Base Items as Treasure, a story telling adjunct to Residuum

[Smeelbo]

From a story telling perspective, I am disatisfied with the standard method of distributing magic items to player characters, through drops and item creation rituals. I propose a minor addendum in the spirit of the existing rules, but with more roleplaying favor.

The DM, at their discretion, may award Base Items as treasure.

Base Item: A Base Item has two functions. First, for purposes of the rituals Enchant Item and Transfer Enchantment, they count their full value as Residuum. In addition, the referee may agree that the item can serve as a "base" for the creation of a specific magic item, allowing the referee to control what items may be created. Base Items sell for 20% of their Residuum value. Unless specificly allowed by the referee, a Base Item's Residuum value may not be used for Rituals, or any other purpose. A Base Item is never a functional magic item, but may function as a mundane item.
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Examples:

A Displacer Beast's hide might have a Residuum value of 1,000 GP, and serve as the base for a Displacer Cloak, Cloak of Distortion, or similar item.

A Goblin Hexer's rod might have a Residuum value of 250 GP, and serve as the base for a magic rod.

A well made antique bastard sword found in a tomb might have a Residuum value of 5,000 GP, serve as the base for a magic bastard sword, and function as an ordinary bastard sword.

The intent here to allow me to reward players with progress towards desired magic items without handing out the item itself, and to provide storytelling reasons why one item is practical to make, while another is not.

Smeelbo

 

[fissionessence]

While I am very intrigued by the idea of skinning a displacer beast for a displacer beast's hide that can be used to make a Displacer Cloak, and a lot of what you're saying sounds very interesting . . . I don't think I understand at all.

So, you can take your displacer beast's hide and use it to make a Displacer Cloak . . . when you do, the Enchant Magic Item ritual costs 1,000 GP less, because that is the value of the displacer beast's hide. However, you couldn't use the hide for some other ritual, and if you choose to sell it [rather than use it], you only get 20%, as normal.

At the same time, the Goblin Hexer's rod can be made into any magic rod, and applies 250 GP toward the casting of such an Enchant Magic Item ritual?

Is that correct? Is that what you meant there? Maybe some more examples with more thorough walk-throughs would be helpful (and cool!)

~

 

[Alex319]

The way I understand it, if residuum is like "cash" that you can use to "buy" a magic item, then a base item is like a "coupon" that gives a certain amount off a particular item.

So for example, the bastard sword from above is like a coupon that says "5,000 gold pieces off any magical bastard sword." Then if you wanted to create a magical bastard sword that normally costs 20,000 gp, then it would only cost 15,000 gp.

However you could also sell the "coupon" for 20 percent of its "face value". In that case you would get 1000 GP worth of residuum that you could apply to whatever you wanted.

 

[Smeelbo]

Almost. Whether the item is used as a base to make an appropriate item, or as part of making an entirely different item, it is worth its full value in residuum. If it is sold, or disenchanted, it is worth 20% of its value. I might restrict characters to creating items for which they had an appropriate base item.

Basically, it is a bag of residuum with a few caveats on how it may be used, and serves to advance story telling.

Smeelbo

 

[fissionessence]

The way I understand it, if residuum is like "cash" that you can use to "buy" a magic item, then a base item is like a "coupon" that gives a certain amount off a particular item.

So for example, the bastard sword from above is like a coupon that says "5,000 gold pieces off any magical bastard sword." Then if you wanted to create a magical bastard sword that normally costs 20,000 gp, then it would only cost 15,000 gp.

However you could also sell the "coupon" for 20 percent of its "face value". In that case you would get 1000 GP worth of residuum that you could apply to whatever you wanted.

Yeah, that's like my interpretation, but I like the coupon metaphor

So, Smeelbo, now make some base items for me to steal!

My players keep cutting off dragon talons and wings, hoping to use them somehow. It would be cool if a dragon's talon served as a base item that could be used for Dragonclaw Recurve Bow, Talon Dagger, or Dragon Pendant, etc.

Perhaps some kind of elemental fire could be used for any of the fiery properties from the Player's Handbook or Adventurer's Vault.

