Giving my group magic items.

[RealCheese]

So, I dislike giving simple +1(or 2 or 3) weapons or similar without adding some sort of flavor to a weapon.
I have given two magic items to my group already and have thought of one more, but would like the playgrounds input and ideas on what else to bring into my game.
My group is only at level 2 (halfway through that level though) and consists of a barbarian, a rogue, a bard, a (life)cleric and two wizards (an evocationist and a conjurer)
The two items I have already given them:


The Mephit Marbles

This leather pouch contains 52 marbles of different colors. The pouch is adorned with four runes, one large one in the center, meaning 'air', and three smaller ones encircling it, each meaning 'fire', 'earth', and 'water'.
The pouch and the marbles all eminate a weak conjuration aura when seen with a detect magic effect.
If you throw a marble on the ground a mephit, randomly chosen by drawing from a deck of realworld cards, will appear. A club will be a dust mephit, a heart will be a smoke mephit and a diamond will be an ice mephit.
Either of these three mephits will obey the orders of the summoner for the next minute and then dissapear. They understand their summoner but speak only their own languages, as listed in the monsters manual.
If a spade is drawn, however, the dm rolls a d3 and a steam, magma or mud mephit will appear. These mephits will act as they will, possibly attacking the summoner, or just wandering off, spending their minute of freedom as they please before returning to their home plane.
Each day (as in each 24 hour period, not connected to rests) one marble will work as explained. If a marble is thrown a second time in a day, nothing will happen. If a marble is kept out of the pouch and not thrown immediately after being pulled out, nothing will happen. Marble color has nothing to do with mephit type summoned, the deck is a randomization method. When the deck is empty, the pouch is empty and will be a mundane leather pouch.


Untitled magic weapon (air)

To the naked eye this weapon is a blue javelin with lightning engraved down the haft. Inspected with a magic detection effect active it has a weak evocation aura. When swung as an axe, the javelin manifests a field of hard air around the tip, damaging as a +1 great-axe. If thrown as a javelin, the weapon acts as a +1 javelin and at the end of the wielders turn will dissapear from where it was thrown and reappear in the wielders hand. The returning effect requires attunement.


The one I intend to give them has a little story to it.
The halfling cleric of the group, worshipping the homebrewed settings goddess of hospitality and hearth, is an avid cook and loves making people happy with little acts of kindness. He has told me that he intends to take the feat that allows you to take a level one spell and a few cantrips from a different class. He intends to do this to be able to cast goodberry and hand out little +1hp goodies.
I like that he is thinking of the flavor of his character but I wouldn't want him to have to blow a feat on it. So instead I have created a magic item that I will be giving the group before level 4 which replicates being able to cast goodberry once per day.


The Plate of Turkish Delight

This little silver plate has a cloth napkin covering it. Inspected with a magic detection effect active, the plate and the napkin has a weak abjuration aura. The first time in a day (24 hour period not associated with rests) the napkin is lifted, 10 pieces of mouthwatering turkish delight appear. Each one can be eaten as an action and, beyond being delicious, will heal the consumer of one hitpoint immediately. Come the end of the 24 hour period, any piece of turkish delight not eaten will lose the magical effect, but will continue to be delicious, if a little dry, for a few more days.


So what do you guys think and what other things in the same vein (including weapons not just the two little fun items) can I throw at my party over the next few levels?

[MaxWilson]

I like all three. (Well, except that I find Turkish Delights loathsome. Edmund was a depraved and deprived child to covet them so.)

You might want to check with your player first though to see if this would fit his concept. Some people don't enjoy extrinsic magic as much as being able to actually do stuff themselves.

[BranMan]

I second the belief that magic items should be flavorful and interesting instead of numerical.

I've made plenty of such magic items, but here's one that I gave my party recently (they're level 3, not far from yours)

Foeseeker
This magical longbow can be used to locate someone that the user has seen before. If the user is attuned, they can speak their target’s name and fire an arrow directly upwards. The arrow falls back down after 300 feet, and lands a foot away from the user, in the direction, relative to them of the person they are looking for.

The bow counts as magical for the purposes of resistances and immunities, but confers no bonus to attack and damage. Here's another that I don't have plans to implement but hope to use someday:

Telescope of Telescoping
This ordinary hand telescope can be pointed at a creature or object and have them be affected by the enlarge/reduce spell, except that the reduce function only works when the telescope is turned backwards, and concentration is not required. Activating the item takes an action, and the command word must be spoken. The Telescope of Telescoping can be used 3 times per day.

