Hjorimir
Adventurer
I have many of the same issues as stated in the first post of this thread. A large part of the game for me - both as a player and as a DM - is the wonder of magic items. 3E, as designed, basically removed that wonder with the Item Creation feats.
Now, I can certainly understand why players wanted them. It always seemed odd back in the day that nobody actually knew how to make magic items, but we accepted it and played on. After having played in quite a few 3E campaigns, however, I found myself becoming more and more annoyed with how magic items were becoming trivialized and I decided to make some changes (be them for better or worse).
My solution involved the following (I will state my reasoning in italics):
1- I removed all Item Creation feats other than: Brew Potion, Craft Wand/Staff (which I combined, because I'm a nice guy), and Scribe Scroll.
D&D was becoming more and more like a MMORPG (such as EverQuest) where my players spent more time selling and crafting items in order to get the perfectly min/maxed set of gear than actually seeking out adventure. The final draw was when I handed out a really great weapon and the player who got it thought it could have been built better for his needs. I should add that he is a great role-player, but his comment really stung.
While I don't buy into the argument that the PCs need certain AC items or the necessary weapon to bypass DR - why have DR in the game if the PCs are expected to ignore it - I've already placed enough other limitations on my spellcasters (as I run what many would consider a low magic game) that I felt denying them scrolls, staves, and wands was just too much. Having potions available gives all the other characters something to spend their extra coin on as well.
2- Magic items within my campaign require 'Attunement' before they can be used (other than potions/scrolls and wands/staffs are automatically attuned at time of creation). Attunement isn't always the same thing and is specific to the item in question. It may be, for example, performing a ritual in a particular (or specific) place when one of the moons is full. It could just as easily require a human sacrifice (a sure way to have the PCs just destroy the item).
Furthermore, a character cannot have more magic items attuned than what the DMG suggests is appropriate for the character's level (I think it is on page 135 or so, but I'm not sure because I don't have my DMG on me at the moment). Lastly, some items can be partially attuned. This means a +5 sword could be attuned in single pluses to keep within the character's suggested wealth restriction.
There are three things I really like about the Attunement rule. First, it polices itself. The group will eventually come to have more magic items than any one character can attune. This will encourage them to really share the wealth and I don't ever have to step in with a DM fiat to make sure the quite guy at the table isn't always passed over.
Next, because you cannot attune items over your level of wealth, it really cuts down on the market of magic item sales as the more powerful the item, the smaller the market of people who can even use the item (and many of them who are high enough level already have their own items and not enough room left over). Granted, anybody can release an item to make room for a different Attunement. But they would have to go through the full Attunement procedure if they ever wanted to switch back.
Lastly (and this is probably my favorite part), you can easily have heirloom like items (or just powerful items in general) that grow with the PCs as they attune more and more of it as they progress in levels. This really cuts down the disposable magic items aspect and allows you to give Excalibur to a 3rd-level knight without unbalancing the game (seeing he cannot attune more than a plus or two at that point anyway).
These two rules will obviously tone down the PCs power levels (and I am completely comfortable with that fact). But, as has been stated before, all power is relative anyway. It just means I can use "less-powerful" monsters to get the same effects as using something stronger. Once your players look at that on a metagame level, they won't be too worried about these kinds of changes.
Anyway, hope that helps and feel free to use it if you like.
Now, I can certainly understand why players wanted them. It always seemed odd back in the day that nobody actually knew how to make magic items, but we accepted it and played on. After having played in quite a few 3E campaigns, however, I found myself becoming more and more annoyed with how magic items were becoming trivialized and I decided to make some changes (be them for better or worse).
My solution involved the following (I will state my reasoning in italics):
1- I removed all Item Creation feats other than: Brew Potion, Craft Wand/Staff (which I combined, because I'm a nice guy), and Scribe Scroll.
D&D was becoming more and more like a MMORPG (such as EverQuest) where my players spent more time selling and crafting items in order to get the perfectly min/maxed set of gear than actually seeking out adventure. The final draw was when I handed out a really great weapon and the player who got it thought it could have been built better for his needs. I should add that he is a great role-player, but his comment really stung.
While I don't buy into the argument that the PCs need certain AC items or the necessary weapon to bypass DR - why have DR in the game if the PCs are expected to ignore it - I've already placed enough other limitations on my spellcasters (as I run what many would consider a low magic game) that I felt denying them scrolls, staves, and wands was just too much. Having potions available gives all the other characters something to spend their extra coin on as well.
2- Magic items within my campaign require 'Attunement' before they can be used (other than potions/scrolls and wands/staffs are automatically attuned at time of creation). Attunement isn't always the same thing and is specific to the item in question. It may be, for example, performing a ritual in a particular (or specific) place when one of the moons is full. It could just as easily require a human sacrifice (a sure way to have the PCs just destroy the item).
Furthermore, a character cannot have more magic items attuned than what the DMG suggests is appropriate for the character's level (I think it is on page 135 or so, but I'm not sure because I don't have my DMG on me at the moment). Lastly, some items can be partially attuned. This means a +5 sword could be attuned in single pluses to keep within the character's suggested wealth restriction.
There are three things I really like about the Attunement rule. First, it polices itself. The group will eventually come to have more magic items than any one character can attune. This will encourage them to really share the wealth and I don't ever have to step in with a DM fiat to make sure the quite guy at the table isn't always passed over.
Next, because you cannot attune items over your level of wealth, it really cuts down on the market of magic item sales as the more powerful the item, the smaller the market of people who can even use the item (and many of them who are high enough level already have their own items and not enough room left over). Granted, anybody can release an item to make room for a different Attunement. But they would have to go through the full Attunement procedure if they ever wanted to switch back.
Lastly (and this is probably my favorite part), you can easily have heirloom like items (or just powerful items in general) that grow with the PCs as they attune more and more of it as they progress in levels. This really cuts down the disposable magic items aspect and allows you to give Excalibur to a 3rd-level knight without unbalancing the game (seeing he cannot attune more than a plus or two at that point anyway).
These two rules will obviously tone down the PCs power levels (and I am completely comfortable with that fact). But, as has been stated before, all power is relative anyway. It just means I can use "less-powerful" monsters to get the same effects as using something stronger. Once your players look at that on a metagame level, they won't be too worried about these kinds of changes.
Anyway, hope that helps and feel free to use it if you like.
