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

[Dungeoneer]

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.

Did any DM ever consider the Christmas Tree Effect a good thing?!?

I mean, I'm sure players loved it. But DMs want to feel like they're running a game, not a magic item shop.

 

[D'karr]

Did any DM ever consider the Christmas Tree Effect a good thing?!?

I mean, I'm sure players loved it. But DMs want to feel like they're running a game, not a magic item shop.

In my early years of gaming I saw so many Christmas Tree Effects in games that it must have been a good thing. "Every DM was doing it", or so it seemed.

The DM in those games was the one in control of magic item acquisition. So, if there were a lot of magic items there was only one person you could blame.

 

[Pour]

I've actually gone the other way and made all magic items artifacts in my 13th Age game. The treatment they give in the core rules hints personality and gives basic features, but I've actually added three points of ego I suppose you can still call it, between positive, neutral, and negative in the vein of the old 4e artifact rules. I don't track positive and negative points or anything like that, I just sort of feel it out (the game is a lot about feeling it out organically). Even using one of these artifacts influences a wielder a little bit, though it doesn't have to be having a full-blown conversation with a talking sword like I think someone up top was against. It could be a vampiric dagger that has you fixating on blood, or Wort's wooden leg that makes it difficult for you to sell anything at a fair price...

In truth, it provides just another springboard for collaboration and interesting story.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I am so divided on this issue, a +1 sword is ironically D&D and I feel it wouldn't be D&D without it. But when you have, for example, Pathfinder's magic shop/Xmas tree effect where you have to have xyz to be competent or OS D&D's magic is random and you end up with any old stuff (which could make you well overpowered or totally useless to you- yay +1 trident!) I like neither totally. But I do not know how it is best to overcome this issue but at least 13th Age has given it a good try!

The way I normally run it is only very low pluses (with inherent bonuses if required, like for 4E) mostly +1 or +2, but keep adding to things that can be done with it. So math stays flat, a +5% chance to hit adds up but is not game breaking if you don't have it, but you still have exciting things that they do.