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<blockquote data-quote="ccooke" data-source="post: 6210679" data-attributes="member: 6695890"><p>I think 5th edition can actually facilitate magic-as-technology better than 3rd and 4th edition, at least.</p><p></p><p>Because the game assumes that you have no magic items, having a magic item is a big thing. But that means that if you have a lot of items, you could end up breaking the game.</p><p>However, that's only if you think about items as they were in 3rd and 4th edition.</p><p></p><p>Let's imagine magical items in a set of categories. </p><p></p><p>At the top end of the power scale, you have Artefacts. </p><p>Most campaigns won't have one of these - and if you do, it'll probably be the centrepiece of the story.</p><p></p><p>On the next step down, you have the old standard legendary items - Vorpal swords, the Holy Avenger.</p><p>There's an expectation that you won't see many of these - maybe one or two at the end of a long campaign.</p><p></p><p>Below that are major magical items. In this, I'd include all the +X armour and weapons. </p><p>These are your standard magical items from 3e and 4e. In 5th edition, having *one* of these is going to make a big difference to your character, and they will remain good for the entire game. </p><p>If you follow the default guidelines, you'll probably pick up one item like this somewhere in the first third to half of a campaign. </p><p></p><p>And then there are minor magical items. These don't have a +X bonus, and they might be more limited in their effect. </p><p>Items in this category should concentrate on capabilities and focus. These are the bread and butter of your magic-as-technology settings.</p><p>We live in world of technology. But we don't have items that make us better at fighting. We have *tools* and *conveniences*. Even in a fantasy world with a lot of fighting most of the magical items aren't going to be about fighting. They'll be the things that everyone uses, or everyone wants to need.</p><p>Examples of the sort of things that PCs might keep from this category:</p><p>* A quiver that can make an arrow five times a day. Each one vanishes if it isn't used within 10 minutes.</p><p>* A suit of armour that grows spikes when the wearer is grappled</p><p>* A ring that allows you to set mundane objects on fire (they have to have fuel to burn, though) or put out small fires</p><p>* A cloak that keeps everything you wear under it spotlessly clean</p><p>* Anything generated by the random magical item rules in the playtest, but without any +X or greater features added.</p><p></p><p>In this category you can also add some much more powerful effects that can come about with a magic-as-tech environment. For instance, how's about an entire set of ear studs that give everyone the Message cantrip? Giving the entire party the ability to communicate silently is a big game changer, but it's something that can be given to intelligent enemies, too... and it provides new tactical options without actually making the party stronger.</p><p></p><p>For the games I'm running, I plan to think about magic items based upon the relative frequency of each of these four classes.</p><p></p><p>In a low magic game, I'd probably only have major magical items, and only a very few of those. Magic will be special and rare, and the item quirks in the playtest will help to give it character</p><p>In a medium magic game, I'd allow maybe a legendary item if it fits the plot, roughly the same number of major items and a few minor items.</p><p>In a high magic, or magic-as-tech game, the streets will be full of vendors selling minor items. Every character will be able to deck themselves out with dozens* of items. But I'll make sure they provide only new tactical opportunities or narrow but flavourful uses. And I'll make sure their enemies are fully able to use those tactical opportunities and narrow use cases to their advantage, too.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>... Something about this thread seems to make me write too much. </p><p></p><p>* Okay, maybe *a* dozen, if they really want to look like a walking "Come mug me" advert. Which as a GM I feel it would be churlish to ignore</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ccooke, post: 6210679, member: 6695890"] I think 5th edition can actually facilitate magic-as-technology better than 3rd and 4th edition, at least. Because the game assumes that you have no magic items, having a magic item is a big thing. But that means that if you have a lot of items, you could end up breaking the game. However, that's only if you think about items as they were in 3rd and 4th edition. Let's imagine magical items in a set of categories. At the top end of the power scale, you have Artefacts. Most campaigns won't have one of these - and if you do, it'll probably be the centrepiece of the story. On the next step down, you have the old standard legendary items - Vorpal swords, the Holy Avenger. There's an expectation that you won't see many of these - maybe one or two at the end of a long campaign. Below that are major magical items. In this, I'd include all the +X armour and weapons. These are your standard magical items from 3e and 4e. In 5th edition, having *one* of these is going to make a big difference to your character, and they will remain good for the entire game. If you follow the default guidelines, you'll probably pick up one item like this somewhere in the first third to half of a campaign. And then there are minor magical items. These don't have a +X bonus, and they might be more limited in their effect. Items in this category should concentrate on capabilities and focus. These are the bread and butter of your magic-as-technology settings. We live in world of technology. But we don't have items that make us better at fighting. We have *tools* and *conveniences*. Even in a fantasy world with a lot of fighting most of the magical items aren't going to be about fighting. They'll be the things that everyone uses, or everyone wants to need. Examples of the sort of things that PCs might keep from this category: * A quiver that can make an arrow five times a day. Each one vanishes if it isn't used within 10 minutes. * A suit of armour that grows spikes when the wearer is grappled * A ring that allows you to set mundane objects on fire (they have to have fuel to burn, though) or put out small fires * A cloak that keeps everything you wear under it spotlessly clean * Anything generated by the random magical item rules in the playtest, but without any +X or greater features added. In this category you can also add some much more powerful effects that can come about with a magic-as-tech environment. For instance, how's about an entire set of ear studs that give everyone the Message cantrip? Giving the entire party the ability to communicate silently is a big game changer, but it's something that can be given to intelligent enemies, too... and it provides new tactical options without actually making the party stronger. For the games I'm running, I plan to think about magic items based upon the relative frequency of each of these four classes. In a low magic game, I'd probably only have major magical items, and only a very few of those. Magic will be special and rare, and the item quirks in the playtest will help to give it character In a medium magic game, I'd allow maybe a legendary item if it fits the plot, roughly the same number of major items and a few minor items. In a high magic, or magic-as-tech game, the streets will be full of vendors selling minor items. Every character will be able to deck themselves out with dozens* of items. But I'll make sure they provide only new tactical opportunities or narrow but flavourful uses. And I'll make sure their enemies are fully able to use those tactical opportunities and narrow use cases to their advantage, too. ... Something about this thread seems to make me write too much. * Okay, maybe *a* dozen, if they really want to look like a walking "Come mug me" advert. Which as a GM I feel it would be churlish to ignore [/QUOTE]
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