reanjr said:
I've never quite understood this stance. What is it about shopping list magic items makes it fun? Is it just the number-crunching aspect? (trying to get the most synergy out of disparate magical buffs)
Well, for some of us (for me and most of my group, at least), the fun comes in customizing your character, down to the equipment. And even that is only half the fun. The other half is actually doing something really cool with that character.
The fun doesn't come in finding magic items. Adding the Doohickey of Absolutely No Game Effect to my character sheet doesn't excite me. The fun doesn't come in owning magic items. What's the point of a Gizmo of Never Gets Used?
Frankly, unless the DM is so good that he can select equipment that would fit my character concept better than I can, it would make me happier if I can choose the equipment I want, whether I find it, buy it, make it, or have it given to me as a gift. And unless the DM is worried about game balance, or just wants to frustrate his players, I don't see why it would be such a big deal for him to give me what I want.
It is a philosophy I adopt myself when I DM. Every time a character gains a level, his equipment refreshes to the standard equipment value for a PC of his new level. He can select whatever equipment he wants, with the sole restriction that no single magic item can be worth more than half his total equipment value. If he has the relevant item creation feats and is able to make an item, he gets a 25% discount off the price. How the character's equipment improves is up to him to decide - if he says his organization keeps him supplied with gear, that's up to him. If he wants to have the Magic Sword of Llamedos, which increases in power with the weilder, that's fine too. If his aunt is a wizard who keeps adding magical abilities to his armor, why should it bother me? After all, the player is happy, and I'm happy because I don't have to worry about magic item placement and whether I'm giving out too much or too little treasure.