So...I haven't posted here in...what, years? I think it's been at least one year. Maybe two. There are many reasons for that, but none of them matter. I remember the strong discussions that were had on these boards, and I was hoping to get some feedback on a topic that's been perplexing me, lately.
How do you, as players and GMs, like to handle magic items awarded in your games? This is kind of a three-part question, though, so I'll write each part individually, below. Do you prefer your items to have charges, or to grant passive/at-will bonuses?
1.) As a GM, what kind of magic items do you usually award to your players (consumables, weapons, wands, etc.), and how often do you usually award them magic items? Do you prefer your items to have charges, or to grant passive/at-will bonuses?
2.) As a player, what kind of magic items do you LIKE being awarded with (consumables, weapons, wands, etc.)? And how often do you like gaining new magic items?
3.) Would you prefer unique magic items that have a story/history to them (I.E. A sword forged by an ancient dwarven smith that can cleave through stone as if it were paper), or magic items with definitive rules that are easier to understand (+1 keen vicious longsword).
There is no right answer to any of these questions. I'm just looking to collect information, as I'm working on a blog post regarding this topic, and it's become a bit of an annoyance since I don't really know how the people at large feel about it.
Feel free to elaborate, if you like.
Thank you in advance for your feedback.
...Catch Phrase,
-Chris
I have been a GM and player since D&D started, played with multiple groups and cannot remember a time when a player was awarded a magic item.
In my current campaign players either start with heirloom items, find, purchase or make magic items, and sometimes get them as payment for services rendered.
1: I ask for wishlists to make sure I'm on track. Then I draw from the wishlists, and from the loot I think is cool, in about 50-50. I try to hit WBL expectations.
2: I hate consumables. Unless we need it because of the system (healsticks) or will presently need it (the boss is a giant spider, you'll need this spiderclimb for a cinematic battle), I want items that'll last.
3: I want both.
I am a forever DM so I can’t speak from a player’s perspective. I give every kind of magic item to my players but on a very controlled basis. I have no real preference, I just think about how powerful this will make the player and give them something that fits that level. I do not really follow the WBL and I avoid giving large sums of cash but that is more for fluff reasons and my economics background. I ask the players what they want to find in advance, write it down and work it into the game somehow in a slightly variant form.
Example: one player wanted the ability to fly, they were low level so I did not want to give it him permanently yet. Later on during the game they fought several people, these people were flying. When they searched their bodies they found a wand of fly with a few charges left, the player took it and got the flying he wanted but it was limited. This limitation meant he could not spam it and he used it sparingly until he was strong enough to get a magic item that give him fly a certain number of times per day, in much the same fashion. He had to kill a person to take it from them, this person was the bad guy for that adventure. Finally at higher levels he was given a set of magical wings that granted him a permanent fly as a boon from the king for all his service.
I prefer items that give more options like fly, burrow, a new kind of ranged attack, etc rather than flat stat boosts. For example I once gave a fighter a sword that let him make ranged attacks as if they were melee out to 30ft, this gave him more options in combat. I do give stat boosting items but those are sparingly given out, or are worked into the item that gives them fly or burrow. Another thing I do is give items that just do more damage. Like a great sword that does 3d6, 4d6 or even 5d6 damage rather than 2d6 at a certain level, this bonus does not come from precision or fire or something. This is a direct increase in base damage that can be multiplied by a critical. I almost never let players make magic items, mostly because the story does not allow them. They never really have weeks to spend doing nothing.
As to items that have a story, I actually like items to have a history. Sometimes this is a quick cute story about how this item ended up here from seemingly nowhere and it can spark a few interesting things in the game. Like a bandit, took a ring from a women he met in a tavern before she woke up the next day, he did not realize that this women had taken the ring from its creator, a wizard who had slept with her a few days prior. If the players go to that tavern and see that women or see the wizard they will recognize the ring, sparking a conversation.
Other times I write a few pages of back story, for items that are like artifacts they find a crypt. For these items I generally mix up what the effects do. I might add pre made effects like keen, flaming, etc. Other times I use homemade effects the players need to research and look into. It gives the items some mystery and makes them feel different from other items. So like the example you gave, this artifact they found would be a +3 vorpal sword, but it would also have an ability called ‘stone cleave’ where a certain number of times per day they can ignore hardness of an item for the purpose of sunder.
1) I usually give the players what (I think) could be useful to them and/or know they could enjoy. I don't cater to wishlists, but include some "cash" into the loot, so they can go and hire someone who makes that custom item. If you add some roleplaying to that and describe the forging/crafting/enchanting, it's so much more satisfying for the players, if they finally get "their" item.
I mix things with and without charges, but with a strong preference for things without charges (mainly because I as a player would want that).
2) As a player, I prefer things that don't get used up, so I'd rather have a staff or something with x/day than a wand. But the best things are those that work constantly or at will.
I usually like "special effects" like darkvision or fly better than flat stat boni.
I also like finding consumables I definitely need, so I can spend the money I have on something permanent, because I always feel like wasting money when I buy consumables.
3) Why not Both? A weapon with some standard stats gets much more interesting when you add some backstory to it. The swords from Lord Of The Rings are a perfect example for that. Noone would look twice at Anduril, but with that backstory, it's a famous sword that everyone wants.
Unique effects are always great, just make sure that their rules are clear and they're actually useful.