What do you all think if the GM handed out--in different loot hoards--separate but linked magic gloves? (A right-hand glove with one benefit and a left-hand glove with a different one.) The idea would be that a character could wear just one glove for its benefit, or both gloves and gain both benefits while using only the glove slot, but not one of them and an unassociated one-hand-only glove.
I'm running a campaign with a magus PC, and I'm talking to another such GM about tailored loot, and it's occurred to me that a pair of completely different benefits specifically in the glove slot seems ideal for the class. (Obviously, one would benefit melee combat in some way, and the other spell-casting.)
Is it too over-powered? Going to lead to trouble?
Maybe. Yes.
Generally speaking, players love tailored and special loot. But it is easy to go overboard, and the players may come to expect it routinely. You will have to learn by try-and-error where the line for your group lies, and be somewhat flexible to deal with emerging problems. One of which will be players trying to create outrageous items themselves.
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Whether it is OP is entirely dependent on the actual effects and the level of the party.
I like the idea. It is just a magic item that gets stronger when fully assembled, but having it as two gloves gives it nice flavor.
There are rules for adding a new magic ability to a item that already has and enchantment
For example adding +2 str to a belt of +2 dex
Just look up those rules and subtract the additional cost from the party's total reward
Or just make a new magic item lol but be careful with that as if it's too strong it may cause problems
There are rules for adding a new magic ability to a item that already has and enchantment
For example adding +2 str to a belt of +2 dex
Just look up those rules and subtract the additional cost from the party's total reward
Oooh, thank you for the mechanics! The first glove would be priced straight up, but the size of the hoard will presumably grow by the time the party finds the second, add-on one. (I haven't read much of the second book in the AP I'm running.)
I like the idea. It is just a magic item that gets stronger when fully assembled, but having it as two gloves gives it nice flavor.
Thanks! What other magic items get stronger when fully assembled?
What do you all think if the GM handed out--in different loot hoards--separate but linked magic gloves? (A right-hand glove with one benefit and a left-hand glove with a different one.) The idea would be that a character could wear just one glove for its benefit, or both gloves and gain both benefits while using only the glove slot, but not one of them and an unassociated one-hand-only glove.
I'm running a campaign with a magus PC, and I'm talking to another such GM about tailored loot, and it's occurred to me that a pair of completely different benefits specifically in the glove slot seems ideal for the class. (Obviously, one would benefit melee combat in some way, and the other spell-casting.)
Is it too over-powered? Going to lead to trouble?
Just remember when you're creating custom items, you're dancing in a minefield. Players will typically ask for more than what they should have because they want advantage.
Considering that neither TSR, WOTC, Paizo, three companies full of designers who design for a living, never made a career of designing items like this, you might want to think if that is for a reason. Beccause essentially what you are doing, is turning one magic item slot into two.
In fairness, you can do that with the core rules just by crafting additional effects onto an existing item. As long as the item is priced appropriately and factored into their Wealth by Level, it shouldn't be a problem.
Absolutely you can... and combining multiple item effects is the samba dance in the minefield. Keep in mind that the right combination is considerably more powerful than either seaprately.
I can't remember where but I know I've read about "sets" of magic items. Where each magic item has its own effect but get additional powers when worn together. So you could have glove A do a thing and glove B do a thing and then wearing both provides a third benefit.
I like the idea. It is just a magic item that gets stronger when fully assembled, but having it as two gloves gives it nice flavor.Thanks! What other magic items get stronger when fully assembled?
I was sure there were some, but can't actually think of any that really compare.
Wayfinders and Ioun Stones combine to give extra powers. Specific rings can be added to a Ten Ring Sword for penetration of various DRs.
well lets say you have a magic item that casts cone of cold twice per day.
If you have a magic item that casts cone of cold once and fireball once per day it's "weaker" than the cone of cold twice.
If you have a magic item that lets you cast twice a day either cone of cold or fireball it'd be better than the item that casts each once.
So unless there's special synergy you should be fine.
I can't remember where but I know I've read about "sets" of magic items. Where each magic item has its own effect but get additional powers when worn together. So you could have glove A do a thing and glove B do a thing and then wearing both provides a third benefit.
