Need suggestions for rewards for a mage tourney

[Corsair]

I need 3 items for prizes for an arcane duel tournament. I don't want to use generic stock items from the DMG. They should be magic items worth not much more than 20k gp. Also, there will be three divisions, so the three prizes can be of slightly different use/value (ranging from 16 to 22 k or so). I'd prefer not to use charged items.

Thoughts?

 

[Sigurd]

What would Wizards Really Value?

Near indistructable spellbook

Something that dissapeares to the astral plane on command and comes back to the wearer of a particular trinket.


Potion of Youth:

Something to take a few years off the wrinkled old scholar


Brazier with Remote

A brazier that will adjust its heat - even get really cold - simply by adjusting a particular trinket.


"Hot Wand around Town"

A silver wand that everyone knows about with big letters saying "Hottest Wizard of 234AD" -- bragging rights.


A wizard tourney might not give super game changing treasure - just really cool things for wizards.

 

[DarkKestral]

Why not tailor it precisely to the wizard's specific specialty as far as arcane casters go, and give them more spell knowledge? In short, they get a book of spells and incantations that they could personally use (see Unearthed Arcana or the variant section of the SRD for rules on incantations) worth ~20k or so if they win.

It's not a charged item, but it certainly gives them something beneficial. Additionally, it would also allow you to give them some stuff that they could look forward to, such as a few spells of a higher level than they could currently cast.

Alternatively, you could give them a special robe or cloak which gives them bonuses.

 

[exile]

An item that I have used recently in a campaign is something called a Null Cloak, essentially a cloak of invisibility that is also silenced and otherwise non-detectable (i.e. it does not radiate magic, it is not picked up with detect invisibility, etc.). It could be made available as a prize by a high-level illusionist who is one of the sponsors of the tournament.

Chad

 

[Corsair]

Why not tailor it precisely to the wizard's specific specialty as far as arcane casters go, and give them more spell knowledge? In short, they get a book of spells and incantations that they could personally use (see Unearthed Arcana or the variant section of the SRD for rules on incantations) worth ~20k or so if they win.

It's not a charged item, but it certainly gives them something beneficial. Additionally, it would also allow you to give them some stuff that they could look forward to, such as a few spells of a higher level than they could currently cast.

Alternatively, you could give them a special robe or cloak which gives them bonuses.

Problem with part 1 is that the awards are set ahead of time, and any arcane caster is allowed to participate (including sorcerers, warmages, wujen, beguilers, etc etc etc). We're going to be using the non-leathal magic dueling rules in complete arcane. Also I'm not the DM, I'm just helping him out since he doesn't have a lot of spare time these days.

Here are example items which I threw together for the melee tournament. One of them I just took from a book which only I have, so I know the other players will never have heard of it, and the other two I built using the standard creating items chart. As you can see for the two custom items I tried to make them useful (in case a player won them, as the PCs can participate in these tourneys) but still flavorful.

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Rod of Arming; 15000 gp (Heroes of Battle, p131) - This adamantine rod is used to instantly arm or unarm the wielder. When fully armed, using the rod instantly removes the weapons and armor and stores them for later use. At any time after that, the wielder can activate the rod again, and be re-equipped instantaneously. If the wielder is wearing any armor or weapons when this occurs, that equipment becomes stored in the rod. Using the rod is a standard action. (command word)

Karoch-Tor; 19460 gp (custom) - Created long ago for an orc chieftain, these spiked plate gauntlets are made of what appears to be black dragon scales, and are inlaid with orcish symbols spelling out battle cries and oaths to the god of strength. Though at first glance they appear crude and bulky, once worn it is obvious they are of excellent make, easily allowing the wearer to use their hands normally. They are +1 Spiked Gauntlets of Strength +4.

Sauriv Orn, 22000 gp (custom) - It's name in draconic means "Silver Eye", but most refer to this item by the more generic term 'Helm of Foresight'. This glistening steel helm is of obviously superior quality, and has a scale motif etched all across it, as well as a short fan crest over the top clearly designed to imitate that of a silver dragon. When worn, it provides a mystical ability to the wearer to see into the future, granting a +2 Insight bonus to both AC and saving throws.

 

[DarkKestral]

In that case, you're probably gonna need to consider stuff like the robes of the magi or similar, rather than offensive items, as most of them are either charged or one-time use items. Melee types will almost always get boosts from having a lot of strength, so stat-ups are a great way to go there. However, arcane casters are generally split between Int and Cha, which means some will be effective for one sub-group of arcane caster and not the other.

 

[Solarious]

Cloak of Feathers (custom) Developed by a forgotten halfling wizard on the go, who didn't want to be weighed down by bulky backpacks or practical clothing. This cloak, made entirely of brilliant white feathers, resizes to fit anyone comforably, functions as a Belt of Many Pockets, and instantly creates any non-expensive material components for any spell which you are about to cast, which fade away if they leave your hand. It can also store your valuable material components and focuses, allowing you to retrieve it as a free action like it produces material components. It is utterly waterproof, endows a constant Endure Elements effect upon you, and grants a +3 resistance bonus to your saves. Finally, you can detach a feather from it to use as a quill, and it produces any color of ink you might desire. It also never sheds feathers, and automatically repairs all tear and wear within 1 round as per the Mending spell and the cleaning function of the Prestidigitation spell.

