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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Balesir" data-source="post: 6079323" data-attributes="member: 27160">The "magic items as fancy gear" element I had no issues with at all - it fits right into the "magic isn't some sort of outside presence that is separate from the world, it's a natural part of the world that impinges on how the world works" that I've posted about hereabouts. I do think it should have been made clearer in the published materials, though. The split of "magic items" into gear that characters could buy or make ("magic items", in 4e) and DM plot elements intended to let the DM give players world elements to play with for a bit while remaining - as world elements - within the DM's control (Artifacts, in 4e) I thought was genius. It resolved a dichotomy that had been growing in D&D for years - with calls for "magic item creation" systems countered by "magic (items) aren't special any more" complaints that started with 3.X, not 4e.Such a simple answer - give a category for each. The only problem was that they didn't make this crystal clear in the published books and they didn't give anywhere near enough examples of Artifacts.Take a look at the original rules for Artifacts and you will find that they are almost identical to the Essentials "Rare Items". Some of them have Concordance and all that guff, but even early on it was clear that this was not a mandatory part of an Artifact. They can't be made, they can't be bought or (without specific DM permission) sold; they don't generally take "slots", they don't have daily power use limits, and they certainly aren't constrained by balance or fairness considerations. And many of them are darned cool!Had WotC explained this properly and published a load of the "Rare" items as Artifacts I really don't think the whole mess of "item rarity" would have been necessary.Sounds a lot like Artifacts, to me - why not just label them that?I don't really use "Emporiums" or "Magic Shoppes" - I have more of a concept of a market in rare items. The PCs can usually get what is appropriate for their level, but they do it through a network of contacts and friends. This explains, in part, why what they can get is (generally) appropriate to their level - it's because their array of friends and contacts are generally appropriate to their level!If you don't like magic items as player-controlled, party-shared character building elements then I recommend using inherent bonuses, removing magic items (apart from consumables, perhaps) altogether and using Artifacts (including converted magic items - especially rares - and modified or made up ones of your own) wherever you want a "magic item". If WotC had made this approach clear to DMs early on I think much hassle would have been saved; all the rules are there, but the advice/guidance was missing.</blockquote>

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