OSR: Only 42 Magic Items. What Should They Be?

[GMMichael]

As I'm rounding out my equipment tables for my OSR game, I thought of both D&D 3 and Skyrim. In both games, magic items were expected and commonplace, and at times - generic. So I might try putting a cap on the number of magic items in my game in order to make each one special. Of course, they will be listed only in the Gaol Master's Guide (GMG), and after a certain number of PC levels, the GM will be encouraged to hand out one per quest (more or less).

What are the unique items that should be in every OSR game? This is a Question thread, so please upvote your favorites!

• "Unique" refers to the game's setting as in: there's only one Quondam's Helm to be found. And you'd better hope your head isn't too big to wear it.
• It's entirely likely that these items were created and claimed before the PCs were ever born. Some might be lost, but some must be pried from cold, dead hands.

 

[Blue Orange]

White Box D&D had 132, so you're talking about a pretty small selection.

1. Sword +1
2. Sword +2
3. Sword +3
4. Shield +1
5. Shield +2
6. Shield +3
7. Armor +1
8. Armor +2
9. Armor +3
10. 10 Magic Arrows
11. Dagger +1 vs Man-Sized, +2 vs Goblins, Orcs, and Kobolds
12. Mace +2
13. Spear +1
14. Potion of Healing
15. Cloaking Robe of Elvenkind (hangs in my wardrobe behind)
16. Scroll with 3 spells
17. Potion of Invisibility
18. Potion of Speed
19. Potion of Invulnerability
20. Potion of Poison
21. Ring of Three Wishes
22. Ring of Water Walking
23. Ring of Fire Resistance
24. Ring of Protection
25. Wand of Metal Detection
26. Wand of Fireballs
27. Staff of Healing
28. Staff of Wizardry
29. Crystal Ball
30. Medallion of ESP
31. Bag of Holding
32. Efreet Bottle
33. Potion of Giant Strength
34. Boots of Speed
35. Broom of Flying
36. Helm of Telepathy
37. Helm of Opposite Alignment
38. Drums of Panic
39. Horn of Blasting
40. Gauntlets of Ogre Power
41. Girdle of Giant Strength
42. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Kingdom

 

[J.Quondam]

The Rod of 42 Parts

 

[DemoMonkey]

IMMOVABLE ROD!

It's a Rod! That can't be Moved!

 

[GMMichael]

1. Sword +1
2. Sword +2
3. Sword +3

Magic sword: yes please. Maybe more than one, but there are a LOT of other weapon types that could be magical. That being said, the thieves' guild leader is going to give me a strange look when I tell her that I'm going to add the famous Sword +3 to her treasure room. "The red priest's flaming sword" might get me a pat on the back and a contract, though.

Then there are those status-symbol intelligent swords whose only power is to determine whom it allows to draw itself. Stuck in rocks and all...

 

[Blue Orange]

You limited us to 42 items. That cuts it down (no pun intended) quite a bit.

White-box OD&D (which is about as 'OS' as it gets) has the sword +1, +2 vs lycanthropes, sword +1, +2 vs enchanted and magic-using monsters, +1, locating objects, +1, +3 vs trolls or clerics, flaming (+1, +2 vs trolls or pegasi, hippogriffs, and rocs, +3 vs undead), +1, +3 vs dragons, +1 with 2-8 wishes, +2 , charm person, sword that drains one life level, and -2 in addition to the standard 1,2,3.

You might fold it into +1 and +1, +3 vs targeted enemy and then have the enemy vary, though that might be cheating. That leaves you one slot--I like level drain for variety and the literary reference (Moorcock's Stormbringer), but take your pick.

 

[aramis erak]

___ Weapon of Sharpness (extra damage vs soft armors)
___ Weapon of Spikieness (Reduces effect of hard armors)
___ Weapon of Stunning (Save vs Paralysis or stunned 1d6 rounds)
___ Weapon of Defense (bonus AC when wielded)
Sword of Lifeburning: each round attacked with, burns 1 HP, but does double base damage on hits. If killed by it, become incorporeal undead)
___ Weapon of foe sensing (glows when pointed at foes - whether visible or not - with foe defined as someone considering attacking you.)
___ Weapon of Warning (glows when pointed at someone for whom you are a foe)
___ Spoon of Cooking (bonus to morale, allows a hot meal in a fireless camp by heating any liquid its bowl is immersed in to selected temp; this can be anywhere from 1°C to 101°C)

 

[CleverNickName]

I call shenanigans on any game that calls itself "Dungeons & Dragons," and it doesn't have a Deck of Many Things.

