skelso
First Post
I'm considering offering a houserule to my players that would change the way many magic items work in my game. I've been thinking that if I tied the power level of certain magic items to the level of the Character using them, it could slightly tidy up a few issues associated with magic item powers, costs and the D&D economy.
Most items are unchanged, but the following magic items will change in both the way they work and the way they are priced:
Weapons, Armor, Rings of Protection, Bracers of Armor, Cloak of Resistance and most items whose sole function is to increase a character's ability score (Gloves of Dexterity, Periapt of Wisdom, etc.)
First of all, weapons and armor will either be magical, or they won't. Just as before, one of these items has to be masterwork before being enchanted, but there will be no +1 to +5 variation on how enchanted the weapon will be. Based on the character's level, the "plus" to attack and damage increases. Enchanting a weapon has a base cost of 2000 gold. Enchanting Armor and Shields costs 1000 gold. Period. It doesn't matter that a character is high enough level to consider the item a "+5", the item only increases by that amount. From a balance perspective, I believe this can help maintain a proper power ratio between the players and the monsters of their supposedly appropriate challenge rating. This fits more with the change to the way DR works in 3.5. I also think this system could assist in reigning in a few problems that can crop up if the DM gives the players too much or too little treasure. From a role playing perspective, I honestly believe it makes more sense. Magic is a tool. With experience, the players become more proficient in using it. There is, however, still a system built in for allowing items to be created that are still +5, even if the character using them is only 1st level, but I'll get to that in a moment.
The table for determining a magic item's "Plus" listed by level:
Weapons/Armor
1 - 0/0
2 - 0/+1
3 - +1/+1
4 - +1/+1
5 - +1/+1
6 - +1/+2
7 - +2/+2
8 - +2/+2
9 - +2/+2
10 - +2/+3
11 - +2/+3
12 - +3/+3
13 - +3/+3
14 - +3/+3
15 - +3/+4
16 - +4/+4
17 - +4/+4
18 - +4/+5
19 - +5/+5
20 - +5/+5
Notice that in the beginning there is no plus. The item is still magical for the purposes of overcoming Magic DR. A magic shield still can't be Shattered. The character is just too inexperienced to use the item to it's full potential. Also, please note that this is just a tentative table that I worked up in a few minutes while looking at the magic items listed for the NPC Fighter table in the DMG, so it could probably use revision.
The various special abilities listed in the DMG will each have a flat cost, based on the number of "plusses" associated with the ability, as opposed to the geometrically increasing cost listed in the book. Armor and shield special abilities that have a flat listed cost will remain the same. I list the cost below:
Armor special abilities: 1 = 3000, 2 = 8000, 3 = 15000 4 = 24000 5 = 35000
Weapon special abilities: 1 = 6000, 2 = 16000, 3 = 30000, 4 = 48000, 5 = 70000
For example, if you want to add Defending, Flaming, Frost and Shock to your Magic weapon, those abilities will cost a flat 6000 gold each. If you want to add Vorpal to your Magic weapon, it will cost 70000 gold. No character may add more than 5 "plusses" worth of abilities to a weapon or armor unless they have the appropriate Epic magic item creation abilities. So ordinary characters cannot make a +1 sword with 9 "plusses" of special abilities.
Specific Weapons and Armor remain unchanged in both price and function, except as follows. The abilities of the item work as listed, even for a 1st level character, thus they are more expensive than a non-specific weapon or armor of the same ability but at the appropriate character level. They will however become more powerful according to the table above. (For example, Celestial armor will still be +3 chainmail, even at level 1, but when the PC wearing it reaches 15th level, it becomes +4, and so on.)
Similar, though modified, tables for the other items listed above have been determined and I'll post them here if anyone is interested.
The consequences of this house rule, as far as I can see are the following:
-Certain magic items will become quite a bit cheaper and may become "automatic purchases." (Though most of those items are already seen that way.)
-The average value of many NPC treasure drops will go down, sometimes a lot. (Especially if a Monster was originally carrying a +5 weapon, 50350 gold, and +8 Bracers, 64000 gold, which are now only worth 2350 and 1000 respectively.)
-Certain items that do not scale may suddenly seem very expensive in comparison to the items that do. (In answer to this, I can only say this. Items that do not scale, generally don't have powers associated so much with a particular level. Generally speaking, a Ring of Feather Fall is roughly as useful to keep handy at 1st level as at 20th level. The only difference is that at 1st you probably would wear that ring all the time, whereas at 20th, you'd just keep one in your pocket to put on right before you needed to jump off a cliff or tower.)
-In spite of reducing wealth drops in certain instances, Players may well find they have much more wealth at their disposal because they have less need to upgrade their items. (I don't really see this as a problem, because that wealth is more difficult to use to increase, or over-increase, their relative power level. Instead, they can use the money to purchase more one-shot items to help extend the adventuring day, or diversify their magic item collection rather than pouring all their money into one bad-ass sword.)
*I know this post is probably way too long, so if you've read this far, thanks. I'd love to hear constructive feedback or advice on improving the idea. I'm not really interested in posts saying "this idea sucks" without even useful information to help me improve it. Besides, whether I use this or not is up to my players. Thanks again!
