D&D (2024) DMG 5.5 - the return of bespoke magical items?

[Nefermandias]

even if magic items are 100% in your control. you still need to give items that are useful to player and items that players want. Otherwise you just give away bunch of vendor trash.

That's why I only use the DMG treasure tables. They get whatever the dice says.

 

[Ancalagon]

I suppose attunement could be the way to limit this sort of thing. I do not relish the thought of every character becoming virtually a cookie cutter with the same loadout of the most useful stuff all the time. If that's what happens, it might as well be built into the character.

Attunement will help yes. I know the staff requires attunement by a spellcaster, but I believe that the weapon and armor/shield ones just require attunement by anyone.

I do not like it when people build PCs that "need" a magical item to "work"

 

[Horwath]

That's why I only use the DMG treasure tables. They get whatever the dice says.

so mostly vendor trash then

 

[Mistwell]

My observation is that 50 days is no barrier for most groups. The cost of living is negligible by the time you are crafting magic items. They will just get a room in town and wait it out.

They will most likely be doing it in their Bastion, as these rule work well with Bastion rules where you need to be at the Bastion to issue an order at certain times, and they have crafting benefits you can choose for your Bastion.

Ways to prevent or slow down crafting
1. Require an expensive lab.

Yes the Bastions can have such a thing. I think it's Arcane Study?

 

[Mistwell]

That's why I only use the DMG treasure tables. They get whatever the dice says.

And this is how we ended up with a folding boat as one of our only rare items. Which most frequently gets used as an emergency "block this corridor" item. It's a miracle it hasn't bene chopped to bits by this point.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I don't wanna speak for the OP, but in my case, it goes like that:

Players already have control over which feats to chose, which spells to prepare and so on.

Magic items being something out of their control adds a layer of random variety that feels good gameplay wise.

That's pretty much what rogue-like videogames do.

on the other hand, seeing as they already have control over feats, spells and more leaving magic items out of that control creates dissonance in their ability to control how they create their character in certain areas, especially as some types of characters rely on magic items far more than others do*, what's the fundamental difference between GM picking and distributing magic items and them doing the same for your feats and spells?

*because of this i wish casters had something that occupied their attunement that wasn't additional power from magic items.

 

[sevenbastard]

Again, anything that's adding yet MORE spells to the group is not something I'm loving very much.

5e is already so "magical" I'm with you. I don't need every person armed with a wand of magic missile and even the familiar having a collar of shield.

 

[KYRON45]

I find it best to make sure the players know they have little to no control over anything.

 

[Emerikol]

on the other hand, seeing as they already have control over feats, spells and more leaving magic items out of that control creates dissonance in their ability to control how they create their character in certain areas, especially as some types of characters rely on magic items far more than others do, what's the fundamental difference between GM picking and distributing magic items and them doing the same for your feats and spells?

I think it would depend on the type of world you are creating. If it is a world where magic item creation is commonplace then denying the players is as you say not good. On the other hand if magic item creation is a lost magic art or is extremely difficult and not worth the effort, then that is the way the world works and PCs can know that fact.

Personally, I've never liked the idea of magic marts or item creation feats but some like them. It really is a game taste decision. It does vary the power level greatly though so you have to account for that upswing in power if players can freely create magic items.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I think it would depend on the type of world you are creating. If it is a world where magic item creation is commonplace then denying the players is as you say not good. On the other hand if magic item creation is a lost magic art or is extremely difficult and not worth the effort, then that is the way the world works and PCs can know that fact.

Personally, I've never liked the idea of magic marts or item creation feats but some like them. It really is a game taste decision. It does vary the power level greatly though so you have to account for that upswing in power if players can freely create magic items.

i mean, i'm mostly viewing this from a build-balance consideration angle rather than worldbuilding, plus the default level of magic for default DnD is so high anyway if you're allowing fullcasters then i don't see magic item creation as something that should stick out thematically, it's just that 'magimarts' seem to be looked down on.