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Okay, that's not really true. I hate ~generic~ magic items. I hate running into town and stocking up on potions at the local five-and-dime. I hate characters pre-built with the presumption of having certain magic items available at certain levels as if they are part of the standard adventuring tool kit. It might just be me but I like the magical to be... magical.
In my campaigns, there really is no such thing as generic magic items. I allow for master work items, even to the point of additional 'tiers', i.e. +1 Masterwork weapons and armor and incredibly rare, incredibly expensive +2 Masterwork weapons and armor, most of which have a story of some sort behind them... certainly not so commonly available that every player is walking around with a full arsenal of them. Masterwork equipment too, like thieve's tools which theoretically could be found anywhere from improvised (-5 skill checks) to tools that offered bonuses of +1, +2 or even +5.
Expendable magic items like potions aren't unheard of in my campaigns, but they often take various forms depending on the culture from which they originate, like elixirs that can be drunk, small clay tablets stamped with runes that must be broken to be used or little paper oragami pieces who's shape give a clue to their use when unfolded... but to gain access to more than the rare 'drop' of any of them, you need a 'source', which often involves a quest of some sort and serves as a nice non-monetary reward for achieving some goal... and even then of course, the supply is limited.
When it comes to non-expendable magic items like weapons or wondrous items, most members of the group tend to only acquire a couple at best, though I generally make up for that by making the items more powerful and more uniquely suited to the character. I also often create items with multiple powers that become apparent as the character in question gains in experience, allowing signature items to become identifiable with its weilder for the duration of the campaign.
I find the end result is a campaign where magic becomes this precious thing, where characters aren't utterly dependant a magical arsenal to be successful, where presumptions aren't made by playes because they've been reading up on their 'Adventurer's Vaults'...
A typical fighter in my campaign might have:
A +2 (nonmagical) suit of Masterwork plate armor that was found after discovering the final resting place of a reknowned ancestor, recognizable by its anachronistic style - a style once made famous by a knighthood which has since fallen into disrepute.
A bag of carved bones around his neck that a witchwoman once sold him 'for luck' that serves as a Cloak of Protection might except that it grants a +1 to saves for every 4 levels the character has reached.
A legendary magical Greatsword found in a dragon's horde that doubles his Strength modifier when he wields it and grants the feats of Improved Sunder and Greater Sunder to the bearer.
A small pouch of clay tiles that were inscribed with magical runes by a Dwarven mystic he had befriended. It might include several that functioned as potions of Cure Serious Wounds, a couple that functioned as potions of Bear's Strength and one that could teleport him back to the mystic's village in the Underdark. All would have to be broken to activate.
That would be it for most of his early and middling adventuring career, at laest until level 12 or so.
Am I alone in thinking that the magical has lost its mystique? Any other ideas out there for keeping it from falling into the mundane realm of 'improved equipment'?
Thats pretty much what I do, though the encounters take very little adjustment (I don't generally use pre-prepared adventures anyway). The result is that that characters have to be a little smarter about when and how they fight and I don't have as big a problem with 'broken' characters as others seem to.
I used to have a bias against magic items. I had the belief that too many magic items at the local Magic 7-11 store made the game lose it's fantasy flavor.
I don't feel that way anymore. Now it's all about what level of magic I want in a particular campaign. Some areas in my campaign world have very little magic, some have a lot. Some have very few enchanted items, but due to local hedge witches or whatever have a decent supply of potions and elixirs.
These days I feel that a heavy magic campaign is sometimes preferable to a low magic campaign. The commonality of magic items changes the nature of the game such that I have to work it into the local economy for it to make sense. But when I do that, and magic is common, I have magic woven into the infrastructure of the culture. Magic fountains, magic streetlights, magic toilets... I find that when magic is everywhere you can create an entirely different flavor of fantasy, one that is every bit as "magical" as the low magic campaigns. The largest city in my world has what is essentially a magic mass transit system to whisk people around the city. The king uses magic to spread his announcements. Kids have magic learning devices. Doors open automatically for people... etc.
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How is making armor +2(nonmagical) and different than keeping it magical?
How is making armor +2(nonmagical) and different than keeping it magical?
