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General Tabletop Discussion
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Is Treasure and Magic Items Important To You?
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<blockquote data-quote="jmartkdr2" data-source="post: 8291229" data-attributes="member: 7017304"><p>Short answer: if there aren't any magic swords, does it really count as heroic fantasy? I think <em>Stargate</em> had a magic sword at one point!</p><p></p><p>Middle answer: One thing I like about 5e's treatment of magic items is it gives a lot of freedom in how to use them. You can use a few, none, a lot, many consumables, only permanents... whatever you think will be fun. This allows each dm to give out loot (magic items or otherwise) in the manner that works for the game they run, rather than needing to conform to game-math expectations. It's a great thing about the game, and really adds to the flexibility. </p><p></p><p>You do still need to learn to adjust difficulty to account for what you've given out, but since you already needed to adjust for player skills I don't see this as a big ask.</p><p></p><p>Long answer: I've found, IME, that there are four kinds of magic items that really enhance fun: cyphers, logistics items, luxury items and signature items.</p><p></p><p>Cyphers: named after the Cypher system, these are items that want to be used creatively. The best ones are single-use, do something characters can't do with class features, and just work (no roll to hit).</p><p></p><p>Logistics items: These are items that let you skip boring logistics issues once those issues become boring (a matter of taste) - this can range from a coin purse of holding up to an airship. </p><p></p><p>Luxury items: items that mean a lot to the pc's even if they don't do anything mechanically - I fell like these enhance roleplay by making the characters act more like people. Magical dresses, self-pitching tents, rare art objects connected to the cleric's deity, stuff like that.</p><p></p><p>Signature items: the trickiest of the bunch, but for raw power and game stats, I like to give each pc one item that really builds on the character, both mechanically and narratively. A good magic sword is a bit of a character it self, with evolving stats, a backstory, a defined appearance, and so on. It's important that these work with the character's concept, so I'll usually work pretty closely with the pc to customize these rather that doing it all on my own. I also like to have these items grow during the campaign, so the player can keep them for a while and really connect with them.</p><p></p><p>It's possible to build a signature-like item with no one in mind and drop it into a campaign to see if anyone takes it: a magic weapon that ties you to a fae court and will create sidequests dealing with that court and it's enemies can be a cool addition, especially for a character who didn't have a lot of backstory. But it's good to telegraph what these items entail and don't get upset if no one picks it up.</p><p></p><p>The other kinds of net-fun-enhancing items I've encounters are balance items (that fix game math and therefore prevent un-fun imbalances) and items for the sake of reward (acknowledging success is nice, and doing so with stuff is a good way to do that. But the items themselves tend to end up as 'just stuff' if you do this too often).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="jmartkdr2, post: 8291229, member: 7017304"] Short answer: if there aren't any magic swords, does it really count as heroic fantasy? I think [I]Stargate[/I] had a magic sword at one point! Middle answer: One thing I like about 5e's treatment of magic items is it gives a lot of freedom in how to use them. You can use a few, none, a lot, many consumables, only permanents... whatever you think will be fun. This allows each dm to give out loot (magic items or otherwise) in the manner that works for the game they run, rather than needing to conform to game-math expectations. It's a great thing about the game, and really adds to the flexibility. You do still need to learn to adjust difficulty to account for what you've given out, but since you already needed to adjust for player skills I don't see this as a big ask. Long answer: I've found, IME, that there are four kinds of magic items that really enhance fun: cyphers, logistics items, luxury items and signature items. Cyphers: named after the Cypher system, these are items that want to be used creatively. The best ones are single-use, do something characters can't do with class features, and just work (no roll to hit). Logistics items: These are items that let you skip boring logistics issues once those issues become boring (a matter of taste) - this can range from a coin purse of holding up to an airship. Luxury items: items that mean a lot to the pc's even if they don't do anything mechanically - I fell like these enhance roleplay by making the characters act more like people. Magical dresses, self-pitching tents, rare art objects connected to the cleric's deity, stuff like that. Signature items: the trickiest of the bunch, but for raw power and game stats, I like to give each pc one item that really builds on the character, both mechanically and narratively. A good magic sword is a bit of a character it self, with evolving stats, a backstory, a defined appearance, and so on. It's important that these work with the character's concept, so I'll usually work pretty closely with the pc to customize these rather that doing it all on my own. I also like to have these items grow during the campaign, so the player can keep them for a while and really connect with them. It's possible to build a signature-like item with no one in mind and drop it into a campaign to see if anyone takes it: a magic weapon that ties you to a fae court and will create sidequests dealing with that court and it's enemies can be a cool addition, especially for a character who didn't have a lot of backstory. But it's good to telegraph what these items entail and don't get upset if no one picks it up. The other kinds of net-fun-enhancing items I've encounters are balance items (that fix game math and therefore prevent un-fun imbalances) and items for the sake of reward (acknowledging success is nice, and doing so with stuff is a good way to do that. But the items themselves tend to end up as 'just stuff' if you do this too often). [/QUOTE]
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