Complex underpowered magic items in Magic Item Compendium

[Obergnom]

True - but I'm thinking it's going to lead to a slightly smaller power curve on the game, if people aren't gunshotting their wealth into two or three really big-ticket items, and rounding it out with about 100 gp of common gear. It'll lead to a slightly different feel than a game where the "big six" are worshipped, in any event.

Thats exaclty my experience. The players are less likely to be impossible to hit, for example, but they are also more capable to turn around a bad situation because they allways have a few more tricks up their sleeve.

 

[freyar]

Note that the pricing should be analagous to potions, not scrolls, as any character may use this item, not just spellcasters. Also, the rays are swift actions, allowing you to use one ray as well as perform normal actions in the round.

It's still a lot, and I'm not convinced it's worth it, but the price is actually quite reasonable.

Cheers!

Merric, thanks for the explanation! Makes sense then. Maybe it would just be worth bumping some of these one-shot items down a level or so for treasure, but making PCs pay full price if they want to commission or buy them...

 

[GreatLemur]

* too obscure powers - yes it would be nice to be able to backstab slimes and oozes, but is it worth keeping a sword just for that? I'd rather dump this sword for something that gives me a bonus all the time

It'd be obscure if it was just slimes and oozes. But you also mentioned constructs and undead, and that ain't so obscure. The ability to sneak attack the unsneakattackable sounds like a pretty damned good deal, in most campaigns. Nothing's more frustrating for a rogue than running into monsters without "discernable anatomy" and being unable to use his most cherished combat ability.

That said, I'd like to know just how the hell all these "do sneak attack damage to things without internal organs" items, feats, and spells are supposed to work. They make great game sense, sure, but the simulationist in me demands an explanation. Sometimes, I really think some of WotC's guys are still stuck in Magic: The Gathering design mode.

 

[Henry]

That said, I'd like to know just how the hell all these "do sneak attack damage to things without internal organs" items, feats, and spells are supposed to work. They make great game sense, sure, but the simulationist in me demands an explanation. Sometimes, I really think some of WotC's guys are still stuck in Magic: The Gathering design mode.

It used to drive Sean Reynolds batty, too, for similar reasons. I'd rather have them describe it as a burst of energy of a type inimical to the creature, myself -- something like a burst of soul-attacking positive energy, or in constructs a burst of energy designed to weaken magical bonds. Then, for players who get creative using it on a door or a gate, I'd have something to reward them for.

 

[Hjorimir]

I love these quirky items with charges per day! They seem so much more interesting to me than a +2 cloak of resistance.

 

[roguerouge]

Anyway... item levels. Should PCs not get a +5 sword till 18th level? Should PCs not get a +2 sword till 9th level? Another of my NPCs is a prince of a distant country and in theory he could buy whatever he wanted...

Ahh... usually citizens get rather upset at flashy use of state funds (c.f. helicopter rides by the current MA governor; too much partying at Nottingham, etc.). The possibility of rebellion or unhappy peons is the reason why wise rulers don't deck themselves out like XMas trees.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

It used to drive Sean Reynolds batty, too, for similar reasons. I'd rather have them describe it as a burst of energy of a type inimical to the creature, myself -- something like a burst of soul-attacking positive energy, or in constructs a burst of energy designed to weaken magical bonds. Then, for players who get creative using it on a door or a gate, I'd have something to reward them for.

I always figured it was more likely that the weapon could hit and disrupt vital things that aren't ordinarily attackable, like an undead's negative energy connection, an ooze or plant's cellular structure, or a construct or elemental's harmonic resonance thingy.

If I were pressed to describe the effect in more detail, I'd borrow the descriptions of some of the magic weapons in Mike Stackpole's Dragoncrown series; one of which was described as showing the wielder how to move the weapon for maximum effect with minimal effort.

Brad

 

[Henry]

...like an undead's negative energy connection, an ooze or plant's cellular structure, or a construct or elemental's harmonic resonance thingy...

If I were pressed to describe the effect in more detail, I'd borrow the descriptions of some of the magic weapons in Mike Stackpole's Dragoncrown series; one of which was described as showing the wielder how to move the weapon for maximum effect with minimal effort.

Hey, nice ideas, and ones I'd never heard or came up with! Thank you!

*yoink!*

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

Yeah, I agree.

HP are a nebulous concept, so you could inflict precision damage without suspending belief too much. Undead and elementals could have their connection to the negative or elemental planes temporarily severed, the magical energies that power golems could be disrupted, oozes and slimes could be attacked at the cellular level, etc.

 

[tricky_bob]

So the gripe is that you don't like ALL the items....nothing new there then, the DMG has loads of stuff I'd never buy in a million years.

MIC is bigger, better and contains new ideas, all of which I wholeheartedly applaud. But be realistic, there will always be chaff and wheat, and items that are considered good value and other that are pants.