Edit: I didn't really like the original subject, so I changed it to try and describe the matter more succinctly.
Most items are unchanged, but the following magic items will change in both the way they work and the way they are priced:
Weapons, Armor, Rings of Protection, Bracers of Armor, Cloak of Resistance and most items whose sole function is to increase a character's ability score (Gloves of Dexterity, Periapt of Wisdom, etc.)
First of all, weapons and armor will either be magical, or they won't. Just as before, one of these items has to be masterwork before being enchanted, but there will be no +1 to +5 variation on how enchanted the weapon will be. Based on the character's level, the "plus" to attack and damage increases. Enchanting a weapon has a base cost of 2000 gold. Enchanting Armor and Shields costs 1000 gold. Period. It doesn't matter that a character is high enough level to consider the item a "+5", the item only increases by that amount. From a balance perspective, I believe this can help maintain a proper power ratio between the players and the monsters of their supposedly appropriate challenge rating. This fits more with the change to the way DR works in 3.5. I also think this system could assist in reigning in a few problems that can crop up if the DM gives the players too much or too little treasure. From a role playing perspective, I honestly believe it makes more sense. Magic is a tool. With experience, the players become more proficient in using it. There is, however, still a system built in for allowing items to be created that are still +5, even if the character using them is only 1st level, but I'll get to that in a moment.
The table for determining a magic item's "Plus" listed by level:
Weapons/Armor
1 - 0/0
2 - 0/+1
3 - +1/+1
4 - +1/+1
5 - +1/+1
6 - +1/+2
7 - +2/+2
8 - +2/+2
9 - +2/+2
10 - +2/+3
11 - +2/+3
12 - +3/+3
13 - +3/+3
14 - +3/+3
15 - +3/+4
16 - +4/+4
17 - +4/+4
18 - +4/+5
19 - +5/+5
20 - +5/+5
Notice that in the beginning there is no plus. The item is still magical for the purposes of overcoming Magic DR. A magic shield still can't be Shattered. The character is just too inexperienced to use the item to it's full potential. Also, please note that this is just a tentative table that I worked up in a few minutes while looking at the magic items listed for the NPC Fighter table in the DMG, so it could probably use revision.
The various special abilities listed in the DMG will each have a flat cost, based on the number of "plusses" associated with the ability, as opposed to the geometrically increasing cost listed in the book. Armor and shield special abilities that have a flat listed cost will remain the same. I list the cost below:
Armor special abilities: 1 = 3000, 2 = 8000, 3 = 15000 4 = 24000 5 = 35000
Weapon special abilities: 1 = 6000, 2 = 16000, 3 = 30000, 4 = 48000, 5 = 70000
For example, if you want to add Defending, Flaming, Frost and Shock to your Magic weapon, those abilities will cost a flat 6000 gold each. If you want to add Vorpal to your Magic weapon, it will cost 70000 gold. No character may add more than 5 "plusses" worth of abilities to a weapon or armor unless they have the appropriate Epic magic item creation abilities. So ordinary characters cannot make a +1 sword with 9 "plusses" of special abilities.
Specific Weapons and Armor remain unchanged in both price and function, except as follows. The abilities of the item work as listed, even for a 1st level character, thus they are more expensive than a non-specific weapon or armor of the same ability but at the appropriate character level. They will however become more powerful according to the table above. (For example, Celestial armor will still be +3 chainmail, even at level 1, but when the PC wearing it reaches 15th level, it becomes +4, and so on.)
Similar, though modified, tables for the other items listed above have been determined and I'll post them here if anyone is interested.
The consequences of this house rule, as far as I can see are the following:
-Certain magic items will become quite a bit cheaper and may become "automatic purchases." (Though most of those items are already seen that way.)
-The average value of many NPC treasure drops will go down, sometimes a lot. (Especially if a Monster was originally carrying a +5 weapon, 50350 gold, and +8 Bracers, 64000 gold, which are now only worth 2350 and 1000 respectively.)
-Certain items that do not scale may suddenly seem very expensive in comparison to the items that do. (In answer to this, I can only say this. Items that do not scale, generally don't have powers associated so much with a particular level. Generally speaking, a Ring of Feather Fall is roughly as useful to keep handy at 1st level as at 20th level. The only difference is that at 1st you probably would wear that ring all the time, whereas at 20th, you'd just keep one in your pocket to put on right before you needed to jump off a cliff or tower.)
-In spite of reducing wealth drops in certain instances, Players may well find they have much more wealth at their disposal because they have less need to upgrade their items. (I don't really see this as a problem, because that wealth is more difficult to use to increase, or over-increase, their relative power level. Instead, they can use the money to purchase more one-shot items to help extend the adventuring day, or diversify their magic item collection rather than pouring all their money into one bad-ass sword.)
*I know this post is probably way too long, so if you've read this far, thanks. I'd love to hear constructive feedback or advice on improving the idea. I'm not really interested in posts saying "this idea sucks" without even useful information to help me improve it. Besides, whether I use this or not is up to my players. Thanks again!
Edit: I didn't really like the original subject, so I changed it to try and describe the matter more succinctly.
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