~ fissionessence

 

[Smeelbo]

Every character is going to want a weapon or two, armor, and a cloak, so I would start there. Instead of giving out a 250GP gem, perhaps the mysterious amulet worn by the necromancer is a base item worth 400 GP in residuum. Some of the weapons and armor of the elites and soloes might function as base items.

Start with the character's wish lists. Decide how soon you want to award those items, or if you want to award similar but not identical items. Invent base items that progress towards those items.

Suppose, for example, a dwarven ranger has listed a Paired War Axe, Blood Cut Hide Armor, and a Cloak of Distortion. A pair of identical war axes, the hide of an especially tough solo, and the hide of a displacer beast might all serve as base items.

A couple points. First, it is not necessary to decide in advance what base items are capable of creating. It is better to be suggestive: simply setting a GP value in residuum is sufficient. When the character seeks a specific item, then negotiate. Maybe another item is needed. Second, if you use this option, be generous in awarding base items that may not be intended to make specific items, but simply as GP value in residuum, so that the party makes progress towards their items.

Finally, I would also use this option to equip NPCs with unique but not powerful magic items that can only be used by the NPCs. For the PCs, the value of these treasures is their residuum value, and the suggestion that the item may serve as the base for a similar item. So the Goblin Hexer's Rod might increase the die size of his attacks, but when he is dead, it is just 400 GP worth of residuum, and the base for a rod.

Don't overcomplicate it with detailed bookkeeping. Handing the player the item's description and residuum value, as if it were simply a piece of jewelry or work of art, is best. Defer any definite decisions about what can be made using it as a base until the character is within reach of making a desired item. Use it to encourage story telling, to reward characters, and to a lesser extent, to restrict the introduction of problematic magic items.

Keep it loose.

Smeelbo

 

[Alex319]

Almost. Whether the item is used as a base to make an appropriate item, or as part of making an entirely different item, it is worth its full value in residuum. If it is sold, or disenchanted, it is worth 20% of its value. I might restrict characters to creating items for which they had an appropriate base item.

Basically, it is a bag of residuum with a few caveats on how it may be used, and serves to advance story telling.

Smeelbo

I see. So you're basically saying that you can use that bastard sword in your example to get 5000 gp off ANY magic item, no matter what it is (sword, cloak, armor, you name it.)

Additionally, you have to have an appropriate base item to make the magic item at all. (Note that if this last restriction weren't in place, a 5000-gp-value base item bastard sword would be functionally identical to a 5000-gp-value base item displacer hide, because they both can be used for 5000 gp towards any magic item.)

Of course, the whole "coupon" interpretation makes Base Items a literal Plot Coupon.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I kind of like the coupon concept, it is indeed a plot coupon. Good alternative to a hard requirement that a pc have a specific ingredient for the ritual. Personally the way I'd work it is like:

The displacer beast hide IS magical, it just isn't an "item" (ie it has no particular player usable properties or powers). If used to make a Cloak of Displacement it counts as X gp worth of ingredient. Alternatively the players can disenchant it and get X/5 gp worth of residuum. They can also sell the hide and get X/5 gp.

That way they have a treasure, which they can sell or convert to a valuable amount of residuum they can use for making something else, like a sword. Or they can get a good bit more out of it if they want to make the item it is a 'coupon' for. And there are no clever ways they can make extra money out of it. If they make the cloak and then sell that, it still sells for 1/5 of its purchase cost.

Like I said, nicer than the alternative plot hook mechanism where you can ONLY make a Cloak of Displacement if you have displacer beast hide. Instead you could disenchant a bunch of other coupons and still make the cloak, it would just be 5x more expensive based on the 'face value' of those coupons.

 

[misalo1]

I really like the idea... Just one question...

How would you calculate a base item if you are using the Treasure Parcel System from the core rules?

A magic item you can't use or Residuum you can't sell at full value?

 

[Garthanos]

I like the flavor of questing for specific components and specific item... but for those who wish to create specific things for themselves how about an ability which will disolve any magic item in to residuum... a disenchant.