Identifying and Using Stuff...

[UltimaGabe]

In my group, we have a number of ways of identifying items. For potions, it's generally an Alchemy or Spellcraft check to identify them. For items with an enhancement bonus, such as weapons, armor, or a Headband of Intellect, Detect Magic usually gives off a stronger aura depending on how high the enhancement is. If any of us have similar items, we can compare the strength of the glow to our own to see if it's less powerful, the same, or more powerful than ours. This also applies to Cloaks of Resistance, Rings of Protection, Amulets of Natural Armor, whatever.

For wands, we're generally willing to expend a charge on the wand to see what spell is located inside. For Wondrous Items, it usually comes down to whether or not anyone has the appropriate feat- for example, if you have Craft Wondrous Item, you can make a Spellcraft or Knowledge: Arcana check (depending on the cost or rarity of the item) to identify the item. After all, we figure that if you're able to decide, "Hey, I wanna make Iron Bands of Bilarro between adventures" then you've probably heard of Iron Bands of Bilarro at some point.

There are many items, though, that we simply can't identify in the dungeons. Luckily, after one of our last adventures, we were given a pair of glasses from the Relics & Rituals book that allow you to identify magic items. If you wear them and study a magic item for 10 minutes, there's a 75% chance that the glasses identify all magical abilities of the item. On that other 25%, they simply don't do anything. I just slapped an ability on the glasses to cast Detect Magic at will, and I've got a (relatively) quick and easy way to identify pretty much anything, given time.

 

[Len]

I thought I should clarify my comment above, since the DM explained it this week. He did indeed select "thundering warhammer" specifically because "thundering" only happens on a crit and "warhammer" doesn't get many crits. So it's slightly better, and much more fun, than a +1 longsword.

That's a total bonus of +2, which is 8,000 gp, which is just about all of a 5th level PCs wealth, so they don't start showing up according to the Core rules until ~7th-8th level. Your experience, while definitely fun, I'd bet is very atypical for most 1st level parties.

Sorry, I don't have the DMG so I may have mis-interpreted the Random Magic Item tables in the SRD. It seemed to me that there was a small chance of that item showing up randomly.

And "atypical" is what you expect when dice are involved. That was reinforced by the abysmal behaviour of the players' dice in our last game.

 

[DrSpunj]

Sorry, I don't have the DMG so I may have mis-interpreted the Random Magic Item tables in the SRD. It seemed to me that there was a small chance of that item showing up randomly.

And "atypical" is what you expect when dice are involved. That was reinforced by the abysmal behaviour of the players' dice in our last game.

Oh, there may be a random chance. Sorry, I'm not trying to pick nits or anything. It's certainly not gamebreaking (at least, it wasn't IMC when I gave the 1st level party the Hoardmaster sword from Gorgoldand's Gauntlet), and as you say...it's fun!

BTW, hope the dice gods are kinder to the players in your next game. I'm DMing tomorrow night and am anxious to see if the players' dice are going to do better than mine or what!

Thanks.

DrSpunj

 

[the Jester]

As to identifying items without identifying them, try Knowledge skills and bardic knowledge abilities. You might at least be able to find out that the sword bears the crest of the Sandpiper family with your Knowledge (nobility), or that it was wielded in the Battle of Emeridy Meadows against the hordes of Elemental Evil with bardic knowledge.

As to giving out magic items worth more than a party's average treasure value for their level, if you follow the random magic item charts it's going to happen sooner or later. But they'll also get a lot of lesser valued loot, at least until they start getting medium or greater items, because most of the lesser magic items are potions with an occasional low-level scroll.

I ran my first 3e game almost entirely with random treasure (except for the most part when I ran modules).