tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post99396527363981773..comments2024-03-27T22:32:17.055-05:00Comments on Jeffs Gameblog: an idea for a magic item overhaulJeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-67574443078294678302010-08-11T10:26:03.028-05:002010-08-11T10:26:03.028-05:00@Marshall: I can agree and disagree.
Agree:"...@Marshall: I can agree and disagree.<br /><br />Agree:"Fool! Do you not know who you face? I am Bragoran, Wielder of <i>Krathilikios</i>, also called the Blade of Frozen Night, and as it has slain a hundred demon princes, so shall it slay <i>you</i>!" is a thousand times cooler than "I'm Bragoran, I have a +4 Frost Brand sword, and +3 chain mail, and Boots Of Agility +1, and a Ring of Water Breathing, and...."<br /><br />Disagree: I'm not one of those commie hippie new age "storytelling" gamers, even if I tend to prefer newer game systems overall. Getting things is FUN. Having players find things is FUN. And if this happens often enough to be a major part of gameplay, not every item can be awesome. "When everyone's special... no one is." It's the truth. Only by comparison to the minor items and trinkets is a truly awesome item AWESOME.Lizardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11612692415592670468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-81709557868008267992010-08-11T10:18:24.979-05:002010-08-11T10:18:24.979-05:00@Lizard: Sure, that's a good solution. My pr...@Lizard: Sure, that's a good solution. My problem, though, is that it quickly creates a situation in which half of your character becomes invested in what you <i>own</i>, not what you <i>are</i>.<br /><br />If my character is going to be defined by his stuff, then that stuff is going to be defined by Awesome.Marshall Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15647111558095583028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-83068164644514354932010-08-11T09:19:14.891-05:002010-08-11T09:19:14.891-05:00@Marshall: I've always felt items which enhanc...@Marshall: I've always felt items which enhanced skills or otherwise attacked niches should work better for someone who is already trained in that skill, by whatever game system you're using. (i.e, in 1e/OSRIC, maybe you've got Boots Of The Arachnid which let you climb as a Thief of your level -4... but if you ARE a thief, you climb as if you were your level +2. Sure, they'll be helpful for a non-thief, but they won't let him REPLACE the thief.)Lizardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11612692415592670468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-35778495240254540572010-08-11T07:22:18.766-05:002010-08-11T07:22:18.766-05:00I've been kicking around a similar, but slight...I've been kicking around a similar, but slightly more expanded, magic item list for a campaign. All magic items fall into one of three categories:<br /><br />"Spell in a Bottle" - most commonly potions and scrolls, these are one-shot items that can be purchased at an alchemist's shop<br /><br />"Magical Arms" - in medieval times, blacksmiths were seen as magical. Here, they are. Essentially, this takes the "masterwork" concept from 3.x and expands it to cover +1 to +5 weapons and armor. No fancy powers or anything, though. And you should think of them like high-end Italian sports cars. Rare, valuable, and likely to attract a lot of attention.<br /><br />"Items of Power" - unique creations, modeled heavily on the artifact table. Including drawbacks and possibly intelligences. (Sooner or later, I am going to inflict Bob the Skull from Dresden Files on one of my players.) They all have names, histories, and a long list of people that really, really want to take them from you.<br /><br />It's all the middling magic items that get weeded out. No "ring of slightly better at this skill." No "pouch of ignoring this annoying rule." No "boots of violating niche protection." If a wizard is going to spend the time and money to craft an item, dammit, he's going to make something <b><i>awesome</i></b>!Marshall Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15647111558095583028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-85796412093134204862010-08-11T02:58:55.580-05:002010-08-11T02:58:55.580-05:00The wand of a succubus runs on batteries, I'd ...The wand of a succubus runs on batteries, I'd imagine.