Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
If every town has 10 axes that do an extra 1d6 damage to elves, fey, and plant monsters, then are those axes special?
How can an item have character if it has many duplicates? I still don't see how rarity is separate from specialness.
Why can't they have character?
And why do they have less character than other items?
Regardless of the item, the way they shape the PCs and the story is what makes them special.
Any item with any ability can be given a name and a backstory. None of that really exists unless it manifests in game. The story of the actual game is what is interesting.
I agree. The axe of Lord Hightower, who fought the light elves at the battle of the broke-tooth grove and is +1 has the same character as the one that did the d6. You can add character to any item. If you prefer one Axe of Lord Hightower over the other, it's not character you are preferring in this case, but rather one mechanic over another.