Intelligent Items at 1st level?

[howandwhy99]

Sounds like you prefer a High Magic game. That's not bad, but I would watch the cost levels. Even if you believe some powers are weaker than they are listed at, giving what you are at 1st level will unbalance the game.

Try multiplying the Suggested Wealth table x10 for each level. The IMPORTANT thing is, make sure you do it for the NPC wealth tables too. Monsters will have 10x as valuable gear as well.

To keep costs correct, if you use magic shops, make all magic items 1/10 listed value (or in silver pieces).

The consequences, though, are probably a lot of quick deaths. So consider increasing HP across the board by some factor or percentage.



Intelligent items, if you don't mind them not being +1 as normally required for weapons, are virtually cost free. They offer about the same benefit as a normal NPC traveling with the party.

 

[Nifft]

The second basic issue you're likely to see is a sense of... anticlimax. You start them off with these amazing things, and then they've got nowhere to go, except to more amazing things. And eventually, you'll reach the limit of your own ability to make them seem particularly amazing.

Yep yep. That's why I advocate:

1/ NOT TELLING the players what cool powers their weapons (or whatever) will get -- and not being tied to knowing in advance what you will give; and
2/ Giving the cool powers AFTER some story event which justifies them.

Basically, track what total bonus they should have, and give them stuff which equals that bonus after significant events. Don't be afraid of giving it a bit late or early; just make sure the party's average loot value is around the right target.

Cheers, -- N

 

[jontherev]

Yep yep. That's why I advocate:

1/ NOT TELLING the players what cool powers their weapons (or whatever) will get -- and not being tied to knowing in advance what you will give; and
2/ Giving the cool powers AFTER some story event which justifies them.

Basically, track what total bonus they should have, and give them stuff which equals that bonus after significant events. Don't be afraid of giving it a bit late or early; just make sure the party's average loot value is around the right target.

Cheers, -- N

Eh. Too much work for me. I'd rather do the legwork now on the items and let the players know ahead of time what powers will "turn on" and when. Then, I no longer have to worry about keeping track of the items. The way I plan to do this is not very much different from a 1st level character keeping his MW weapon and adding enchantments to it along the way, albeit for free! I really don't think it will blow game balance after I rewrite the items so that the powers activate at certain levels.

Although ideally it would be nice to keep these powers hidden, it causes major headaches for the player. Let's say the wizard's spellbook grants him the Still Spell feat at 6th level, and since he didn't know about that, he actually takes the feat at 5th level? Plus, since these items are intelligent, they should know something about how their powers *might* develop, much like a wizard will know that *someday* he will be able to cast a fireball.

It's mostly personal preference though. What works for me and my players, definitely won't work for everybody else.

And yes, to the previous poster...I DO like high magic campaigns, and I think all of my players do as well. We've never played a low magic campaign, so maybe I'm biased.

 

[Chimera]

I agree that overpowering magic items at low level completely changes the game, but they can be fun if you really want to go the Monty Haul path. Heck, our (late 70's) high school games were seriousy MH. My Wizard got a Staff of the Magi at 4th level!

Nowadays, the only way I'd ever give out an intelligent item at low levels would be as a plot device, or something like;

Maurice

Intelligent Wand of Nystul's Magic Aura. Maurice has an intelligence of 12, can speak Common and has omnidirectional vision equivalent to human vision.

50-41 charges remaining: Maurice is young and hot to trot. He's happy to suggest uses for his power, no matter how relevant to the current situation. He's got a kind of tunnel vision when it comes to how useful he is. He wants to be a part of every situation and there's no way to shut him up short of threatening to destroy him.

40-31 charges remaining: Same as above, but not so insistent on using charges.

30-21 charges remaining: Now he knows how things work and the concept of mortality has entered his head. He likes to be a part of thing and is extremely happy to be consulted on issues or stick his nose into things, but his power isn't his sole focus.

20-11 charges remaining: You need his advice, you don't need his power unless it's absolutely necessary.

10 or fewer charges remaining: Mortality is weighing heavily on Maurice. He wants to experience more of life and is unwilling to use any more charges unless it's a matter of life and death. The fewer charges remaining, the more likely it's just a matter of his own survival. Your party dies? That's ok, he'll just be picked up by someone who won't know how to use his powers up and kill him. Like Pinnochio, his fondest wish would be to gain a WISH spell to become a living being.