Magic Items - flashy and awesome, or not really noticable

[Quasqueton]

Are magical items in D&D really all that "magical"?

Some DMs want magic items to be rare rather than fairly common as they seem to be (in the niche field of the professional adventurer) in the core rules. This seems to be based on the concept that magic items should be mysterious and fantastical things that invoke awe and reverence from the PCs. But really, most magic items aren't all that flashy.

I mean, take the ubiquitous +1 sword. It increases the wielder's attack chances by only 5 percentage points. But so does a masterwork sword. The only thing the magic sword has over a masterwork sword is the +1 to damage and the ability to hit some creatures with DR -- and this can be duplicated a simple 1st-level spell available to 5 base classes. Sure, its nice to have that "magical effect" on all the time, but is it really all that impressive in the game world?

Many magic items are merely game mechanic boosts, sort of like cyberware in sci-fi. There's nothing flashy or fantastic about them. Most of the weapons and armor are like this. I could easily imagine many fantasy heroes having such items without the book/movie/whatever actually mentioning them. There could be a couple dozen such items among the [movie] Fellowship of the Ring without there needing to be any mention or highlighting of them. (Didn't *all* the hobbits have magical weapons?)

[Movie] Gimli could have +2 armor of fortification, +2 axe, +2 cloak of resistance, and a +4 belt of strength without anyone really noticing.

Most of the flashy items are wands and such that just duplicate spells the wielder can probably already cast. So the wands don't really *add* any effects that aren't already seen in the game world.

I just looked through the list of magic items of the six 6-8th level PCs in my campaign -- 40 magic items (other than potions and scrolls)! Wow, that seems like a whole lot. But they are equipped within the DMG guidelines for wealth at their level. Only 7 of the items would be identified as magical to anyone seeing them in use -- a couple handy haversacks, three 1st-level wands, an ioun stone, and a ring of featherfall -- nothing amazing or awe-inspiring, really. All the other stuff is just +1 this or +2 that -- things that only show up in the game mechanics, not really noticable in the game world.

If you restrict magic items in your campaign, do you deferentiate between "flashy" magic and "subdued" magic?

If you restrict magic items in your campaign, do the Players really oh and ah over a +1 sword?

And if you don't restrict magic items in your campaign, how many magic items does your adventuring party have?

Quasqueton

 

[Munin]

That depends on how the DM uses and describes magic in his campaign world. It could be that all magic items have a 'glow' about them, like Sting from Lord of the Rings, or it could be that that +5 Holy longsword looks like any other battleworn weapon. It's a flavor thing.

I personally don't consider numerically enhanced weapons to be 'magic', just better. A +1 sword is just a sword that is sharper, lighter, more balanced, etc than a normal sword.
The difference between masterwork and +1 is pretty slim in game terms is pretty slim, I use the term more to describe an ornamental or official sword than one of a higher quality.

Now once you start talking about Flaming swords, and other spectacular effects, then you've crossed over into the realm of visual magic affects, and that is when people are going to notice that your weapon is not of the common variety.

 

[Whisper72]

Well, whether PC's ooh and aah over a weapon is not so much related to the plus itself, as well the whole look and feel of the campaign. As you state, many magical items either produce effects which are not necessarily that unique, or which are not necessarily very flashy as magical effects go.

A side note on that first off though. 5% more or less increase seems trivial, but over the course of many fights, small points make a big difference. Look at it this way. A +1 to a dagger, essentially increases the BAB by one. This is the same as an additional level for a fighter type, or three levels of experience for a mage type to get the same effect without magical aid. Similarly, if the campaig furthermore has restrictions on technology (i.e. plate mail is too advanced, the best armor weaponsmiths can make is chain mail), then a few plusses to armor make a big difference.

As for the look feel thingy, if you just tell the players 'oh you find a sword which happens to be a bit sharper then normal, if you detect magic on it, it radiates faintly', do not expect ppl to ooh and aah. If the PC's must go to some sage who tells the PC's:
"Ahh... this is the famous 'Goblin Render', a weapon forged by the mad mage Irikiel during the days of the Goblin Wars, and used by the Prince of Thelomen. He fell during the last siege of the capital of Cron Shander, which showed the final defeat of the goblin armies. The prince fell, and the sword was presumed lost amids the heaps of bodies"

Then, even though in statistics it is still the same +1 weapon, it is now suddenly something to ooh and aahh about.... It's all in the roleplaying, and how you present the items that are found...