If you do remember where, please, please, let me know! If it's for Pathfinder, I mean. I saw the idea in play in Dragon Age II, but I can't exactly grab stats of items from that. There it's an entire set of armor, and so I'm thinking in terms of five pieces that would be found one by one at the end of each book of an AP, just in time to provide the set bonus for the course of the sixth book.
But that's a lot of item slots that I'd be taking up! The players might want to have more flexibility for their own priorities. So I started thinking of how to include in each set an item that would not occupy a slot of its own.
Edited to add: In fairness, I need to credit Diablo2970 for the idea.
well lets say you have a magic item that casts cone of cold twice per day.
If you have a magic item that casts cone of cold once and fireball once per day it's "weaker" than the cone of cold twice.
If you have a magic item that lets you cast twice a day either cone of cold or fireball it'd be better than the item that casts each once.So unless there's special synergy you should be fine.
Thanks for a different version of the math involved.
I believe it was the Magic Item Compendium but I no longer have my old books to check. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
The Warcraft D20 book had renditions of set items from Vanilla WOW plus guidelines on building sets.
I believe it was the Magic Item Compendium but I no longer have my old books to check. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
That was very helpful! Thank you. I've looked at a couple of pages now, enough to get an idea that I want to get my hands on a copy, or at least my eyes on a full pdf. Wait! Maybe we have one! <scurries off to ask husband> We do!
Mind you, I'm betting that Pathfinder is now so unique that I'll end up having to create my own sets. Drat! :-) (For instance, Druid is the only class represented amongst my players that isn't new to Pathfinder.)
So I may have seen the most important paragraph already, on pricing the set bonus. (It doesn't get calculated into the purchase price, for one thing, but rather into the slot cost, essentially.)
<> Use 10% of the cost for the cheapest two items in the set as the standard for the benefit given for wearing two items (hmm, the gloves for the magus set, I suppose).
<> Use 30% of the cost of the most expensive item as the standard for the benefit given for wearing all five (or I assume, 10% of the total cost if that's more).
Edited to add: No, if I want a set bonus for wearing all 5 pieces, I don't know if they're saying the full-set bonus should cost 25% of the combined cost of the other three, 25% of the combined cost of all five, or (as the "capstone") 30% of the most expensive piece. Unless 30% of the most is higher, I suppose I'll go with 25% of the more expensive three.
Drahliana: Thank you, too. Although being so very unfamiliar with WOW, I'm less enticed.
pathfinder doesn't break even if you remove all slots. just don't let the physical stat bonus or the mental stat bonus not interfere with themselves.
If you want inspiration for set items take a look at Diablo II and TitanQuest sets on their wikipedia.
I have stopped using those, since it became very complicated at some point (let's remove the helm from that armor, so we can put on the cap from this set...), and it is as if the PCs wear double the number of items after a while.
The other category, the growing magic item, gives you another problem. While it is true, that PCs like beloved treasures to grow with them, it also means that this slot is permanently filled. It becomes more an more difficult to construct meaningful loot.
I tried once another version of an item-set: a set of rings, each of which becomes more powerful, when worn by different people within a given area. A group artefact, so to speak. Since there were more rings than PCs, they had the option to adapt to situations or boost a follower. Tricky to design, not only for power reasons, but because few slots lend itself to a split-item, rings being the easiest choice.
I tried once another version of an item-set: a set of rings, each of which becomes more powerful, when worn by different people within a given area. A group artefact, so to speak. Since there were more rings than PCs, they had the option to adapt to situations or boost a follower. Tricky to design, not only for power reasons, but because few slots lend itself to a split-item, rings being the easiest choice.
Rings.... hmmm.
Rings that get boosted the more people in the party are wearing them....hmm hmmmm hmmmmmm.
Worth thinking about! Thank you!
Err, would you drop just one or two per book of an AP? (Six books in all for Jade Regent--I don't know if that's standard. And I currently have three PCs, although that seems to be growing.) Or one per PC at first and then more as they went on?