The HC adventures give out way more treasure than the guidelines. At least two give out legendary weapons by level 5, and one gives out two legendary items aroun lvl 8 to 10.
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D&D 5E A single +1 armor for a level 10 party
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Thank you all for the feedback.
Especially the ones regarding the impact of AC bonuses.
It was obvious that 5th is quite a departure from 4th on that level, but I didn't realize up to this point it is much stricter than 1st was (so long ago...).
In our current game, we are taking roles behind the DM screen. This will require a little more coordination on the magic items front. And it is also in the Planescape setting, so we will have to adjust for that.
Especially the ones regarding the impact of AC bonuses.
It was obvious that 5th is quite a departure from 4th on that level, but I didn't realize up to this point it is much stricter than 1st was (so long ago...).
In our current game, we are taking roles behind the DM screen. This will require a little more coordination on the magic items front. And it is also in the Planescape setting, so we will have to adjust for that.
Flexor the Mighty!
18/100 Strength!
When I ran OotA I think I gave out 1 or 2 magic armors other than things like the shield that gives you advantage on perception checks.
Ancalagon
Dusty Dragon
As Quickleaf said, this has been analysed in the excellent thread http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...al-quot-Magic-Item-Distribution#ixzz4DWLNm6VT
So each level 10 character should have 2-3 items, and only one of them rare (per PC). Defensive items being fairly rare - especially armor! - it would be very reasonable for a party of that level to only have 2-3 defensive items in total, and only one of them being armor.
There is a chart to give each item a history and quirk. In the game I'm running, the monk's +1 spear can cast light on itself and randomly changes color. The paladin's vicious tulwar has a bone motif, gives the user a pleasant positive feeling, and is part of the "royal regalia" of a deposed dynasty.
Items are meant to be rare and used throughout a hero's career. That cloak of protection you found at level 4? Odds are that it's still protecting you at level 15... I think this is ok
So each level 10 character should have 2-3 items, and only one of them rare (per PC). Defensive items being fairly rare - especially armor! - it would be very reasonable for a party of that level to only have 2-3 defensive items in total, and only one of them being armor.
There is a chart to give each item a history and quirk. In the game I'm running, the monk's +1 spear can cast light on itself and randomly changes color. The paladin's vicious tulwar has a bone motif, gives the user a pleasant positive feeling, and is part of the "royal regalia" of a deposed dynasty.
Items are meant to be rare and used throughout a hero's career. That cloak of protection you found at level 4? Odds are that it's still protecting you at level 15... I think this is ok
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Ancalagon
Dusty Dragon
This brings up an interesting point - some rare items are rarer than others! If you look a the random treasure charts, the chance of getting a magical +1 armor randomly on the charts are *quite low*. Why? metagamingly, game balance issues. "In world" it could be that they are less durable, or simply takes a beating.
KahlessNestor
Adventurer
Not quite. I don't play the HCs, buy it's still fairly difficult to get a decent magic item, and fairly easy to get one that does absolutely nothing for your character (wind fan). And it still couunts against yoir total. Put a new player at the table, and you almost have 0 chance of getting that +1 weapon you have been needing. You need to find a Fei Chen's to get anything specific usually.
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delericho
Legend
Bear in mind that the DDAL rules are about to change in light of Xanathar's Guide. And in the guidelines for shared campaigns in that book, instead of getting magic items from the adventures played, characters will instead get Treasure Points that can then be exchanged for items as desired.
(There may well be a list of specific items that can be bought, or indeed one list per season, rather than just a free-for-all, but the concept is much the same - instead of finding items in treasures, players will in effect be buying them.)
Li Shenron
Legend
No. I start by telling my players that in terms of magic items at least they are going to get zero of them. Then I happily proceed to give them as many magic items that come to my mind. For instance, I am mostly running my own on-the-fly conversions of old adventures, and I just give them whatever magic items are featured in the original adventures, with the few necessary rules adjustments, and I am not at all worried about the results.
It's a departure but it's not strict at all. It basically tells you that you don't have to necessarily follow a predefined pattern of magic items.
Mr. Wilson
Explorer
I personally dislike the fact magic items are so rare in 5E. I feel like the attunement process helps keep magic items in check enough as it is presented in the rulebook. I also have played in a homebrew world where a Mage School controls the magic item creation market and has a shop in all of the major cities.
This means that I hand out treasure much more liberally, plus the fact the party can purchase rare or lower quality items from the Wizard's school shops. My 5 players each have 3 attuned items, plus a smattering of unattuned magic items.
What's more, 2 of the items are vestiges (think weapons of legacy if you don't follow Critical Role), although 1 of the two is going to leave shortly as it was a sentient magic weapon that was slowly corrupting the barbarian in the party.
