New article Design and Development Article on Magic Item Slots

[SkidAce]

They explain that in the article. Read it again.

I read it again and edited my post. My bad.

Still don't like it.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

from what we are told, although changes seem not so great, the math has changed in such a way, that magical items are not NEEDED to survive. Losing +2 AC from armor at LVL 11 is nothing compared to the loss of +around 10 armor (armor, shield enhancement, dex increases, no natural armor and no rings). This IS a huge change.

The math is completely different than before. Thats no minor change at all, and it holds to the roots of DnD.

The ranger also goes back to the roots of TWF (ADnD 2nd edition)

rings not available at lower levels... there was so many level dependent stuff out there, openly (scrolls, spells) and indirect (expensive items)

And as I said, you can just ignore such a rule. The same is true for cloaks and neck. and also shields and bracers.

 

[SkidAce]

Nope. The One Ring, being an Artifact, wasn't constrained by the magic item rules.

As the article pointed out.

Not to belabor my point...but I think this IS what bothers me...what magic items rules? The ones of the adventuring world or the ones in the book?

/drinks another beer

 

[Rokes]

from what we are told, although changes seem not so great, the math has changed in such a way, that magical items are not NEEDED to survive. Losing +2 AC from armor at LVL 11 is nothing compared to the loss of +around 10 armor (armor, shield enhancement, dex increases, no natural armor and no rings). This IS a huge change.

The math is completely different than before. Thats no minor change at all, and it holds to the roots of DnD.

The ranger also goes back to the roots of TWF (ADnD 2nd edition)

rings not available at lower levels... there was so many level dependent stuff out there, openly (scrolls, spells) and indirect (expensive items)

And as I said, you can just ignore such a rule. The same is true for cloaks and neck. and also shields and bracers.

Given that 4e is still a d20 game, I fail to see how NOT having a +2 armor is going to be acceptable by the standard rules. +2 armor is the equivalent of a 10% miss chance in most level appropriate cases. What could they possibly do to the system to make that not so?

This means that a character is going to get hit 10% more often and take 10% more damage, etc.

 

[Hella_Tellah]

I did not expect it all to go away, but this is still more than I wanted to see,Oh, I am pissed about this. Level restrictions on items is a pet peeve of mine in electronic games.

related...
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=215

If you consider Magic of Incarnum, level-based restrictions on magic items make a decent bit of sense. Incarnum users can only open certain chakras at certain levels, which they can then imbue with magical properties. If fact, here, have some fluff text you can use to justify the ring limitation to your players:

Magic in the world of <foo> follows certain laws, and magic items are no different. Magic items redirect the magical lifeforce that sustains us, enhancing our abilties by augmenting existing energies. Most magical items can benefit even the merest peasant, but rings present a special case. So strong are their effects that rings are capable of augmenting only the energies of powerful, willful individuals. The use of a magical ring marks its owner as an exceptional individual; only the soul of a truly legendary figure is capable of fueling two rings at once.

 

[Wolfspider]

I swear, some of you people have the most ridiculous expectations.

I am soooo sorry, sir. Is there any way you will ever forgive me?

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Depends when I see level limited magic items all it does is remind me of frustrating CRPGs.

 

[Campbell]

While I like what I see for the most part I have a couple issues:

• I don't like combining the neck and shoulders slots. I can see why the chose to combine the slots on a metagame level - they only wanted a single slot to modify defenses and amulets and cloaks were both traditionally defensive slots. Still I would have preferred chosing either neck or shoulders to modify defenses and using the other for active defensive abilities even if that would mean treading on the niche of magical shields a little.
• Having ring slots only open up as you level just doesn't seem right to me. It messes with my suspension of disbelief in all kinds of ways.

 

[Rokes]

Depends when I see level limited magic items all it does is remind me of frustrating CRPGs.

And editing the .ini file (or other techniques) to remove those restrictions!

 

[Rokes]

Additionally, what of Legacy type items? Most of my players would prefer items that grow with them*, not ones that they are "expected" to replace ever few levels.

*grow with them, and NOT make them weaker at the same time!