I just read a few item creation feat threads, with variations on how magic items can be created.
The current rules of course require certain spells be available and certain caster levels both to create certain items and to gain certain feats at all.
While this works well for starters, it seems to go against many of the wonderful thematic elements that can go into a campaign. Many of us have read about Sandtiger's Singlestroke, or Bruenor somehow creating Aegis Fang without caster levels, Moonblades gain powers as they are passed down through their ancestry and numerous other example's of a character having a favorite weapon/item of some sort. Why on earth would that character want to get rid of that weapon after gaining a few levels, just because something else can be more powerful in the game. Only in dire circumstances should a character get rid of his signiture item. I would like a system that can make this work.
I have always liked the concept of the Samurai, where as the spirit of the character grows stronger, he can make the force of his ancestral weapon grow greater as well, by spending his own personal experience and meditating/communing with it until it grows more powerful.
So why not just let all charactersany given permanent item creation without a feat? Obviously, no significant bond can be created between a boy and his potion, but why not his ring/sword/shield/etc?
A strong experience relating to the item can spontaneously increase the items magic cababilities, at the same time taking experience from the character, probably points that would otherwise be assigned at the end of the chapter of the story. Thematic considerations can make the shield that fended off the Red Dragon suddenly give the shield Fire Resistance, or a greater AC vs. dragons.
The character could also be changed. Say the dragon does a lot of damage before being defeated, the character could wind up with a birthmark where the dragon savaged him or a bright red lock of hair where the dragon clawed his scalp.
The character will slow vs his party, but not actually lose xp, since the loss will be evidenced in earned xp, not in xp already owned.
So now mechanics? The first would be a role playing dynamic. Long term possession and care with an item, or experiencing a lifechanging or traumatic experience with the item as a focus would be a prerequisit. The days of meditation/focusing trick would work as well.
Next, figure out how much xp it would cost to create the weapon using the current dmg rules. Throw out caster levels and spells required, if it makes sense given the item and the situation, let it in.
Using the xp calculation, have the character spend the xp needed, or take it out of earned xp, and have the character suddenly "discover" the new features of his favorite belt buckle.
To prevent characters from running around with massively powerful or inappropriate items, put a cap on the amount of xp that can be spent this way. My first feeling is 100 times the square of a characters level in items powered or created this way, measured in experience points. A 4th level character could have his family heirloom sword pump up to (4*4*100) 1600 experience points into his sword, which would be a very nice sword for a character at that level, at as much as a +4 total modifier. However, this character would be very much defined by his sword, since he has spent as much as 20% of his total experience gained on this one item. Thus it is self balancing.
Of course, items can still be created and gained in the traditional way, but a character's items can grow with him without constant turnover. Tiger was heartbroken when Singlestroke broke, but that is how a sworddancer should be.
The current rules of course require certain spells be available and certain caster levels both to create certain items and to gain certain feats at all.
While this works well for starters, it seems to go against many of the wonderful thematic elements that can go into a campaign. Many of us have read about Sandtiger's Singlestroke, or Bruenor somehow creating Aegis Fang without caster levels, Moonblades gain powers as they are passed down through their ancestry and numerous other example's of a character having a favorite weapon/item of some sort. Why on earth would that character want to get rid of that weapon after gaining a few levels, just because something else can be more powerful in the game. Only in dire circumstances should a character get rid of his signiture item. I would like a system that can make this work.
I have always liked the concept of the Samurai, where as the spirit of the character grows stronger, he can make the force of his ancestral weapon grow greater as well, by spending his own personal experience and meditating/communing with it until it grows more powerful.
So why not just let all charactersany given permanent item creation without a feat? Obviously, no significant bond can be created between a boy and his potion, but why not his ring/sword/shield/etc?
A strong experience relating to the item can spontaneously increase the items magic cababilities, at the same time taking experience from the character, probably points that would otherwise be assigned at the end of the chapter of the story. Thematic considerations can make the shield that fended off the Red Dragon suddenly give the shield Fire Resistance, or a greater AC vs. dragons.
The character could also be changed. Say the dragon does a lot of damage before being defeated, the character could wind up with a birthmark where the dragon savaged him or a bright red lock of hair where the dragon clawed his scalp.
The character will slow vs his party, but not actually lose xp, since the loss will be evidenced in earned xp, not in xp already owned.
So now mechanics? The first would be a role playing dynamic. Long term possession and care with an item, or experiencing a lifechanging or traumatic experience with the item as a focus would be a prerequisit. The days of meditation/focusing trick would work as well.
Next, figure out how much xp it would cost to create the weapon using the current dmg rules. Throw out caster levels and spells required, if it makes sense given the item and the situation, let it in.
Using the xp calculation, have the character spend the xp needed, or take it out of earned xp, and have the character suddenly "discover" the new features of his favorite belt buckle.
To prevent characters from running around with massively powerful or inappropriate items, put a cap on the amount of xp that can be spent this way. My first feeling is 100 times the square of a characters level in items powered or created this way, measured in experience points. A 4th level character could have his family heirloom sword pump up to (4*4*100) 1600 experience points into his sword, which would be a very nice sword for a character at that level, at as much as a +4 total modifier. However, this character would be very much defined by his sword, since he has spent as much as 20% of his total experience gained on this one item. Thus it is self balancing.
Of course, items can still be created and gained in the traditional way, but a character's items can grow with him without constant turnover. Tiger was heartbroken when Singlestroke broke, but that is how a sworddancer should be.
