Favorite Items

[Ryujin]

Did they fix it on the DDI?

Yup, at least the Compendium states that the standard action can't be used to attack.

 

[Arctic Wolf]

Well that sorta sucks

 

[KarinsDad]

I've always been kind of partial to a +6 weapon, armor, neck item, or implement. These are awesome items to hand out at almost any level.

 

[Tallifer]

Wow, these are the exact opposite of what I consider "good items". Badge of the Berserker makes basically no sense ("in my berserk fury I defend myself flawlessly while charging blindly about!") and the other ones are just, "Here, have some extra damage".

Things like Iron Armbands of Power in particular are such no-brainers that they actually make the game worse by their presence - if the game designers had intended every melee character to have +x damage it would've made more sense to just give everyone +x damage and remove the arms slot. As it is, pretty much every other arms slot item is worthless because getting more damage trumps the lot.

One of the great advances 4e made over 3e was getting rid of the "standard magic items" - flat bonuses to stats. The sooner we get rid of the rest of that legacy (+hit and +damage magic items) the sooner we can move on to items that actually do something interesting rather than just making a number bigger.

Different strokes for different folks. I know I prefer useful and desirable items to flavour. I recommend that the dungeon master give any fluffy items as a bonus on top of the good stuff. Otherwise the players will just melt it down anyways for enchantment rituals.

Furthermore, "item slots" are not such a problem any more, because the dungeon master can also give Grandmaster Training and Divine Boons which take up no slots.

 

[Arctic Wolf]

Different strokes for different folks. I know I prefer useful and desirable items to flavour. I recommend that the dungeon master give any fluffy items as a bonus on top of the good stuff. Otherwise the players will just melt it down anyways for enchantment rituals.

Furthermore, "item slots" are not such a problem any more, because the dungeon master can also give Grandmaster Training and Divine Boons which take up no slots.

What is grandmaster training?

 

[Ryujin]

What is grandmaster training?

Something from DMG2. You find a great master, to teach you, and it results in some sort of power that is generally the equivalent of a magic item. There's a 13th level one that gives you the ability to fall any distance and take no damage, while landing on your feet, plus fly your speed for a round as a daily power.

Think about some old, wizened martial arts master, from a Hong Kong movie.

 

[Arctic Wolf]

Something from DMG2. You find a great master, to teach you, and it results in some sort of power that is generally the equivalent of a magic item. There's a 13th level one that gives you the ability to fall any distance and take no damage, while landing on your feet, plus fly your speed for a round as a daily power.

Think about some old, wizened martial arts master, from a Hong Kong movie.

Awesome lol. Are all these listed in the DMG2?

 

[Ryujin]

Awesome lol. Are all these listed in the DMG2?

They only give one example, of a series of 'skills' gained from Grandmaster Training. They also give guidelines on how to handle them. They're essentially just like giving magic items, without the item. They do give a number of sample "Divine Boons" and "Legendary Boons", in the same section. It's in Chapter 5, under "alternate awards."

 

[Ferghis]

Things like Iron Armbands of Power in particular are such no-brainers that they actually make the game worse by their presence - if the game designers had intended every melee character to have +x damage it would've made more sense to just give everyone +x damage and remove the arms slot. As it is, pretty much every other arms slot item is worthless because getting more damage trumps the lot.

One of the great advances 4e made over 3e was getting rid of the "standard magic items" - flat bonuses to stats. The sooner we get rid of the rest of that legacy (+hit and +damage magic items) the sooner we can move on to items that actually do something interesting rather than just making a number bigger.

For what it's worth, I agree with this part. I have come about to lobbying DMs to just grant a +1 item bonus to damage rolls at levels 4, 9, 14, 19, 24 and 29 (that stacks only with itself), so that we don't have to take the iron armbands (and its lesser cousin, the Bracers of Mighty Striking). This is particularly the case since the damage generally done by strikers as a percentage of a level-appropriate enemy's HP decreases as levels go up.

However, I don't agree with opposing frostcheese or items that enable charging characters. Since the game grows organically there are going to be some combos that just work well, and it's not worth a DM's time fighting those mechanics. Players that pursue those combos tend to have fun optimizing their characters, and the gambit poses no real difficulty to a DM, so it's not worth vetoing the fun that can be had for the players.

 

[Marshall]

For what it's worth, I agree with this part. I have come about to lobbying DMs to just grant a +1 item bonus to damage rolls at levels 4, 9, 14, 19, 24 and 29 (that stacks only with itself), so that we don't have to take the iron armbands (and its lesser cousin, the Bracers of Mighty Striking). This is particularly the case since the damage generally done by strikers as a percentage of a level-appropriate enemy's HP decreases as levels go up.

See, this is where 3e got it right. I dont want to have that grow organically with character level. I want to find the Epic Executioners Bracers that add +6 item bonus to damage and 3d6 on a crit. Armbands of Ruinous Defense that add +2/4/6 item bonus to damage of implement attacks and have a daily resist 20(All) until EONT.

However, I don't agree with opposing frostcheese or items that enable charging characters. Since the game grows organically there are going to be some combos that just work well, and it's not worth a DM's time fighting those mechanics. Players that pursue those combos tend to have fun optimizing their characters, and the gambit poses no real difficulty to a DM, so it's not worth vetoing the fun that can be had for the players.

Agree here, just come up with combos for the other elements...