Adventurer's Vault - What do you think?

[Fallen Seraph]

Yeah, Irda I think you will like it. I do the same and I am quite enjoying, hell sometimes I go even beyond that. In that the weapon still has the property but it is described not as magical but a shift in the fighting style of the PC and I am quite enjoying AV.

Also, all the other stuff besides just the magic items are quite nice. Only thing I wish there was more off were Firearms at all and more mundane items.

 

[Nymrohd]

I have to say I quite like AV but there are several items in there I am very tempted to rule 0. Also, too many items that grant penalties to defenses can dangerously overpower a group (that can proceed to unload dailies in short bursts and decimate anything with ease). Especially the two weapon types that force cumulative penalties to AC or Fort on a hit simply have to go.

 

[Evilhalfling]

I throwing the armor of agility, for the warlord who has made at least 1 death save in 3 out of 4 games and could use a little better defense.

and
staff of force.
but Im making the slide 1 an encounter power instead of a daily. My wizard play is very tactical, and should love this.

 

[Nebulous]

I doubt I'm alone in saying most of my group loves wacky random effects and improvised rulings more than they love a balanced system. Statboosting is boring to me, and while not every item in AV is guilty of this, the majority are. Another healing surge. A reroll. +2 on endurance. Whoop de doo! How about a sword that can cut somebody's arm off? How about a Rod of wonder that might summon an attack t-rex!

You're not alone. This is my precise opinion of the AV. It's not a bad book by any means, and players will undoubtedly like the large selection of stuff, but i find it by and large to a boring large selection of stuff.

I'm already modifying magic from past editions to introduce to our 4e campaign, rather than relying solely on the AV and PHB. I mean, i'll still use the AV, but not exclusively.

 

[JeffB]

It's not a bad book by any means, and players will undoubtedly like the large selection of stuff, but i find it by and large to a boring large selection of stuff. .

This is also my opinion. I browsed through and was ..err..not overwhelmed.

 

[Windjammer]

You're not alone. This is my precise opinion of the AV. It's not a bad book by any means, and players will undoubtedly like the large selection of stuff, but i find it by and large to a boring large selection of stuff.

I'm already modifying magic from past editions to introduce to our 4e campaign, rather than relying solely on the AV and PHB. I mean, i'll still use the AV, but not exclusively.

Exactly my sentiments as well. I already inserted two vastly overpowered items from AV into my last session (overpowered meaning way above my PCs' level) but the utterly transparent and beautifully simple mechanics of 4E means I could have come up with a LOT of the item conversions and creations myself. I mean, most of the stuff really does damage of a certain type (one-off or ongoing), boosts a stat or an existing power (basically a power which allows said item as an implement) and/or allows you to regain that power more quickly (say, encounter powers become twice encounter, daily items become twice daily). You get the idea. What's missing most isn't just whacky mechanics - it's flavor text. I was already pissed off big time with the copy+paste used for the Eye and Hand of Vecna in the PHB, not to mention the largely uninspired and uninspiring text that goes with it.

So, for me the biggest boon of AV is its showcasing that it's become much easier for the DM to make up magic items as far as mechanics is concerned. (To repeat: just boost an extant PC power in the ways mentioned above, or let items function like multiclass feats: they grant access to powers otherwise unaccessible to a particular PC.) Since AV is actually mostly mechanics, it is also mostly redundant. Ironic, because that's a result of 4E's strengths.

 

[thundershot]

My only complaints are a lack of mundane items (we need a Goods & Gear 4E), the lack of detail on some of the cooler items (older books used to tell what each level did for an Apparatus of Kwalish, for example), and lack of some things that I really wanted (Rod of Lordly Might). I hear there's a AV 2 coming out next year. Hopefully it'll have more vehicles, too... Heck, I'd get an entire BOOK of vehicles..



Chris

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Two words: Ornithopter.
Oh, wait, that was only one word. Okay, have a second one: Airship.



Okay, there's more, and this is possibly the less important stuff. But there seems to be a wealth of interesting and useful items. Is there power creep?
I would say that with more items, there is also a bigger chance you find useful combinations. The individual items don't seem to be more powerful, but again, you might find some better synergy between items.

I think where you notice this the strongest are elixiers and potions. They give you more things to do with your daily item use and healing surges. But you always have to give up something for them.
Our group immediately liked those "Graveyard Potions" or how they were called - spend a healing surge (like for every other Potion) and gain resistance 10 to Necrotic (and Poison, I think) damage. I think there are also heroic and epic tier equivalents. That's pretty nice, and can serious weaken or neutralize the threat of ongoing damage and poison. But they still cost money _and_ a healing surge.

 

[TerraDave]

I looked at a friend's copy and decided to invest in Encyclopedia Magica instead. Now I've got 5 versions of the rod of wonder, 2 versions of that 7 parts thingamabob, and more weapons, potions, etc. than I could ever need.

To be honest, it was a little more expensive than AV, but I think I'm going to get a lot more bang for my buck. Plus, now I can introduce the Sword of Sharpness (heretofore unknown to me) into my playgroup.

How did Encyclopedia Magica get in the thread! And never heard of the sword of sharpness...shocking to my grognard ears. You at least knew what a vorpal blade was, right? Snicker-Snack!

I just got the Encyclopedia out of storage, and it remains an all time favorite, in its multi-volume pleather cover glory. It is an incredible font of ideas and archive of D&D lore. Try the quirks!

But, if you are just looking to drop your stuff into your 4E game, AV looks great, at least on the first read. I did wish it had more mundane items, more mounts and vehicles (though I love that it has real chariot rules) and more illustrations.

And was twice as long for the same price, that would have been really good.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I second the request for more "mundane" items. Be it vehicles or weapons, more would be great. I wouldn't mind some "fantastic" vehicles, either. Maybe an Astral Jammer?


I hope no one minds if I use the Two-Bladed Sword stats as a Bat'Leth? If it had existed before I created my Dragonborn Warlord, he might have gotten that one, even if it would mean losing some of his AC and damage.