Ok, so first some basics.
1) I'm a new DM, and back at playing tabletops from a 20 year break.
2) I thought it would be fun to play through an already made adventure (which it has been).
3) I am already changing some things in the adventure, mainly minor things, and my players are all mostly new to tabletop games as well, but we're all having a blast.
4) We have had some near TPK's and I have had to fudge some rolls, frankly even with just the encounters in the book. I had a previous GM (remember; 20 years ago) that would give us anything we wanted, and it ended up not being very fun. So I followed the book for all the magical items (if they found them) and then for the sandbox portion I used what the encounters suggested and used a random item generator.
So far, it seems to have left them a bit underpowered and while they're still having fun and the encounters are challenging, our battles are taking forever because no one wants to make a wrong move with their actions. It also might be because I nailed them with the "This is a skill heavy adventure" pretty hard (which it is), and so the roleplaying portion has been awesome to run, and they are doing quite well on that, but it may have sacrificed more combat readiness than I previously thought.
So... I decided to make some awesome items/weapons they can each have, that should take them through the whole adventure and become family heirlooms.
Let me know if I am going way overboard. They were fun to make, thematic, and I put them on adventures gathering materials in order for them to be gifts from a "Hermit" they met at a small fishing village.
(I also have no idea how to price these things, so I told them they are invaluable and cannot be sold or traded)
Now on to the MEAT
Character 1 - Human Hunter 3/Fighter 2
Quest
A piece of wood from the Strongest Tree (She knows that the strongest trees are those that survive on the islands near the Eye of Abendego)
7 Feathers from the following birds:
The Wisest, (Obviously an Owl)
The Most Intelligent, (Can be multiple ones, but they are traveling with a talking parrot, so..)
The Most Loyal, (There is a Witch in the group with a Raven animal companion, very loyal)
The Toughest Bird (Can be any, waiting to see what she chooses)
A Reborn Bird (A Pheonix, obviously)
The Prettiest (Peacock, toucan, or parrot)
The Oldest (They have found "The Lost Messenger" side quest and I have dated the bird to 100 years old just for fun, she can unscrew one of the feathers if she tries)
and a barb from the greatest evil she faced (currently a Manticore spike that she's harvested from their narrow victory over it)
When she presents the feathers I'm going to have her make two piles. One with 4 feathers, one with 2 feathers, and one to throw away.
The Item
Hunter's Barette
Gust of Wind Spell 1x a day (From the piece of wood)
And then 4 of these enhancements added to it:
+2 Wisdom Enhancement Bonus (From the wisest bird)
Nerfed stats from the Treasure Hunter's Goggles (from the most intelligent bird)
Barkskin Spell 1x a day (from the toughest bird)
Darting Retrieval Feat (from the Most loyal bird)
1 auto-use of reincarnate spell (from the reborn bird)
+2 to all Charisma based skill checks (from the prettiest bird)
Protective Spirit spell 1x a day (from the oldest bird)
One will be burned up, and then her smaller pile of two feathers, I am going to make an
amulet for her Gorilla Animal Companion
Character 2 - Sylph Investigator 5
Quest
Deep Water Platinum (This stuff is in the adventure at certain points)
A Masterwork Rapier
A small alive Octopus
Wind from the Eye of Abendego
And then 50 of his inspiration points. These must be given to the rapier every morning (a little meta-gaming but he gets it. Basically he has to choose how many inspiration points to ditch every morning, until he gets to 50)
The Item
"CLICK"
a +1 Called, Inspired, Countering, Keen Rapier with the Legend Lore spell once per week, that glows gold (C.L.I.C.K. = a synonym for insight, intuitiveness)
We're big Star Wars nerds, so it definitely has a lightsaber feel.
Character 3 - Half Elf Swashbuckler 4/Oracle 1
Quest
Deep Water Platinum
Sand from 20 islands
7 drops of a drink bought for you after recounting your tales (Basically 7 successful Infamy checks, as it is assumed afterwords that someone would buy you a drink)
The Item
The Swanky Scabbard
+2 Charisma Enhancement Bonus
The stats from the Scabbard of many blades plus
Tap Inner Beauty Spell 1x a day
Disguise Self Spell 1 x a day
Character 3 - Undine Witch 5 (The Captain)
Quest
50 pages of Fine Noble Parchment (25 from Tidewater Rock, 25 she has to buy)
The Blood of a dozen evils
The stories of a dozen Captains (basically meeting 12 non hostile captains and engaging with them)
The Item
Captain Grimm's Log
+2 Intelligence Enhancement Bonus
Detect Expertise Feat
The stats of Book of Extended Summoning
and this part of the stats of the Corset of Dire Witchcraft "If the wearer is a witch, each day when she communes with her familiar to prepare spells, she may enhance one hex she knows, increasing its caster level by +2 for 24 hours. This enhancement ends if the corset is removed or if she uses it to enhance a different hex."
In order for the Book to work, she has to create nursery rhythms that she speaks while she casts Summoning spells, uses her Detect Expertise Feat, and the Hex she uses to enhance.
