Chocolategravy
First Post
I generally just go with randomish and let them sell them and buy (some) of what they want. If they really want something though I expect them to go and murder whoever has it and take it or craft it themselves.
D&D 5E Magic Items found during the game: How do you handle the "oh look, this random dungeon just happens to have that sword my character wanted."
- Thread starter Corpsetaker
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S_Dalsgaard
First Post
The price of going for Polearm master or GWF is, that those weapons are much more rare to find in a magic version, while magic longswords and shortswords are much more common. I have never handed out a magic polearm and don't think I ever will.
Wuzzard
First Post
I don't think character wish lists is the best way to go in general. If a player wants a particular type of item, they can let their character drive the story in that direction, and I'll find a way add information for them to discover the existence of such an item. I often don't find the players motivated enough to drive the story to that extent, but you might.
I found the magic item *need* in 4e to be so ridiculous that I just gave up with handing out magic items all together. The characters got items, but I just let them pick whatever they wanted when the levelled up, 1 level + 2 item, 1 equal level item, 1 level - 2 item, and then whatever else that was lower level as long as it all fit within the character wealth by level table. I did eventually add DM provided magic items back into the game, but these were only items that were of my design, and either had zany effects or they were powerful plot items.
I found the magic item *need* in 4e to be so ridiculous that I just gave up with handing out magic items all together. The characters got items, but I just let them pick whatever they wanted when the levelled up, 1 level + 2 item, 1 equal level item, 1 level - 2 item, and then whatever else that was lower level as long as it all fit within the character wealth by level table. I did eventually add DM provided magic items back into the game, but these were only items that were of my design, and either had zany effects or they were powerful plot items.
SteveC
Doing the best imitation of myself
I don't worry about it: if it's magical, it's something that can be useful. If it was good enough for Tolkien in The Hobbit, it can work for me.
After all, what's more magical and wondrous than a bunch of items that sit on someone's character sheet unused and ignored.
After all, what's more magical and wondrous than a bunch of items that sit on someone's character sheet unused and ignored.
The Crimson Binome
Hero
Which is really, really weird. If polearms are obviously the best weapon, then you'd expect that any NPC who crafted a magical weapon would choose to make a polearm.
Not that they are the best weapon for every situation, mind, but the distribution of magical weapons throughout the world should reflect the set of weapons that are actually used.
Not necessarily. First you are assuming that NPCs operate the same as PCs. It may be much harder to get a proficiency in polearm for an NPC. Second, the feats may not be as prevalent. Nor fighting styles, etc.
Just because a polearm is one of the best choices for a PC adventurer type, doesn't mean it is the best for most folks in the world.
miniaturehoarder
First Post
Except the only reason anyone would think they are the 'best weapon' is because a few bits of OPTIONAL rules currently make them numerically optimal.
I strongly dislike the whole 'wish list' idea and gear-dependent 'builds'. If players want an item that suits their 'build', they better make a build dependent on common items (greatsword in Barbarian Altanis, say) and hope they get lucky.
The items my groups find are the ones listed in the published adventures, or occasionally the ones rolled up. I don't think I have ever 'placed' an item to benefit a PC and would actively seek to avoid doing so.
It might be the case that PCs could craft, commission or quest for a desired item; this is rare in most systems but in my 4e Forgotten Realms game the 24th level PCs recently had a free choice of commissioning items up to 22nd level.
The items my groups find are the ones listed in the published adventures, or occasionally the ones rolled up. I don't think I have ever 'placed' an item to benefit a PC and would actively seek to avoid doing so.
It might be the case that PCs could craft, commission or quest for a desired item; this is rare in most systems but in my 4e Forgotten Realms game the 24th level PCs recently had a free choice of commissioning items up to 22nd level.
The Crimson Binome
Hero
PCs and NPCs might have different stats and abilities, but that's a matter of convenience for the sake of bookkeeping. The fundamental reality of the game-world must be that PCs and NPCs are identical, because the concept of PC or NPC is not something that exists within the game world.
If polearms are the best for PC adventurers, then however you want to represent NPC adventurers, polearms must also be the best for them. (Not that I'm saying they are the best, but if they are, then this is the case.)
A point of note is that you don't get your first feat until level 4 (unless you're using the ridiculously overpowered variant human), so anything that relies on a feat to gain its power would only be of use to NPCs who are relatively high in level. If greatswords beat out polearms through level 3, and 98% of the soldiers and adventurers in the world are level 3 or lower, then anything they commission would reflect that. If most magical weapons are created for level 2 nobility, then that would explain why magical polearms are rare. (Though I would expect that most magical weapons are created for warriors who are higher than level 3.)
The Crimson Binome
Hero
Right. The distribution of magical weapons throughout the world depends on whether that world allows for feats. If nunchaku are great with the right feat, and terrible without it, then you'll find more magical nunchaku in a world with feats than in the world without feats.
