I really enjoyed this article as well. I have long wanted a good system for nonmagical enhancements to armor and weapons. Yes, masterwork quality is fine and all, and everybody wants their sword to be magical, but not every magic sword is forged the same.
Blacksmiths have a real purpose now, and I have always wanted black smiths to be more then a first level npc that adventures meet only when buying their first weapon.
That, and the little old monk at the top of a mountain with a mystical forge should be able to craft the most powerful weapon in the world, and it actually should be better then other weapons.
This article singlehandedly saved my game from becoming a twinkfest believe it or not. Now everyone has access to powerful weapons that can settle hash without resorting to magic or psuedoscience. Its articles like this that make the loss of Dragon and Dungeon even harder to bear.
I really liked this article as well. I prefer to have fewer magic items available in my campaign than is the norm. These masterwork enhancements plus special materials such as mithril and adamantine should give my players enough "toys" to keep them happy.
Randy
The article seems to work well with filling in some of the gaps in "levels" if you use the guidelines in the Magic Item Compendium as well.
Of course, I have to admit, I no longer think of a katana as a masterwork bastard sword, but as a masterwork, folded, razor sharp bastard sword.
*sigh* My one regret... it's closed content :-(
Whoa! The ENTIRE article is closed content? There is no way to come up with our own version of it? That truly bites...
I'm glad you posted this thread. I kept overlooking this article (something I do occasionally if I'm busily focused on other articles) every time I read through the issue.
Now that I've read it, I eagerly await using it to make some alternatives to magic items.
If Dragon were continuing I'd suggest more articles like it. As that isn't the case, I will instead spend a moment singing its praises.
Dragon is continuing, and you could still suggest it. Submission guidelines for the online version have been posted.
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I particularly like that this provides a game-balanced way to include characters (some monks or barbarians for starters) that refuse to use magic - without them becoming unplayable at levels when everyone else has a +3 something-or-other.
If I use these, though, I'll incorporate some drawbacks for some of the more powerful variants, as cost ceases to be a limiting factor at some higher levels.
Great article.