Magic items that grow over time?

[Voadam]

Hmm, very interesting.... does anyone have any experience with this?

Actually I was going to edit my original post to add this as one of the players in my game has one. He's an archmage who went through a major ritual to awaken his ring of wizardry, which allows it to cast the spells stored in it indepently of him at his command. Its been cool. Got it at high levels so there was some wonkiness I vaguely remember being avoided with xp/skill point stuff.

 

[TerraDave]

By shear coincedence, I started another thread with a pole on the best and worst 3rd ed products

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=215994

Weapons of Legacy is taking a pounding. From looking at it in the store, it was just too involved and too much for each weapon.

The great, and early in the 3rd ed era, module from Fiery Dragon, NeMoren's Vault, had a scaling sword.

 

[Jhaelen]

By shear coincedence, I started another thread with a pole on the best and worst 3rd ed products

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=215994

Weapons of Legacy is taking a pounding. From looking at it in the store, it was just too involved and too much for each weapon.

Opinions vary. I actually consider it one of the best 3E products. HOWEVER, I don't use the mechanics as written - those seemed pretty silly to me. But the example items and their representation in the book with backstory, rituals and adventure hooks are top quality. Extremely inspiring!

 

[Evilhalfling]

im not 100% sure, but i think the covenant items from the Midnight-Setting also scale

They do, but being midnight, a + 2 sword that casts Faerie Fire is nearly an artifact.
The items advance every (4?) character levels and cap out at 12th(?)

I like the OA / BoED system best, I think its the same table of item cost/vs PC level.

 

[Rechan]

There was something in Dragon that I believe you had to shove Xp into the sword over time to level it. Something like that.

I honestly don't think PCs should have to sacrifice anything to have their sword "grow" with them. That is, besides the appropriate wealth subtracting from the estimated wealth you would have to give the fighter to upgrade his sword or armor a plus.

I much prefer this method to "Oh hey, a magic sword. I'll chuck this Swiftwind, ancient blade of the elven duelists, slayer of aberrations, blessed by the hand of King Kanatha himself, because this new sword has a better plus!"

It would make me far happier if PCs had access to only two or three magical items, those items stayed with them their entire career, but made up for it in having a few varied effects. So that when you said "I have a magic sword", the response is What does it do?"

[/rant]

 

[Arkhandus]

There was an article in Dragon Magazine, issue 289, volume 27, #6, November 2001. The issue has a monk on the cover, with small paper sutras/charms floating around his head.

It has rules for making magic weapons and armors level up over time, "Leveled Treasures" is hte name of the article. It's the distant precursor to the Weapons of Legacy book, but handled much more simply.

There's also the Samurai class from Oriental Adventures, which can enhance their ancestral daisho weapons over time through simple rituals and sacrificing enough gold/valuables.