Magic Items and Rarity (or Drop Zone)

[ashockney]

An interesting element of computer roleplaying games and MMORPG's is that magic items may only be available through certain creatures and certain drops. This is interesting because it adds value in a couple of ways. First, a "slightly" better item (more rare) is available only through more difficult encounters, which adds a certain degree of accomplishement to those that earn them. Secondly, if you want a certain piece of equipment, you can target the area/person where that item comes from. This adds an interesting "regional" flavor to the game.

In Ghostwalk,there is no such thing as a +1 Sword or +2 Bow, all magic items must have a unique name. This seem to add more originality and uniqueness to magic items in DnD when players receive them.

Several supplements have used the concept of magic items (particularly weapons) that gain in power along with the player as they go up in level.

How do you address these and other elements around magic items is in your campaigns?

What would be the best/most interesting way to incorporate these types of magic item distribution into Dungeons and Dragons?

Have you ever tried to limit the location or rarity of certain items in your campaign?

Have you ever granted more powerful, but more rare, versions of items to people in your campaigns?

 

[Tonguez]

IMC all magic items are done like this.

The PCs either have to go and visit and gain the favour of the approproiate person (usually an important political and/or religious leader or a Master Crafter)

or they will fight 'Boss Monsters' and gain some special trasure and/or favour

eg in one adventure a sidetrek involved the PCs being called on to assist a white heron fighting with a giant eel. Later when they are to travel to a distant Island the Heron flies in and gives them a Feather Token (from its wing of course)

 

[ashockney]

I think that this concept also ties in with the thread that asks about what power level of magic do you like playing?

Do you:

a) use less than what is in the DMG (restrict it, make it rare)
b) use what's in the DMG, and anything can be bought
c) use far more than what's in the DMG, common items are the most powerful weapons (Holy Avengers, Vorpal, etc.)

Based on any of the above answers.

What do you restrict? Why? How do you restrict it?

If you go above an beyond what's in the DMG, how do you justify it? How do you do the item costs? Does this impact the "rarity" of these items?

 

[Eldragon]

I prefer to have magic items so exceedingly rare that when the party runs into an NPC with a magic item, someone immediately suggests killing him and taking the item in question. This gives me (the DM) great control over the game.

The first advantage of such a system is that it gives evil characters a purpose beyond just doing mean, "evil" things. In these situations evil characters have a great chance to act out of greed, instead of malevolence.

The second advantage is that it reduces the plot-breaking magic item problem. In high magic campaigns, I get more than a little annoyed when the PCs run into a non-combat related puzzle, and they immediately solve it by running to the nearest magic shop and buying exactly what they need. Sure the DM could just have that particular item out of stock, but doing that more than once annoys the players to no end. e.g. Now the rogue with ranks in "use rope" and "balance" can tightrope walk across the chasm instead of using slippers of spider climb. IMHO too many magic items make puzzles too easy to solve.

A third advantage is that it helps reduce munchkinism in my campaigns (and most important IMHO). I encourage players to customize their characters a lot, mixing lots of classes and feats in interesting ways to create interesting characters. The problem comes when a character can just buy a magic item to patch up any flaws in the character design. This leads to characters becoming too powerful and overly min-maxed. e.g. Who needs buffing spells when everyone has all buffing spells conferred from magic items, or A CHA score of 6 is no problem when you have a pendant of diplomacy +10.

However the magic items that are in my campaigns tend to be rather powerful. +1 swords only exist if a player created it. A magic weapon an NPC might have would be +2 Keen Shocking Burst Rapier of Monkeybutter.

 

[Nephet]

Pry them out of the enemies cold dead hands - or swipe them from under their noses.
Loot the ancient "tomb" that no one has ever heard of.
Craft them themselves from rare and exotic materials.
Find someone to do it, commission and then pay for (in a variety of ways - gold being the least used) an item to be made.