Lost Star player-tailored rewards?

[ShivStabbington]

In the final bit of the Ashen Ossuary, right before Concluding the Chapter, it talks about exchanging the predetermined treasures for items tailored to the PCs. I have two questions:

"Each item should be a 3rd-level magic item" - does this mean I should avoid giving a player a 2nd- or 1st-level item, even if I feel it would be more connected to their character than the available 3rd-level options, or should I stick to 3rd-level to make sure everyone's more or less even?

Should I be avoiding consumable items? Because if I give the rogue a potion of invisibility and the red dragon bloodline sorcerer a Lesser Staff of Fire, that feels unbalanced - but maybe that's just my brain being silly and I should ignore it, so I appreciate others' feedback.

[DerNils]

I honestly wonder what the point of these items is? If I remember correctly, the next time they play these characters they are level 5 with completely new equipment, so will the even care about this item?

[Xelaaredn]

DerNils wrote:

I honestly wonder what the point of these items is? If I remember correctly, the next time they play these characters they are level 5 with completely new equipment, so will the even care about this item?

You make a new group of characters for part 2, another new group for part 3. Back to the original characters for part 4. Another new group for part 5, another new group for part 6, ending with the original character for part 7.

So... yeah, they get to keep their items. It says the characters retain what they earned from the first part and get additional items going into part 4.

[Vaku]

Xelaaredn wrote:

DerNils wrote:

I honestly wonder what the point of these items is? If I remember correctly, the next time they play these characters they are level 5 with completely new equipment, so will the even care about this item?

You make a new group of characters for part 2, another new group for part 3. Back to the original characters for part 4. Another new group for part 5, another new group for part 6, ending with the original character for part 7.

So... yeah, they get to keep their items. It says the characters retain what they earned from the first part and get additional items going into part 4.

He gets that, but his question is if a level 3 magic item will be pertinent to a level 7 player when they come back in part 4.

I don’t know, yet, but if nothing else, the player would be able to sell it off getting ready for part 4.

[Castilliano]

They're 9th, so it's even worse than that.

I've looked over the items and there are none that should aid except maybe a special material weapon (which could be sold to get several of the consumables anyway and I'm not sure are useful for that section's monsters vs. the +2 they can have & + 3 they can earn) or Doubling Rings for a particular build. I expect the PCs to sell.

Even the treasure that carries over is fairly useless, even the dagger as I don't think there's an incorporeal creature.

Then again, they could use those weapons as bases to build upon because I think you can upgrade weapon quality now, right?

[DM Livgin]

I plan to give consumables so that they have a chance of being used later.

[Captain Morgan]

I've been mulling this over. I don't think it matters a ton if the item isn't useful at level 9-- they can upgrade it at a reduced cost. You can just give them something good for their current level, and when they come back later they can have it all tricked out. I'm not sure with the exact mechanics of the loot giving if this can actually save money, but I think it is a nice way to carry story stuff over which my players will appreciate.

I'm considering a Lesser Mentalist Staff for the Occult Sorcerer, Expert Full Plate for the Paladin, and a cold iron warhammer for the superstitious barbarian dwarf. Might just have to go 2nd level for the monk with Bracers of Armor or Handwraps. (Expert Handwraps add +1 to hit, right? Even without potency runes?)

[DerNils]

It is probably to be in line with normal modules, so you have the "Oh, I get a reward at the end." It just feels empty as, after I checked, I realized that basically nothing I could give them would be either relevant to them or something they just could buy with their 250gp on top of all the free Equipment they get.

[Ediwir]

I will be giving the following:

Rogue will get Saviour Spike.
Fighter will get Brooch of Shielding.
Cleric will get Minor Staff of Healing (he kinda sucks at it)
Alchemist will get Mistform Elixir.
Bard will get Bracers of Missile Deflection.

I tried to get something valuable in he long run for each, but also something that does not scale... it’s been pretty hard and some don’t really feel great.

[DerNils]

Good ideas, just all over the place value wise. Your rogue has a 6 gp one time item, while the staff is a 60gp reusable one.
Still, good examples.

[Greyblade23]

If nothing else, they could sell the items and use the cash to buy gear.

[Staffan Johansson]

I was just going through this as well, and level 3 is weird item-wise. The only non-consumables I could find in a read-through of the item chapter are:

* Bracers of Missile Deflection
* Doubling rings
* +1 light or medium armor
* Lesser Mentalist's Staff
* Lesser Staff of Fire
* Lesser Staff of Healing

Level 4 would add a lot more variety.

[Fuzzypaws]

I actually broke RAW here and designed / converted custom items for my players, just because the 3rd level options were so limited and bad, and to make it feel like much more of a reward. I eyed the items in the book for power comparison, and aimed at giving them the sort of flavorful items my group likes. I stayed away from high amounts of combat relevance because any combat relevant item I gave at this level would be immediately irrelevant when the party comes back at 9th level for adventure four. I figure if they want Doubling Rings or whatever at that point, they can just buy it with the gold the adventure gives at the start alongside the item slots.

For example, this is what I gave the wizard who lamented the utility spells he wanted to have not being viable, so didn't prepare them:

Staff of Convenience
This easily-gripped leather-wrapped expert staff has had its summit carved into the shape of a hand.
Conjuration, invested (1 RP), magical, staff, transmutation, level 3; method of use: held, 1 hand; bulk 1; activation: Cast a Spell; maximum charges: 3

The Staff of Convenience automatically maintains concentration on any spells it contains and is used to cast, so that the wielder doesn't have to. The hand at the end of the staff can also be touched to an object of up to 1 bulk as an Operate action to pick it up, releasing it with a Focus action. It contains the spells mage hand (cantrip), prestidigitation (cantrip), floating disk (level 1), and unseen servant (level 1). See page 379 of the Playtest Handbook for the rules on how you add charges to staves, as well as the cost to cast non-cantrip spells from a staff you have invested.