Ambiance. Some people just don't like hyper-magical settings, and both Golarion and the implied setting of the core rules are pretty danged magic-rich.
If the GM is willing to do the cleanup work that comes with changing the CR assumptions, more power to them. I see no obvious reason why this doesn't work.
I used to have a bias against magic items. I had the belief that too many magic items at the local Magic 7-11 store made the game lose it's fantasy flavor.
I don't feel that way anymore. Now it's all about what level of magic I want in a particular campaign. Some areas in my campaign world have very little magic, some have a lot. Some have very few enchanted items, but due to local hedge witches or whatever have a decent supply of potions and elixirs.
These days I feel that a heavy magic campaign is sometimes preferable to a low magic campaign. The commonality of magic items changes the nature of the game such that I have to work it into the local economy for it to make sense. But when I do that, and magic is common, I have magic woven into the infrastructure of the culture. Magic fountains, magic streetlights, magic toilets... I find that when magic is everywhere you can create an entirely different flavor of fantasy, one that is every bit as "magical" as the low magic campaigns. The largest city in my world has what is essentially a magic mass transit system to whisk people around the city. The king uses magic to spread his announcements. Kids have magic learning devices. Doors open automatically for people... etc.
I'm not opposed to the idea that some areas are magic rich and others not... in my main campaign world, I have an entire empire where magic is outlawed as sorcery (though clerical magic of the official faith is not), and I too have a few select areas where magic use is almost common, but those areas tend to be culturally dominated, such as small country/major city ruled by a council of mages and regarded as a center for learning - even so, +1 swords don't roll off any assembly lines.
The latter example you're talkign about in my opinion stops being fantasy - you may as well call magic what it is in that circumstance: electricity.
When I look back on my life and all of the fantasy influences growing up, whether it was the Lord of the Rings, the original Dragonslayer movie, the books of Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin and so on... nowhere was every character laden down with magic items they couldn't wait to get to market to sell. That's kind of where I'm coming from I guess, away from the MMO's and Monty Haul campaigns and back to good old-fashioned fantasy story telling.
Okay, that's not really true. I hate ~generic~ magic items. I hate running into town and stocking up on potions at the local five-and-dime. I hate characters pre-built with the presumption of having certain magic items available at certain levels as if they are part of the standard adventuring tool kit. It might just be me but I like the magical to be... magical.
In my campaigns, there really is no such thing as generic magic items. I allow for master work items, even to the point of additional 'tiers', i.e. +1 Masterwork weapons and armor and incredibly rare, incredibly expensive +2 Masterwork weapons and armor, most of which have a story of some sort behind them... certainly not so commonly available that every player is walking around with a full arsenal of them. Masterwork equipment too, like thieve's tools which theoretically could be found anywhere from improvised (-5 skill checks) to tools that offered bonuses of +1, +2 or even +5.
Expendable magic items like potions aren't unheard of in my campaigns, but they often take various forms depending on the culture from which they originate, like elixirs that can be drunk, small clay tablets stamped with runes that must be broken to be used or little paper oragami pieces who's shape give a clue to their use when unfolded... but to gain access to more than the rare 'drop' of any of them, you need a 'source', which often involves a quest of some sort and serves as a nice non-monetary reward for achieving some goal... and even then of course, the supply is limited.
When it comes to non-expendable magic items like weapons or wondrous items, most members of the group tend to only acquire a couple at best, though I generally make up for that by making the items more powerful and more uniquely suited to the character. I also often create items with multiple powers that become apparent as the character in question gains in experience, allowing signature items to become identifiable with its weilder for the duration of the campaign.
I find the end result is a...
Same. Right there with you. Been a dm for ages, getting tired of the bland small bonus magic items and the players that obsess over them.
So! I add more character. Give small bonuses to items, really describe the items and make them less common. Make up my own. Bonza.
The latter example you're talkign about in my opinion stops being fantasy - you may as well call magic what it is in that circumstance: electricity.
Well, we are all entitled to our opinions. The electricity analogy is apt though. In my biggest cities, magic is treated much as electricity is. But the flavor is quite different. Some things electricity can't do, such as levitation, teleportation, etc. are quite prevalent in my larger cities.
