| Obi Kemnebi |
I'm a first-time DM (well, technically it's my second time, but it's the first time my players have agreed to take my inexperience into account) and I just ran into a snag with my party. Instead of accepting a mission from a local lord to go to some ancient ruins to find... stuff, they've dethroned said lord and confiscated all the magical items he's gotten from previous adventurers from those ruins. Rather than giving them dozens of minor magical items, or one or two major magical items, I decided to give them each a single mid-level magic item, which I plan on making more powerful (resembling the ritual processes and abilities of third edition D&D weapons of legacy) as they progress, and giving the group a few minor items.
Thus far, I've got most of the items pretty much figured out. The haunted oracle is going to get a ring called "Ghost Mind" which allows her to directly communicate with the local spirits to enhance her knowledge local skill checks The debuffer witch is getting a ring with a mounted death watch beetle that leeches his HP to buff his necromantic spells. The ranger is getting a bow that conjures up arrows of pure energy and shoots lightning bolts on crits. The cavalier is getting an intelligent sword which can transform into a lance and can identify lycans on sight (the cavalier being the leader, and the lycans being the Enemy). And the ninja is getting a set of nunchaku which buff her sneak attacks, do "shadow" damage, and give a blur effect in areas with low light.
I've got a new player joining who wants to play a know-it-all bard. To be fair, I need to give her such an item as well. Unlike the battle-types, who can get away with suped-up weapons, and the pure casters, who can get worn items that enhance their magical focuses, she doesn't go one way or the other. She is completely a knowledge-monger; her spells are nearly all divination or pure performance-style (prestidigitation, etc) and most of her skill ranks (and feats) are in the knowledges. And she has no intention of physically taking part in any battles (she minimized her strength and constitution in order to max intelligence and wisdom). The best item I could think of for her would be a very magical instrument, but I don't know what kinds of abilities, rituals, or negative effects to put on it. Any ideas?
For reference, the weapons start out as basic +1 weapons, gain an ability and a pitfall at fifth level (after an unlocking ritual), become +2 at sixth level, gain another more powerful ability and pitfall at seventh, become +3 at eighth, and gain a final ability and pitfall at ninth. The rings start out as basic +2 casting stat rings, gain stuff at fifth, become +3 casting stat at sixth, and so on and so forth. And they all become bound to the character in some way at ninth level (seventh, in the case of the intelligent sword).