Magic Items... I dont get em

[comotose4]

Ok. I am looking at the magic items listed in the PH, and i am curious... What are the creation rules on magic items. I mean can you say stack up and make a +3 Duelist Flaming Flamburst Dagger (+1 of each item type) or some such or can a magic item only have one type. It seem to me that with all the weapon powers u will probably only be able to have 1 type per item. If someone could clarify this for me I would greatly appreciate it.

I do believe if it is where you can only have 1 per item, I can see myself trying to house rule items very quickly.

And another thing... What is up with no stat items? And why all of these item powers anyway? I mean I get the powers for classes but items also? Me thinks someone in WoTC got power happy.

(And on a different note about items... limiting the number of times you can use item powers per milestone is a lil... uncool. If I have it I think I should be able to use it... but thats just me.)

 

[greyscale1]

Yes, 1 type per weapon.

Stat bonuses are gone because if they exist, players require them to be their best.

Powers are attached to weapons and items because it makes them unique and exciting, for the most part.

Whats wrong with recharging on a milestone?

 

[Kzach]

It's actually a really nice way of doing things. I was a bit iffy about it but now that I've gone through it and made a few characters up, I really, really like it.

Creating a character of a higher level is now so, so easy. Three items plus the gold of another for whatever you want. Simple and quick to find what you need and with the concept of items generally doing one thing well with bonuses added in, those three items are a no-brainer, ie. attack, AC, defences. And whatever else you can fit in.

Another cool thing is that, at least in my opinion, it promotes the naming of items. In 3.x there was a certain genericism to magic items like you were picking them up from the Homebrand section of the supermarket.

Whereas since items are all now quite unique and interesting and you should only have 3-5 of them at any one time, they just come with inherently more flavour to them that encourages naming.

As an example, on one of the characters I made up, I named his items, Alarin's Shield (shield of defiance), Eril'danil (ring of freedom of movement), Aegin Duranis (warplate +4), The Raven Queen's Blessing (an amulet of false life +3), and Harbinger (a vicious bastard sword +4).

 

[mwvdveld]

...
I do believe if it is where you can only have 1 per item, I can see myself trying to house rule items very quickly.
...

"comotose" is right... when I first looked at the magic weapons table I was baffeled... as a DM I always thought the rules for weapon creation in 3.5 where quite easy to grasp. Start with a masterwork weapon and slap those special abilities on them, check the table and voila... of course you had to be carefull not to overdo it, but you had a lot of possibilities...and even if you made a mistake, the effects where so gigantic that my players allowed me to remove those uber-weapons from the game, to keep the whole experience balanced. The new system just looks complex. The rules of thumb that the writers used are not longer VISIBLE... You know they are there but... you realy need to have a Phd in numerology to get it....

this is what i found out... and will use as a DM guideline/rule of thumb:
always pick abilities that have the same inherent magic bonus
(+1 flaming and +1 duelist)
add the levels together
deduce the inherent magic bonus for each ability chosen above the first
you get a new magic item level, look for the price for a weapon of the same level and voila you have your GP cost... (dont forget to add this
number on the basic weapon cost)

a little numbercrunching gives me:
(lvl 3, duelist +1) + (lvl 3, flaming +1) - X times Inherent magic
bonus = new magic weapon level = lvl 5 --> +1000GP

 

[trimeta]

Is restricting each weapon/armor to one magical property that bad? I remember back in 3.5e I had a sword which did +1d6 fire, +1d6 cold, +1d6 acid, and I was a rogue so I was adding +3d6 precision and +1d6 regular damage. Figuring out what went through when attacking various enemies (including constructs, etc.) was a major pain.

 

[mwvdveld]

back in 3.5e I had a sword which did +1d6 fire, +1d6 cold, +1d6 acid, and I was a rogue so I was adding +3d6 precision and +1d6 regular damage. Figuring out what went through when attacking various enemies (including constructs, etc.) was a major pain.

I agree... I build weapons that did the same... but those where rapidly removed from play...

 

[neceros]

To create a magic item you initiate the Enhance Magic Item ritual. It takes 1 hour if I remember correctly and afterwards you enchant an item with the properties you want. It costs in gp the value of the item gp value.

 

[comotose4]

Whats wrong with recharging on a milestone?

If I read it correctly, (and there is always a possibility I didnt) It says that you can only use 1 daily item power a day at levels 1-10, 2 at 11-20, and 3 at 21-30. At each milestone you just gain an additional use of an item ability but not the ability to reuse a daily u have already used.

So basicly if you have 5 items (between your 3 main slots and your other secondary slots) and you are level 12, you can only use 2 of those and if you hit 1 milestone you can use 3. I have a problem with having an item and being forced to choose which one to use. I mean alot of the items for like the head slot, arm slot, etc... etc... are worthless if you dont have acess to the power.

I guess I just feel like if I have an item then I should be able to use it whenever I want. If that means I blow them all in the first combat and then im stuck the rest of the day without those uses, then sobeit that was my choice but having rules forcing me to choose what to use when... yeah I dont really like that.

And as far as having just 1 enhancement type per item. I am ok with that but I just feel limited. I am sure though we will get splat books and magic item compendiums and such that will really expand the amount you can get and make it not feel quite as limiting.

 

[malraux]

I guess I just feel like if I have an item then I should be able to use it whenever I want. If that means I blow them all in the first combat and then im stuck the rest of the day without those uses, then sobeit that was my choice but having rules forcing me to choose what to use when... yeah I dont really like that.

But then you can have characters toting around bags of identical low level magic items.

 

[comotose4]

But then you can have characters toting around bags of identical low level magic items.

That is where the DM can step in and say "Nope you cant find any. Sorry. You have just what I have given you. thats it."