The Golden Tear of Anna (custom) An object of uncertain origin, it is a large irregularly shaped globe of amber roughly the size of a grapefruit. Some claim it is the petrified tears of a powerful Treant Sorceror, others say it is the heart of a primal elemental. The truth remains unknown, as divinations have, to date, failed to pierce the past of this relic. Regardless, it is a potent aid to those who manipulate the flow of the AEther. It can be used as an optional focus in any arcane spell or invocation, but to use it requires a hand to grasp it firmly with a bare hand without fabric or any other material interposing. When used as a focus, it replaces all somatic components, as if the spell or invocation were Stilled. In addition, it can Heighten by two levels, Empower, or Enlarge and Widen any spell or invocation using it as a focus, each 1/day. None of these abilities increase the casting time of spells or invocations, and neither do they increase the spell slot they might occupy. Any other material components or focuses must still be utilized: most use the Tear by holding it in one hand and manipulating required elements in the other. The Tear glows with an inner light of flickering lines when it is used as a focus; many assume this is what replaces the somatic components of eldritch calls.

The Golden Tear of Anna's greatest power is to invoke a Elemental Swarm at caster level 20, summoning elementals of your choice, except that the first elementals appear immediately. It's ultimate power can be invoked but once every year and a day, and even so renders the Tear dark and utterly inert for an entire month. Currently, it has not completely recovered from it's use of this power (when and for what purpose is not being told), although when it may be once again be at it's nadir is unknown. The same force that shroud it's history also prevent an accurate foretelling of it's recovery. And even should it fully recover, there is no way of telling when it indeed is recovered, nor is the method of activating this potent power.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

I need 3 items for prizes for an arcane duel tournament. I don't want to use generic stock items from the DMG. They should be magic items worth not much more than 20k gp. Also, there will be three divisions, so the three prizes can be of slightly different use/value (ranging from 16 to 22 k or so). I'd prefer not to use charged items.

Thoughts?

My thoughts are that the prizes don't need to have much in the way of inherent magical or monetary value to still be "prized". If we're talkiing about a long-established, well-known tournament you might be honored to simply participate. Maybe you get the same trophy as any other winner but the value in it derives from your particaption in the event, or the recognition it symbolizes, not the fact that the trophy can level cities or wreck economies.

Take a few real-world examples:
The Olympic Games. Gold, silver, bronze medals. Worth a few hundred bucks at most? But what does it represent to the winners?

The Oscars awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A gold plated statue, that isn't even particularly large or artistically impressive or accomplished. But the hype that surrounds them is staggering.

Annual sports tournaments like the the Superbowl for instance. The Vince Lombardi trophy itself is worth $12,500 and made of sterling silver. A new one is made each year for the winning team to keep on permanent display. But the participating players each get a ring to commemorate the game. It gets a little complicated but the winning team is entitled to 150 rings paid for by the league (though the team can pay for and hand out as many as they like to whomever the like) the cost of which starts at $5000 and increases depending on things like the actual diamond value (which for example increases in carat value depending on the number and frequency of superbowl wins). Players can easily become exceptionally driven to obtain just ONE such ring over the course of their entire career. But it ain't the money value of the ring they're after now, is it? World Series rings are much the same and players, especially the nearer the end of their careers, can become highly opportunistic in seeking to be traded to teams with the best chances of winning.

So, you can make your prize nothing more than a simple statue, piece of jewelry, or scroll whose value derives from it being an award FROM the wizard tournament more than anything else.

 

[00Machado]

What about things that lead to further adventures?
*The rights to build a tower on top of a ruined fort? The rights to an abandoned wizards tower (with a gate inside that no one knows about, or malign spirit, etc?)

*A position at court. The contest is to compete for the title of royal magician, or magical researcher of the crown - they could end up with spying duties, investigatory/experdition duties, social obligations, and so on.

*Unique magic items. Any book that you have that the players don't can result in an item that only they will ever have. To spice it up, maybe adventures returned with it a long time ago, generations ago, and no one knew where it was. Now that it's back in the public eye, some faction is going to go after the person who wins it.

*Weapon of legacy.

*Rare spells from the king's archives.

 

[Corsair]

Since it's been brought up: This tournament is a new thing which was actually originally organized by another player character. He managed to bring together two feuding merchant families to arrange this massive fair/tournament (it includes many different tests of skill for all sorts of classes and abilities) in the capital city. Mainly he's doing it to make himself even more famous than he already is, but thats a seperate issue.

Because this isn't an established event, despite its size, simply giving first, second, third place medals is out. (also the player who initially set this up wants items which are actually useful to other players on the off chance a PC wins) Also the presence of prizes of worth may encourage some players to participate who might not have otherwise.

The DM wasn't entirely clear where the items were coming from. I assume for the most part they've been donated by the merchant families (since they are the ones who are taking in most of the profits). I'll have to check with him before I include something like land/building rights/etc.