What makes a magic item interesting?

[Doug McCrae]

A +1 sword is probably interesting when you're new to D&D. These days we're so jaded I don't think anything in the rules will do, the GM (or players) have to come up with their own items. The two most interesting magic items I've created were both as player, to be used by my PC.

Any of unique powers, back story, drawbacks or a special purpose could help to make an item interesting imo.

 

[Ariosto]

In my mind, special interest comes from special distinction, unusualness of some sort.

In real life, we have all sorts of common gadgets. Any one of those is unlikely to hold much particular interest because of the commonality. A rare specimen can stand out, though -- as witness the many kinds of collectors' items.

In a low-tech fantasy world, something functionally equivalent to, say, a cell phone might be interesting -- not only to characters but to players -- because of its rarity. If such items keep turning up, the novelty at some point gets too diluted to inspire much interest.

In the real world, there are some impractically powerful and rare "hand cannon" pistols. I imagine one of those could make an interesting accessory for a character ... unless every gunslinger started "overcompensating" in the same way.

Beyond that, I think what makes a magic item exceptionally interesting is what events arise from its pursuit, possession or (especially) use. An adventure game is really about action, not inventory!

So, the most interesting items may well be those that come into play rarely, or even but once -- and in ways that radically change the situation.

 

[Leatherhead]

A wand of fireballs is useful but not terribly interesting.

That's because the fireball spell itself isn't terribly interesting. Mostly because people can throw around Molotov Cocktails. A ring of invisibility, on the other hand, is quite interesting despite being a one trick pony and duplicateable with other means, because people can't normally turn invisible.

I will say "Other": For a magical item to be interesting, it has to "break the rules." Not necessarily the games rules (though that can help sometimes), but the rules of the universe, natural laws if you will. For magic to feel magical, it has to do something you can't normally do.

Of course, I still prefer function over form when I get to pick items.

 

[Jack7]

I'll add a coupla more in the "other" category.

One thing that makes an item interesting to me is history, that is a personal connection to the item as a matter of family history. I have had a number of personal artefacts handed down to me by my father, grandfathers, great grandfathers. A drafting table and machine (which I still use), an engineering slide rule (which I rarely use but have hung in my bedroom and taught my children to use), old pocket watches, guns, a bayonet taken form a dead Japanese soldier won by my uncle in the Pacific, ration cards form World War II, various historical documents, a rosary, binoculars and telescopes, compasses, surveying equipment, tools, a fedora, even old fishing equipment and tools, etc. They are all interesting, some even fascinating, because of their historical background to my family.

In game terms I can imagine a number of fascinating artefcats also passed down through family lineage and inheritance that might have some secret or hidden magical property, or to which one could attach a magical property in order to match the sympathetic and historical value of the object. But "passing down things" was a common historical practice that was engaged in many cultures. I can't imagine it wouldn't also be a more or less common practice in any fantasy worlds but far too often the game seems to start every one off as if they are "a recent graduate" fresh to the world with just a credit card to their name to buy all new equipment to tackle the world. And as if the only member of the character's family to have ever add nay kind of spirit of adventure is the player character himself. It's hard for me to imagine every adventurer being an outcast from his family's history and historical tendencies, as if he or she alone were the only "adventurer" of any kind in the entire history of their family.

History though, personal and family history, that adds a real dimension of great depth to a thing. Heirlooms should be far more common it seems to me than they are in most fantasy games. And it is a fascinating aspect to explore for possible adventure ideas. For instance...

1. Discover the real history of an item
2. Discover if it is magical
3. why does your family possess it? For what purpose?
4. Can it become magical?
5. Is it one part of a larger item?
6. Is somebody else looking for it or do they want it back?
7. Where was the item originally located?
8. Who made the item and why?
9. Is the item famous in some circles?
10. Is the item secretly cursed or blessed?

And so forth and so on...


Another thing I have been recently experimenting with is magical items that change over time. Develop new capabilities and functions, perhaps lose old capabilities and functions. I'm even experimenting with one item that actually changes shape over time and becomes something other than what it appeared to be at first.

 

[fba827]

Can Other include both Shininess and Jingliness?

I believe the word you are seeking is "Bling"

 

[fba827]

To answer this question, I gave myself a couple "Would I prefer this or that" type mental questions.

I think the key factor in answering your question is the fact that you used "What makes a magic item interesting?" (emphasis mine) as opposed to "what makes a magic item useful?"

If given the choise between
a) longsword +1 and a frost longsword +1, I would opt for the frost longsword (it is, in my opinion) both more interesting and more useful)
b) two equally power-leveled longswords, I would opt for the longsword that had the more dramatic/themed effect for my character's preference
c) mysterious longsword vs an equally power-leveled longsword, my answer depends... if I already have a bunch of mystery items, frankly, I'd choose something known, and visa versa. Variety is great, but it can be overkill. So there is no clear winner here, hence, I can't say it's an "always" choice.
d) "The sword of Tannis, with a jade hilt and blood stained blade, used in the battle of 100 moons lead the elves to victory against the zombie horde," or "a frost longsword +3" I would opt for the sword of Tannis (even if it was just a longsword +1). Sure, it's usefulness will diminish as my PC gained levels, but I would choose it and use it as long as it was viable, and then some.
e) ... and so on...

so with that in mind, I have to say background/history/flavor is what makes it interesting to me. of course, i'd like some of that history to be learned over time, rather than all at once. it allows the "character" of the item to be spread out and come up again later, rather than all at once upfront when it might be forgotten weeks later.

Perhaps that is part of the equation too -- the longevity of it's "interestingness." a less flavorful item might just become a "built-in" stat boost/power option, whereas something more flavorful has the chance to be mentioned/focused more often.

(just my personal opinion).

 

[drothgery]

I'm one of those boring people that answered 'useful', though it's a necessary but not sufficient thing. All interesting magic items are useful; if they're not useful, they're quickly sold, given to whoever's collecting said item as a plot token, or destroyed (if it's not useful because it's an artifact of Pure Evil or something like that). Now, there are dull but useful magic items; the ubiquitous wands of cure light wounds in 3.x come to mind.

But a magic sword that, at the end of the day, isn't as good mechanically as the boring +3 longsword you've already got, just isn't interesting because you aren't going to do anything with it.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I voted useful. A unique magic item with an awesome history that does things no other magic item can do isn't terribly interesting if its a forgotten note on a character sheet never to be seen again. I've had that happen on more than one occasion, and from experience I have to say that if an item isn't useful it won't get the screen time necessary to impress.

Now there are exceptions. An intelligent dwarven beer stein is to this day one of the more memorable items I've given out. But, the intelligent axe that hated giants with the power of a thousand suns and compelled the PC wielding it to start a war with the frost giants, and was still powerful enough in combat that the PC still wouldn't stop using it is even more memorable.

So while any one of the things besides "useful" in the poll option might be required to make an item memorable, not one of them by itself is more important than the item being useful itself.

 

[Wombat]

Give the items names and heritage. Don't describe them in terms of game terminology (at least up front). Make them special, mysterious, beyond normal human ken.

Put the magic back in magic.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I voted for background, with a but: The magic items background should be reflected by its statistics. I also like it when there is something to "discover" about the item. I think the artifact rules do that pretty well in that regard. The item gradually grows stronger and it has thematic effects. I think that should be more like most magic items should work (minus the "my time is up, bye bye"-part, that just makes sense for Artifacts.)