Next sword I'm adding in. It is powerful, it is juicy, and it was deliberately made to look as bland as possible. Not shiny, no bells, no whistles, no gems. A straight sword for honest straight folk. Probably the blade of some anti-fashion Paladin a century ago. Been in the hands of a few mercs before the party got it.
Next sword I'm adding in. It is powerful, it is juicy, and it was deliberately made to look as bland as possible. Not shiny, no bells, no whistles, no gems. A straight sword for honest straight folk. Probably the blade of some anti-fashion Paladin a century ago. Been in the hands of a few mercs before the party got it.
Was that in response to my post? If so thanks - the doubling of one's strength bonus instead of magical enhancement allows for a little bit of progression by the weapon as the character progresses... though clearly its not intended to be combined with other strength-altering magic items as it could be easily broken.
You really should see my list of custom magic items some time. Lot of fun, story inspiring items there. :)
How is making armor +2(nonmagical) and different than keeping it magical?Ambiance. Some people just don't like hyper-magical settings, and both Golarion and the implied setting of the core rules are pretty danged magic-rich.
If the GM is willing to do the cleanup work that comes with changing the CR assumptions, more power to them. I see no obvious reason why this doesn't work.
I was saying that it has the same affect. All he is doing is calling it nonmagical from my PoV. I was asking to be sure I was correct.
edit:for clarification
I was saying that it has the same affect. All he is doing is calling nonmagical.How is making armor +2(nonmagical) and different than keeping it magical?Ambiance. Some people just don't like hyper-magical settings, and both Golarion and the implied setting of the core rules are pretty danged magic-rich.
If the GM is willing to do the cleanup work that comes with changing the CR assumptions, more power to them. I see no obvious reason why this doesn't work.
The same statistical effect yes. But this isn't an MMO. The fact that its a unique item crafted a century or more ago by a master of his craft, has sentimental value beyond its snumerical advantage, came directly from a relating adventure and opens role-play opportunities in the future would all be significant in a ROLE-playing game.
For the statistically obsessed among us, I suppose it also provides a benefit that can't be nullified by anti-magical effects.
i agree with the sentiment that magic items are too common. you shouldn't just be able to walk into town and buy a +5 sword... as if someone has a stash of them out the back of his store, in case a flood of massively rich adventurers could come through at any moment.
in my new campaign i'm doubling the cost of all magic items... if you can find someone to sell them in the first place. on top of that, full casters are very rare and there's currently no-one above level six to craft stuff in any case. on the flip side, there's plenty of old war magic in the ruins of the hobgoblin empire. they just have to go and get them...
YEAH SCREW DEM EVERBURNING TORCHES THEY DUMB.
On a more serious note I would just like to say that having some normal magical items are fine. I would just prefer that people's builds aren't copy pasted from an optimization forum.
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I want Pathfinder 2E to eliminate magic items that give bonuses, full stop. Effects are cool...the Flaming Sword of Fire is cool. The generic longsword +X is boring and stupid and lame. A belt that allows you to disguise yourself as another person is cool. A generic belt of Str +6 is boring and stupid and lame. A cloak that lets you fade into the background is cool. A cloak of generic resistance +4 is boring and stupid and lame.
I want Pathfinder 2E to eliminate magic items that give bonuses, full stop. Effects are cool...the Flaming Sword of Fire is cool. The generic longsword +X is boring and stupid and lame. A belt that allows you to disguise yourself as another person is cool. A generic belt of Str +6 is boring and stupid and lame. A cloak that lets you fade into the background is cool. A cloak of generic resistance +4 is boring and stupid and lame.
You're aware that bonus dice for fire damage on hit is a bonus right?
I just changed the rules so magic enhancement bonuses are now different tiers of Masterwork quality. Green Ronin's Black Company RPG had a fantastic masterwork item system for different tiers of equipment quality that allowed for some good specialization.
I don't mind the +1-5 tiers of enhancement bonus, as they serve a good role in game balance. I just think they work better as nonmagical improvements that are a result of superior craftsmanship.
Then you tack on various special abilities to represent the actual MAGIC part.
That said, really, any ability is boring and generic when the GM doesn't bother to add the proper flavor.
Example:
"Behold; The sword Dragonsbane, crafted by Angriff Bloodheart, last of the line of Runesmiths of long lost Arkenhome, two hundred years past. It was hammered upon the black anvil of the thrice-born king, its edge heated in the fires of black coal sparked with flint taken from the Highhorn mountains. It was tempered in the blood of the dragon that took the life of his family, and in its hilt is set a shard of the monster's obsidian heart. It has known twelve bearers, and each of them has left a new rune in its black fuller. Take it, but know that it comes with a legacy, and the blade does not suffer the unworthy to bring it shame."
+4 Intelligent Dragonsbane bastard sword. It's all in the presentation.
I want Pathfinder 2E to eliminate magic items that give bonuses, full stop. Effects are cool...the Flaming Sword of Fire is cool. The generic longsword +X is boring and stupid and lame. A belt that allows you to disguise yourself as another person is cool. A generic belt of Str +6 is boring and stupid and lame. A cloak that lets you fade into the background is cool. A cloak of generic resistance +4 is boring and stupid and lame.You're aware that bonus dice for fire damage on hit is a bonus right?I'm not sure if you are just nit picking because you love arguing or if you don't really get it.
+1 to strike and damage is boring.
+1d6 fire damage is cool.
No they are both boring but you know what? the +1d6 fire damage is useless after a certain level that fire resistance becomes the norm or high DR becomes the norm.
Personally, in my homebrew world, I plan on dealing with the issue by breaking up the relative rarity of the different level of items.
Common minor magic items (up to about 8k) are easy enough to find, and while I might describe their physical appearance, I won't worry much about backstory. There are simply too many of them for the story to really be of too much concern. If the player wants one, or if the player keeps it long enough, stories will develop on their own without me having to do a ton of work; otherwise, no one is going to care, and any story I come up with will likely be ignored or forgotten.
Uncommon minor magic items and medium level magic items (8k-27k) can be commissioned or found as loot after a battle, but are not going to be found just sitting on a shelf in some store. These will always have some story behind them, due to the fact that they either had to find them or order them. The story may not be massively deep, but it will be there, and it will be important.
Anything more expensive than that and custom items are entirely within my purview as DM and will always have meaning to them because they will either be gifts, really special loot after a tough fight, or involve some kind of quest to acquire.
This to me seems a happy medium. Over time, I still have the opportunity to incorporate magic items in a way that makes the special items truly special, but still gives the players the base items that the system expects them to have, and more importantly, that players in every edition of the game have sought, regardless of how common they are or how easy they are to find. If some of them don't have a deep story to them, or are seen as throwaway items, oh well; that just makes the ones that do have a story pop out that much more.
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Some stuff I do to make Magic Items Special, without messing with the assumed system.
1) Follow the purchasing Magic Items guidelines (75% of finding any item over a particular GP value in any civilization).
2) All magic items must be named.
3) Add the BIG 6 abilities to more interesting items. For example a Crangdin is a Ring of Climbing AND a Ring of Protection +2, it's valued at the higher of the two values (subsuming the lower value into the price). This encourages PCs to try more interesting items without the fear of falling behind.
4) Describe an item when a player finds it.
5) Get players to commission items from The Church, The local Wizard's guild, or get the local thieve's guild to "procure" the item, or even have the local ye olde adventure mart order items from a bigger city (and have it take actual in game time)
6) Don't let PCs just sell items in a town that doesn't have the GP value to buy the item. They either have to make the trek themselves, or have a go-between sell the item (taking in-game time for their GP to arrive) and thus for a while must go without occasionally.
If the players get involved with key players in the setting and their characters don't get instant gratification then the world doesn't feel like instant magi-marts are on every corner.
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Gorbacz you don't understand my greatsword has its own personality. Her name is jessica and loves long walks on the beach. The current rules don't allow me to properly roleplay my love of swords.
Gorbacz you don't understand my greatsword has its own personality. Her name is jessica and loves long walks on the beach. The current rules don't allow me to properly roleplay my love of swords.
eew.
Gorbacz you don't understand my greatsword has its own personality. Her name is jessica and loves long walks on the beach. The current rules don't allow me to properly roleplay my love of swords.eew.
What?
The thing it took me a long time to realize is that these two situations (common magic items and special magic items) are not mutually exclusive. Both can exist in the same game.
If the sheer existence of large numbers of magic items (almost always of low level and basic functionality) bothers you, then by all means, play a low magic campaign.
But that's not the same thing as saying that magic can't feel unique and special in any sort of setting.
I tend to agree with the "generic belt of +4 strength is boring" concept. Generic attribute or skill bonuses are boring from a role play perspective, until you use the skill or ability that benefits, but by then it's not associated with the sword, it's "I have a +14 to hit" not "I would have missed without my awesome longsword of hittiness!"
That's what makes them "boring." They don't have any obvious game impact in a role playing sense.
Our party had a dwarf with a flaming battleaxe. Going into battle he'd say "Flame On!" which might be corny, but it's at least something that engages the players and encourages more role play.
Since this is at least nominally a "role playing game" I try always to provide the party with magic items which encourage that sort of role play. At first I also restricted magic items but I learned over time that my own personal tastes for a campaign weren't the same as my players, and while I was a little put off by the magic Kwikie-Mart, my players, by and large, actually liked it. So I re-introduced them.
But I still provide special magic items that have personality and encourage role play. Also I have begun to have certain key magic items "grow" with the characters if they unlock their potential through heroic acts, noble sacrifice or, in some cases, even monetary sacrifice. So now they don't replace their main weapon every two or three levels, they perform the necessary activities to unlock its newest capabilities.
But that doesn't mean they can't buy a +2 ring of protection if they want one. They can.
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But that doesn't mean they can't buy a +2 ring of protection if they want one. They can.
The problem is that if magic items are allowed to have bonuses (whether it be to abilities, attack, damage, etc), then this leads to the christmas tree effect.
I'd like to see the magic items changed up to the point where a a character that doesn't have any magical items is just as viable as a character loaded to the hilt with them, just without the cool effects they provide. And really, the only way to do this is to stop letting items provide generic bonuses, full stop. No more enhancement bonuses on weapons or armor...no more ability-boosting belts or headbands...etc.
I'm not talking about giving each magic item a unique history...while that's cool, it's not at all needed for what I'm suggesting. Besides, for those complaining about the need to have the history before you let the characters find the weapon, you do realize that simply looking at the sword doesn't reveal it's history, right?
But that doesn't mean they can't buy a +2 ring of protection if they want one. They can.The problem is that if magic items are allowed to have bonuses (whether it be to abilities, attack, damage, etc), then this leads to the christmas tree effect.
I'd like to see the magic items changed up to the point where a a character that doesn't have any magical items is just as viable as a character loaded to the hilt with them, just without the cool effects they provide. And really, the only way to do this is to stop letting items provide generic bonuses, full stop. No more enhancement bonuses on weapons or armor...no more ability-boosting belts or headbands...etc.
I'm not talking about giving each magic item a unique history...while that's cool, it's not at all needed for what I'm suggesting. Besides, for those complaining about the need to have the history before you let the characters find the weapon, you do realize that simply looking at the sword doesn't reveal it's history, right?
If magic items don't give any mechanical bonus, then they are just fluff. Some players like fluff, some don't. My players reaction to magical items that don't give them a mechanical advantage would be "ooh... that's cool. But what does it do?"
If the concept of the game is that magic is powerful, then magic items should be powerful. Having magic items should give a character an edge over a character without magic items. That's what they are for.
There are rules variations for playing extremely low magic campaigns, 4e even has a low-magic attribute bonus progression that you can use in place of the expected +X per level you are supposed to gain from swords. There are even classes that are designed to be viable without magic items if you want to play them.
But for most people the whole point of magic items is to give some mechanical advantage.
