How many magic items should a player get?

[wizo]

Lets say we are converting a 3.5 thing to 5th and there are a lot of magic items in this moduel. Should the player get them all or if they don't exist one random one from a table of thier level? How would you convert/ballance that out. I know there are rare, uncommon, etc. Can we use that for magic items per level, or is there no formula? I know in the end it is subjective but wondering how much like ad&d it is.

[Tanarii]

This guys did a statistical analysis over at Enworld. You can use his numbers to check the average distribution against actual distribution in the module, and reduce or bump up if exceptionally high or low.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?395770-Analysis-of-quot-Typical-quot-Magic-Item-Distribution

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

If you want to go by the books, they have what is effectively a WBL table in the DMG on pg. 38, albeit a stingy one relative to 3.5 standards. You'll have to scale back a lot of the items in a 3.5 game if you want to follow that. FWIW, the 5e modules don't really follow these DMG recommendations either.

I would take everything that would normally be sold in a 3.5 game, and throw it out unless it's fun/quirky. Keep the essential stuff, and port it over to its relevant 5e analogue. If none exist, tread carefully.

[Vogonjeltz]

Lets say we are converting a 3.5 thing to 5th and there are a lot of magic items in this moduel. Should the player get them all or if they don't exist one random one from a table of thier level? How would you convert/ballance that out. I know there are rare, uncommon, etc. Can we use that for magic items per level, or is there no formula? I know in the end it is subjective but wondering how much like ad&d it is.

I think you could get away with just giving the same number of magic items, weeding out any that don't have a reasonable corollary in 5th.

[uraniumrooster]

What level are they?

The table on P.38 of the DMG gives guidelines for starting money and magic items based on the adventure tier and magic level of the campaign. You'll probably be fine doing straight 5e conversions of the items they already have. If they have significantly more magic items than the recommendations in the DMG, just bump your encounter challenge ratings a little higher.

Edit: Dang, triple-ninja'd. I gotta type faster.

[KorvinStarmast]

Re: How many magic items should a player get?.
As many items as the DM wants to put up with. If you are the DM, it's your call. If you aren't the DM, it doesn't matter. There is no entitlement to magic items in 5e.

(Goodbyesoberday made a pretty good point).

[wizo]

What level are they?

Edit: Dang, triple-ninja'd. I gotta type faster.

The party is level 4 at the moment, just leveled up and the adventure moduel should take the party to level 20 so asking for all levels.

Also thank you for the table link and the dmg page

[wizo]

Also just want to say holy hell. No permanent items at all for levels 1-4? That seems a bit rediculous....

[Tanarii]

Also just want to say holy hell. No permanent items at all for levels 1-4? That seems a bit rediculous....5e assumes a relatively lower incidence of permanent magic items than 3e or 4e. There are some on the DMG tables for CR 0-4 Hoards. About a 15-20% chance of one common one per horde, so say roughly 1 through level 5 per party on average.

The DMG starting wealth table assumes the characters have been using some resources (gold, consumables). So it has lower numbers than if you just play it out with random treasures by the DMG tables.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

5e assumes a relatively lower incidence of permanent magic items than 3e or 4e. There are some on the DMG tables for CR 0-4 Hoards. About a 15-20% chance of one common one per horde, so say roughly 1 through level 5 per party on average.

The DMG starting wealth table assumes the characters have been using some resources (gold, consumables). So it has lower numbers than if you just play it out with random treasures by the DMG tables.Of course, it also has fewer permanent magic items than the rolling tables would indicate, but the DMG contradicting itself isn't exactly new to this edition.

[Tanarii]

Of course, it also has fewer permanent magic items than the rolling tables would indicate, but the DMG contradicting itself isn't exactly new to this edition.
Gotta give the players something to look forward to earning during actual play? (That's my guess as to the "logic")

[Laserlight]

Also just want to say holy hell. No permanent items at all for levels 1-4? That seems a bit ridiculous....

You don't need magic items at that level. You probably need ( or "really really want") healing potions and such.

Somewhere between L5 and L10, most people should get a magic weapon (not necessarily +1, just something to get around the "resists nonmagic weapon damage").

In my campaign, L9 players, the rogue/paladin just got a +0 sword a couple of sessions ago, and the barbarian's backup/ranged weapon is a +0 throw-and-return handaxe. They have no other magic items; the fighter, warlock, and monk don't have any magic items at all (unless you count the monk's fists), and I am stingy with potions (one a month, on average). I throw Deadly x 1.5 encounters at them and they usually aren't in serious danger; when they have trouble, it's because of poor tactics rather than lack of magic accessories.

[Pex]

Needing less magic items than in previous editions is fine, but that is not the same thing as never having any or only one, ever. There is no specific amount PCs must have. Do what's fun for everyone which includes don't give out too many that breaks verisimilitude and game math but also not too little the players go ho hum another adventure and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.

[RickAllison]

Heck, my DM set it up so our campaign that started at level 5 gave us 3 uncommon items, and later arrivals could bump that up to 4, or one rare total. Didn't seem to break it much, though. Did set it up so my rogue with his Alchemy Jar and Bag of Holding functionally never ran out of poison or acid. Of course, he never actually used the poison and the acid was only used for torture...

[Slarg]

It all depends on the type of game the DM wants to set up. I've played games where you have no magic items till level 15. I've played games where the party was so underleveled compared to what they were fighting (The DM was going for a more "realistic" approach; you barely get any experience in game as the monsters were designed to be unkillable by people) but we got a Vorpal Blade by level 5.

The worst thing that could happen was being disarmed in that game. :smalleek: