BerzerkerUnit
2022-05-08, 05:57 PM
Aloha friends:
Here’s how I started doing things and I thought I’d share:
Rolling stats: I prefer heroic PCs- (3d6 drop lowest)+6. Keeps the random of rolling with a floor of 8 and ceiling of 18.
Starting equipment: they start with normal starting gear and 1 item rolled on their own treasure table. Note: I usually start PCs at level 3.
Players make a list of 12 items they want. The 1st item is always “tier appropriate Healing Potion.”
Items 2-4 are consumables. Players may choose 1 duplicated consumable, everything else has to be different.
Item 12 is a legendary or artifact item
Items 9-11 can be very rare
Everything else a mix of uncommon and rare in an order they choose.
(Items 5-12 may be consumables if the player so chooses, but I’d advise against it).
No +X items. Personally I find them boring, just hand those out halfway between the last proficiency bump and the next.
At levels 1-4, whenever they find “magic items” they roll a d8, tier 2 a d10, tier 3+ a d12. Unless the DM decides it’s slim pickings, then roll down to d4 or d6.
The DM can choose the player that rolls or keep the lists for themselves and roll secretly. If you plan dungeons ahead of time you can give the item to an NPC destined to die to make the fight more interesting.
How this works in game: This can represent an alchemist on retainer that trades in potions and drills of equivalent rarity, a magic trinket dealer, a deal with a devil, divine Providence, whatever you want. But it gives players significant agency in how their PC will play as they level while retaining a lot of randomness.
For one shots I recommend having them start play by rolling 3d12 reroll 1s and starting with those items.
Once an item is gained, rolling that # again grants the next item down on the list except for consumables. If the list is nothing but items 1-4 or legendaries, hand out the legendary at the next opportunity.
There is a book’s worth of awesome magic items that are practically characters themselves. Being the inheritor (or thief) of Iggwilv’s Tome or the hero that shanked the nerd with the Ring of Winter should not be reserved for a novel protagonist, these things are all toys for the PCs to play with and I recommend you let them.
Obviously YMMV, play as you may. But I think modules and campaigns that steer into the crazy nonsense are generally more enjoyable than the ones putting those NPCs on pedestals or bent on preserving some kind of canon.
Here’s how I started doing things and I thought I’d share:
Rolling stats: I prefer heroic PCs- (3d6 drop lowest)+6. Keeps the random of rolling with a floor of 8 and ceiling of 18.
Starting equipment: they start with normal starting gear and 1 item rolled on their own treasure table. Note: I usually start PCs at level 3.
Players make a list of 12 items they want. The 1st item is always “tier appropriate Healing Potion.”
Items 2-4 are consumables. Players may choose 1 duplicated consumable, everything else has to be different.
Item 12 is a legendary or artifact item
Items 9-11 can be very rare
Everything else a mix of uncommon and rare in an order they choose.
(Items 5-12 may be consumables if the player so chooses, but I’d advise against it).
No +X items. Personally I find them boring, just hand those out halfway between the last proficiency bump and the next.
At levels 1-4, whenever they find “magic items” they roll a d8, tier 2 a d10, tier 3+ a d12. Unless the DM decides it’s slim pickings, then roll down to d4 or d6.
The DM can choose the player that rolls or keep the lists for themselves and roll secretly. If you plan dungeons ahead of time you can give the item to an NPC destined to die to make the fight more interesting.
How this works in game: This can represent an alchemist on retainer that trades in potions and drills of equivalent rarity, a magic trinket dealer, a deal with a devil, divine Providence, whatever you want. But it gives players significant agency in how their PC will play as they level while retaining a lot of randomness.
For one shots I recommend having them start play by rolling 3d12 reroll 1s and starting with those items.
Once an item is gained, rolling that # again grants the next item down on the list except for consumables. If the list is nothing but items 1-4 or legendaries, hand out the legendary at the next opportunity.
There is a book’s worth of awesome magic items that are practically characters themselves. Being the inheritor (or thief) of Iggwilv’s Tome or the hero that shanked the nerd with the Ring of Winter should not be reserved for a novel protagonist, these things are all toys for the PCs to play with and I recommend you let them.
Obviously YMMV, play as you may. But I think modules and campaigns that steer into the crazy nonsense are generally more enjoyable than the ones putting those NPCs on pedestals or bent on preserving some kind of canon.