 

[Bendris Noulg]

If you restrict magic items in your campaign, do you deferentiate between "flashy" magic and "subdued" magic?

If you restrict magic items in your campaign, do the Players really oh and ah over a +1 sword?

Neither and no... (And it's "ooh and ahh", but not "aaaggghhh" like I was dying or "ahhh!!!" as in surprise and alarm.)

The first question, of preference, the matter is one of effect: What does the presence of this item do to effect game play? In my opinion, comprehend languages is a 2nd level spell and read magic is 3rd. Not because of the power of these spells, both of which are significantly nil, but because of the in-game ramifications of these spells being available to every Tom, Dick and Harry that learns a thing or two about magic.

(Note about read magic: Aedonian spellcasters don't have a "universal language", and thus magic spells and lore are most often written in the native tongue of the spellcaster that wrote it, so read magic is mostly about identifying and reading something that is written in a magical form, such as glyphs, ward stones, power runes, etc.)

The second question is, for me, a matter of irrelevance. While I can certainly conceive of a game where +1 magic weapons are enough, and I'd likely play in one if I could, that's not really my style as a GM. Rather, a PC is more likely to find a +5 Flaming Holy Sword of Wouding than they are a +1 sword (or, alternately, finding a Legendary Weapon, ala Swords of Our Fathers, that starts as +1 but becomes more potent by means of a Prestige Class).

 

[Altalazar]

In both high and low magic games I've been in, there hasn't usually been anything obvious about the magical qualities of most items.

(Oh, and "Sting" only glowed blue when orcs were near, so that really wasn't about it glowing for being magic, that was an actual ability)

In 3E it is made clear that magic items are masterwork and obviously valuable (but not obviously magical, unless specific effects show otherwise).

That is the way I prefer it, as well.

In my games, though, almost all magic items are non-standard in some way or another. I don't like lots of boring, and not all that useful, +1 items sitting around. Even from modules, I tweak what is in there. It makes things much more fun and interesting for everyone.

 

[Olive]

I think that ioun stones are pretty flashy and magical, even if the effects don't seem to be.

But wonderous items are the way to go: cape of the mountebank is cooooool. But if you think that just relicating magical effects that are already in the game isn't enough, then I can't help. The magical effects int he game are plenty magical enough for me!

 

[Nifft]

I do not restrict items, and anything below 30kgp is not flashy. I tend to like making "composite" items above 30kgp, which are unique, flashy, and frequently have cool names.

Sure, there are plenty of "Rings of Protection +2" which get no further description, but then there are "Jade Viper Bracers: +3 AC (armor), +3 Saves (resistance), +1 DC of all Necromancy spells".

-- N

 

[Quasqueton]

So has anyone added up the magic items their character(s) has?

I didn't list the everburning torches/lanterns that each PC carries. Technically, these are magic items, but they are made from a commonly available spell, not a feat + xp.

Do you DMs who limit magic items also limit spells (like continual flame)?

Quasqueton

 

[Ibram]

I tend to run lower magic campaigns, and as such magical items are rather rare. I never just give someone a magic item, i create something with a back story and always with a few hidden abilities.

One of my favoret items to give are leveled items (items that improve as the character advances in level) which allows a character to have a favoret sword (rather then just tossing their old weapon when a better one comes along).

 

[Falconnan]

Yes and no.
I tend to have characters in my game buy the minor stuff (Forgotten Realms campaign). A healing potion, an everburning torch, a ring of sustenance (cool for a minor item), these they can buy at a temple, or even a high end specialty shop in a fairly large city. However, they need to commision the big stuff. They can either pay (usually about 150% of standard), or can do a service, or even trade their items.
As for flashy, a potion that can restore the health of a dying child in mere seconds is flashy. A ring of telekinesis that allows the physically challenged archmage to compete with the mighty warrior is flashy. A +2(or whatever) anarchic holy flaming burst quarterstaff (both ends) is likewise flashy. So is a perfectly formed and cut diamond, or an orchid that is found nowhere else.
Flashy is what you make it.

p.s. Coolness is an immovable rod.