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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AllisterH" data-source="post: 3506045" data-attributes="member: 51325">This may sound harsh but I have to say, this is blatantly false.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> What TSR used to say about magic items and high magic was VASTLY different than what they actually used to do.As you mentioned, there were historical books (the green softcovers, the perfect counter to the complete book of XXXXX, my favourite was the charlemagne one) however, this wasn't STANDARD D&D.Standard D&D were the adventures released by TSR for either Greyhawk or no specific camapaign world. This was the DEFAULT D&D campaign since if I ask the question, "What is a typical D&D adventure" the proper response would be "Well, the adventures published by TSR".Do you really want me to check through r.g.f.d. for the posts when we used to go through each 1E module and listed all the treasures in them? The only low-magic item series was the original DL modules (and that had its own railroad problems).Even the 2E adventures when compared to the same level in 3E have equivalent magic items in value or higher. Now though there is a difference however, In 3E, people aren't going to be burdened with "useless" magic items thus unlike in 2E where you might have gotten 15 magic items where you couldn't sell them or use them, the 3E player might have only 5 but they are each being used.E.g. Random page from the softcover Encyclopedia Magica- Eternal Salt Shaker XP Value: 300, GP Value: 1500 gold; Looks like a regular salt shaker but never runs out of salt.I know of people that got this and really this is magic but not one that registers with most people when they think magic items.In 1E/2E, there were lots of treasures like this or say treasures no-one could use (rolled a magic axe and a wand of fireballs for a party that only has a longsword double specialized fighter and an illusionist) so they would just collect but since they never got used and couldn't be sold, most DMs forgot about them and basically the character was no stronger than before.However, this is the problem IMO. Someone, somewhere commissioned an eternal salt shaker so someone somewhere would want it yet you couldn't sell/exchange it for something you wanted whereas the 3E paradigm is that if you find an axe +2 in a treasure horde, even if you don't want it, SOMEBODY would and you get something else instead.</blockquote>

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