How will the designers (or the players) deal with magic item influx due to PC death?

[DM_Blake]

Perhaps 4E should have a rule .snip.

Why?

Why, why, why?

An RPG needs rules to tell me how often I can hit a bugbear with my axe, and how much damage it does.

An RPG needs rules to tell me what happens when I cast a fireball at a throng of orcs.

An RPG needs rules to tell me how much damage I can take, how easily I can avoid damage, etc.

What it doesn't need is rules telling me what decisions the player can and cannot make.

It might be perfectly fine for one group to go through their dead companion's pockets and look for spare change, while another group might go very far out of their way to take every last copper piece to the widow/orpans/cousins/parents of the deceased to let them inherit the wealth.

In any case, that is a roleplaying decision that group should make on their own. It tells the DM exactly what kind of characters the survivors are. Greedy? Neutral? Loyal? Lawful?

If the DM doesn't want Dead Fred's magical booty distributed among the survivors, he can choose to have it taken away (tax collector, invisible leprechaun, have the party thrown in a prison somewhere and when they get free, they only recover some of their gear, whatever suits his campaign).

Or, he can speak with them rationally and let them know that in a metagame sense, they are artificially inflating their characters' power levels which means that the DM will be adjusting the difficulty of future encouters upward, and maybe adjusting treasure hoards downward until it is compensated. Or maybe he'll just do that without telling the players that's what will happen.

Or, Dead Fred's replacement PC can join the group with little or no magic. That player will be quick to point out that he is underequipped, and if he doesn't point it out, the DM can point it out. Any sensible party would gladly hand over Dead Fred's gear, or much of it, to balance the nearly-naked new guy.

But all this is up to the players and their GM.

Each gaming group may want to handle this differently, and the rule books should allow them that freedom.

.snip. a suggestion, an option

Now you're talking.

The DMG should have a "Character Death" section, and this kind of thing should be discussed there so the DM can know what his options are, and what consequences will occur depending on the course of action allowed.

New DMs might find this very valuable.

This is the kind of thing where you hope a good group of game designers knows the difference beween writing heavy-handed rules and writing guidelines.

I for one sure hopw WotC knows the difference.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

This is assuming the world doesn't have magic item shops. Do we know what the default is going to be? Is there no place to purchase magic scrolls or potions? Can you not go to the local temple and donate money for their priest to bless you? Or go to the mage guild and pay for a mage to teleport you somewhere? Assuming these things will exist, why won't shops that carry magic items? We really don't know the default yet.

But even still... You don't need a magic store to sell a magic item. I am sure a place that sells mundane weapons would offer money for a magic weapon. Also, there is bartering as well. Trade a magic sword for a magic ring or cloak or shield or armor.

No, you don't need a magic store to sell a magic item, but you need to find someone with enough wealth and an undertstanding of the true value of the item. Depending upon how common magic item are in the default setting, I would not expect you can just drop into a armor shop, tell the shopowner you have chain mail of exqusite quality, imbued with magical properties that allow the wearer to move quieter and have him say "Oh, wow! I'll give you 1200 gp for it. I've got people dropping by every other week looking for something like this and willing to pay 2000gp for it."

Finding someone to buy your magic items could become a quest in and of itself.

As for bartering - I could see it now, the local adventurers guild has a weekly swap meet to get rid of all that excess magic from dead party members.

 

[Engilbrand]

They have said that magic item shops are out.
I actually really like the idea of swapping in some cities. If you have extra loot, trade it in a city. They don't expect you to have a ton of stuff. Maybe you can provide gear and training for troops to defend a town in exchange for a keep. Things like that.

 

[kennew142]

IMC a character's equipment belongs to the character, not to the other characters in the party. Characters make out wills and expect those wills to be respected. Most of the time, valuable equipment is handed down to family members (although specific bequests can be made). Most often they will sell it (perhaps even to a PC, at the going rate).

In any event, I don't think it is any more metagming to bury a character's weapons and equipment with them (how do all those items end up in tombs anyway) or to give them to the rightful owners (i.e. family of the deceased) than it is to split them among the party.

This system has worked for me since middle school.

 

[see]

Property and inheritance is a major, major aspect of the laws and customs of every human society that has ever existed, and reasonably realistic versions of such are unlikely to include clauses like "your fellow adventurers can loot your corpse and sell the stuff".

Which means characters who divvy up the dead PC's stuff for their own enrichment are thieves, looting assets that legally belong to the PC's heirs, and the law will treat them as such. Using the stuff while still on the adventure to keep themselves alive is one thing; when they get back to somewhere civilized enough they could sell the gear, they'll be somewhere civilized enough that they'll be expected to (arrange to) transfer the goods to the next-of-kin.

 

[mach1.9pants]

They have said that magic item shops are out.

Really? How bizarre when magic items are now in the PHB. I would think this would encourage magic shops. And anyway magic shops are in or out at the DM's discretion

 

[Simplicity]

Seriously. Sometimes I think my players should raid a tomb entirely devoid of any magic items whatsoever. At the end, in the main chamber, I can have a copy of the tomb's owner's will... "In case of death, please give all of my magic items to the other party members."

 

[Baka no Hentai]

I must concur with DM Blake and say that I would strongly prefer that there not be a "rule" regarding what to do with items upon a PCs death. This is something that should be decided primarily between the DM and their group, and no solution will work for everyone. Also, since "wealth per level" and the magic item store is for the most part going away, I dont think there would be a need for strict rules to enforce how much treasure a PC has.

 

[Kavon]

I know you could always do the metagamey thing and bury the character with his weapons. You could vow to return them to his family, but these suggestions get kind of played out.

Wait.

What?

That's not 'metagamey' at all.. quite the opposite, actually, IMO.

How is it metagaming when the characters bury their ally with his cherished possesions?
I can see some characters stripping their 'ally' of valuables, so that course wouldn't be metagamey either (it would just make those PC's a bit..err.. less ethically inclined, perhaps?). I'd say it depends entirely on the characters themselves.

Now, that doesn't really solve the problem, of course, since either way is fine, roleplay-wise (YMMV, though).

I'd say it is less of a problem in 4th edition, since there are less slots to be filled by characters (giving them more options for the same slot, most likely, but not in addition, which I think is fine).



*gets funny mental image of a magic using type detecting magic somewhere under the ground in the middle of nowhere, only to find a skeleton and a bunch of magic goodies*

*also imagines Boromir floating in the little boat in his knockers and a split horn (sundered item, ya know)*

 

[psionotic]

We have two usual DMs. One always insists on all gear staying with the dead PC (or their heirs), and one always leaves it up to the group. I always dislike how rigid the former rule is, and how callous and greedy the party always is in the latter.