Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Razjah" data-source="post: 6508168" data-attributes="member: 98806">1) This depends on system, players, and genre. If I am playing a FATE game, I can give some powerful one-shot effect like a potion that boosts strength to allow someone's base damage with a sword to bump from 3 to 5 or 6. Cool! In D&D I sometimes give consumable items to make sure the PCs have some method of dealing with an upcoming challenge. Overall, I prefer static items since they require less book keeping for everyone involved.2) I hate consumables because as I player I'm always tempted to hang on to the item for a "worse situation" which means I'm level 10 with multiple cure light wounds potions still in my haversack. However, in a game like Savage Worlds, FATE, or a different lighter system, I can get behind some potions or rings or whatever with a one shot effect that can really help my character. In most D&D/PFRPG games I've played the potions tend to become a lot less effective once magic gear shows up. Bear's Strength doesn't stack with a Belt of Giant Strength, so why do I need those potions? I like gaining new items more frequently when there is a "treadmill" of challenge ratings or difficulty. I want my character to feel like he got more powerful, moving from Orcs to Ogres and still needing a 12+ to hit even with a better sword and BAB doesn't make me feel like anything changed. But in a game with flatter math or a story with much rarer magic, I can wait longer between items. If I'm playing in a LotR style game, magic items are rare and very powerful, so I can understand not getting many throughout a campaign. But in typical D&D style, it's expected to get a lot  even just to manage the expected wealth/PC power level via gear.3) I much prefer story based items. I also dislike the mechanical reliance on magical items D&D and PFRPG use for their system math. It is also much harder to become attached to gear since it can be replaced so easily. I remember reading The Further Chronicles of Conan the Barbarian by Robert Jordan in high school, one story includes Conan checking out various weapons in a market. Nothing compared to his ancient sword. I want that! I want to find some fantastically awesome sword in some ruin/dungeon/dragon's hoard or taken from a fallen enemy or ally. A group of PCs find a matched set of magical swords becoming famous as the Scarlet Blades is a great story. Ditching those blades to some city vendor after slaying a dragon.... not so cool.Oh, I also prefer story items because you can let players feel awesome by breaking the rules a bit more. A vorpal sword in D&D is considered too powerful for most low level campaigns. But if you allow a fourth level character to find a +1 vorpal sword, it becomes a pretty memorable experience.</blockquote>

Verification