D&D 5E Awarding One Magic Weapon only to each player in a campaign

[Hjorimir]

Really, for me, it's another opportunity to bring the history of the setting up to the surface of the pool that the characters are swimming in. A magic item with history is simply more interesting. If you do it well, it reinforces the tone and mood of your setting. The sword that cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand! Just lovely for a player. Also, play that up with NPCs. Have them recognize the item. Is that Narsil? Players love the limelight and it's another way to give it to them.

 

[toucanbuzz]

There is no such thing as an ordinary +1 sword in my games, and while it's not a hard and fast rule, I am very skimpy on magic weapons.

This was a MAJOR complaint I had with 3rd/PF editions: throw-away magic. Even if I'm handing out a +1 weapon, there's something cool about it, and in D&D thanks to bonded accuracy, any magic weapon should always be relevant. For example, I liked the Moonblade idea so much that I told a player his +1 weapon would imbue a new property upon his death, passed down to his progeny if he had any, and become more powerful over time. Sure, mechanically, this did nothing for him during the current game, but do you think he ever planned on tossing that sword? It became his legacy!

With legacy in mind, in my Curse of Strahd campaign, I've converted the major plot items into legacy-style items (3rd edition inspiration), including the Sun Blade. The items start out fairly ordinary, but complete some unique quests, and they add some powers.

There's a certain beauty and excitement in (old school) D&D when one finds their first magic weapon. It might even re-define how a person plays their character. That thrill should never be extinguished, so I'll do what I can to prolong it. And part of that is never ever setting up a situation where the group feels like tossing a magical weapon.

 

[abirdcall]

I use the treasure tables.

It would be a rare game where everyone gets a weapon. Each one they get is cherished.

 

[Geeknamese]

You could always do legacy weapons that you have to improve by questing for rare or lost materials. They’d improve as the characters advanced through the tiers.

 

[Riley37]

I have not previously seen the idea of a magic item which gets more powerful, but I like it. Variation: a magic weapon accumulates XP when it deals the deathblow to an intensely magical creature, such as an old dragon, or a lich, and every time it gains enough XP, it has a chance to level up, and/or gain another trait. In this system, no one ever forges a Holy Avenger from scratch; every Holy Avenger started its career as a +1 sword, and worked its way up to Holy Avenger, over time (and lich kills).

Variation: a magic item can grow in power when it is exposed to intensely magical or otherwise powerful locations. Start with a +1 sword, take it to some ley-line intersections, to Mount Doom, to the ocean floor, to the Astral Plane, to the Underdark, and see what abilities emerge.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

I love the tables for unique qualities. One PC got a wand that feels sinister and makes him uncomfortable; whoever he uses it to cast a charged spell, a small physical effect occurs. So far four fingernails have turned black. He is freaking terrified of it! But he will not give it up. Love it! There’s a kind of Raistlin vibe around it and everyone is dying to see where it takes him.
It’s just a wand of fireballs.

 

[Bupp]

One of the best innovations of the 5e DMG (in my opinion) was the "Special Features" (pp. 141-3) for otherwise generic magic items.

It's such a great idea for easily adding lore and unique properties to +1 swords.

Unfortunately, I have not seen it in play nearly enough.

I stand totally behind this idea, and have used it for not just weapons, but other magic items as well.

I've also given out "+0" magic weapons, but with a special ability or cantrip like effect. Say a chill touch longsword. No bonus to hit, and instead of slashing deals necrotic damage and victim can't regain hit points that turn. Even though it's +0, it's still considered magic, so can damage creatures that can only be hit by magic.

I've wanted to do legacy weapons, but haven't had a campaign last long enough to do that recently.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

I go both ways (sound dirty). I give out plenty of little magic items that are not special or unique within the context of the setting, but I also have items that are and those items often grow with the character. I like the idea of named items that have history and are tied to the world and the character and I don't really like the idea of those being tossed into a closet to collect dust. I basically write them to grow in power at the tier changes (levels 5, 11, and 17). That doesn't mean that the item level's up at exactly those moments, but it is near that level range when the item will evolve.

Lex Starwalker of the Game Master's Journey podcast has developed a nice mechanic for this idea of magic items that "level up" with the player. He calls them Relics of Power. The PDF he is selling details some general examples as well as some evolving examples from his campaign. Both are intended to inspire DMs to create their own. IMO, it is worth a look...

http://www.starwalkerstudios.com/store/

 

[Erechel]

They aren't replaced.

Best case scenario, they are upgraded in a magic forge or something. That's how the rogue in my old campaign obtained a Lifedrinker shortsword, from a demonic origin +1 short sword.

In my campaign, as a player I don't even count on having a +1 sword. I've just silvered my old one (my character is a blacksmith), and when a magic item was offered, I've chosen a magic shield, as a +3 to armor/ Dex saves is more useful. As a shield master, that means I'm dodging spells like a champion.

 

[MoonSong]

One of the best innovations of the 5e DMG (in my opinion) was the "Special Features" (pp. 141-3) for otherwise generic magic items.

It's such a great idea for easily adding lore and unique properties to +1 swords.

Unfortunately, I have not seen it in play nearly enough.

I don't know, IMO a +1 weapon is always ordinary, always generic, always tossable, never special and never worth questing for. It doesn't matter how many special features you add to it, it will never really amaze me. If anything it becomes ten times better the moment you drop the +1. 5% extra chance to hit is something only a powergamer would salivate over. To me, it is underwhelming, dull, and a waste of time.