A second look at magic items (Fluff thread)

[Thoughtbot360]

Magic items. They cost experience points, making it illogical that a wizard would open a shop that regularly sells them; however, without them, the PCs are lunch for monsters that should be the appropriate CR. They are the singularly most complicated part of D&D, and the primary reason that a PC would need to carry around enough gold to pay the wages of the peasantry of entire kingdoms for many years. And some people want to try to make a game that doesn't require excessive magic items, or use an economy that prohibits a "Magic Shop", ultimately forcing them to crossbred fantasy gaming with Modernd20. (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/d3yU9VbXd8DxiiVgD8k.html)

So why (fluff-wise) should they exist?

Well, in a world where there have been many well-known wizards (as opposed to secret covens of wizards that are in hiding so they don't get burned at the stake for being wizards) like the Vancian-style magic that the core D&D rules use, there are many spells invented by historical wizards. In fact, a certain charm might be lent to a homebrew world that involves excavating ruins (read: Dungeons) explicitly for any forgotten magical knowledge.

A spellbook is a dead mages' "Legacy."

So, why shouldn't he also create a few items as well, especially before retirement? The exact type of items depends on what he wants to create the item for but heres a few ideas:

Most obviously, he might make a wand to cast a spell he regularly uses, so as to conserve spells-per-day. (Heck, a wand of 3rd-level or above Magic missile is a must for any newbie wizard, well worth the cost of the xp and the Craft Wand feat of making it yourself if nobody is selling them.), but wands run out of charges and don't make good treasure if they've been used heavily.

Wondrous items are more interesting because they can actually help non-magical people with multiple practical things. [I]Decanters of endless water[I/] are a good example. Magical weapons and armor help out warriors and adventurers, but don't really have any purpose beyond that. However, its possible that a high-level wizard might make say, some +1 weapons for his guards or various trappers to overcome a monster's damage reduction or battle incorporeal creatures (or enemy mages that have turned themselves ethereal); mind you the mages that do this would be making very underpowered gear (for their level) to skimp on the costs (even if they don't know they are spending XP, they are likely counting the GP that go into magic item creation).

Potions and Scrolls however, being one-time deals, are unlikely to be left around.

For whatever reason the caster in question made any of the magic items listed above, once they are created, any number of things could happen to them. Found an Orc chief weilding a +1 Longsword? He ambushed one of the afore mentioned guards the high-level wizard made the swords for in bulk, and claimed it as a trophy. A layered Ring of Protection/Invisibility laying on the ground of a Beholder's lair? Some Wizard (or the assassin he made it for) got disentigrated by said Beholder and it never noticed (nor could make use of, no hands and all that) the ring. A flying Carpet used by the Bandit leader? Dude wanted to impress the king......500 years back, but the bandits found the ruins of kings old castle and took the rug....along with everything else that was left behind when the tarrasque rampaged right through the castle.! And then, theres tax collectors that might well take old magic items as payment (perhaps increase taxes if you wish to keep the item....) just have the right dragon or troll or Doppleganger waylay said tax collector and WHAM! They get the item.

So, maybe magic items can pop up in the weirdest of places.

ugh...I've killed too much time, its gratting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5q3TG5yCG0) 4:43 in the morning....

[Nebnezz]

Remember also that MOST wizards arent out slaughtering baddies by the truckload, or helping every needy town and village they come across in their obviously extensive travels away from their many, many books and objects of study. Most Wizards spend a lot of time studying, reading, inquiring, and learning, not killing things for exp to be used on magic items. This doesnt exclude all sorts of extra-curricular activity, but a majority of their time isnt spent adventuring, and quite a few wizards, though possibly quite naive of how the 'real world' works, would be 'gaining levels' and casting higher level spells though careful study and lots of time spent doing something other than the adventures we've come to know and love. They would have less experience to work with, but a replenishing source of it. I would see it as gaining slower; experience in the real world helps a lot more and a lot sooner that book study ever could. But that doesnt relegate bookworm type wizards to a permanently 1st lvl status.

It seems to me that since magic items cost so very much compared to the economy most commoners live on, it would be worth it to devote your time to study, and end up making magic items to sell, and live like a freaking king without ever having to risk your own neck fighting things that want to kill you in many a horrible way. I honestly cant see why more people wouldnt work harder for this particular goal.

I can also see a good place for not-so-practical magic items to exist; custom work. I want a feather that can make a tree on the spot, and i can pay for it. Ya, it seems silly to me, but i've used one to break through a door, and ended up tearing the wall of the building off in the process. Keen imaginations make the world all kinds of useful.

Some things may seem silly and useless in the practical world to you and i, but who are we to question the rich and frivolous? Hurray for Sovereign Glue!!!

[Tormsskull]

I'm not a big fan of the Magi-Mart style of play dictated by the 3.5 rules, so I always tone down the amount of gold the PCs get, the amount of magical equipment the PCs get, and also the monster's sepcial abilities that require magic items to deal with them.

In a campaign in the past I've had the PCs discover an artifact that is an anvil and a hammer. The hammer cannot be taken farther then 10 feet from the anvil. But if a weapon is set upon the anvil and then struck with the hammer, there is a % chance of things to happen. Regular items had like a 70% chance of becomming +1, +1 items had a 50% chance of becoming +2, etc. If they didn't become more powerful there was a small % chance that the item exploded.

This was one of the ways I explained magic items around my campaign world. Through time various kings and heroes had come into possession of the artifact and had created many magical items, then somehow they'd lose the anvil and it would remain hidden for hundreds of years.

What it really comes down to is DM perogative.