D&D magic items in a literary work

[Quasqueton]

Say you were going to tell the stories of a D&D character, Boris the Barbarian. You want to make it more literary, rather than round by round game minutes, so that non-gamers could understand and appreciate the stories. On his D&D character sheet, he has these magic items:

adamantine greatsword +1
belt of giant strength +6
gloves of dexterity +2
heward's handy haversack
breast plate armor +2
ring of protection +1
cloak of resistance +1
scabbard of keen edges
stone of good luck
potion of cure light wounds
potion of shield of faith
potion of invisibility

Would you mention all of these items in the story? Are they worthy of mention in a literary work? Would you mention the potions before he pulled one out and used it? If you would mention the greatsword, would you describe it as adamantine and magical, or just adamantine, or just magical? Would you describe him activating the scabbard? Would you mention the ring, cloak, and/or stone at all? If you would mention the haversack, how would you do so in a way that showed it was not really a powerful magic item (relative, in D&D)? Or would you not mention any of these items, as they aren't really fantastical enough for non-gamers to appreciate as magical?

If you would mention one or some or all of these items, how would you describe them for a non-gamer?

Quasqueton

 

[FCWesel]

Magic items are described all the time in the hundreds of D&D novels out there. Why not?

More then likely you might mentioned them here and there, and a lot of the times only the most "can't be missed magical items" (glowing, etc) would constantly be gone over.

I sure as heck wouldn't say +1 or +4 , etc...

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Probably would mention most of it.

The belt might be a real feature with a story behind it, as would the whole complex of sword related items.

 

[Crothian]

I'd mention them if they were useful in the story. All of them could easily be mentioned and shown how they work, but if it wasn't used I wouldn't bother.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

1. Adamantine greatsword +1: A magical blade, two-handed, forged of the hardest metal known to man or dwarf

2. Belt of giant strength +6: A titan's belt, allowing the one who wears it to perform feats of strength otherwise impossible

3. Gloves of dexterity +2: Elf's Hands, they cause their wearer to move with the grace of the fair folk

4. Heward's handy haversack: An ensorceled pack, capable of producing any item stored inside it at need

5. Breast plate armor +2: Torgan's Guard, which saved the life of its namesake a hundred times, most famously when he was beset by two hundred orcish archers

Etc.

You can most certainly describe any standard D&D magic item in a literary fashion.

 

[Quasqueton]

Interesting. See, I would not mention things that only have a game-mechanic (numbers) function.

The ring, cloak, and stone definitely would not get mentioned, as they are merely game mechanics. Just like I wouldn't mention if the barbarian had 12 Dexterity. I mean, a just above average ability score isn't worth a description compared to something like 18 Strength.

The armor and gloves are also just game-mechanic devices. If the armor were D&D-impressive, like +4 or +5, or had some other ability, then I'd mention it. But magical armor that is effectively less protective than some mundane armor isn't really worth playing up as magical. I probably wouldn't mention the scabbard either, although it is a spell effect, it's effect is only a game mechanic. The reader would never wonder, "how'd he do that" in a story, so explaining that his sword is sharper sometimes wouldn't be worth adding.

The belt would be worth mentioning. The greatsword, I would probably only mention as being adamantine. The +1 aspect is, again, only important in game mechanics.

I probably would never mention having or drinking the potions of cure light wounds and shield of faith. But the potion of invisibility has a "real" effect in the story. But I would also mention how invisibility in the fantasy world is not all that big a deal.

And I'd avoid mentioning the physics-breaking haversack if nothing of amazing size and weight went in or came out of it.

Quasqueton

 

[Quasqueton]

Unfortunately, I've realized the flaw in my poll. I really should have options for "would not mention the greatsword" and "would not mention the potion of cure light wounds", etc.

Quasqueton

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

stone definitely would not get mentioned, as they are merely game mechanics.

A lucky stone is merely game mechanics?

Hell, I'd have my hero taking it out, flipping it a couple times, and kissing it before placing it back in its special pouch after every major encounter.

I think limiting this to "game mechanics," as you've done, is a great way to close off a whole bunch of interesting avenues.

 

[orsal]

I would give the sword a name, just to convey the feeling that, at least in the character's eyes, it's something special, not just any adamantine greatsword, and that if he had to fight with an ordinary adamantine greatsword it just wouldn't be the same thing. I think several of these could be treated similarly. The most remarkable of them, like the belt of giant strength, do need to be described -- this belt magically conveys superhuman strength. What you can do with that belt visibly exceeds what you can do without it, so its effect needs to be accounted for, in a way that a mere +1 on a weapon doesn't. I also think the ring, even though it's only +1, should be explained, because the character most likely wouldn't be wearing it if it were just a mundane piece of jewelry. Unlike the sword, the fact that he's using it at all needs to be accounted for.

 

[Quasqueton]

You can most certainly describe any standard D&D magic item in a literary fashion.

I know you "can" describe them in a literary fashion. My question is: would/should you in a literary work?

In the LotR books, might Gimli have a +1 axe, or Legolas a +1 bow, or Aragorn +1 chain armor? Might Tolkien simply not mentioned them as not being important in the grand story.

Might some of Conan's many swords have been +1 items? Might the Gray Mouser have had boots of elven kind? Were Scalpel and Cat's Claw just +1 weapons? Could those stories be played out in a D&D game, with these items, and not have the literary story altered or affected?

Quasqueton