Mordenkainens Weapon Emporium ??

[Incenjucar]

The number of new items is fairly small. Every item's text is about 50% fluff, and massive-font paragraphs of Mordenkainen telling you how much the items suck fill a lot of space (Seriously, Mord is either telling how he's the new Elminster or that the items in the book suck.). They do cover every implement and significant item type in the game, including totems and ki focuses, but with only a few items each.

I do like what they've done with picks - they're all small now, so they open up some new options for the small races, and pick expertise grants +1 damage/tier vs. larger opponents. Polearm expertise gives me warm fuzzies, and is going to be exceptionally useful in those games where the only defender is an Essentials aura thing.

 

[mneme]

Other quick takeaways (given that I'm a dumbass and left the book at home):

The new Ioun stones are a pretty cool Bracers alternative. +5 item bonus to all [Stat] Skill rolls and a +5 Item bonus to damage rolls with [Stat] attacks is a really useful option for high paragon and epic characters and lets them find something else to do with their arm slot (or an alternative to Staff of Destruction).

Lesser Foos are usually common, which may help the whole "no common items" problem a bit.

They included the Lance (and a new keyword to go along with it: Mounted gives +W on weapon attacks while mounted, -2 to hit when not mounted). The lance is Mounted, small, and versatile -- so you can wield it one handed with a shield and do serious damage when charging.

 

[Istar]

Hmm, I did not know about all the reprints. That knocks it down a step on my ladder of potential purchases.

I still think its worth getting Dicehard I down loaded it from a cheat site yesterday to check it out and it has a lot of new material.

Its brings out some of the old traditional magic stuff from 2e that we used for so long, and brought it out in 4e statistics.
A lot of the old classic items from days gone by so quite reminescent and group will likely get it.

Some of the 2e Potions, and protection scrolls, and classic items, and even Relics.
So its like AD&D DM Manual

The only thing that really worries is a new potion:

Only 20 Gold.
Gives you D8 HP back - even when you have NO SURGES LEFT !!!!!!

This is I think a mistake and a kick in the guys for players who conserve surges.
And a kick in the teeth for DM's trying to wear a party down over the course of the day.

As fallen comrades with no surges, will just be given potions to drink and up they will pop again and keep attacking move out of the way to the back of the party.

PC's with no surges, will just pop these every round to keep going ??

Is this a smart idea ?

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

The only thing that really worries is a new potion:

Only 20 Gold.
Gives you D8 HP back - even when you have NO SURGES LEFT !!!!!!

This is I think a mistake and a kick in the guys for players who conserve surges.
And a kick in the teeth for DM's trying to wear a party down over the course of the day.

As fallen comrades with no surges, will just be given potions to drink and up they will pop again and keep attacking move out of the way to the back of the party.

PC's with no surges, will just pop these every round to keep going ??

Is this a smart idea ?

For 750 gp you can have 15 of them, it's like a less efficient Wand of Cure Light Wounds in 3.x. Speaking of CLW, that's one powerful ability that players usually ignore since it takes a standard action to use and doesn't give bonus d6s of healing, but it's ... surgeless.

This potion could potentially cure a character who is at nearly negative bloodied hit points to 0, and then give them d8 on top of that. (Otherwise it's a bit like a weaker regeneration 4-5. Maybe not letting it work on unconscious creatures is a good house rules.)

I would encourage DMs to pick and choose items and don't just allow things. Alas, that's the kind of item a DM might not even pay attention to while scanning the book.

 

[Ferghis]

I can't find the rule now, but don't you regain the HP even if you don't have surges to spend? I'm not sure about this at all, but I thought that if you were out of surges and drank a regular healing potion, you still regain 10 HP.

Wait, that might not make sense. I'm pretty sure that if I use healing word on you, and it usually heals [surge value]+2d6+8, and you have no surges, you still heal 2d6+8. This probably doesn't apply to the Healing Potion, but if it does, the d8 potion is just a poor man's healing potion.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I can't find the rule now, but don't you regain the HP even if you don't have surges to spend? I'm not sure about this at all, but I thought that if you were out of surges and drank a regular healing potion, you still regain 10 HP.

I'm pretty sure the regular healing potion only gives you 10 hp if you have a surge to exchange for that.

Wait, that might not make sense. I'm pretty sure that if I use healing word on you, and it usually heals [surge value]+2d6+8, and you have no surges, you still heal 2d6+8. This probably doesn't apply to the Healing Potion, but if it does, the d8 potion is just a poor man's healing potion.

No, I'm pretty sure that doesn't work. I think that's why abilities like Cure Light Wounds and Lay on Hands exist.

 

[Obryn]

Wait, that might not make sense. I'm pretty sure that if I use healing word on you, and it usually heals [surge value]+2d6+8, and you have no surges, you still heal 2d6+8. This probably doesn't apply to the Healing Potion, but if it does, the d8 potion is just a poor man's healing potion.

Nope; if you don't spend the healing surge, you don't heal the extra damage.

-O

 

[Dan'L]

In general, if you do not have a healing surge to spend, you do not get the healing. There is one exception to the rule, when you're dying:

HEALING A DYING CHARACTER • Regain Hit Points: ...If the healing effect requires you to spend a healing surge but you have none left, you are restored to 1 hit point.

Some DMs might choose to extend this to all times when a surge must be spent, but is not available; i.e., regain 1 hp for drinking a healing surge while above 0 hp but with no healing surges left to spend.

In any case, rider effects like the extra dice of healing from a healing word still do not apply, since a surge was not spent.

-Dan'L

 

[DNH]

Every item's text is about 50% fluff, and massive-font paragraphs of Mordenkainen telling you [about] the items. (slight edit)

For me, this is one of the selling points for the book. Sure, I like crunch a lot but small bite-sized sections of fluff for these items is really good. YMMV, as ever.

Also, I see a lot of items in here that are "classic" items from previous editions (such as the Wand of Wonders, Staff of Striking or Decanter of Endless Water, to name but three from off the top of my head). It may well be that these are reprints from elsewhere but that is not a problem for me because I completely missed them there.

 

[Incenjucar]

Oh some will love it. I just personally don't really care that Mordenkainen wants to cuddle up with Otiluke's Spheres and nobody else's, but the text about it takes up a huge amount of space.