eriktheguy
First Post
I wanted to recommend a few house-rules to provide incentive for characters to create their own magic items in 4e.
In earlier editions, crafting your own items saved you a ton of money. 4e abandoned this approach, a good call in my opinion. Instead, enchanting your own items now gives situational advantages. While I like this idea in principle, the execution was poor in my opinion. Here are what I see as the two main advantages of enchanting your own items in 4e.
Instead, let's use this thread as a discussion of ways to entice players to make their own magic items outside of the 'flat reduced cost' technique of previous editions. Here are my own suggestions. PEACH them, or suggest your own!
Modular Enchantments: Extra enchantments can be added to the basic +x items by paying the difference, and they can be removed later to recover 20% of the costs. This encourages players to enchant magic items for specific purposes, perhaps going with a Barulg's Magma Weapon one adventure and a Jagged Weapon in the next.
By using the Enchant Magic Item ritual, You can upgrade any magic weapon, magic armor, magic implement, amulet of protection or magic ki-focus. You can only upgrade basic magic items with those exact names. You can upgrade them to a higher level item of the same type and enhancement modifier with a different enchantment. The item in upgraded must be able to receive the new enchantment. You cannot increase the item's level above your own. The component cost to do this is the difference between the new item and the current item. For example, you could upgrade a +5 longsword into a +5 jagged longsword for 100 000gp.
By using the Disenchant Magic Item ritual you can remove any additional enchantments from magical weapons, implements, ki-focuses, neck slot items, or armor. Doing so reduces that item to a magic weapon, magic armor, magic implement, amulet of protection or magic ki-focus of the same type. You recover residuum equal to 20% of the difference in value between the two items. For example, you could remove the 'jagged' ability from a +5 jagged longsword, reducing it to a level 21 +5 longsword and recovering 20 000gp in residuum.
Special Components: Players can find special components in hordes or on the corpses of their foes. These components work like residuum. They can be used in rituals and magic item creation, but really shine when used to enchant particular types of items. Make the requirements as specific or as general as you like
Special components work like residuum. They have a market value, sell for full price, and can be used in any ritual. When used to craft a specific kind of magic item, they count at 3x their normal value. For example, an adult red dragon fang worth 1000gp, could count as 3000gp towards the creation of fire items. A blue dragons 1500gp hide might count as 4500gp when used to make scale/plate armor or items that protect from lightning.
As an additional bonus, when you use these components to create or upgrade an appropriate item, you may treat your level as though it were 3 higher while performing the ritual. A level 20 character might use the scales of a blue dragon to construct level 22 armor of lightning resistance.
In earlier editions, crafting your own items saved you a ton of money. 4e abandoned this approach, a good call in my opinion. Instead, enchanting your own items now gives situational advantages. While I like this idea in principle, the execution was poor in my opinion. Here are what I see as the two main advantages of enchanting your own items in 4e.
- Versatiliy: You can enchant any item using your residuum and components without having to decide what you need before setting out on an adventure.
- Availability: You can enchant items that aren't available in a market.
Instead, let's use this thread as a discussion of ways to entice players to make their own magic items outside of the 'flat reduced cost' technique of previous editions. Here are my own suggestions. PEACH them, or suggest your own!
Modular Enchantments: Extra enchantments can be added to the basic +x items by paying the difference, and they can be removed later to recover 20% of the costs. This encourages players to enchant magic items for specific purposes, perhaps going with a Barulg's Magma Weapon one adventure and a Jagged Weapon in the next.
By using the Enchant Magic Item ritual, You can upgrade any magic weapon, magic armor, magic implement, amulet of protection or magic ki-focus. You can only upgrade basic magic items with those exact names. You can upgrade them to a higher level item of the same type and enhancement modifier with a different enchantment. The item in upgraded must be able to receive the new enchantment. You cannot increase the item's level above your own. The component cost to do this is the difference between the new item and the current item. For example, you could upgrade a +5 longsword into a +5 jagged longsword for 100 000gp.
By using the Disenchant Magic Item ritual you can remove any additional enchantments from magical weapons, implements, ki-focuses, neck slot items, or armor. Doing so reduces that item to a magic weapon, magic armor, magic implement, amulet of protection or magic ki-focus of the same type. You recover residuum equal to 20% of the difference in value between the two items. For example, you could remove the 'jagged' ability from a +5 jagged longsword, reducing it to a level 21 +5 longsword and recovering 20 000gp in residuum.
Special Components: Players can find special components in hordes or on the corpses of their foes. These components work like residuum. They can be used in rituals and magic item creation, but really shine when used to enchant particular types of items. Make the requirements as specific or as general as you like
Special components work like residuum. They have a market value, sell for full price, and can be used in any ritual. When used to craft a specific kind of magic item, they count at 3x their normal value. For example, an adult red dragon fang worth 1000gp, could count as 3000gp towards the creation of fire items. A blue dragons 1500gp hide might count as 4500gp when used to make scale/plate armor or items that protect from lightning.
As an additional bonus, when you use these components to create or upgrade an appropriate item, you may treat your level as though it were 3 higher while performing the ritual. A level 20 character might use the scales of a blue dragon to construct level 22 armor of lightning resistance.
