How crazy are the item rules in 13th Age?!?

[Dungeoneer]

I was surprised about how controversial 13th Age's rules for resurrections proved in the thread I started on that subject. I thought, "Here are some nice, flavorful rules that impose a cost on PC resurrection. If people are freaked out by these rules, what would they make of some of the REALLY crazy rules in 13th Age?"

So I thought I'd go ahead and kick the hornets nest by posting some 13th Age that, in my opinion, are really strange: the magic item rules!

The core rule book's chapter on magic items is short, but the rules are clearly laid out. These rules are obviously designed to take aim at the dreaded 'Christmas Tree Effect'. They limit the number of magic items a player can possess at any given time. This makes sense as a solution, but how do you justify it in-game? Like this:

• Magic items can be gifted or found, but they are seldom sold and they have no set price.
• Every magic item in 13th Age is alive and possesses a sort of personality.
• Each item personality is defined by its quirk. If a PC wears or wields a magic item, its quirks tug at the PC, giving them sudden urges and desires.
• If a PC carries more magic items than their current level, their magic items' quirks will begin to overwhelm their own personality. They are no longer in control.
• Players are not required to role play quirks when they are under the limit.
• Each magic item is special and personal to the PC. It fills a 'chakra' in the PC's soul.
• PCs can have one of each type of magic item. This limit doesn't just mean that PCs can wear only one pair of boots. It means that they can only give their heart (or chakra) to one pair of boots at a time. If they’re not a PC's favorite boots, they’re not magical, at least not for them.
• There is an exception for magic rings - PCs can have one for each hand.
• PCs may have as many wondrous items as their magic item capacity allows. Wondrous items are not proud.
• Magic items shape themselves to suit the person who has given them their chakra, so basically, one size fits all.

Personality quirks and chakras, oh my! I'm a DM who hates keeping track of a magic item economy, so I'm basically okay with a system where players only have a handful of magic items and they are not for sale. I have to admit, the in-game justification for this strikes me as kind of wacky, though. I'm curious to hear what other people think.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Are +x items still in the rules? (In short, I want to know if they're still required.)

 

[Dungeoneer]

Yes, weapons still provide attack and damage bonuses. +1 at Adventurer Tier, +2 at Champion and +3 at Epic.

 

[fjw70]

I don't really use the magic items rules. I may incorporate them eventually but don't really need them right now.

 

[GameOgre]

I really like 13th Age but for me the Magic Item rules just do not work. I HATED intelligent weapons even in old school D&D and like to have tons of magic Items sprinkled all over.

13TH Age just gets this wrong for my group so....I threw it out.

In my game its pretty much as it has always been. I used a more Pathfinder approach to it BUT I limit the bonus's so that +1 -+3 is the range and many many things don't stack.

 

[Balesir]

Are +x items still in the rules? (In short, I want to know if they're still required.)

Whether they are "required" I guess depends on how picky you are on exact "math". They make 3 points of difference (max.) on a d20 roll, so if the "Expertise Feats" in 4E were a "mandatory fix" then maybe 13th Age magic weapons are "required". Otherwise, no,they are just "nice to haves".

I really like the system. I think the lack of some sort of value is a pity (and unbelievable in the game world; everything has a price, and you can usually work out what it needs to be, even if it's fuzzy), but the "chakras" thing is a neat way to do item slots and "wealth by level" rolled into one mechanic with no fiddly slots or actual wealth restrictions/guidelines.

To me, 13th Age "magic items" are just what "artifacts" are in 4E. They are NPCs that are involved in the politics and struggles of the Age just as the PCs are - hence the difficulty of buying and selling them, maybe, since you don't really "own" them, as such?

 

[Jan van Leyden]

The rules you describe sound rather weird and more like a late add-on than a systematic approach to it. If I'd run 13th Age and the rules work without magic items (I don't know the game, so I can't judge it), magic items would be extremely rare.

Regardig magic items I still like Earthdawn's approach with items you have to bond to. It will give you more power/option if you learn more about it and strengthen the bond.

 

[Blackbrrd]

The magic item rules for 13th age sound a lot like I run magic items for 4e, but I am also running inherent bonuses. The PCs are going to get a few minor items (common), and one major item (rare/artifact). I think it's a good way to run the game and makes it much easier for the PCs to use more than one weapon. (Usually, you would just get one good weapon, for instance a sword and not use any resources on secondary/tertiary weapons like daggers/bows/crossbows. With inherent bonuses, these weapons are still relevant, if not optimal at higher levels).

 

[cavalier973]

Story-wise, the rules remind me a little of Fflewdder Fflam's "Truthful Harp" (from the Chronicles of Prydain). It didn't speak, but it definitely had a personality. Also, the flying carpet in Disney's Aladdin,

 

[GameOgre]

I guess it just comes down to what side of the fence you are on. If the old Christmas tree effect bothered you then you might love 13th age's take on it. If you considered the Christmas tree effect a good thing.....not so much.