 

[Blue Orange]

One thing that's not clear: are there only 42 types of magic items, or 42 magic items in the entire game universe?

 

[steeldragons]

Oo! Love this kinda thing...and have been picking around the edges of this kinda thing for my own homebrew for a long time. While 42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything, it is seriously whittling down most OSR-B/X-BECM style Magic Item lists...even at a "Basics" level. Let's see what I can do...

First, categories...

• Rings -obviously a must.
• Potions -the first level character's best friends.
• Scrolls -hmmm...since these are really, predominantly, just spells on parchment I'm kinda thinking these might take the big hit...transit some interesting ones (not just spell scrolls) into the "miscellany" maybe?
• Staves/Wands/Rods -not sure all three of these will make the cut, but staves and wands seem to be a must for OSR play.
• Armor & Shields, generally, don't need to take up tooooo much space. But we need some.
• Weapons -of course...these should probably take up a good chunk.
• Miscellaneous Items take of the rest.

So...hmm. Rough....Ok...we're looking for OSR play...O - S - R...
Rings (5)

• Animal Control
• Invisibility
• Protection +1
• Protection +2
• Resist Fire/Cold (roll d4, evens are Fire, odds are Cold)

Potions (6)

• Healing (roll d4, result x 5 is the number of HP the potion restores)
• Diminution
• Growth
• Negate Poison/Antitoxin
• Tongues
• Water Breathing

Staves/Wands/Rods (6)

• Wand of Magic Detection
• Wand of Magic Missiles
• Wand of Illusion
• Staff of Healing
• Staff of the Magi
• Rod of Lordly Might

Armor & Shields (5)

• Leather +1
• Chain +1
• Elvin Chain, +2 protection but counts as light armor, i.e. "Thieves can use it"
• Plate +1
• Shield +2

Weapons (10)

• Arrows +1 (roll 2d4 for number found)
• Axe +1
• Bow +1 (roll d4, 1-3 short bow, 4 longbow)
• Dagger +1
• Dagger +2, returns when thrown
• Hammer +2, Dwarven Thrower
• Javelin of Lightning
• Mace of Disruption
• Sword:
  • Roll d6: 1 short sword, 2 scimitar, 3-5 longsword, 6 two-handed sword.
  • Roll d4: 1-2: +1, 3: +2, 4: +1 and +3 vs (roll d4: 1: Undead, 2: Shapechangers, 3: Magic-users, 4: Dragons)
  • Roll d20: 1: sword is cursed and its "+'s" are actually "-'s", 2-9: no additional attributes, 10-11: Flaming, 12-14: nothing, 15: Dancing, 16: nothing, 17: Frost Brand, 18: nothing, 19: Holy Avenger, roll of 20 is an Intelligent Sword. (develop additional "table" dX rolls for powers, ego, languages, all of that good OSR Intelligent sword stuff)
• Spear +1

Miscellaneous Items (10)

• Amulet of ESP (Detect Thoughts)
• Bag of Holding
• Boots of Elvinkind
• Boots of Striding & Springing
• Bracers of Armor/Protection (roll d4, 1-2: +1, 3: +2, 4: +3)
• Brooch of Shielding

...y'ever notice how many of the original basic magic items all start with a "B" or "C"?...

• Cloak of Elvinkind
• Cloak of Protection +1
• Crystal Ball (roll d4, evens w/Clairaudience, roll of 4 has ESP)
• Girdle of Giant Strength (d6, 1 Ogre, 2 Hill giant, 3 Stone, 4 Frost, 5 Fire, 6 Cloud)

That is really hard. Required taking some hard lines, and doesn't allow for some of my favorites...
BUT is does all add up to 42.