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Message: <blockquote data-quote="James Gasik" data-source="post: 9654597" data-attributes="member: 6877472">The random tables aren't a very good tool for telling you what the game's magic item distribution should be like.They don't describe the game as it is- published adventures typically don't have random orcs dropping +3 long swords (even though overall, most such adventures have magic items be more common than treasure tables would indicate).  It seems almost impossible not to conclude that curated magic was intended, with an eye for magic items that are both "level-appropriate" (whatever that means) and shore up important weaknesses- many magic weapons, potions, wands for the wizards, and defensive items for AC and saves.  But at the same time, the existence of both the tables and said modules often run counter to the claims of conservative D&D players about how "low-magic" they perceive the game to be by default.Because I don't think there is a default, really.  There's a preference, and until 3e, no two DM's, authors, or game developers really seemed to be on the same page with regards to the frequency of items (the power of items is another matter entirely- I was allowed to join in one AD&D game with a level 7 Paladin and the DM just handed me a Holy Avenger.  Meanwhile, another game I played in had a party of level 5 characters bereft of anything but a +1 dagger and some potions when confronted by a pack of Wolfweres!</blockquote>