Magic Item Question

[Lorathon]

What is the rule for using a magic item?

Can a Level 1 use a level 4 magic item? Or does the level of the magic item need to match the level of the PC?

 

[-Avalon-]

Lord I hope not... otherwise all the dreams of the Players using items akin to "Aegis Fang" will go down the hole... And level 30 items will pretty much never get used... artifacts would require new rules... etc etc...

I imagine that there are no rules for using levels above your own, but don't know for sure.

 

[talarei07]

yes you can use it. you can use a magic item regardless of level though you shouldnt have one thats more than three levels above yours in my opinion. see characters above first level. you get three magic items one lvl-1 one lvl and one lvl+1. now if an item says (paragon) or (epic) you may not be able to use it till you are 11th and 21st respectively but im not sure

 

[Lorathon]

Thank you

 

[DracoSuave]

Item level only affects three things:

1) The gp cost of the item

2) The minimum level needed to Enchant Magic Item to make it

3) The level is used when seeding treasure parcels.

If you couldn't use items above your level, the treasure parcels wouldn't work; you can only get items higher level than you in treasure.

 

[FireLance]

As mentioned by DracoSuave, the key restriction imposed by magic item levels is that you generally cannot create magic items that are higher level than you.

They also serve as guidelines for when you might reasonably be expected to find the items. For example, a DM who uses the core treasure parcel system system would give out a single magic item 4 levels higher than you once per level. Of course, a DM is free to ignore these guidelines if he wishes.

Otherwise, there is nothing to prevent a 1st-level character from using a 30th-level magic item.

 

[Nebten]

Otherwise, there is nothing to prevent a 1st-level character from using a 30th-level magic item.

Except finding one or the previous owner coming around wanting it back =v).