Identifying Magic Items

[tylermalan]

I've always had problems with how to let PCs identify magic items in the games that I've run, and I've never settled on one specific way. What I want is for the process of identifying magic items to be as simple as possible - because it is otherwise a hassle - but I don't want to just give away what the item is without the PCs using their skills a bit. I think this might nail it. And Nail, feel free to comment. Your comments are always tooth and nail, you know? You usually hit the nail on the head. Eh... I'm sorry.

Let me know what you think, possible problems, and how to improve, please. Thanks!

Identifying Magic Items

To identify magic items without using the Identify spell, PCs must complete the following steps, in order:

1. The PCs must know that the item in question is magical, and cannot just assume it is.
2. The PCs must then make a Spellcraft check, whose DC is equal to 15 + the level of the spell required to craft the item. If successful, this check tells the PCs which type of Knowledge check is required for the last step.
3. The PCs must then make a Knowledge check, whose type is revealed in step 2 (arcane, religion, nature, etc…), or a Bardic Lore check. The DC of either check is equal to 20+ the level of the spell required to craft the item. The PC making the check gets a +2 to his roll if the item has any distinguishing characteristics. If successful, this check reveals all properties of the item in question, including powers, abilities, curses, command words, and whether or not the item is intelligent.

 

[Jack Simth]

No need for a higher DC on the Bardic Knoweledge check; it's a level check, rather than a skill check, so it's already comparatively gimped; stats don't help, it's got a lower cap, and so on.

 

[tylermalan]

I didn't mean for it to seem like the Bardic Knowledge check would have a higher DC than the knowledge check at the same step, if that's what you meant? I edited the post to reflect that better.

 

[Rhun]

One thing I use in my PBP games (just to keep the ball rolling and not get bogged down) is:

If you have the ability to cast Detect Magic and you have ranks in Spellcraft, you will be able to go about identifying magical items. (This process is modified from the Maester Prestige Class in the Complete Adventurer).

By spending an hour handling and examining an item and making a successful Spellcraft check (DC10 + item's caster level), you can determine the magical properties of a magic item. You cannot Take 10 or Take 20 on this check, but you can try again, though each attempt take one hour.

 

[trav_laney]

I agree; simpler is always better. Here's how I do it:

A character may use a Knowledge [arcana] check to identify magic items. The DC is 10 + minimum caster level required to make the item. Success means the character identifies the magic item's primary function (heavy mace +2, for example.) For every 5 points that the check result exceeds the DC, it reveals one other function or feature of the magic item (holy heavy mace of disruption +2, etc.) as well as the means of activation or trigger.

It's overkill, but I also allow a detect magic spell, if used for the full 3 rounds, to grant a +2 competence bonus to this check.

It's basically the standard Knowledge check that you would use to identify a creature, with the DC equal to 10 + caster level (instead of 10 + HD). I haven't hit any snags with it so far.

 

[Herzog]

For blatantly obvious item powers, I never have anyone make a check.

Example: someone using a sword +2 gets to know it's a +2 sword.
However, if it also can be 'enflamed' by using a command word, that requires identify etc.

Herzog

 

[atom crash]

Originally posted by trav_laney
A character may use a Knowledge [arcana] check to identify magic items. The DC is 10 + minimum caster level required to make the item. Success means the character identifies the magic item's primary function (heavy mace +2, for example.) For every 5 points that the check result exceeds the DC, it reveals one other function or feature of the magic item (holy heavy mace of disruption +2, etc.) as well as the means of activation or trigger.

It's overkill, but I also allow a detect magic spell, if used for the full 3 rounds, to grant a +2 competence bonus to this check.

It's basically the standard Knowledge check that you would use to identify a creature, with the DC equal to 10 + caster level (instead of 10 + HD). I haven't hit any snags with it so far.

I use a similar system, except the DC is higher: I require an hour of study and handling, like Rhun's system above, followed by a Knowledge [arcana] or Spellcraft check with a DC of 20 + min. caster level to make the item. I don't allow a retry, though, unless some situational change makes it feasible -- the character buys more skill ranks, they get access to books that may help, they see the item in action, etc.

Identifying a potion using Spellcraft is a DC 25, so I feel the DC should be fairly high, at least more difficult than that.

I basically came up with this system on the fly after the party had amassed about two dozen unidentified items during a dungeon crawl. They had plenty of downtime while healing and no access to the pearls required to cast identify.

Now the PCs have an ample supply of pearls -- and a few scrolls of identify as well -- but they'd rather try to identify an item with a skill check and fail before using the spell. Why? They want to keep those pearls as treasure!

 

[Bladesong]

We use a similar method as well. Items with simple pluses, however, can be determined after using the full duration of a Detect Magic spell (i.e. if it is a +1 "whatever" I say it has a low degree of magic, +2 below average degree, etc.). Checks are used for items that have other abilities.

 

[robberbaron]

I use a Knowledge: Arcane check against a DC dependant upon the power of item to get a hint about the item.
Otherwise, Bardic Knowledge, Identify spell or paying 100Gp to an NPC spellchucker would do the trick.

Don't see a problem with PCs using items the precise use of which is unknown. Can make a game fun.

 

[evilbob]

This thread makes me wonder how useful a Neverwinter Nights-style "lore" skill might be to DnD. For those that don't know, this is a separate skill that allows one to make a "check" to id an item. The DC is based off the cost of the item. (For purposes of game mechanics, it is a class skill for pretty much every class, and the check is always a static number, meaning you either know or you don't - and it is easy to sort-of "cheat" by temporarily raising this skill).

Personally, I would like to see the spellcraft skill expanded to include items. (It already works on potions and scrolls, why not other stuff?) I think the mechanic mentioned above is fine: you get 1 try, cannot take 10 or 20, and on a failure you cannot try again until you raise the skill (similar to other spellcraft checks). And it seems fair to make the DC equal to 20 + the caster level of item. This means low-level guys won't get anything, mid-level guys will get some things, and high-level guys will just always know. Fair enough. (I'd also retool id'ing potions to be DC = 20 + caster level while I'm at it, just to make it more even.)