Are you a "loose" DM?

[der_kluge]

Yea, I admit, I like handing out magic items. But, my party is 11th level, so I have some flexibility in that regard. For instance, in the first dungeon, they found a treasure room with numerous +1 weapons. Technically, it was a treasure trove of magic items, but they weren't interested in that stuff, since they had better stuff already.

But, the other caveat is that they are currently stranded on a lost continent, so they have no outlet for selling these things, since there is no civilization. So, in the last game, they are in a dwarven complex, and they found a treasure room. They opened the door, and a pile of gems and jewels (is there a difference??) poured out, and they found themselves wading into the room knee-deep high in gems. Cool yes, and they were totally excited about it, but in game terms, these things have no value, since there is no store anywhere to sell them at. Of course, they were quick to point out that they filled up their bags of holding with all the gems (replacing some cheaper bronze jewelry they found from the first dungeon), and now have very little actual coinage in their possession. So, if they ever do manage to get back to civilization, they will be all set, but that's ok, because they'll be retired by that time, and they will have deserved it.

It is my experience, however, that handing out magic items isn't a bad thing, necessarily, but the most unbalance comes from wondrous items. I don't care so much if everyone in the party has a +3 whatever, or +3 armor of some sort. I can deal with that stuff. My frustration, in the past, has come about when the party whips out a rope of climbing, or a portable hole, or something similar that easily helps them through some difficult situation. *Those* are the really unbalancing magical items. So, if I can avoid handing out too many of those kinds of things, I'll be ok.

 

[LazerPointer]

I'm just penning my first adventure now. (Level 1 party.) After the players find a local druid and help her regain a statue needed for a ritual (by going through a goblin shaman and his small tribe) they will end up with:

a nice hupak staff, a feather which grants the wearer a featherfall effect, and gifts from the druid: 20 +2 sling stones, and she teaches the druid of the party a 1st level spell.

Too generous? I can't see the feather being a big factor in the campaign.

Also, I'd like the party's gnome sorcerer to get the hupak; what's the best way to have this happen without forcing it?

I was thinking of having the staff be of gnome design, saying that it is a typical weapon of sorcerers, and leaving it at that. I guess if someone else really wants it, that's fine too.

 

[Nifft]

I run a high-magic, high-fantasy, and most of all high-risk game. I prefer making unique, expensive magic items that use the rules for "multiple effects on a single item", so they're memorable, and players feel the urge to not sell them.

I sure hope I'm not too generous... but the PCs are currently running for their lives, so I'm not that worried.

-- N

 

[dagger]

I'm very generous sometimes, but my players need all they can get. They go up against intelligent foes 95% who are deadly and very well equipped usually, so they need it....

 

[EricNoah]

I generally treat treasure like resources -- I want the PCs to have tools they can use, but no one tool that can bypass a significant number of challenges. I also try to spread the wealth and have a variety of treasure types -- stuff that's useful to a particular character, stuff that would be useful to any character, and stuff that is valuable but not particularly useful.

 

[Altalazar]

Too easy? Heck no. I felt guilty when I gave a 3rd level party of seven a wand of silence with six charges and a potion of cure moderate wounds. I worried a lot that it was too generous.

Funny thing though. They haven't used either item.

You felt guilty about THAT? At third level? The whole party, and that is all they got? A lousy wand with six charges and a single, low powered, healing potion?

I mean, it is not like they will be leveling kingdoms and slaying armies of Pit Fiends with those two items. Why the guilt?

What level are they now and have you found yourself feeling more guilt since then?

 

[francisca]

Me? Generous? Hell no. I'm way too tight.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I'm on the guilty side of things I think, but its the other DMs fault! Before I started DMing,he had a rule when you made a new character that if you submitted a background/history to him, he would "gift" your character with something, typically magical. Well, I always liked getting that as a player, and everyone expected it from me as a DM, so I just went ahead and did it too. I can say that I fully regret doing so for three of the players in my group.

Of course they have not seen too much magic since (at least not stuff they get to keep), other than potions of healing so I guess I'm making up for it a little after the fact.

 

[Arc]

Well, since most of my party's enemies are either human or demi-human, and well made to boot, I figure that they can loot to their hearts content. The way I see it, is that if my players are are using Dragon variant classes, broken PrC's, and other cheap and cheesy effects... then I can too. Except I've got more creativity on how to implement them, since the NPC's don't need to stick around for too long.

I'm just waiting until they hit their low teens... when I can throw a Frenzied Berserker at them

 

[Cake Mage]

Heh heh heh

I just realized, I'm evil with magic items . Sure I've been known to give out powerful stuff, but it always seems to get destroyed, stolen, confiscated, ect. And its not just once or twice either, its all the time.

Wizard Ring II: Stolen
Shield Master's Fav. Shield: Sliced By Axe
Archers +3 str +2 comp longbow: Sundered
Potion Belt filled with Potions: Busted
Wand of Wonder: Lifted by Eithereal Filcher
Samuri's Ancesteral Sword: Broken...twice

This is all in one campaign mind you. Not to mention all the clothes that have burned up.