[Valefor Rathan]

What the above said with special attention to the goodies/feats thing.

If he's willing to use feats/xp to do that, why not reward him with a shield or magic tent/bed roll that aids in healing?

[Safety Sword]

Just wondering why your "Plate" item is radiating an abjuration aura?

It seems to be conjuring goodies.

Unless, when the user is attuned and perhaps meets some special requirement/level (whatever) the plate becomes something akin to an animated shield. Perhaps the shield obeys the attuned character, but they can ward another party member with it to continue the "looking after others" theme?

Perhaps you could note that the abjuration aura "doesn't feel right" and give a chance to get more info (Arcana check perhaps).

Random thoughts.

Edit: I personally like to give my players items that add to their abilities as they level up, do certain quests, etc etc. That way you don't have to seed a whole lot of items into your game. It works especially well when a player has a theme in mind and you can help realise that with them.

[RealCheese]

Just wondering why your "Plate" item is radiating an abjuration aura?

It seems to be conjuring goodies.


It does seem to be conjuring goodies, but goodberry which it emulates is an abjuration spell. I guess it depends on if you focus on the conjuring aspect or the healing aspect of the item.
I do like thematically growing items, but there is something exciting about getting a brand new item and finding out what it does and such as well.

[RealCheese]

I'm really having difficulties thinking of something interesting for the bard or the wizards. Anyone willing to contribute with some brainstorming in the matter?

[mephnick]

Just tossing out some ideas.

If your bard uses a lute. A set of x# coloured magical lute strings that adds enhancements to the bards music or spells when plucked on the lute? The string breaks if ever plucked. Lute must be re-stringed with magical strings during a rest.

If you want something that lasts forever, perhaps a magical tome of sheet music out of which the bard can prepare x# special effects per rest depending on the songs memorized. I'd try and make it something other than a glorified spell book.

I mean, bards also like magic weapons, so you could just do that.

A lump of coal for the wizards.

[Safety Sword]

A lump of coal for the wizards.

Wizardist :P

Depending on what sort of bard you have a tome of knowledge that is part of a set of ancient writings on a particular subject could be a nice item. The character finds a book and that book gives an indication of the direction to the next volume in the series.

Each book allows you to cast a certain spell once per *time period of your choosing depending on the spell. Collecting the whole set gives some extra bonus that is campaign altering..

Now, give your character the 3rd book or something like that, so they are chasing the 4th book, but the person with the 2nd book is chasing them.

Now that I reread my words above, this is basically the Rod of Seven Parts.... but books.

[mephnick]

Wizardist :P


We hold monthly meetings.

Find out more #mundaneforlife

[Safety Sword]

We hold monthly meetings.

Find out more #mundaneforlife

The least special place on earth?

When in doubt, hit it with something.

Also: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?383815-Magic-Purger

[Knaight]

These seem like pretty nice items. Other options include:

For the group:
Staff of Magma - An obsidian stalactite broken off at the top, this staff emits a trickle of thick, quickly cooling magma on command. It forms weak, porous stone that nonetheless will generally support a fair amount of weight (though cantilever designs and stone over air or water may be a bad idea).

For the wizard (mostly useful for spell book making, but also for other things):
Paperless Quill - A large peacock feather that is nonetheless highly durable, this pen writes in air in a shimmering, iridescent ink. Extremely thin, oddly flexible glass then grows around the writings, forming an uneditable, waterproof, extremely fire resistant page.

[RealCheese]

I thought of these, ikke for the tiefling rogue and one for the two wizards to fight over.

Untitled +1 rapier

This thin blade, steel a blood red, handle carved from bone or ivory, acts as a +1 weapon. An attuned user can, once per short rest, regain an amount of hp equal to sneak attack damage done with the weapon. The use of this feature does not need to be declared before the attack.

+1 wand of quickened spell storing

This long thin blackened yew wand has a small red gemstone in the hilt. Used as a spell focus any attack spell receives +1 to hit. Damage is not affected and neither are save dcs. An attuned wizard can, when choosing spells after a long rest, give up one spell slot and choose a specific spell, with a casting time of one action, that is also prepared. Once before the end of the next long rest, the spell can be cast through the wand, at the spell slot level given up when prepared, as a bonus action.

[silveralen]

I'll be honest, I'm kinda partial to plainish magic weapons that are just flaming swords of awesome. I prefer the variations that come with one a day or twice a day spell likea bilities, but there is something fun about using a weapon that's coated in elemental awesome.