Identify Magic Items

[Majushi]

This may be a silly question, but I've not found anything in the books to help me figure out how this works.

How do you Identify a Magic Item and what it does in 4th edition?

 

[abyssaldeath]

You can Identify one magic item per short rest I believe. No special skills or spells needed.

 

[thundershot]

One of the best game-speeding changes I've encountered in 4E. The players love it, too.




Chris

 

[Mengu]

For the sake of completeness, it's in the PHB, page 223, under the section aptly named Identifying Magic Items.

 

[Majushi]

Thanks for the page reference.

I didn't think there were any rolls required anymore.

 

[doctorhook]

One of the best game-speeding changes I've encountered in 4E. The players love it, too.




Chris

Indeed. On the one hand, you lose the "mystique" that used to be associated discovering the magical powers of your new treasure...

...But on the other hand, it makes everyone's life much simpler.

I like this rule.

 

[thundershot]

Indeed. On the one hand, you lose the "mystique" that used to be associated discovering the magical powers of your new treasure...

...But on the other hand, it makes everyone's life much simpler.

I like this rule.

Yeah, after a while, the mystique started going south. Then I'd have to keep track of what the knew, and what they didn't. And don't get me started on appraising gems and artwork. That was a NIGHTMARE in 3E. I had to know what the real value was, what the party valued it at, and what the guy they were SELLING it to appraised it at. Eventually I said "screw it" and just told them the values.

 

[doctorhook]

Yeah, after a while, the mystique started going south. Then I'd have to keep track of what the knew, and what they didn't. And don't get me started on appraising gems and artwork. That was a NIGHTMARE in 3E. I had to know what the real value was, what the party valued it at, and what the guy they were SELLING it to appraised it at. Eventually I said "screw it" and just told them the values.

Absolutely! That level of information management would be a lot more acceptable in a computer game.

 

[Mr. Teapot]

Indeed. On the one hand, you lose the "mystique" that used to be associated discovering the magical powers of your new treasure...

GMs still have the option to declare that some items have powers that aren't immediately obvious. Which is to say that you get the best of both worlds: ease of use for most magic items, where identifying was just a hassle. But for important, mysterious, interesting or cursed magic items the GM doesn't have to tell you everything, leaving the "mystique" intact.

 

[Nikosandros]

If I understand the rules correctly, you can learn the properties of one magical item per short rest, if you already know that it is magical. To actually detect a magical item, an arcana skill check is necessary. Is this correct?