The first one was given to her:
Monster, monster, under my bed
come out to play and make them dead
It also contains a key filled with blood ink to open it, than when worn around the neck, acts as an amulet of natural protection (+2 to AC)
Anyway, there you go,
Let me know if I am completely overpowering them. or destroying the game, or if they are fun and you have any suggestions for some changes/fixes. Any feedback would be good.
The quest has taken them from level 4 to almost level 6 and they are about 3/4 of the way through it. They are trying to figure out a way to get to the Eye of Abendego safely, and back to the "Hermit" (17th level Oracle)
Thanks for reading
... So far, it seems to have left them a bit underpowered and while they're still having fun and the encounters are challenging, our battles are taking forever because no one wants to make a wrong move with their actions. It also might be because I nailed them with the "This is a skill heavy adventure" pretty hard (which it is), and so the roleplaying portion has been awesome to run, and they are doing quite well on that, but it may have sacrificed more combat readiness than I previously thought.
So... I decided to make some awesome items/weapons they can each have, that should take them through the whole adventure and become family heirlooms.
Let me know if I am going way overboard. They were fun to make, thematic, and I put them on adventures gathering materials in order for them to be gifts from a "Hermit" they met at a small fishing village.
(I also have no idea how to price these things, so I told them they are invaluable and cannot be sold or traded)
You have two character #3s. :-)
Well, you are blowing their WBL (wealth by level) considerably. With values [see below] ranging from 14,400 gp to 60,000 gp, you are giving them a great gift. My recommendation is to make these items that gain their power over time. So that as they add levels, more powers unlock.
As to pricing, here is my breakdown.
- Gust of Wind 4,320 gp
Spell in a can, slotless, 1/day: [2(SL)*3(CL)*1800]*(1(per day)/5)*2(slotless)
- Incandescent Blue Sphere (Ioun Stone) 8,000 gp
+2 enhancement bonus to Wisdom
- Goggles, Treasure Hunter’s 6,400 gp
There are no stats to nerf, so I will price as normal item
- Barkskin 4,320 gp
Spell in a can, slotless, 1/day: [2(SL)*3(CL)*1800]*(1(per day)/5)*2(slotless)
- Darting Retrieval (Combat, Teamwork)
Average feat: 10,000 gp + 5,000 gp per prereq feat
My opinion: This feat needs someone else to have the feat also. It also has two prereqs. I think this is a weak feat, so I would value it at 10,000 gp to 15,000 gp. Using the min for pricing.
- Reincarnate 1,700 gp
Scroll: [4(SL)*7(CL)*25+1000]
- Circlet of Persuasion 4,500 gp
This gives +3, and you are giving +2, so the price is 3,600 gp.
- Protective Spirit 5,760 gp
Spell in a can, slotless, 1/day: [2(SL)*4(CL)*1800]*(1(per day)/5)*2(slotless)
It combines the following effects:
- Magic Weapons +1 +1 bonus
- Called +1 bonus
- Inspired +1 bonus
- Countering +1 bonus
- Keen +1 bonus
- Legend Lore 6,803 gp
Spell in a can, slotless, 1/day: [6(SL)*11(CL)*1800+250]*((1/7)(per week)/5)*2(slotless)
It combines the following effects:
- Pink and Green Sphere (Ioun Stone) 8,000 gp
+2 enhancement bonus to Charisma
- Scabbard of Many Blades 5,000 gp
- Tap Inner Beauty 720 gp
Spell in a can, slotless, 1/day: 1(SL)*1(CL)*1800*(1(per day)/5)*2(slotless)
- Disguise Self 720 gp
Spell in a can, slotless, 1/day: 1(SL)*1(CL)*1800*(1(per day)/5)*2(slotless)
As this is significantly less than the others, why not add the Boots of Escape effect [16,000 gp slotless] for a new total of 30,440 gp.
To bring it up a little more, consider these effects also:
Boots of the Cat 2,000 gp slotless
Slippers, Feather Step 4,000 gp slotless
Slippers, Acrobat 6,000 gp slotless
It combines the following effects:
- Scarlet and Blue Sphere (Ioun Stone) 8,000 gp
+2 enhancement bonus to Intelligence
- Detect Expertise
Average feat: 10,000 gp + 5,000 gp per prereq feat
My opinion: I think this is a weak feat, so I would value it at 5,000 gp to 7,500 gp.
- Book of Extended Summoning 750 gp (lesser), 2,750 gp (standard), 6,125 gp (greater)
This functions as a one-shot metamagic rod.
Metamagic Rod, Extend 3,000 gp (lesser), 11,000 gp (standard), 24,500 gp (greater)
- Corset of Dire Witchcraft 22,000 gp
+4 armor bonus to AC
Hex bonus
Bracers of Armor +4 16,000 gp
Therefore hex bonus is valued at 4,000 gp in a slot [+50% for additional enchantment]
Key
This is just a Amulet of Natural Protection +2, so is worth 8,000 gp
With the extend at standard rather than greater, the total is: 47,300 gp
With the extend at lesser rather than greater, the total is: 36,800 gp
/cevah