Common Ki Focus - Suggestions?

[captainspud]

I noticed when inputting things into my common item database that the September update document didn't errata any Ki Foci as commons like the other implements. One player in my rarity-using game is a monk, so we need to sort that out.

We did the easy step of making the basic Magic Ki Focus a common, but all the other implement types got, at the very least, one other more interesting item at level 2-4. I'm going to houserule such a choice in for Ki Foci until Wizards plugs the hole officially, but I'm having trouble deciding what to pick, as most of the Ki Foci seem too complex to be a common.

I'm leaning toward one of these three:

• L2: Ghost Strike - Normal damage vs. insubstantial
• L3: Final Sleep - d12 crit, shift 1 on a kill
• L3: Cascading Strikes - Daily: Re-roll to hit

...though I'm certainly open to other suggestions.

Comments? Suggestions? Votes?

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

IIRC common magic items are those without any powers on them, so Cascading Strikes would be uncommon by WotC rules. The other two you listed are fine, plus the Magic Ki Focus.

The next common Ki Focus, Iron Body, is lvl 5 already, and that's it. All others are either uncommon or rare.

 

[captainspud]

Actually, about 10-20% of common items DO have daily or encounter powers. They just tend to be very simple ones.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

Ah, I wasn't aware of that. I was going by one of the Design & Development articles they released in addition to the Heroes of X magic items; I don't have the DM kit (yet).

 

[captainspud]

Aaaaaaaand never mind, you were right. I just assumed everything in the books was Common, but you're right, all the items in the new books with powers are actually Uncommon (though confusingly, a handful of the errataed items, like the Pure Spirit Totem, do have powers).

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

(though confusingly, a handful of the errataed items, like the Pure Spirit Totem, do have powers).

Adding to the confusion, the Gauntlets of Blood don't have any powers, but they're Uncommon.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

There is no hard and fast rule about what is a common magic item vs. an uncommon one.

I tend to think of it more from a story perspective. If the PCs met a hundred random monks with ki focuses, which ones would they have? Not because they chose the "best" kind, but because they were able to get their hands on those that were most readily available.

Also do the PCs do much crafting or shopping for magic items? If not, then the rarity becomes a moot point.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

There is no hard and fast rule about what is a common magic item vs. an uncommon one.

There is, according to the Magic Item Rarity article by Mike Mearls.
[sblock=The relevant parts]Common items lack activated powers. They usually confer a simple bonus or a static effect that you note on your character sheet and forget about. For example, a pair of gloves that grants a +2 bonus to Thievery checks makes a fine common item. You note the modifier to your skill check, adjust the total bonus as necessary, and never think of the gloves again until you find new ones to replace them.

The intent behind common items is to keep the game’s complexity load manageable. Common items are useful, but they don’t create a distraction or an extra layer of choice within an encounter.

....

The rest of our magic items are now uncommon. They occupy the middle ground between rare and common items. They have powers, but these powers are typically daily abilities. They have static effects, but they are rarely character-defining or critical to a hero’s identity.[/sblock]

 

[MatthewJHanson]

These seem to be more like general guidelines to me. The divide between common and rare seems especially vague to me. And as mentioned earlier in the thread, there are items that contradict the common/uncommon guidelines.

 

[Nifft]

There is, according to the Magic Item Rarity article by Mike Mearls.
[sblock=The relevant parts]Common items lack activated powers. They usually confer a simple bonus or a static effect that you note on your character sheet and forget about. For example, a pair of gloves that grants a +2 bonus to Thievery checks makes a fine common item. You note the modifier to your skill check, adjust the total bonus as necessary, and never think of the gloves again until you find new ones to replace them.

The intent behind common items is to keep the game’s complexity load manageable. Common items are useful, but they don’t create a distraction or an extra layer of choice within an encounter.

....

The rest of our magic items are now uncommon. They occupy the middle ground between rare and common items. They have powers, but these powers are typically daily abilities. They have static effects, but they are rarely character-defining or critical to a hero’s identity.[/sblock]

According to your rule, Iron Armbands of Power should be Common.

You can test the validity of your hypothesis by verifying if they actually are.

Cheers, -- N