etc.
Players tend to get bogged down when you hand them the entire magic mart, and most items will go ignored anyways.

[kenjigoku]

I want to help the players without sounding condescending (:smallsigh: "you are level 6 and you cannot fly?") nor reveal spoilers ("you really should invest in potions like water breathing"). Any thoughts on how I might do that?

Have you consider making specific magic item shops. You can say anything under X is available. Additionaly the shopkeeper has Y (where Y is stuff with fly). Z is also on sale for 10% off ( where Z is oddball stuff like potions of water breathing)

[hymer]

You could stop assuming that the PCs have access to specific things not granted by their character build. If you make it so that flight is useful but not indispensable, e.g. You can also encourage the players to help each other.
I have players who are utterly overwhelmed by the options available to them. When the other players are busy, I usually just help them cover the basics, or point them in the right direction after asking what sort of thing they are looking for ("Something to boost my saves" is one they've learned about now).

[Trasilor]

Thanks for the input.

I guess I was hoping there was a way to help players take a more active role with their character development.

With six players (two newbies) it gets sort of tough devoting enough time to each person to help them.

[winter92]

A slightly crazy option (that you can probably only use once).

Mention Augury OOC if they don't know about it, and point them at a couple of prominent magic items. They can essentially ask "What would happen if we ventured off to the dungeon with this item?" and see what results they get. Similarly, you can give them access to nonportable divination (e.g. a crystal ball at the local magical college) to help show them things like a dungeon full of water. It's not sustainable, but it can help make "You have it or you're screwed" challenges more manageable.

As a side question: do you mean long-term flight by level 6? Because my party just hit 6 and we are way too broke to manage more than a couple of Rod-of-Extend-ed fly spells...

[Trasilor]

A slightly crazy option (that you can probably only use once).

Mention Augury OOC if they don't know about it, and point them at a couple of prominent magic items. They can essentially ask "What would happen if we ventured off to the dungeon with this item?" and see what results they get. Similarly, you can give them access to nonportable divination (e.g. a crystal ball at the local magical college) to help show them things like a dungeon full of water. It's not sustainable, but it can help make "You have it or you're screwed" challenges more manageable.

As a side question: do you mean long-term flight by level 6? Because my party just hit 6 and we are way too broke to manage more than a couple of Rod-of-Extend-ed fly spells...

Actually, they started using some divination (hired a wizard to cast scry) so I might mention Augury.

For my examples, they were random examples I thought of on the fly - not real world examples I have come across. The characters are currently level 3...so no flight nor underwater adventure - yet.

Regarding the flight statement - I was referring to the ability to reasonably affect flying creatures. I DM'ed a game once where only one player could handle a flying enemy (Dragon) - at level 8. It was both frustrating and sad.

My reasoning is by a certain level the world becomes three dimensional. Flight offers a huge advantage over non-flight. By level 7, characters should know (or have access too) encounter duration flight - their enemies certainly will :smallamused:.