D&D (2024) Wrapping up first 2-20 2024 campaign this week, some of my thoughts

[ECMO3]

They have never used 2024 monsters.

We did use a select few 2024 monsters late in the campaign, but we also used a lot of MCDM monsters which we now see are in general more powerful than their 2024 counterparts.

 

[Chaltab]

The first change (and it is extreme) is we are doing Dark Sun next. Not only no purchasing magic items, but no purchasing metal items.

Oh, interested in hearing how that one goes.

 

[ECMO3]

they should, but do the guidelines say anything about how it affects the game negatively? We just had the example, the guide says you can craft, the guide says nothing about a two ring limit, the game was a cakewalk. Maybe the guide should have said something about this…

Experienced DMs probably do not fall into the trap, that still does not explain why the book sets it in the first place (and by that I mean has this easy and cheap crafting in the first place)

So you say this, but it is a change and it is difficult to predicet before it happens.

With the rings for exampleI think the first we noticed it was when we found a Ring of Fire Resistance and when we were talking about if we wanted to use it and what we shoudl attune to one of the players mentioned that it wasn't attunement any more. This was a complete surprise and what led to - well let's just buy a bunch of them.

Could the DM have ruled that "well those are not avaialble" or "only 4 rings max" sure he could, but that would have been homebrew in the middle of a campaign where in session 0 we decided you could purchase rare items and there was no such Homebrew on wearing rings.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

We did use a select few 2024 monsters late in the campaign, but we also used a lot of MCDM monsters which we now see are in general more powerful than their 2024 counterparts.

Ehh from looking I don’t really agree. Plus your high amount of magic gear, that didn’t even follow the correct rarities. Like the vicious weapon being rare not uncommon.

Also for people talking about the DMG here is the recommended max amount of magic items

 

[Mort]

No. At lease not as far as I remember. He does have something else, I think a Staff of Thunder and Lightning?

He also does not have a Robe of the Arch Magi and we have had all three of those items in previous campaigns.

Robe of the Archmagi is nice and all, but it doesn't hold a candle to a staff of the magi or staff of power. These items add way too much resource to a wizard's (or sorcerer's) arsenal. To challenge a high level party you have to make sure the caster's resources actually get drained. That's exponentially harder with either of these items in play.

As an aside I actually broke a Staff of Power in a 5E campaign during a final boss fight last year. It was epic, maybe my greatest moment in 40+ years of D&D, even though the character died.

Going out in a heroic death is one of the better ways to go!

 

[ECMO3]

Any magic weapon that adds 2 dice worth of damage to every hit is a mistake. Learned that the hard way in my game when I let the artificer loot a black ice longbow from a dead eladrin archer.

Yes, at least at the Rare level. This should be Legendary.

 

[ECMO3]

Ehh from looking I don’t really agree. Plus your high amount of magic gear, that didn’t even follow the correct rarities. Like the vicious weapon being rare not uncommon.

I made a mistake when I said they were uncommon, they are rare and look at my magic items I listed above and then look at what that chart says I should have. I have less than I should have theoretically if you divide those by the party size (5), and that includes items like my Cloak of Protection that I have but am not using.

 

[Shardstone]

We did have a lot of magic. At current time my PC (Arcane Trickster 9/Fey Warlock 7/Bard 1/Paladin 1) is rocking a forsight shortsword (MCDM weapon that gives advantage on first attack against a creature and does max damage on the weapon die), a vicious dagger, Rod Of Lordly Might (used as shortsword), Effreeti Bottle, Cloak of Protection (currently not attunded), Rod of the Pact Keeper +2, +3 shield and a slew of potions and scrolls. I am still using a non-magic breastplate. I don't actually have all the rings. With Uncanny Dodge, Sheild spell, Absorb Elements and Evasion I decided I did not need them, I only have two - Psychic Resistance and Necrotic Resistance if I remember correctly.




Resistance to BPS is still in the Monster Manual but it applies to magic damage as well. This actually makes characters who use a Cantrip a bit more powerful. My character plays mostly like a Gish Rogue with Divine Smite, and some really effective low level control spells. I only get one attack a tturn, but when I do it I can use Truestrike or Pact of Blade to turn all my damage into Psychich, Necrotic and/or Radient or some mix of those, including my 5d6 Sneak attack damage. This is a big benefit over a Rogue that is tied to BPS with Sneak Attack.



Yes but that is running the adventure as designed.

You really really really buried the lede on this! You are GEARED UP oh my god.

 

[Shardstone]

I think he followed the guidance in the adventure and this is the first campaign for him using 2024 rules.

Also while it seems to be a lot, and it certainly feels like a lot playing in game, I don't think it is actually an abnormally large amount based on the guidance in the DMG. The DMG says 100 magic items for 18th level party, including 11 Legendary and 19 Very Rare. I don't think we actually have that many. We probably have more Rare than designed, but I think overall we are still in the ballpark for what is recommended.

We have 5 in our party, my PC currently has 2 Legendary items and 3 Very Rare items and I think that is about average for the party.

The adventure was written for 2014 characters. The encounter guidelines in the new DMG are different, and we don't know if MCDM knows how to balance a high level adventure or not.

 

[ECMO3]

Robe of the Archmagi is nice and all, but it doesn't hold a candle to a staff of the magi or staff of power. These items add way too much resource to a wizard's (or sorcerer's) arsenal. To challenge a high level party you have to make sure the caster's resources actually get drained. That's exponentially harder with either of these items in play.

In play in 5E they have not been an issue, mostly because Wizards at that level have so much power already. IME the Robe is actually better than a Staff of Power because of the bonus to spell DC and the latent always on defenses.

My Goblin Enchantment Wizard 19/Death Cleric 1 had both a Staff of Power and a Robe of the Archmagi. The Staff of Power was not that big a deal because my own spells were so much better and more effective. It was actually rare that I used it (before the finale when I broke it). Even if I didn't want to throw a spell, using Hypnotic Gaze with a 21 DC was often going to be better than what I would have done with the staff. Not always, but often.

Now if you get it at level 9 ..... well that is a different story.