Finding magic items (primarily for DMs)

[Kannik]

Hey all, this is a question for all your DMs out there (and also useful for players too... )

When you're going about choosing treasure parcels and the like, what method do you use to find and choose magic items? With the plethora of items out there now it seems quite daunting to find a good handful of items that are appropriate and even useful for the members in your party. It is a task when you’re just looking for your player, but when you’re looking for even a small group of 3 like mine wow it adds up. There’s the wish list idea, but I want to avoid using too much of that to keep the surprise and specialness of the item(s) found.

What way(s) do you go about it that you would reccomend?

peace,

Kannik

 

[S'mon]

I:

(1) Give NPCs lots of generic +X magic items, as if it was 1983 and we're playing AD&D! Chances are the PCs will sell most of them, but they'll get useful stuff that covers the bases.

(2) I geneate special items by finding a level from the Treasure Parcel system or Rules Compendium treasure tables. Then I stab blindly at the listed items for the appropriate level in Adventurers' Vault.

Seems to work.

 

[Ryujin]

Consider both the attitudes of the players, and the types of characters that they're playing. Do they have a particular shtick? Find something that fits and throw it in. For example do you have a mage, who likes throwing elemental spells? Something that would give him resistance to elemental attacks would make sense. Keicha's Amulet comes to mind.

Recently, while running Pyramid of Shadows and seeing that it grossly under performed in granting treasure, I had Vyrellis's reward the party for finding her 'soul shards' by imbuing them with 'a fraction of her magical power' so they could be attached to an item in one of the three main slots, boosting it by an additional +1 (only one to an item). The players, who got them, loved it.

Then you can give one of the main baddies an item, that he can use against the party. Make it of the same type that a party member uses, like a big impressive looking Greataxe, if the party fighter uses one. At that point it almost doesn't matter what its properties are. Despite the fact that it won't likely add anything to hit chances it WILL add bonus damage on a critical, possibly make the fight more memorable if that creature does do a critical, and become a trophy for the characters.

 

[jbear]

I make sure everyone has the three main items covered: Weapon/Implement, Armour and Neck Item. These are chosen by sifting through the CBuilder until I hit on one I think is useful. Once I hit on that one I don't look much further.

To choose Hand, Arm, Feet, Head, Waist and Wonderous Items I usually roll a d6 to see which category to choose from. Then depending on which level items I need to keep on par with the treasure package guidlines I look for an interesting item of that level.

Other ways of trteasure distribution that I consider note worthy:

An item that the PCs are wearing becomes magical or a power 'awakens'. 'm sure you could use this likewise to increase the power of items PCs already have so they remain relevant to their level. Fluffwise, the item resonates more with their owner or their own increase in power awakens a similar latent power within the item.

Random treasure cards face down spread out like a game of 'Memory'. Players pick from the array when you tell them they have found something of interest. I would recommend including a wide variety of 'wacky' interesting non-standard treasure of your own invention to get the maximum fun out of this method. Some of these could be consumable items, adventure hooks, easter eggs ... etc etc.

Thinks not in the rules or by the book:

I have allowed each player to invent an item (under my supervision) that links in with their back story (and of course opens up adventure hooks for me!); this item will increase in power as the players reach key points in the adventure, especially those relevant to their backstories.

The players also have one Quest Item each. This is basically an item that I have created myself for them, awarded at a very important decision point of the adventure. Each player was offered a choice of four different items (in-story). The powers of these items are superior to normal magical items and can be used more often.

 

[Nightfly]

Quartermaster (Quartermaster - Asmor.com) is amazing for generating random treasure. I use it constantly in my campaign.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'm kinda old-school when it comes to this. I'll place an item for plot reasons (the boss is some sort of uber-wraith, the PCs find a gravespawn otion), or for verisimilitude (it would make sense for the kobold chieftaint to have small-sized wyrmscale armor and, maybe a vicious short-sword, rather than a holy greatsword or magical leather armor - nevermind that there's no small or shortsword-wielding character in the party.) But, then, I don't really run campaigns, so keeping PCs stocked with 'level aproropriate' items isn't an issue. (I run at conventions and the occassional introductory game or one-shot for friends - OK, I am running a Gamma World campaign, but no magic items.)

I've been more or less continuously playing in campaigns for the durration of 4e, though. Most DMs I've gamed with use the parcel system and 'wish lists.' The DM of my current campaing really doesn't care for treasure much - we usually get some perfunctory monetary award at the end of a 'story' - but, while she doesn't use wish-lists, she is very careful to make sure PCs 'find' the level-apropriate magic items they 'need.'

I think that, were I to run a campaign, I'd just flip the Inherent bonuses switch 'ON' and not worry about systematically awarding items. I'd advise most DMs to use the parcel sytem and 'wish lists,' though. The way 4e is balanced, level-apropriate & character-apropriate items are a must to retain both balance among characters, and between the party and the encounters they must face. One trick that lets you sneak a little verisimilitude in is the use the Transfer enchantement ritual and the variations on the Enchant Item ritual found in Adventurer's Vault. This lets PCs 'upgrade' an item the already like, rather than 'wish listing' the same item at a higher plus, and lets you place magic items in /forms/ more apropriate to the environment/enemies involved, knowing players can transfer it into a more apropriate form.

 

[Aulirophile]

Almost every class handbook on CharOp has a magic items section. If it is rated Blue or better is my standard for picking items. Just go to the relevant handbook and viola.

Though even that is really to much work imo. Now I just hand out "blank of level 14." I call them "prepped residium crystals." One short cast of Enchant Magic Item away from any level (blank) item you want.

 

[babinro]

I've gradually created a list of all around useful items for non-speicific builds. I organized the list based on item slot and then item levels. When characters level, I just pick from the list and everyone is happy.

I've created this list based both on my thoughts of what is useful and those of my players. We all feel magical items are boring when they focus on skills or only have narrow daily powers associated with them. So my list focuses on powerful daily powers and pretty much every non-skill related property item in the game. The list is very much still a work in progress as armor and weapons are too varied to properly make a good selection.

While this takes away all the 'surprise' from the game...I'd personally love it if the DM just granted the PC's any 'level+2' item of their choice to be given to the character when the DM says. In other words...level 3 characters would already have their level 5 or lesser item choosen...and while playing through level 3, the DM would simply announce that player x has found their item among the treasure parcel. If the player doesn't want an item, they can get the gold value of it instead.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I tend to give out generic level XX items. And let players choose what they want. Everyone is happy that way.

But I use inherent bonuses, so it is not many items, and many of the items are reskinned into boons and the like. These items level with the party, too, for more simplicity.

I think my level 12 characters have about two actual magic items each.

Yes, I also handwave a lot of treasure too.

 

[Kannik]

Excellent, thank you everyone. I'm starting to dig the idea of somehow generic items, and perusing the charop boards to help weed out/wade through the vast vast vast quantity of items that are now out there. That and something like Quartermaster is also great. This campaign I’m DMing is a bit non-standard of a game in that chars won’t don’t have easy access to selling or buying things, however if the player of the Wizard ever returns to the group they’ll at least have Enchant rituals.

Also, each player will be receiving at some point (one already has his) an artifact tailored for their character. It makes it very sweet, and a great story tie-in. Plus sets up the upcoming tasks....

peace,

Kannik