Magic Item Limits, Slots, Requirements and Stacking

[ZombieRoboNinja]

I think the OP is definitely in the minority, since he seems to have a beef with like 2 item slots in 4e and considers that a huge deal.

Here's how you can justify item slots, if it's a big deal:

1. Pseudoscience explanation: Why can't I have two magical rings on the same hand? For the same reason I can't use my cell phone next to a working microwave. Magical items project carefully calibrated fields of arcane energy, which interact both with your body's natural arcane energy field and with the ambient puissance of the world around you. Putting two of them in too-close proximity means that neither will work effectively. (It's okay to, say, wear a magic cloak over magic armor because the cloak "binds" to your body's energy field at the neck, whereas the armor binds to your energy at the heart.) Rings are a special case, because binding an intense amount of magical energy at an extremity like your finger requires a particularly dynamic internal energy-field, which only the most robust adventurers possess.

2. Pseudo-history explanation: 6000 years ago, the archlich Bahd'Gai dominated the known world with his full set of magical rings and matching eyepiece and tiara. Each decade of his rule he had crafted a Ring of great power, until his fingers, ears, and even nose were covered with dozens of powerful magic devices. From the time he was overthrown, it has been taboo to craft magical jewelry that functions in tandem with too much like jewelry. Any magician foolish enough to craft an item that breaks these restrictions would quickly be paid a visit by the avenging angels of Corellon, god of magic.

3. Magical Handwaving explanation: It's magic. That's how it works. Deal.

4. DM Handwaving explanation: Those are the rules. One more word and I guarantee that's the last magic item you'll ever see.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Yes, you're clearly in the minority. You critize 4e and this has become a major sin on this board so expect 4e fans from all over the world to make brand new accounts just to vote you into minority

In the future always remember these four little rules:
1. 4e is always right
2. D&D prior to 4e was a terrible game that no one ever played. Books were only bought to look at them and hate them
3. If 4e takes something away that a pre-4e person likes its always easier to add yourself than to ignore
4. If 4e adds something that a pre-4e person dislikes, it's always easier to ignore than to add yourself

This should be stickied so that everyone knows the rules.

 

[Sadrik]

I think the OP is definitely in the minority, since he seems to have a beef with like 2 item slots in 4e and considers that a huge deal.

Here's how you can justify item slots, if it's a big deal:

LOL, you aren't serious are you?

 

[danbuter1]

I'm not sure if you're in the minority because I don't know your position on this. Talk about a poorly worded post :O.

 

[Sadrik]

I'm sorry you are experiencing technical difficulty.

 

[StarFyre]

You are not minority

My entire group prefers the freeform way we handle items.

basically, any type of item can exist...but they are very rare and you can't buy magic items except in special cities such as Sigil.

However, we have very weird custom items, almost always...so 4E's system i find very limiting; but as per another forum post someone put up...items are one of the easiest areas to be house ruled for an experienced DM, so I'm not worried.

Sanjay

 

[Lackhand]

My entire group prefers the freeform way we handle items.

basically, any type of item can exist...but they are very rare and you can't buy magic items except in special cities such as Sigil.

However, we have very weird custom items, almost always...so 4E's system i find very limiting; but as per another forum post someone put up...items are one of the easiest areas to be house ruled for an experienced DM, so I'm not worried.

Sanjay

I suspect, in practice, you won't find it that bad. It's a hot bath, the first few seconds are the worst!

Just expect to see nothing published that doesn't stick to their guidelines; if you were houseruling items already, I see no reason you'd let a little thing like affinity slots get in your way

I myself am very happy to see official recognition that Wizards will never again publish Boots of Intelligence. They just strain my sense of mythic whatchamahoozit, and make me reach for my Mordenkainen's Disjunction.

 

[bgaesop]

I myself am very happy to see official recognition that Wizards will never again publish Boots of Intelligence. They just strain my sense of mythic whatchamahoozit, and make me reach for my Mordenkainen's Disjunction.

This is my problem with it. I can see your desire to have a magic earring and a magic hat at the same time, but I'd say it's better to solve that by having the magic earring be a wondrous item and therefore not count towards your limits rather than have a hat on top of a helmet with two dozen earrings and a facemask and two hairpins and dentures and... you get the idea. I'm also a big fan of form relating to function, boots of intelligence don't make sense in my opinion and I don't particularly want them in my game. I could houserule that out of course, but since it's my way to begin with I think I'd rather just gloat

Yes, you're clearly in the minority. You criticize 4e and this has become a major sin on this board so expect 4e fans from all over the world to make brand new accounts just to vote you into minority

In the future always remember these four little rules:
1. 4e is always right
2. D&D prior to 4e was a terrible game that no one ever played. Books were only bought to look at them and hate them
3. If 4e takes something away that a pre-4e person likes its always easier to add yourself than to ignore
4. If 4e adds something that a pre-4e person dislikes, it's always easier to ignore than to add yourself

This is a productive and helpful post, great job go hog wild!

 

[Sadrik]

This is my problem with it. I can see your desire to have a magic earring and a magic hat at the same time, but I'd say it's better to solve that by having the magic earring be a wondrous item and therefore not count towards your limits rather than have a hat on top of a helmet with two dozen earrings and a facemask and two hairpins and dentures and... you get the idea. I'm also a big fan of form relating to function, boots of intelligence don't make sense in my opinion and I don't particularly want them in my game. I could houserule that out of course, but since it's my way to begin with I think I'd rather just gloat

I don't really like having the non-obvious item slot items covered by other obvious slot items or put into the nebulous wondrous class of items. I agree you have to limit the overall "other worn". Otherwise, you will have, "two dozen earrings and a facemask and two hairpins and dentures and... ". I came up with the number of '4' but it very well could be more or less or advance by level or increased by feats etc. My pseudo scientific explanation to limiting the number of jewelery items is simple: people can only attune to that many items without further training.

2 held implements (weapons, shields, wands, orbs, gems)
1 feet (boots, shoes, sandals, slippers)
1 hands (gauntlets, gloves)
1 body (armor, clothes, robes)
1 back (cloak, cape, mantle, shroud, wings)
1 waist (belt, girdle, sash)
1 head (helmet, circlet, hat, crown)

4 Jewlery (includes rings, amulets, scarabs, mummified hands, periapts, necklaces, bracers, braclets, stones, masks, glasses, eyes, goggles and everything similar)
Any Consumables (potions, oils, dusts, tokens, scrolls, salve, unguents, candles, ointment, elixir etc)
Any Wondrous (tools)

 

[bgaesop]

I don't really like having the non-obvious item slot items covered by other obvious slot items or put into the nebulous wondrous class of items.

I'm not entirely sure what your point there was, but I think your "jewelry" idea is a good one and if WoTC doesn't make earrings and such the equivalent of rings I'm confident someone else will quite shortly.