Do You Ever Give Characters Magic Items?

[Kerranin]

I think this PC got short-changed.

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

If you're a truly lawful good character you'd return the $500 anyway because it is the right thing to do, not because of the reward.

 

[IronWolf]

I think it is fine to gift magic items in a campaign. It certainly seems a reasonable reward mechanism.

 

[IronWolf]

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.

Yeah, in out last campaign we turned over lots of items to their rightful owner. In one case my character returned a partial weapon set to the church that the weapons were an artifact of with nothing asked in return.

We also turned over a good amount of treasure to a fallen dwarven kingdom once we had retrieved it from a big, bad evil critter. Not for a reward, but because we felt the treasure should be returned to the rightful owners to help them with their rebuilding process.

 

[TarionzCousin]

d) Them's the breaks.

Ouch.

I was only semi-serious. I have had PC's temporarily use powerful magic items and give them up to the proper owners.

If you're a truly lawful good character you'd return the $500 anyway because it is the right thing to do, not because of the reward.

Good point--and another reason why I prefer Neutral Good or Chaotic Good.

 

[Dark Mistress]

Yes sometimes. It really depends on the type of game I am running etc.

 

[Barastrondo]

Yep. Depending on the character in question, receiving an item as a gift could mean much more to the character and be more emotionally satisfying for the player than peeling it off a corpse. Some of the characters have sufficient relationships with NPCs or organizations that being given such a gift would be a big emotional payoff.

 

[the Jester]

Yes, I give magic items as gifts. It's really the same as a reward, albeit often in advance.

 

[Diamond Cross]

If you're a truly lawful good character you'd return the $500 anyway because it is the right thing to do, not because of the reward.

Lawful good doesn't mean lawful stupid. It also doesn't mean you can't be selfish once in a while.

 

[S'mon]

Ouch.

I was only semi-serious. I have had PC's temporarily use powerful magic items and give them up to the proper owners.

The funny thing is, as far as the PC knew, he was getting a huge reward just for returning this old spear he took off some zombies! It also got him 'in' with the Temple of Odin and he now has a sinecure there as a Temple Guard, paying 4 sp/day(!!!).

It was his idea to take it to the Temple. He could have kept it, tried to sell it, whatever he wanted.

 

[True_Blue]

I have a Swordmage PC in my Eberron campaign who will be receiving a gift from her mentor. I don't see any difference in me giving her a magical item as opposed to her finding it. As long as she's roughly the same power level, its all the same. I'm hoping she will cherish it a little more also since it was given to her by her mentor.