*<br /><br />And that buttock's already on the Blue Room :)<br /><br />-------<br />* Nickel-Cadmium-Human-Soul type.S. John Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284417121877141161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-6258038135354148822010-08-10T23:19:54.444-05:002010-08-10T23:19:54.444-05:00You hooked me at "buttock of Hargrave"You hooked me at "buttock of Hargrave"arcadianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12607653187812032790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-60144606844207855942010-08-10T20:42:37.245-05:002010-08-10T20:42:37.245-05:00"Slide Whistle of Levitation & Gravitatio..."Slide Whistle of Levitation & Gravitation"<br /><br />if i didn't already worship at your altar (and i do), this would ensure it. rest assured my kids will find one of these next time we can find time to play.<br /><br />oh no! i wonder if they even know what a slide whistle is... i may have failed as a father up till now.brink.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11853174644865187939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-41862794762534231032010-08-10T16:16:02.292-05:002010-08-10T16:16:02.292-05:00Jeff,
I know you have... which is why I was gett...Jeff, <br /><br />I know you have... which is why I was getting excited at the possibility that you'd come up with a nifty method for it...Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06319443832578685630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-91023882478605839852010-08-10T15:28:17.034-05:002010-08-10T15:28:17.034-05:00As usual, Jeff, you have way too many cool ideas. ...As usual, Jeff, you have way too many cool ideas. :) I think there's game balance issues with doing away with magic items altogether, between expected "to hit" rolls and things like "+2 or better weapon to hit" (that one's a lot easier to deal with than the 'whiff factor', though), but I love your idea of "artifact classes". The idea that every powerful wizard/cleric type might have their own "Hut On Foul's Legs" is just wonderful. At least one must look like a plain wooden box, of the sort a guardsman might stand watch in.Lizardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11612692415592670468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-29456204247872018972010-08-10T12:34:19.144-05:002010-08-10T12:34:19.144-05:00Waitaminute. . . we weren't actually supposed ...Waitaminute. . . we weren't <i>actually supposed</i> to rip these lists from the DMG? Aaargh!<br /><br />Nice way to think out of the box, by poking a hole in its side!<br /><br />Ciao!<br />GWAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-65753627255163400842010-08-10T12:08:01.480-05:002010-08-10T12:08:01.480-05:00Love this stuff! Lately I've just been making...Love this stuff! Lately I've just been making up magic items at random, so this is right in my wheelhouse. Thanks!Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18158916950442942918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-40809003178673981772010-08-10T11:41:39.272-05:002010-08-10T11:41:39.272-05:00Stuart, I've argued doing exactly that more th...Stuart, I've argued doing exactly that more than once. Today I just wanted to try something different.Jeff Rientshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-5475180482099946322010-08-10T11:36:37.532-05:002010-08-10T11:36:37.532-05:00See... you had me until you started generalizing f...See... you had me until you started generalizing from the Artifacts. I like the idea of taking the uniqueness of artifacts as a framework. Make all magic items weird.Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06319443832578685630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-72301785201127004362010-08-10T11:04:45.575-05:002010-08-10T11:04:45.575-05:00Exactly what I was pondering for Pars Fortuna.Exactly what I was pondering for Pars Fortuna.John Matthew Staterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02310914386482078369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-53582038621047539372010-08-10T10:55:53.396-05:002010-08-10T10:55:53.396-05:00Iron Flask = PokedexIron Flask = PokedexScotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00155926145150934199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-29530372442308807402010-08-10T10:24:54.157-05:002010-08-10T10:24:54.157-05:00I think this is a fantastic idea. I'll have to...I think this is a fantastic idea. I'll have to file it away for a sword & sorcery game that I hope to run at some point.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17635116929490398699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-55683780441300749252010-08-10T09:57:20.914-05:002010-08-10T09:57:20.914-05:00Man, I love the way you think... especially when y...Man, I love the way you think... especially when you're confirming something I've been kicking around in my campaign.<br /><br />They already have wands of succubi... they're called dildos. *snicker*Michael S/Chgowizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052820400496340137noreply@blogger.com