Do You Ever Give Characters Magic Items?

[JoeGKushner]

Inspired in party by the wish list topic and my blog of many moons ago speaking about the Blade Itself, I noted:

"This is better," said Logen. It was a simple, solid-looking sword, in a scabbard of weathered brown leathers. "Oh yes indeed. Much, much better. That blade is the work of Kanedias, the Master Maker himself."..."Consider it a gift. My thanks for your good manners. (pg. 151-152)

The idea of a character getting a powerful weapon as a gift is often frowned upon in many games. After all, if they didn't earn it, what good is it? But if you look at some famous examples, like King Arthur, pulling the sword from the stone didn't exactly require the squire to go and do battle.

Peter Morwood wrote a series, The Book of Years, that started off with the Horselord. The main character there is given a gift of a fine sword whose blade has to be continuously refitted to new hilts as the old ones wear away, the Widowmaker.

If you don't like the idea of powerful weapons and items just happening to be in a monsters lair, go the opposite route. Have these items become gifts to those that the ones already in power wish to befriend. Have them become gifts that are 'fated' to be used by the character. After all, owning a nifty magical weapon and mastering it are not quite one and the same as the Sword Bearer by Glen Cook finds out.

Opinions?

 

[pemerton]

Yes, I have the PCs be given magic items by mentors, gods, grateful rescuees, etc as appropriate. I've also had PCs start with items.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

It's not something I do often. I can think of one example from recent (last 5 years) game play. Then again, I am astoundlingly stingy with magic items in any case. PCs are lucky to get them even after a tough fight.

But I do think it's good idea. As a reward for good behaviour, advancing the plot etc. Or just to make sure the PCs have a necessary tool for an upcoming adventure.

 

[pemerton]

As a reward for good behaviour, advancing the plot etc. Or just to make sure the PCs have a necessary tool for an upcoming adventure.

I tend to use it as just another mode of treasure delivery (in the context of a standard fantasy RPG that assumes periodic acquisition of magical treasure as a feature of play). This is especially easy to handle in system based on "wealth-by-level" or "treasure parcels".

 

[S'mon]

Yes, often. Eg a PC IMC returned a +3 Spear to the Temple of Odin, in gratitude the High Priest Ralibarn enchanted his Bardiche to +1.

 

[Lanefan]

If a character is coming into the game at anything higher than 1st level it'll usually come in with magic, most of the time (but not always; random chance can be a female dog) suitable to its level and class.

Sometimes the reward for completing a mission might be gifts, including magic items; and if the giver is a decent sort and has any way of knowing what the PCs would want then this is one time where they'll get it...or close. I've once or twice used this in the past as a way to lob in unique character-specific items when it seemed to make sense.

That said, there's also been times when the "gift" has proven to be more dangerous than the adventure. I once put a party through a dungeon that was basically Loki (god of chaos) taking his revenge on them for all the times they'd annoyed him - the reward at the end was a suitably chaotic gift: a draw from a homebrew equivalent to a Deck of Many Things...same idea, just more options both good and bad.

They'd done just fine in the adventure; sure it was dangerous, but they only lost one character - and that from sheer bad luck; failed on a save-or-die where something like a '3' would have been good enough - where they easily could have gone through half a party.

The "reward" ended up killing two more....

Lanefan

 

[Leatherhead]

Never. And magic is as common as candy in some of my games.

They have to make them, loot them, buy them (with gold or character points in some games), quest for them, or steal them. It just seems thematically wrong to have something magical that be "given". When have you ever heard of magic being given away with no strings attached? At best you will find magic items being used to facilitate quests or destinies, but that is more of a "payment in advance" thing in my eyes.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Yes, often. Eg a PC IMC returned a +3 Spear to the Temple of Odin, in gratitude the High Priest Ralibarn enchanted his Bardiche to +1.

I think this PC got short-changed.

It's like seeing a poster that says "Missing: $500. Reward for return: $100."

 

[DragonLancer]

Since I prefer random treasure generation over placed, I have done the gift of an item to a character on a few occasions. That way they can get something they want that they may not find anywhere else.

 

[S'mon]

I think this PC got short-changed.

It's like seeing a poster that says "Missing: $500. Reward for return: $100."

a) The PCs didn't know it was +3. All they knew was it was a rune-scribed Skandik (Norse) spear.
b) The PC was double specialised in Bardiche - 1e rules: +3 to hit & damage and Attack 3/2, ie better with a mundane bardiche than with a +3 spear.
c) IRL if you return $500 you'll get a $50 reward, if you're lucky.
d) Them's the breaks.