What happens if a char wears two magic items in a slot? Ok, not all slots make sense here as it it could be next to impossible wearing two armors, helmets or gloves. So for this question let us stick with small items like rings and amulets.
As an example lets have a look at my cleric: He has a Strand of Prayer Beads and a Reliquary Holy Symbol(MIC). Both items must be worn in the neck slot to be usable. Obviously he can't get the benefit of both items at the same time but I wonder how two or more items interact.
- Can he wear both items but must consciously choose(standard action?) which one is active?
- The item with the higher caster level overrides the other one until it is removed. (In this case: what happens if both items have the same CL?)
- Both items cease to function until one is removed.
Old school answer, both items cease to function until one is removed.
MMOs got this one right, you can't wear more than what you have slots for, and if you want that other item, you have to swap it out when appropriate.
You die. It's like crossing the streams bad.
:)
Seriously, though, I really like the idea of higher caster level overpowering the other one. It has a nice flavor to it. As for equal caster levels, as a general rule it might be easiest to say whichever one was on first. And if a player asks "What if they are the same CL and I twist them up and put them on at the exact same time?" Then they are just being annoying and I'd have the items time-punch the PC's grandparents so that s/he ceased to exist, and then just make the general rule that neither works.
As for a less general rule, if it ever came up, I'd probably customize the effect to the items. Some items would "play well" together and one or the other would function each day. While others would interfere with each other and either cancel out their powers. Might be fun to have them both work in an unreliable and unpredictable way, etc. I just find it more fun to kick up the weirdness factor with magic interactions like this rather than just denying things. But that's hard to capture in any simple rule, and more up to DM prerogative.
Ok, not all slots make sense here as it it could be next to impossible wearing two armors, helmets or gloves.
When I read this, I had a mental image of a gnome putting on a small-sized magical helmet and then having a medium-sized helmet mashed down over top of it ...
As far as the rules go, I'd go with Option 3 -- Both items cease to function until one is removed.
I like the idea of multiple items having unpredictable results, but that's the kind of thing I think has to be left to the purview of individual GMs, as trying to write rules for that would be a major headache, and they'd likely be invalidated by the next batch of magical items released.
CR
I believe the 3.5 answer is that the second one added does nothing until the first one is removed. (This is more or less equivalent to the 'you can only wear what you have slots for' solution Gamer Girl was referring to, just without introducing extra laws of physics preventing you from wearing extra rings on your other 6 fingers just for the sake of bling.)
I personaly think you should be able to wear a ring on each finger and have them all work!
(heck the mandarin gets away with it)
I also have a visual right now on "Homey Da Sorceror" with like 6 necklaces of what-not that all do something different that would be pretty hilarious as well.
Worse, there's extra nonsense when you have the items that take a slot but have charges per day, so after the charges are used, they're basically a useless fashion accessory taking up a useful slot and characters have to stop to play Barbie with themselves to get use out of some other item.
The "first worn" ruling leads to silliness like a Necklace of Strangulation not strangling you because you have some other necklace on.
If some player wanted to know what happens if she twists up two magic necklaces and puts them on at the same time, the imp in me just wants to reach for the 1st ed Potion Miscibility table and let that decide. There's a good chance she gets to have the effect of both items, but a slight chance that she blows off her head. And that's something I'll pay to watch.
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If some player wanted to know what happens if she twists up two magic necklaces and puts them on at the same time, the imp in me just wants to reach for the 1st ed Potion Miscibility table and let that decide. There's a good chance she gets to have the effect of both items, but a slight chance that she blows off her head. And that's something I'll pay to watch.
Now, this is why I like the Campaign Qualities idea of Spycraft2. A whole grab-bag of little house rules you can add to your campaign to flavour it the way that you like.
My favourite for this situation: The players can wear any combination of items in a slot that they like, but everything except the highest CL items is having the opposite numerical effect!
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I personaly think you should be able to wear a ring on each finger and have them all work!
(heck the mandarin gets away with it)
I also have a visual right now on "Homey Da Sorceror" with like 6 necklaces of what-not that all do something different that would be pretty hilarious as well.
True, though your first line makes me want to stat up 'toe-bells of everpresent music'.
There are a couple of options that I am familiar with. One is that you might be able to include the effect of one necklace into the effect of the other. This was covered in the MIC. Basically you could combine an amulet of Natural Armor +1 with an Amulet of Health by paying 1-1/2 times the value of the added ability. There is also a listing of the costs associated with adding/improving common effect items on page 234.
If you don’t have access to the MIC, then you might look into the Green Ronin Advanced Gamemasters Manual starting on page 130 they talk about modifying the number of magic/Chakra slots according to the class of the PC. You might find one that allows two necklace slots, but there still can be no more than 12 slots in total. I allowed a PC to entwine a second necklace through his belt and still gain the bonus.
These are some possibilities. Just my 2 cp.
Worse, there's extra nonsense when you have the items that take a slot but have charges per day, so after the charges are used, they're basically a useless fashion accessory taking up a useful slot and characters have to stop to play Barbie with themselves to get use out of some other item.
The "first worn" ruling leads to silliness like a Necklace of Strangulation not strangling you because you have some other necklace on.
If some player wanted to know what happens if she twists up two magic necklaces and puts them on at the same time, the imp in me just wants to reach for the 1st ed Potion Miscibility table and let that decide. There's a good chance she gets to have the effect of both items, but a slight chance that she blows off her head. And that's something I'll pay to watch.
Oooh ... miscibility tables ::laughing at memories of towing a party member around with a rope tied around his ankle and his head bonking on the ceiling:: Those were fun!
And I'll chip in to watch a player blow their own fool head off :)~