"I don't like my Christmas present" -- do you enjoy getting treasure?

[The Shaman]

I think what's going on is the same reason Christmas presents are mostly a waste of money. It's just so much more satisfying to shop for yourself than to have someone else guess what you think is cool.

The assumption here seems to be that the referee is placing treasures he thinks the players will want, rather than placing treasures randomly or by what makes sense in the context of the game-world.

This idea that treasure is something the players are expected to get in x amounts and that characters are 'built' around these expectations are so beyond me I don't even know what to say.

In any case, I always like finding treasure, because if no one wants it, it goes in the baksheesh bag to be gifted to an npc in exchange for favors.

 

[kitsune9]

I think I'm in the original poster's camp.

 

[Sunseeker]

Unless the item in question is relevant to the storyline I'm developing(such as the magic longsword to slay the evil dragon, the magic wand that controls the golem army, ect...) I just give people the option of picking up any item of X gold value or X level or lower. People are rarely disappointed in the treasure they get to decide on for themselves, and it also prevents people from fighting over the magic sword if it would benefit both of them equally.

I like getting treasure, gold, gems, weapons, you name it, but I like having control over what I get and getting something I can actually use.

If the DM is REALLY good(I'm not) they could attempt to track our classes and current equipment and attempt to give out treasures they know we have an open slot for, but still it's a bit of a shot in the dark.

 

[Halivar]

Bah! If you want a specific item, you have to quest for it. Anything short of that is just robbery of awesome story times.

 

[the Jester]

Bah! If you want a specific item, you have to quest for it. Anything short of that is just robbery of awesome story times.

Or make it yourself, but I favor an item creation system where you need three things to create an item:

1. A recipe for the item (adventure for it, buy it from a sage, whatever- but you do not automatically know how to make every, or even any, specific items).

2. Special ingredients (adventure for them, buy them from a dangerous lich or hag, whatever; it should always take an adventure or two to get these).

3. Time and Money (adjust to taste; I favor item creation that takes weeks to months, or even years for big-ass, bad-ass items, and a system that allows any character to make items appropriate to that character, so your high level fighter is able to make magic weapons).

 

[Halivar]

Or make it yourself, but I favor an item creation system where you need three things to create an item:

/sigh
Must spread points.

I love it. Crafting an item should be as adventurous as questing for it.

A holy avenger, of course, requires a sanctified balor's tooth. Or should, at any rate.

 

[the Jester]

/sigh
Must spread points.

I love it. Crafting an item should be as adventurous as questing for it.

A holy avenger, of course, requires a sanctified balor's tooth. Or should, at any rate.

Glad you like the idea.

Dust of disappearance? Get me the wings of a dozen pixies!

Wait- what was my alignment again?

 

[S'mon]

I did twice 'give' items recently, tailored to two PCs, but that is extremely rare for me. Normally appropriate items are given to NPCs, not to players, or randomly generated in NPC or monster treasure piles. If the PCs kill the NPCs/monsters and get their stuff, great. If it happens to suit a PC, even better - but the PCs earned it, I didn't give them it. I'm not Father Christmas.

 

[Zelda Themelin]

Hey remember if you play D&D 3.x with normal rules people need healing items, magical armor, weapons and stat bounus items, or system doesn't work when you go up levels and monster resistances etc. expect players can pass them. Like I said don't call all items that give bonuses magic. Call them steel weapons or steel weapons with starsilver or something like that. Replace lame +1 +2 items for something like that.

Honestly if you play modules like I do/run getting those items from enemies who carry them gets old (yeh you get again 1 moderate cure potion, masterwork crossbow, 20 ammos, +1 leather armor, wait this guy has studded one, yay, +1 short sword, lucky you it's kukri this time around): I am running Council of Thieves just finished fifth one and this is usual way to get treasure, then you might find stack of loot with some low charges of restoration wand/moderate healing wand which you apperently will use up when you face the vampires, well not enough charges, buy some extra healing.

The artifact gotten at that level was good though, players really got attached to it, and my sister spilled some real life tears when party decided to destroy it.

I was playing through another module series, with similar npc enemy loot tables. At least they had rubys too. But when I had to arrange stock sale of 42 +1 short swords/daggers I feel merchant not hero. Good thing that group had heroes that liked being merchants too.

Point is it's not very magical. 4th edition changed most of relevant bonuses to inherent abilities or something. Not expert, don't play that edition, but it was kinda good idea. I liked one presented at book of nine swords better though. However actual magical items based on my reading are even more lamer than 3rd edition version. Magic is not about micro bonuses.

I kinda miss certain unpredictablity charm of earlier editions, but they had too much other warts that I don't go back dm:ing them. I steal items out of them, though much more interesting, and if player wants that legendary weapon it's obviously possessed by somebody or lying in the collections of bad guys right next to shrunken heads of failed heroes of old.

"Gifts" are fine sometimes, but make that interesting too. Intelligent objects are good for this, as are people wanting your "lucky treasure":

Rest of time, make things people really want quests. Magical shops need creepy materials and adventures to get them if they want them. You can give them discount from listed prices as much as you think is fair. And naturally people possessing that really good stuff probably want more for it than the listed price.

If you make them interesting to either get/possess players feel more about them. But don't make them constantly fight for possession, "gifts" have prices that are eventually complited, or it is very unfun and people start to throw things away because they obviously don't want the trouble or sell them for money or something you don't want.

Know people you play with, different people do these thing differently.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I have never liked wish lists. To me just giving players the items they want is problematic in terms of believability and game balance. There is also something fun abut squeezing good use from an unlikelt item.