Balancing magic items with party level

[Byrons_Ghost]

The current thread about fighters crafting swords has gotten me thinking about how magic items balance out with character level. Obviously, a +4 weapon is going to be too powerful for a third-level character.

Are there any guidelines to this? Two things that I can think of are item cost and caster level. The caster level should probably be close to where the party is currently at. As for item costs, there's lists of expected items per level in the DMG and the wealth levels that higher level PCs should have (wealth being assumed to be magic items these days). So I suppose it would be sort of possible to guesstimate some sort of system.

Now, here's the main point: I've got a duellist type PC in my game, and I want to give him a special sword along the lines of legendary weapons- something that he can keep and improve, instead of constantly trading in for the next best enhancement. I'll probably use something along the lines of the samurai daisho for Oriental Adventures to determine what the sword will get when. However, I also want it to be intelligent- part of the reason it gets more powers as the bearer raises levels is that the sword is figuring out how to use it's own powers (the sword's a little confused; long story). And of course, intelligent weapons have their own powers in addition to what I'm going to be giving it.

So I'm basically just looking for input as to what intelligence and other sword abilities would be appropriate for a party of what level. They party is third level right now, and the duellist will probably be fourth level by the time he gets the sword (he has to find his missing father first). I'll probably start it out as a sword +1, and he'll discover the sword is intelligent and has other abilities further down the road. Anyone have any advice for this, or thoughts about levels vs. magic items in general?

 

[LuYangShih]

As long as you are not running a low magic, or excessively high magic campaign, just follow the DMG guidlines and you'll be fine.

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

There was a pretty good Dragon article a couple of months back which described how to make advancing weapons... I don't have it with me (because i'm at work) but send me an email if you want me to give you the Dragon #.

Maitre D

 

[LokiDR]

I use a system in my campaign based on OA and the mentioned dragon article.

At 4th level, a character can spend 80 exp. to make a normal weapon magical. Every 2 levels after that, they burn the required exp to up their weapons by +1. Note: DM chooses what ability the weapon gains

The party is up to about 9th level and it is going all right. I was a little too liberal at first (the mage's staff casts a clvl 1 mage armor at a touch) but other than that it has been good. I don't allow much in the way of access to magic items though, so they can't just go buy some. I also count the improved weapon against the value of the items the character should have at that level.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Be especially careful about including the "intelligence" cost in the total value of the weapon. If the weapon's persona matches the wielders, intelligence is one of the most powerful magics a weapon can have, and priced as such.

 

[Taloras]

In the campaign im running (which ive only run 1 session, its one of several we have going), im going to be going by the list in OA for the samurai. the level at which they can make their weapon magical. just look at their level, look at the table, and thats the most powerful weapon ill give em.

 

[shilsen]

In my campaign I'm going to be introducing an intelligent magical sword, but the party is far too low-level to be able to access its full powers. So what I decided to do is break up all the abilities by price. When the PCs find the sword it'll have few powers, but will develop them over time to match the user. Since I want the sword's value to count against the user's total wealth, I'll set it up so that the sword is "empowered" by absorbing the magical powers of other items through a ritual (so it can't occur instantly or in combat).

So if the sword (when found) functions as a +1 weapon which speaks and reads 5 languages (priced at 7.315k gp by me) and the user is later willing to use up 6k gp worth of magic items, the sword can upgrade to a keen +1 weapon (6k being the price difference between a +1 and +1 keen weapon).

The system is simple enough, lets me ensure that there are no problems with character wealth or power level (for individual and across the party), and allows the owner to develop a signature weapon.