All in all at 10th level, the fighter has +1 longsword, a +1 set of plate armor than can roar twice a long rest to provide a single +1d4 roll to each ally and disadvantage on 1 roll for the enemies that lasts until the end of his next turn, and a +1 shield that can be thrown ala Avenger's Shield in WoW or Captain America's shield, and a stone of good luck. He also wears goggles of the night.
The bard has a staff of healing, bardic instrument (doss lute), and a pearl of power. She also has a mirror of scrying with 1 charge and a wand of secrets.
The Wizard has Ioun Stones of Intelligence, a robe that functions as the mage armor spell, and a ring of mind shielding (that essentially is a plot item to stop the BBEG from spying on him as they are doing the traditional retrieve 7 power artifacts to stop the BBEG questline). He just gave up a stone of good luck for the Ioun Stone and also has a bag of holding.
The Barbarian has his sentient axe that just prior to the boss battle last session upgraded to a +2 weapon that grants flight once a long rest and haste once a long rest. This weapon will be going away next session as he has finally managed to stop it from subtly controlling his actions during said boss fight, a periapt of wound closure, and a belt of resistance +1. He also has a +1 axe, goggles of the night, and a bag of holding.
The Ranger has a slippers of spider climbing, bracers of archery, and a ring of protection +1. She also has a bowstring that can deal an extra 2d6 force damage and can push a target 10 feet 3x per long rest, a +1 shortbow, winged boots (which she switches out with the slippers depending on the terrain), and goggles of the night.
The party also found another vestige last session that hasn't been claimed yet, but I assume will go the ranger that acts as a stone of good luck, grants +2 to wisdom, allows the user to cast raise dead for free once a week, grants the medicine proficiency and spare the dying cantrip, but it deafens the user if more than 10 feet away from them and you have to deal damage to yourself in order to use the spells. By far, this is the most powerful item the party has access to, but it is literally the blood of the gods and when they show up at a temple of the Goddess who's blood it is, plot complications will occur.
I don't feel like this is outrageous, they've collected this gear over the period of 9 months of real life time. But your mileage may vary and I'm sure some would see this as way to much. Personally, I think feats are more system breaking than the magic items I provided. I just double boss monster health and generally speaking, everything works out fine (and again, the double hit points are more for the sharpshooting ranger and GWM barbarian).
This means that I hand out treasure much more liberally, plus the fact the party can purchase rare or lower quality items from the Wizard's school shops. My 5 players each have 3 attuned items, plus a smattering of unattuned magic items.
What's more, 2 of the items are vestiges (think weapons of legacy if you don't follow Critical Role), although 1 of the two is going to leave shortly as it was a sentient magic weapon that was slowly corrupting the barbarian in the party.
All in all at 10th level, the fighter has +1 longsword, a +1 set of plate armor than can roar twice a long rest to provide a single +1d4 roll to each ally and disadvantage on 1 roll for the enemies that lasts until the end of his next turn, and a +1 shield that can be thrown ala Avenger's Shield in WoW or Captain America's shield, and a stone of good luck. He also wears goggles of the night.
The bard has a staff of healing, bardic instrument (doss lute), and a pearl of power. She also has a mirror of scrying with 1 charge and a wand of secrets.
The Wizard has Ioun Stones of Intelligence, a robe that functions as the mage armor spell, and a ring of mind shielding (that essentially is a plot item to stop the BBEG from spying on him as they are doing the traditional retrieve 7 power artifacts to stop the BBEG questline). He just gave up a stone of good luck for the Ioun Stone and also has a bag of holding.
The Barbarian has his sentient axe that just prior to the boss battle last session upgraded to a +2 weapon that grants flight once a long rest and haste once a long rest. This weapon will be going away next session as he has finally managed to stop it from subtly controlling his actions during said boss fight, a periapt of wound closure, and a belt of resistance +1. He also has a +1 axe, goggles of the night, and a bag of holding.
The Ranger has a slippers of spider climbing, bracers of archery, and a ring of protection +1. She also has a bowstring that can deal an extra 2d6 force damage and can push a target 10 feet 3x per long rest, a +1 shortbow, winged boots (which she switches out with the slippers depending on the terrain), and goggles of the night.
The party also found another vestige last session that hasn't been claimed yet, but I assume will go the ranger that acts as a stone of good luck, grants +2 to wisdom, allows the user to cast raise dead for free once a week, grants the medicine proficiency and spare the dying cantrip, but it deafens the user if more than 10 feet away from them and you have to deal damage to yourself in order to use the spells. By far, this is the most powerful item the party has access to, but it is literally the blood of the gods and when they show up at a temple of the Goddess who's blood it is, plot complications will occur.
I don't feel like this is outrageous, they've collected this gear over the period of 9 months of real life time. But your mileage may vary and I'm sure some would see this as way to much. Personally, I think feats are more system breaking than the magic items I provided. I just double boss monster health and generally speaking, everything works out fine (and again, the double hit points are more for the sharpshooting ranger and GWM barbarian).
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