Excerpt: You and Your Magic Items

[Wormwood]

Let's punish dm's and provide players with an even bigger sense of entitlement that is already way out of control. I'm sick of players that whine because I won't allow them to use the latest splatbook with the next arms race upgrade to feats and powers and prc's. My campaign setting, my rules.

Are they enjoying the game? If so, then rock on. If not, then why not?

 

[D'karr]

Yeah, because high magic automatically means "fun". Give me a break.

I tend to see the problem, and it seems to me like it's not the rules...

 

[Xanaqui]

...
<snip>
D&D isn't just about high magic / high fantasy settings. It has the capability to be used for a variety of campaigns and WotC should have went middle of the road. That would allow the default setting to be a magic is uncommon points of light campaign where items are wondrous and you'll most likely only find them adventuring or very rarely from specific merchants. Then if the DM's wanted, they could give double standard treasure for magic rich campaigns and have the magic shops. Or the DM could abolish all magic items, reduce npc stats by the threshold and poof. Low to no magic. Very easy and more appealing to a variety of gamers instead of just the magic rich gamers.

My point of surprise is largely that 3.x seemed to have high magic as a default, and at least the DMG explicitly had rules for buying and selling magic items easily, and at only a 50% loss. I'm confused why you feel that 4.x is worse from your perspective than 3.x in this regard; I'd think that it would be better (if not quite as good as previous editions).

And if the rules were written to be a little more conservative... you know middle of the road, guess what?! The DM's would not have to say no to a half dozen things every game. The DM's that want the overabundant magic item crap would be able to say, yes you can get that and the DM's that want a normal game could stick to the rules and not have to say no.

I don't feel that having to say "no" to something is a punishment to me. Nor, as a player, do I feel that being told "No, there are no magic item markets - the Goddess of Death and Magic kills everyone who tries to exchange a magic item for anything of value" is more than a mild, transient disappointment when I play (unless my PC is killed without warning when trying to buy a meal with a healing potion).

 

[Wormwood]

Nor, as a player, do I feel that being told "No, there are no magic item markets - the Goddess of Death and Magic kills everyone who tries to exchange a magic item for anything of value" is more than a mild, transient disappointment when I play.

But as a player I will always ask why the DM feels the need to apply such a restriction.

If it adds to fun, then cool. If not, then perhaps he should reexamine his premises.

 

[ZappoHisbane]

Yeah, because high magic automatically means "fun". Give me a break.

For most, it seems the answer is "Yes, it does." Most does not mean all, and it apparently doesn't include you.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[Aria Silverhands]

But as a player I will always ask why the DM feels the need to apply such a restriction.

If it adds to fun, then cool. If not, then perhaps he should reexamine his premises.

The reason for the restrictions is plainly evident in the campaign setting. Witch Hunters scouring the lands for those born with the Talent, the tainted ones touched by Evil and all she breeds. I've run the campaign successfully in both 2nd and 3rd edition with a variety of groups. Most of the players enjoyed it, even the ones who were doubtful because of the restrictions on magic.

Seriously, look at the troublesome disconnect if a DM, running a low magic campaign setting with mage hunters and the like... just let the pc's have whatever magic they wanted without any penalty. Buy/sell as needed... because it's in the PHB. It would completely ruin the nature of the campaign setting, which is entirely doable with any edition.

 

[Xanaqui]

But as a player I will always ask why the DM feels the need to apply such a restriction.

If it adds to fun, then cool. If not, then perhaps he should reexamine his premises.

Heck, I'm used to dungeons which are dry below the water table, alterations to the basic laws of physics, and (when I play 4E) Pi being equal to 2 (or 3 on a Hex map).

The lack of magic item markets is something pretty minor in comparison. I'd just prefer to know about it up front.

 

[hong]

The reason for the restrictions is plainly evident in the campaign setting. Witch Hunters scouring the lands for those born with the Talent, the tainted ones touched by Evil and all she breeds. I've run the campaign successfully in both 2nd and 3rd edition with a variety of groups. Most of the players enjoyed it, even the ones who were doubtful because of the restrictions on magic.

If you've managed to run the campaign successfully and your players enjoyed it, then what are you bitching about?

 

[AllisterH]

Um, I'll guess I'll ask.

What does "Identifying items" by only a specific spell, "Identify" actually bring to the game?I'm serious, what was I doing wrong IMC that made it so that other DMs consider identifying items such an important endeavour?

EDIT: If you can run a low magic item campaign in 3rd, mayb I'm reading something differently about the excerpt but why wouldn't you actually have an easier time in 4e?

 

[Aria Silverhands]

For most, it seems the answer is "Yes, it does." Most does not mean all, and it apparently doesn't include you.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I am not claiming high magic == no fun. I am not making any claim about any way to play being more fun for anyone. What I want is for low, normal, and high magic settings to be given equal time in the books. To make it clear that it's the dm who sets the ground rules when it comes to magic especially. There's already far too much player entitlement crap out there because of all the splatbooks. We don't need it forced on dm's anymore than it already is.

Low magic can be just as fun as high magic or normal magic. It has to be tailored to the campaign setting though and the PHB should not give players a sense that they are entitled to all the magic they want and can afford. The wording in the preview is horrible in that regard.