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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 5029177" data-attributes="member: 82106">Honestly I just don't trust any kind of math to balance things properly in any game. Point systems always have a big huge loophole hidden someplace in there. I've written up a lot of point systems for different games and while they can be helpful they are never bulletproof. So if I were going to create items like this I might use a point system in theory as a rough estimate, but I'd never show it to the players and I'd certainly either not do obviously broken combos or just uprate (or downrate) them based on my gut feeling. Given the small number of such items you'll probably end up making like this in a campaign I figure its probably not worth the effort to hammer out a system like this. I think you did a pretty good job as a first cut though. Personally though I don't think that magic items seem too "vanilla" because of some mechanical lack. I think if they seem too vanilla its because the huge variety of standard items in 4e encourages an "off the rack" mentality in players where they just buy or the DM just drops an item out of the book and never gives it a special feel. That feel should come from history and maybe small quirks of the item and possibly that it may be a bit mysterious at first. If you look at the 1e/2e magic weapons they are a pretty small list and they aren't really actually much different from the 4e ones. A 2e flametongue and a 4e Flaming Sword? Pretty much identical. In fact the "magic items are boring" feeling existed in 1e and 2e just like it can in 4e. Its only when you make the items FEEL special that they will be special. That can only come with adding a sense of depth to your campaign.I think you'll find that the +2 flaming freezing dragon slaying sword (with bottle opener shaped pummel) is STILL less interesting than the sword wielded by the hero Rordan when he was slain in the epic Battle of Three Days by the Arch Lich Ugar of Mlat and subsequently recovered from Ugar's bodyguard by the hero Toris, then lost to history when Toris' grandson perished while exploring the Well of Stars (+3 Lifedrinker Broadsword with some personality). This sword, if recovered is distinctive in design and can be recognized for what it is by those knowledgeable in such things. Possessing it could bring you fame and also have RP consequences. It surely will not make your character boring. What's boring is picking yet another +3 XYZ Bastard Sword off the rack at Ye Olde Magic Shoppe. Making XYZ a combination of enchantments won't really cure that. It won't HURT, but its not the cure.</blockquote>

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