Magical Weapons:30% Light Generation - How often does it come up for you?

[Denaes]

IMO, rolling on those charts is optional. In effect, the %'s show how common the magic items are in Greyhawk.

Since the Glowing is an option, some settings may be higher or lower depending on the priorities of the mages making the items.

If it makes sense or makes for an interesting item, then I'll have it glow. Otherwise I don't.

Actually in general, I don't believe in doing anything that doesn't add to the enjoyment of the game or benifit the overall story (and thus, the enjoyment of the game).

 

[Legildur]

I'm trying to cast my mind back to exactly when we stopped using the magic weapons as lights rules. I know we used them with 1st and 2nd ed (and possibly the early Blackmoor stuff, but my memory is hazy about the rules back then).

I think we stopped using it about the time of the introduction of 3rd ed, but I couldn't say why that would be the case.

Considering that a lot of our adventures are dungeon crawls, and that we are always looking for reliable light sources, it seems strange to me that our groups don't grasp at this rule. And it's not like we even undertake a debate about the tactical pros and cons either - there is just no debate, and never has been for as long as I can remember.

At least a handful of us are aware of the rule and we play a mix of published and homebrew modules, and still it doesn't come up....

 

[Stalker0]

I have never had magic weapons glow in my game.

 

[Taloras]

Hmm..i always figured it had something to do with the property of the weapon. a flaming weapon, IMO, will always glow at the level of a torch. As would a brilliant energy weapon. A frost weapon I would say might glow somewhat(light coming from inside the ice). Beyond that, I would say its DM/creator choice. we used to have one in one of our games that glowed with a command word....

 

[KarinsDad]

It's funny that you should ask.

This last Sunday, our Favored Soul was creating a magic Greataxe for our Spellsword.

I asked the Spellsword to roll precental dice and let me know if he rolled 30 or less. He did.

I told him that his new magical Greataxe glowed.

However, this was "shopping day" (i.e. the party had just gotten to a city with a lot of items to sell and wanted to craft/buy other items, so with 5 players doing that, it sometimes gets a little confusing as to who is doing what).

He then told me that the Favored Soul had used Craft Magic Arms and Armor to make his armor magical, not his Greataxe. His Greataxe was just purchased that day, not enchanted.

Opps.

I said, nevermind.

But, I found the idea REAL intriguing.

I also like the Tolkien idea that the weapon only glows when a specific enemy is near.