Guidance/thoughts on creating leveling items?

[PhoenixPhyre]

I'm looking at handing my players (as part of a quest line) a bunch of items. These would be quest rewards, so they're designed to fit particular players and there's one for each of them. I would like to have them "level" with the characters (at least in theory, they're unlikely to get all that far into T2), probably at tier breaks (starting at L3, then leveling at L5, L11, and L17). Here I'm thinking more thematics than mechanics. Mechanics go in the Homebrew category :smallbiggrin:

The PCs are:
* "Celestial" warlock (devoted to a God of Death, character themed as a reaper). Tiefling, is the face of the group. He already has his items--an imp "familiar" NPC and a necklace that lets him see through/banish illusions at the cost of not being able to lie. Not sure how that one will scale.

* Soulforged (warforged knock-off) wizard obsessed with knowledge. I'm thinking a living spell-book last owned by a major wizard--as he gains its confidence it will reveal more and more knowledge to him.

* Air Genasi Champion Fighter. Greatsword. His eyes lit up when I described an old sword similar to the FF7 Buster Sword (stupidly oversized for a Medium creature), so I think I'm going with something lightning/thunder themed in the greatsword line. Aesthetically it will be improbably large but magically light enough to wield.

* Halfling paladin (Ancients, IIRC). Very brash and prone to extremes. Uses SnB--I'm thinking a knock-off Holy Avenger long-sword. Starts off tarnished and decayed--as he proves himself it gains strength.

* Dragonborn War Cleric. Don't have a good read on this one yet. I'm thinking some kind of angelic mace that can change shape, but don't know.

Ideas? They're in an ancient battle-field with (mostly dead, but not completely) fiends, undead, and angels (as well as a big-old shadow dragon, but they don't know that part yet). They're level 3 right now, may be level 4 by the time they get these items (depending on what they decide to do when).

[thoroughlyS]

I help another poster out with something like this a while back. These (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23173517&postcount=36) are some of the items I came up with. If this looks like the kind of design you're interested in, I can help you if you answer a few questions (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23154889&postcount=32) about each character.

[Man_Over_Game]

I think a simplified way of implementing them would be to have them use a number of daily charges for some interesting effects, and they regenerate 1d10 charges each day, with the player's proficiency modifier being the maximum number of charges.

Then you have abilities that cost 1, 2, 3, and 4 charges for each item.

Each charge represents roughly:

1: Cantrip
2: Level 2 spell
3: Level 4 spell
4: Level 7 spell

And they each have some sort of RP Cantrip-esc ability tied to them that they inherently get to use.

For the Soulforged, this passive is the ability to read any languages, and any other ability that allows them to read a language instead allows them to write in that language.
For the Genasi, his sword is one made by a transmuter, and gives him control over the physical size of items. Passively, he can use his Concentration to enlarge an item while he holds it, as long as it's less than 1 foot in any dimension, doubling its size.
Or other such abilities.

[Unoriginal]

If the items are leveling with the players, you don't have to plan them in advance.

Start with the first ability of the item. After a while, you'll have a better idea what each character wants/needs, and you'll be able to give it to them with the item upgrade (which is basically like getting a new magic item).