DSC-EricPrice
First Post
I have a book Im working on for a spring release. Do DMs like flavor text these days to describe magic items? Or do they prefer I save the page count and go for just the rules. Vote in the poll and let me know.
Magic Item descriptions
- Thread starter DSC-EricPrice
- Start date
DSC-EricPrice
First Post
great! I should have thought more about that poll. I guess the answers really should be "flavor text added" or "rules only". sigh
Buttercup
Princess of Florin
Other.
I like both, but, not too much flavor text. Fast Forward Entertainment's book Rings of Power has what I consider about 20 times too much flavor text. One small paragraph per item is more reasonable, I think.
By the way, love your counters. You've got way too much of my money already.
I like both, but, not too much flavor text. Fast Forward Entertainment's book Rings of Power has what I consider about 20 times too much flavor text. One small paragraph per item is more reasonable, I think.
By the way, love your counters. You've got way too much of my money already.
Negative Zero
First Post
i voted "other" simply because of the use od "generic" in the poll's title. if you're gonna use Acme brand magic items, then who cares about the flavour text. on the other hand, if you preferto make magic items more special, then by all means, a nice history would be very cool. of course i agree with the calls for moderation
~NegZ
~NegZ
I'm definitely in the minority, but go flavor. Most of my D&D players wanted to know **exactly** how a magic item worked, but with flavor, you can keep it vague enough to scale the item, introduce plot elements, and other stuff. Drives player's nuts, tho.
GM: "It's a ring."
Player: "What does it do?"
GM: "Wanna put it on?"
Player: "..."
Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^
GM: "It's a ring."
Player: "What does it do?"
GM: "Wanna put it on?"
Player: "..."
Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^
randomling
First Post
Give me flavour text, please! 
I like magic items to be special - my campaign world isn't low-magic, but magic is highly regulated, so you don't get mass-produced boots of flying. I love flavour text.
I like magic items to be special - my campaign world isn't low-magic, but magic is highly regulated, so you don't get mass-produced boots of flying. I love flavour text.
Capellan
Explorer
Flavour text is good - but don't overdo it. Relics & Ritual spell descriptions (generally 1-2 paragraphs) are perfect.
And if you're doing flavour text, include a physical description. A poted history is nice and all, but - unless they have a bard in the aprty - the PCs may never learn it. An evocative physical appearance to the weapon, however, will make it memorable.
Here's an example of one from my last campaign:
Das Schlagenmeiste is a six foot long greatsword. Four feet of this is the blade, which is as wide as a man's hand. The hilt and pommel are carved in the shape of a warhammer; a pulverising head juts to the left, whilst a four inch spike guards the right. This part of the weapon alone could shatter a man's bones. The blade is broad, as noted above, and has twin channels on each face for the blood. The weapon is made of the finest layered bronze, and decorated with silver and amethysts.
That's the kind of flavour text I can use
And if you're doing flavour text, include a physical description. A poted history is nice and all, but - unless they have a bard in the aprty - the PCs may never learn it. An evocative physical appearance to the weapon, however, will make it memorable.
Here's an example of one from my last campaign:
Das Schlagenmeiste is a six foot long greatsword. Four feet of this is the blade, which is as wide as a man's hand. The hilt and pommel are carved in the shape of a warhammer; a pulverising head juts to the left, whilst a four inch spike guards the right. This part of the weapon alone could shatter a man's bones. The blade is broad, as noted above, and has twin channels on each face for the blood. The weapon is made of the finest layered bronze, and decorated with silver and amethysts.
That's the kind of flavour text I can use
Storminator
First Post
In addition to some descriptive text, pictures are cool. A player can look at a good pic and say "I want that! What's it do?"
PS
PS
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
PICTURES! YES! ABSOLUTELY! Color if you can afford it...nothin' beats a nice descriptive picture.
A short description is usually in order, too. I'm of the mind that a scentence or two can usually do, even in mass-produced items...even if the boots of flying are mass-produced, I'd like to see some description on how they look...are they cheap socks with a crudely drawn biridie on them, or are they all leather shoes with wings on the underside that flap up and down, made out of the pinions of a rare bird of prey (who is now exticnt due to the mass-production), or maybe they're instead made from the bladder of a beholder or something?
It doesn't need to go into lavish detail unless it's a unique item, but there should be something for DM's to tell the players it looks like...spontaneous creativity can be hard for those, and there usually isn't the time to devote to pondering what each item looks like.
A short description is usually in order, too. I'm of the mind that a scentence or two can usually do, even in mass-produced items...even if the boots of flying are mass-produced, I'd like to see some description on how they look...are they cheap socks with a crudely drawn biridie on them, or are they all leather shoes with wings on the underside that flap up and down, made out of the pinions of a rare bird of prey (who is now exticnt due to the mass-production), or maybe they're instead made from the bladder of a beholder or something?
It doesn't need to go into lavish detail unless it's a unique item, but there should be something for DM's to tell the players it looks like...spontaneous creativity can be hard for those, and there usually isn't the time to devote to pondering what each item looks like.
Similar Threads
