Core, and Epic magic items

[Coredump]

And every DM ought to have a very good reason to quash something inside the rules.

Because it is *not* inside the rules. Any 'additional' magic is at the DM discrestion.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Although I would mark this one as a childish answer, it is still quite valid.

So, this one's childish, but "I'm the DM; I win," isn't?

 

[Shadeus]

From the SRD, under Epic magic items:

- Grants a bonus on attacks or damage greater than +5.
- Grants an enhancement bonus to armor higher than +5.
- Has a special ability with a market price modifier greater than +5.
- Grants an armor bonus of greater than +10 (not including magic armor’s enhancement bonus).
- Grants a natural armor, deflection, or resistance bonus greater than +5.
- Grants an enhancement bonus to an ability score greater than +6.
- Grants an enhancement bonus on a skill check greater than +30.
- Mimics a spell of an effective level higher than 9th.
- Has a caster level above 20th.
- Has a market price above 200,000 gp, not including material costs for armor or weapons, material component- or experience point-based costs, or additional value for intelligent items.

 

[IcyCool]

So, this one's childish, but "I'm the DM; I win," isn't?

True. They are both childish. Do you feel the second answer I posted is as well?

Sil, it does indeed appear that the limit is no longer in the DMG. As Shadeus and a couple of others have pointed out, it is now in the Epic rules.

As to creating a magic item not found in the DMG, that is indeed an optional rule variant, and in that variant it does state that the DM should evaluate carefully any new magic items.

 

[Nail]

As to creating a magic item not found in the DMG, that is indeed an optional rule variant, and in that variant it does state that the DM should evaluate carefully any new magic items.

Many of us have been down this road quite a number of times.

Although it's true that the magic item creation rules are more open-ended than some, that doesn't mean they aren't rules. They aren't a "variant" like "roll initiative every round of combat" is a variant.

It's quite possible to create a (very cheap) wondrous item within the core rules that boosts your AC by +12 or more (for example). That's higher than +5....but comes in as "non-Epic" because the individual AC bonuses come with different labels.

 

[Sil]

Coredump; What Nail said.

Patryn of Elvenshae; Thanks, I was thinking I was in a bizzaro world of child Nazi DM's

Shadeus; Epic is not core. I mentioned this in the first post.

Nail; I did not know this. Could you point me to these discussions, please? I would rather read than solicit rehashed discussions.

 

[IcyCool]

Although it's true that the magic item creation rules are more open-ended than some, that doesn't mean they aren't rules. They aren't a "variant" like "roll initiative every round of combat" is a variant.

Well, it is right there in the DMG, at the bottom of page 214. Under the heading of Variant: New Magic Items. Last sentence of the first paragraph in that box:

And just as you have to be careful about new spells, you need to be careful with new magic items.

You could ignore that, but then you'd wind up with a Bow of True Arrows.

Patryn of Elvenshae; Thanks, I was thinking I was in a bizzaro world of child Nazi DM's

Why would you think that? Honest question.

Shadeus; Epic is not core. I mentioned this in the first post.

Er, it's in the SRD. Did you mean just the three main books? That might explain the confusion.

 

[Nail]

Nail; I did not know this. Could you point me to these discussions, please? I would rather read than solicit rehashed discussions.

How about this thread ? I've linked to the end of the thread, rather than the beginning.

 

[dcollins]

Agree with IcyCool. My writings on the often-overlooked variant to optionally allow design of "new items": http://superdan.net.home.comcast.net/dndfaq3.html

Also, regarding this particular question, recall the the limits in the 3.0 DMG predate the Epic rules. Since Epic rules are released in the SRD, they do basically count as mechanics people are expected to use at the "core" of the system. It might make sense if they were removed from the 3.5 DMG, since inclusion in the Epic rules makes it redundant.

 

[Nail]

Er, it's in the SRD. Did you mean just the three main books? That might explain the confusion.

True.

"Core" originally meant the core three books: PH, DMG, MM. Check out the cover of each, and compare to the XPH or ELHB....

"Core" now seems to mean "SRD". I don't agree....although I have often slipped-up in that regard.