Magic item Daily powers

[Penthau]

It seems to me that the majority of magic items with daily powers as their primary ability are not very attractive to most players. They seem to prefer properties mostly and some encounter powers.

I am thinking about making the following changes in my game. Most daily powers on magic items would become encounter powers. Daily powers that grant effects that last until the end of the encounter will stay daily. Some more potent abilities will become "milestone powers", which means that at each milestone, the character can recharge 1 magic item with a milestone power. This will mostly apply to powers that duplicate encounter powers (like some wands) or that heal.

I am hoping that this will make some items more appealing without going too far into overpowered. Any feedback is welcome.

 

[Saeviomagy]

I approve. In fact for your "milestone" power idea, that's how our group originally thought daily powers worked: as many dailies as you have items, gain an extra use of any one daily on a milestone (ie - you didn't have to recharge a specific item daily, you could just wait for a situation where you wanted to reuse one and then reuse it, ticking off the recharge). It worked really well. Learning the correct rules really made us feel that most daily items weren't worth it.

I'm sure there's an item or two out there that is going to be too good, but they should be pretty easy to spot.

 

[hipnotode]

i think the reason people don't take daily power focused items is because of the use per day limit, and the reason that that it there is to stop players stockpiling a load of the same type of weapon, then quick-draw-&-fast-hands'ing to use the power every round...
example, a level 24 character buys a few bag-o-holding full of 'flask of the dragons breath' (level 3 daily use wondrous item, only 680gp, you can buy nearly 800 for the price of a level 24 item), then proceeds to use every minor action (and most move actions) to cast dragons breath from then on.
i dont see a way around this unless there is a limit or ban on using the same item repeatedly.

 

[Quickleaf]

Daily: A magic item's daily power can be used once per day and is recharged when its user takes an extended rest.

To the best of my knowledge this is the latest update. Milestones are no longer in the picture.

 

[Saeviomagy]

i think the reason people don't take daily power focused items is because of the use per day limit, and the reason that that it there is to stop players stockpiling a load of the same type of weapon, then quick-draw-&-fast-hands'ing to use the power every round...
example, a level 24 character buys a few bag-o-holding full of 'flask of the dragons breath' (level 3 daily use wondrous item, only 680gp, you can buy nearly 800 for the price of a level 24 item), then proceeds to use every minor action (and most move actions) to cast dragons breath from then on.
i dont see a way around this unless there is a limit or ban on using the same item repeatedly.

Yeah, but that's fixed because flasks of the dragon's breath are uncommon. You can't buy even 1 without dm approval, and it's not too likely he'll let you pick up 800.

And the real problem there is the flask of the dragons breath having a scaling bonus to hit that's based off the user. Alchemical items with their fixed bonuses got it right.