Planescape Enhancing Turn of Fortune's Wheel

[Mort]

That's one of several magic items that I never hand out. If I see one in an official adventure, I just swap it out for something else. Why would any DM want to make it so the party can't ever be ambushed?!

Chalk this one up to character generation actively stating that PCs start with an uncommon magic item of their choice, and I didn't kibosh it. Note for next time!

 

[pukunui]

Chalk this one up to character generation actively stating that PCs start with an uncommon magic item of their choice, and I didn't kibosh it. Note for next time!

Aha. I usually don't follow those sorts of instructions. If the PCs get to start with a magic item, I'll work with the player to figure out what the item is, usually suggesting a few options. (But then most of my players are fairly casual and don't know what all the options are anyway.)

I've seen where "just pick whatever you want" leads, especially when you throw in D&D Beyond - because that platform makes it difficult to see item sources. I was in a game where one of the other players had given themselves some tangler grenades, which are a nonmagical item from Dungeon of the Mad Mage. They had no clue - and neither did the DM - that those weren't just generally available items because DDB lists them under Adventuring Gear, even though there's no price for them.

 

[abirdcall]

I had them start with a random uncommon item. Worked out well.

Otherwise enspelled items for everyone. Or even worse setting your primary score to 19 after leaving at 8.

 

[pukunui]

Otherwise enspelled items for everyone.

Yeah, I'm going to be super-cautious with allowing those into my games.

Or even worse setting your primary score to 19 after leaving at 8.

I had a player do that once. He left his STR at 18 and used gauntlets of ogre power instead. I think there was a time when either the PCs got captured and his gauntlets were removed or he entered an antimagic zone or something. I described the effect as being like his big buff muscles deflated, revealing his true weak form.