...I'd like to see the magic items changed up to the point where a character that doesn't have any magical items is just as viable as a character loaded to the hilt with them, just without the cool effects they provide...I think I understand what you're saying. In fiction and myth, magical items are hardly ever "The Armor of Being 15% Less Likely To Get Injured Than If You Wore Regular Armor": enchanted armor is more likely to have a specific effect like "turns aside all arrows" or "makes its wearer immune to cold". In other words, magical items in stories tend to be items that are very powerful within a narrow range but just ordinary items for all other purposes. The exception, of course, being "Armageddon items" like the One Ring, which purportedly have tons of powers but deny those powers to all except the Destined One.
If the goal is to remove generic bonuses like "+2 to AC" or "+3 to hit and damage" but to retain other game-impacting abilities like "add d6 flame damage" or "allow wearer to fly" then those abilities are still going to make a character with magic items much more powerful than characters without them.
However, I think the idea is that a character without magic items could still hit and damage the enemy enough to be a factor in a fight. That's worth looking at.
The idea that most magic items in myth and legend don't provide "15% less likely to get injured" is actually not accurate. Magical swords in myth and legend DO hit more often and do more damage than non-magical swords. Magical armor DOES protect the wearer better than non-magical armor. Magical bows shoot farther, straighter and do more damage. Magical arrows hit more reliably and do more damage.
In game mechanics this is best represented by bonuses to attack probabilities and damage bonuses.
Many magic items in myth and legend do provide additional powers though, just as they do in D&D. The difference between the game and myth and legend is the sheer commonality of magic items. In all of "The Lord of the Rings" there are probably less than two dozen actual magic items even KNOWN, much less used. Which takes us back to the "magic items are too common" argument.
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...I'd like to see the magic items changed up to the point where a character that doesn't have any magical items is just as viable as a character loaded to the hilt with them, just without the cool effects they provide...I think I understand what you're saying. In fiction and myth, magical items are hardly ever "The Armor of Being 15% Less Likely To Get Injured Than If You Wore Regular Armor": enchanted armor is more likely to have a specific effect like "turns aside all arrows" or "makes its wearer immune to cold". In other words, magical items in stories tend to be items that are very powerful within a narrow range but just ordinary items for all other purposes. The exception, of course, being "Armageddon items" like the One Ring, which purportedly have tons of powers but deny those powers to all except the Destined One.
Yup, that was exactly what I was trying to say. And the "armageddon items" like you describe would be artifacts, not just magic items.
Personally, in my homebrew world, I plan on dealing with the issue by breaking up the relative rarity of the different level of items.
Common minor magic items (up to about 8k) are easy enough to find, and while I might describe their physical appearance, I won't worry much about backstory. There are simply too many of them for the story to really be of too much concern. If the player wants one, or if the player keeps it long enough, stories will develop on their own without me having to do a ton of work; otherwise, no one is going to care, and any story I come up with will likely be ignored or forgotten.
Uncommon minor magic items and medium level magic items (8k-27k) can be commissioned or found as loot after a battle, but are not going to be found just sitting on a shelf in some store. These will always have some story behind them, due to the fact that they either had to find them or order them. The story may not be massively deep, but it will be there, and it will be important.
Anything more expensive than that and custom items are entirely within my purview as DM and will always have meaning to them because they will either be gifts, really special loot after a tough fight, or involve some kind of quest to acquire.
This to me seems a happy medium. Over time, I still have the opportunity to incorporate magic items in a way that makes the special items truly special, but still gives the players the base items that the system expects them to have, and more importantly, that players in every edition of the game have sought, regardless of how common they are or how easy they are to find. If some of them don't have a deep story to them, or are seen as throwaway items, oh well; that just makes the ones that do have a story pop out that much more.
I like this idea, also when the players go to a city i figure how big the city is (tiny, small, med, large, huge and Metropolis)
The tiny cites have 1d6 randomly generated potions and another d6 generated item of low value
1- nothing 2- 1d6 potions 3- armor 4- 1d3 wands 5- weapon 6- roll 2 more times (so if you keep rolling 6s it could simulate another adventuring party coming trough not much earlier)
smalls have 3d6 potions 1d4 wands and 1d3 wondrous items and 2 d6s
and all the item possibilities dice increase by 1 size
and the Metropolis has every minor item available within 2 days
Shopping for magic items is usually boring. I find that only finding wands fully charged is not really that realistic either. I thematically like special materials and masterwork items. Also clerics of Gorum or other Gorum worshipers might not care where their magical greatsword comes from only that slices open there enemies.
