Essentials: Magic Item Rarity Explained, it's actually good!

[ArcaneSpringboard]

I'm curious where consumables will fall on this.

 

[ArcaneSpringboard]

Another thing I'm wondering about is how this dovetails into the Mark of Making for Eberron.

 

[keterys]

They're good at using Enchant Magic Item, just like artificers (and others), who only make Common items now?

 

[knightofround]

Before we bring this discussion to a close, it’s worth mentioning that the limits on using daily magic item powers are no longer part of the game. They existed to prevent the characters from stockpiling items that were far below their level but still had useful, daily powers. Under this scheme, such items are uncommon. Stockpiling a number of them is impossible without house rules or a Dungeon Master who willingly awards multiple copies of such items as treasure. With our new rarity scheme in place, we no longer need such rules.

I'm very surprised that there has been no discussion of this little tidbit. This could end up causing a whollllle lot of balancing issues. Are they going to go through each magic item one-by-one and errata them appropiately? It also makes milestones even more worthless than they currently are.

 

[Primal]

I'm thinking unlimited daily powers will make powered items much more attractive. I know my dwarf has a magic axe that I've used once in 5 levels. Now I'll use it every day...

PS

Color me confused... how are Essentials and Core players going to feel equal at the same table, if one guy can use magic item powers at will, and the other ("core guy") obviously can't?

The more I read, the more it seems like a revised edition, no matter what WotC says.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

For the purposes of crafting items, tier should be considered. A paragon tier PC should be able to craft uncommon heroic tier items without much trouble. An epic tier PC should be able to craft rare heroic tier items and uncommon paragon tier items without much trouble, and uncommon heroic tier items without any special effort at all.

When you look at the reasoning behind the change, you will notice, that this is the actual problem. It´s not the main problem that you craft items with daily powers which are around your own level (costs are very very high) The problem is crafting a plethora of low level items with good daily powers. (Like the old veterans armor)
It is PCs carrying 20 veteran armors +1 in a bag of holding, wearing one, recharging the daily etc.
You can sove the problem by not allowing more than one use of the same daily per day. But if you allow crafing items a lot under your level, you have to make up some metagaming limits.
Disallowing creation of uncommon items, items with components that are difficult to get seems less metagamey to me.
(Yes, I could use my phoenx feater to make your level 1 item, but I can also use it for an actual good item...)

 

[Kelvor Ravenstar]

Color me confused... how are Essentials and Core players going to feel equal at the same table, if one guy can use magic item powers at will, and the other ("core guy") obviously can't?

The more I read, the more it seems like a revised edition, no matter what WotC says.

The Essentials player will be playing by the updated rules, and the Core player could use his magic items an equal number of times. Would you expect a player in your game using rules from the pre-updates phb? Its no more a new edition than after every other big update since 4e has been published.

 

[Primal]

The Essentials player will be playing by the updated rules, and the Core player could use his magic items an equal number of times. Would you expect a player in your game using rules from the pre-updates phb? Its no more a new edition than after every other big update since 4e has been published.

So every time the group has players of both they first need to settle which ruleset (core or essentials) is being used? What if the DM insists of using core rules -- does the "essentials guy" convert his items to the core versions? And if the rule-of-thumb is to use the "latest" version of the rules (essentials), doesn't this make it a revised edition of 4E? Or am I missing something?

 

[ArcaneSpringboard]

They're good at using Enchant Magic Item, just like artificers (and others), who only make Common items now?

Seems to me they should be able to do more. However you could easily tie it to a dragonshard item or something greater like a creation forge.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

So every time the group has players of both they first need to settle which ruleset (core or essentials) is being used? What if the DM insists of using core rules -- does the "essentials guy" convert his items to the core versions? And if the rule-of-thumb is to use the "latest" version of the rules (essentials), doesn't this make it a revised edition of 4E? Or am I missing something?

No, all players may use their daily item powers as they wish, next time you start a campaign. I would not change the rules in a game, even if someone with an essential character (not an "essential player") comes to your table.

It is just your choice as a DM if you want to restrict player choices by the arbitrary: "you can only use one daily item per milestone" or by the arbitrary: "you don´t get any daily item powers unless I give you some of them"

I guess a player who has started with essentials won´t mind if you tell him, that he can´t use one of his daily items until he reaches a milestone... as a payoff he gets a lot more of those items generally.