Exploding Magic Items!

In every campaign I have ever been a part of, when a magic item was destroyed it exploded. The only exception was when a barbarian purposely broke the item in question (the original ones any way, seeing as how they didn't care for magic items.).
The force with which they would go bomb with was the mid-line of min damage and max damage from the magic left in the item.
I have heard from some that magic items don't go boom, they just break and no longer function.
Which is right?

Whatever makes the most sense in terms of the narrative.

They don't explode. Except for a Staff of Power and Staff of the Magi.

We've always played where they exploded also. Th DMG done was never consitant, but this rarely came up.

It's a common house rule, but has never been supported in the actual rules except for those retributive strike staffs and the portable hole vs bag of holding situations.

Otherwise the easiest way to kill a powerful enemy is to sunder his magic items.

Yar.

RAW: items - normal and magical - do not go "boom" unless that particular item's description says it goes "boom".

However, as has been mentioned, there is no "wrong" way or "right" way, only the "Fun For The Group" way. (well, and a "rules as written*" way, which exploding magic items (for all magic items regardless) is not).

* the RAW way and the FFTG way are not mutually exclusive, they can be one and the same, it all depends on the group.

~P

OH, eventually there will be a rule. Rule Lawyers will eat it up to.

This is a common house rule? In my nearly 20 years of roleplaying, this is the first I've ever heard of it.

There's also a Necklace of Fireballs, which can go off if it fails Reflex against a fire spell, which came up when I was DMing one time.

I don't remember all the details, but there was a Necklace of Fireballs around (either worn by a party member or by some enemy in there) and someone used a Fireball spell.

I used the rules for area attacks in enclosed spaces, because they were in some sort of series of tunnes, which made the fireball blast way back up the hallway, getting the whole party.

So, there was the initial fireball, and the necklace of fireballs going off as well.

It was practically a TPK. I think two rogues in the party survived and that was about it.

This is a common house rule? In my nearly 20 years of roleplaying, this is the first I've ever heard of it.

It was commonly used for wands and staff in 1st and 2nd edition, at least in my neck of the woods, not for other magic items (unless it was in the item description, like the Helm of brilliance [we had a HoB detonation once in 1st edition. It was impressive]).

I don't know anyone that has used it in 3.x or later editions where wands are way more common.

My GM held onto the rule of exploding magic items, so when we were faced with an NPC we couldn't possibly defeat (and the GM had been trying to get my wand of magic missiles away from me for a while) I told the BBAG I had something for him and levitated the wand to him.
The GM gestured catching it and said 'Thank y...'
He was cut off when I said magic missile. He asked what my target was and I replied, the wand (because in his game we could use magic missiles against objects as well as beings.).
We determined the mid range damage and he concluded there was a mushroom cloud and a crater where the Big Bad A$$ Guy had been.
If the item was cracked it would bleed off power and become non-magical, but a complete break...stand back!

My GM held onto the rule of exploding magic items, so when we were faced with an NPC we couldn't possibly defeat (and the GM had been trying to get my wand of magic missiles away from me for a while) I told the BBAG I had something for him and levitated the wand to him.

The GM gestured catching it and said 'Thank y...'
He was cut off when I said magic missile. He asked what my target was and I replied, the wand (because in his game we could use magic missiles against objects as well as beings.).
We determined the mid range damage and he concluded there was a mushroom cloud and a crater where the Big Bad A$$ Guy had been.
If the item was cracked it would bleed off power and become non-magical, but a complete break...stand back!

I dunno about this, as stated earlier by me, we've always played when breaking magic weapons they explode. However, killing someone instantly seems a bit much.

Using this method as a stratagy can get a bit broken in an extremly fast way. If you can blast your GM's NPCs that easily, the tides could very well be turned against you as easily to.

I'd say a small explosion, 2d6 or 2d8, maybe 2d10, but never a killing blow or at least not that many dice. If low on HP, ok, but other wise, just roll the dice.

Some DMs hate sunder builds.

This is how I se this going down in our group if we played like that.

Normal - I have a +1 ring of protection, sweet. +1 AC.

My Group - I have a +1 ring of protection, AKA small tatical nuclear bomb; ranger, Can you shoot this for me?

This is how I se this going down in our group if we played like that.

Normal - I have a +1 ring of protection, sweet. +1 AC.

My Group - I have a +1 ring of protection, AKA small tatical nuclear bomb; ranger, Can you shoot this for me?

I wouldn't think that would be the case even in my old GMs campaign. However, if it were a wand or a staff...something with charges...then more than likely.

Yar!

Yeah, I could never get behind something like that.

A brand new fully charged (50) wand of Magic Missiles (or any 1st level spell) costs a measly 750 GP, half that if you're making it yourself. That becomes a tactical nuke, creating insta-death explosions with mushroom clouds and leaving nothing but smoking craters in it's wake.
Full Plate costs 1500 gp and provides no protection against it. That +1 ring costs 2000 and is inconsequential (except maybe to make explode itself, causing insult to the death/injury).

However, the items that actually say that they can explode, well, those are the risks of using those items! Necklace of Fireballs, Helm of Brilliance, Staff of Power, Staff of the Magi (the later two only via the wielder intentionally breaking it, never by accident/sunder attempts by others), and possibly more. And then, they do the listed damage (usually based on how many charges are left, gems are left, beads are left, etc, as described in the item's description).

I'm all for house rules, if they make sense.

Heck, if someone wanted to bring back the magic per person rules (you can only have so many magic items on your person before their aura's start to interfere with each other and negate each other, body slot affinity aside), I'd be up for that... but having inexpensive, normally mediocre magical gear on you risk exploding in a mushroom cloud of death from even an accidental break caused by minimal damage (magic missile does not do a lot of damage), sorry, but no thank you.

However, I will give you props for your creative solution to a seemingly unbeatable problem, using the house rules in place to your advantage. If you guys are fine with that, all the power to you. It's just not supported by the rules, and is not for me.

~P

I do believe this is why they addressed sundering so well in Pathfinder, to cut crap like this out. I'm not saying thats how we play, only an example of something that could happen if thats how it was being played.

Being able to break a weapon via SUNDER is already an accomplishment in itself. Is this not its own reward? Do we really need weapons exploding because they are broken?

Yeah, having the DM laugh at you, and say "HAH, you just destroyed your treasure, and now you take damage, because your tactic literally exploded in your face!" is just not cool.

I would dislike this houserule very much.

Weapons and protection items weren't exploding, just wands and things with 'charges'.

As a sunder specialist, I might sunder the wand of scorching ray the enemy is using to blast my allies and I.

Like I had said, it was the previous GMs thing about having magic items explode; though I am not opposed to certain items going critical. Normally for explosions die to spells I give a rating of 10 points per level of the spell at ground zero and reduce the damage by 4 for every foot in radius. That would be a reduction of 20 points per 5 foot square. Magic Armor, weapons, rings and the like are not generally 'explosive', but wands and staffs with charges...it could happen, at least in my campaigns...It all depends on the story really.