Many magic items in myth and legend do provide additional powers though, just as they do in D&D. The difference between the game and myth and legend is the sheer commonality of magic items. In all of "The Lord of the Rings" there are probably less than two dozen actual magic items even KNOWN, much less used. Which takes us back to the "magic items are too common" argument.
Your counting is way off.
1) Aeglos2) Anglachel, reforged into Gurthang
3) Angrist
4) Anguirel
5) Aranrúth
6) Belthronding
7) Dragon-helm
8) Dramborleg
9) Glamdring
10)Grond
11) Gúthwinë
12) Herugrim
13) Narsil, refored into Anduril
14) Orcrist
15) Ringil
16) Sting
And that isn't even getting into the 9 rings of power + The Ring.
We are already past 25.
If you mean the party, then you spoke out of context.
Edit: I missed three, aiglos, Morgulblade and Caudimordax.
A few things I've been having fun with to avoid the magic Wal-Mart feel in my game:
1. Allowing items to be fashioned out of magical monsters that have been defeated.
So some Xorn hide armor is +3 hide armor that grants resist 10 versus fire and cold, a stone taken from the heart of a Shoggoth grants spell resistance 20 to anyone who carries it, any weapon soaked for a week in the bile of a red dragon gains the flaming burst quality (while using up the bile in the process), etc.
2. Allowing the magic of certain places, or items, etc. to imbue the characters themselves with various qualities.
There's a legendary river that runs directly from the First World of the fey creatures into the material plane. It is never found in the same place twice, can be guarded heavily or simply appear with no explanation. Drinking from its waters bestows a permanent resistance bonus on all saves of +1 per 4 character levels. Or it could give a permanent +2 bonus to all physical stats, or whatever it seems like the PCs in your game are in need of.
The players end up with just as much cool stuff, without the Wal-Mart.
making heavy changes to the way magic items work requires rejiggering the entire CR system, as those CR's assume that a party facing them has a certain level of resources available to them.
Not saying it can't be done, but it must be kept in mind. If you take away a fighter's enhanced magic items, you'll have a fighter who doesn't hit as well as the CR's for certain monsters assume he should be able to.
And that isn't even getting into the 9 rings of power + The Ring.
Nine? You forgot the seven for the dwarves and the three for the elves.
Not to mention the Black Arrow among many other magic items (including the elven cloaks and rope).
Many magic items in myth and legend do provide additional powers though, just as they do in D&D. The difference between the game and myth and legend is the sheer commonality of magic items. In all of "The Lord of the Rings" there are probably less than two dozen actual magic items even KNOWN, much less used. Which takes us back to the "magic items are too common" argument.
Your counting is way off.
1) Aeglos
2) Anglachel, reforged into Gurthang
3) Angrist
4) Anguirel
5) Aranrúth
6) Belthronding
7) Dragon-helm
8) Dramborleg
9) Glamdring
10)Grond
11) Gúthwinë
12) Herugrim
13) Narsil, refored into Anduril
14) Orcrist
15) Ringil
16) StingAnd that isn't even getting into the 9 rings of power + The Ring.
We are already past 25.
If you mean the party, then you spoke out of context.
Edit: I missed three, aiglos, Morgulblade and Caudimordax.
Wow, my point is so much less now that you've shown that there are less than 50 magic items in LoTR.
I bow to your superior knowledge of the book. Gladly. (How many of those you listed are in "The Silmarillion" and not in LoTR itself, just for giggles...)
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+ the unnamed magic cloaks and mithril armour the PCs... erm I mean the members of the Fellowship wear.
Also these are just the Magic Items we're TOLD about. There's more to Middle Earth than what happens in those books after all, other deeds of daring do and heroes wielding magic blades etc. The ones named in the books are super special, but the mildly magicked stuff is mostly glossed over and ignored.
This is how you make magic special in your games: Emphasise the cool plot-worthy items give them grand names and deep histories that the PCs can research, and don't make a fuss over the bags of holding and rings of swimming etc that can often make up a treasure hoard.