D&D 5E Would you let your player choose their magic items they get?

[Asisreo]

Basically the title.


Also, players: would you be upset that the DM chooses the magic items rather than allow you to choose and introduce them because you asked?

Personally, I like to control the rate magic items appear and which ones appear when. I wouldn't care if my DM didn't give a magic item. It is part of their responsibilities after all.

 

[Fenris-77]

Do you mean choose what shows up during the campaign? That's ridiculous. Players don't get to pick that. I thought maybe you meant for higher level character creation, in which case I normally take a wish list and work from there.

 

[Seramus]

All of the above. I allow players to quest for items they might need, or search for plans to make those items, and sometimes I even ask my players for a small wish list and put those items in dungeons where it might make sense for them to be, but I also roll randomly at least half the time.

 

[cbwjm]

I don't use 4e's magic item gift set where players could map out their items for the DM or simply grind down items to create another from the remains. Still, I don't really have any restrictions on which items can appear in my game.

Most of the items my players have currently were found. I do sort of tailor items to be useful for the party most of the time so each player currently has something that is useful for their PC but items have included a set of +1 chainmail which made sense for the NPC to be wearing but which could not be used by anyone in the party. I believe they bartered it away.

I have allowed them to purchase a +1 shield and I have a +1 dagger that they might also purchase (called Spite by its current owner who believes it is cursed with bad luck, but is it really though?), but these are simple items, anything more potent than a +1 item or a potion is unlikely to be easily found for purchase.

 

[Fenris-77]

Let me add that I'm more than happy to have players quest for items. I'm just not down with being handed a wish list that players just kind of expect to show up.

 

[Charlaquin]

I’d go with a 4e wishlist approach. Let me know what items you most want, and I’ll probably place some of them in the adventure for you.

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

To pick what shows up in hordes? Not really. I might see the kind of things they want and influence to that idea. Say for example there's a wizard in the party, I'm gonna throw them some spell scrolls they can copy into their books.

If a player directly asks me for an item they want though, I'm gonna turn that into an adventure. Say for example the Paladin wants a Holy Avenger. Well, maybe the order they belonged to has one and would be happy to give it to them... if they prove themselves.

 

[neogod22]

Sure, ask them to make a list of the items they would like to find within the campaign, and then you can decide when, where and how they aquire them. There's nothing I hate more than getting a bunch of magic items no one wants or can use. The other route a DM could go, is have some sort of emporium where characters could buy, sell, or trade magic items. This probably should be limited to a major cities like Waterdeep, The City of Brass, The City of Dis, or Sigil, if the campaign takes you across planes. Also legendary magic items should have their own specific quests to be obtained, and artifacts should only be used as plot devices.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I answered "yes" but there are caveats.

Specifically that I wouldn't let a player decide how many magic items they get (so no overflowing bags of potions and scrolls and such), or let a player choose without some kind of framework for what is or isn't a valid option at a given point (so no getting a staff of power at level 2 because I said "you get to pick an item").

But when it comes down to the difference of "I picked out an item appropriate to this circumstance" and "the player picked out an item appropriate to this circumstance" there really isn't any downside either way.

 

[Ath-kethin]

If my players indicate that there's an item they really want, I will work its appearance and retrieval into the campaign unless it's ridiculous.

That's for major items. If they can't figure out how to make whatever minor items they find useful, I don't see it as my problem.