Do You Ever Give Characters Magic Items?

[Stormonu]

Whether the characters pay in some way to get it (blood, sweat, tears or money) or after they have acquired it, one way or another they "pay" for getting/using the item.

Even King Aurthur went through a lot of hell to become king and needed Excalibur to help him succeed. He wasn't just given the throne, he had to use Excalibur to secure it.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

I personally like more magical items in my games as both a DM & Player. As a DM, I agree with giving it as a gift, treasure, stolen object, etc. I just try to make sure it's level appropriate and something the PC(s) would use as well as something they earned through their adventures.

As a player I think it adds more flavor to my PC and vests me into the game a bit more. I like to customize my characters traits, quirks, costumes, etc. The magical item can just be another prop to play with and make the game more interesting.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

It largely depends on the game, but sure, I'll give a PC magic as a reward, heirlom, inheritance, etc-- and that despite the fact I usually run very low-magic campaigns.

Often, however, there's a caveat: the PC won't always know that it's magical, or what it does, or how to use it, or if it's even useful. I prefer if such magical gifts (except expendables, of course) can be called on as hooks later in the campaign, if needed.

 

[Sebastian1992]

Herp Derp

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

Well, I certainly wouldn't expect a reward for returning something someone lost, and CERTAINLY not an amount equal to or above what was lost.

My feelings are that magic items being found on monsters is a bit unrealistic. I almost always prefer to either gift magic items or at least have a reason for them coming into their possession. Hell, sometimes I have kings reward players with a magic item from their stash after taking care of business. I just prefer that method over randomly finding magic items on goblins and other nonsensical monsters.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

My feelings are that magic items being found on monsters is a bit unrealistic. I almost always prefer to either gift magic items or at least have a reason for them coming into their possession. Hell, sometimes I have kings reward players with a magic item from their stash after taking care of business. I just prefer that method over randomly finding magic items on goblins and other nonsensical monsters.

I'd never give a magical item off a nonsensical monster such as a goblin, it'd have to be something a bit bigger with a reputation for hording things i.e. a dragon even if it's a young one would be much more likely to have an item of that nature.

 

[gamerprinter]

I use two kinds of magic items that work like Legacy Weapons, in one setting of mine.

In my Kaidan: a Japanese Ghost Story setting, I have both Ancestral Weapons and Ancestral Items. These are weapons that belong to one's family or samurai clan and issued to 1st or 2nd level adventurers as a gift after a single small 'honorable' incident/adventure. Rather than gifts they are loans from the clan leaders and represent great honor in bearing them.

Like Legacy Weapons, if they are lost or sundered, they are unreplaceable. In Kaidan all crafted items involve the creators placing a bit of their souls in everything they make, it is not deliberate just a natural occurance in working the material. In old Japan it was believed that any crafted good that lasted a century, became sentient to a degree.

In Kaidan, when one wields a masterwork item, she is, overtime, placing her own soul into the item in its use, but cannot become magical until she dies and it passes on to her descendants. With the next descendant the same thing happens, over several generations, the item becomes enchanted, without intervention by a wizard.

Once 'enhanced' these ancestral items grant magic bonuses for weapons, granted powers (weapons and items), and transferred 'feats' from ancestors to descendants. These powers become available in levels ups, combined with event triggers that require small 'quests' and a prayer vigil at a temple to activate. These weapons and items often have 3 - 9 powers.

One must have the ancestral item feat, in addition to possessing an ancestral item. These cannot be purchased, only found or granted. However, if the item is not of your ancestry, items found are masterwork only. In the hands of a descendant they awaken and only at appropriate levels.

This way an adventurer can possess an item or weapon, that levels up along side her, not requiring constant replacing in your 'magic shop' or contracted to 'artificers'.

GP

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Certainly, although they are rarely weapons at lower levels. (It being too likely that they'll find something 'better' later.) I also hand out titles, land, etc. Its all reward, one way or another. I've even given out magic items to begining characters at 1st level just for the cool factor. (As others have also done.)

 

[JoeGKushner]

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.

The interesting thing about this, reading it from this persepctive, is it has many positives attached to it.

1. The character wanted to return it. This would be a positive uptick.

2. The character is 'in' with the Temple of Odin. Another positive uptick.

3. The character has a job with the Temple, another positive uptick.

4. The character was rewarded with another magic item. While not as powerful, it still beats as a positive uptick.

I think that the combination of in game reward as well as the 'meta' reward of another magic item, even at a lesser power, seems well worth it to the player in question here.

 

[The Shaman]

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?

I'd say that if the adventurer gains the trust and admiration of a npc able to give such a gift, then the adventurer did in fact earn it.

I also have no problem with characters beginning the game with something like this - frex, I'll let a magic-user start with a scroll or a couple of potions, or a wand with just two or three charges remaining - but I prefer that this be accounted for as part of character creation. Frex, I added a new Advantage to my Flashing Blades campaign, Heirloom; the player selecting this advantage may choose to begin the game in possession of a high-quality item like a sword, pistol, horse, hunting falcon, et cetera.

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.

This was part of Arthur's doom (fate) however, so I don't know if that's the strongest analogy to draw with most adventurers in roleplaying games.

 

[JoeGKushner]

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.

The interesting thing about this, reading it from this persepctive, is it has many positives attached to it.

1. The character wanted to return it. This would be a positive uptick.

2. The character is 'in' with the Temple of Odin. Another positive uptick.

3. The character has a job with the Temple, another positive uptick.

4. The character was rewarded with another magic item. While not as powerful, it still beats as a positive uptick.

I think that the combination of in game reward as well as the 'meta' reward of another magic item, even at a lesser power, seems well worth it to the player in question here.

Which gets me thinking about another bit in terms of rewards...