D&D 5E Scared Cow: magic Weapon & Armor plusses

[cbwjm]

I think that weapons that do something are far more interesting that a weapon with a +. In the flame tongue thread, I mentioned that I would choose a +0 flame tongue over a +2 sword just because a sword which bursts into flame is far more interesting that a sword that just has a +2 bonus.

I would suggest (and I think I may do this in my games now that I've thought about it) looking at 3e for ideas. They had all of these different weapon affixes (bane, holy, flaming, etc) that you could probably use instead of a straight + to a weapon. In addition to those, allowing a weapon or armour to provide some sort of spell like effect or special would also be cool. If I was a stealthy rogue, I think I'd prefer a suit of shadowed leather armour that grants advantage on stealth checks in shadowy conditions than +1 leather armour. Again from the flame tongue thread, having a magical sword that can surround itself in phantom flames that sheds light like a light spell would mean that your human warrior no longer has to worry about carrying around a torch when in a dungeon. Perhaps the sword can also expend these flames to surround an opponent with a faerie fire effect once/day. items like this are interesting and memorable instead of being just another +1 longsword. You might even find that the player with the sword that lights up keeps it instead of taking up a +1 magical longsword that shows up later in the game.

 

[Blue]

I really dislike any martial equipment being nerfed in a world with Fireball. Why not add the features you're describing to the existing +1 sword?

For the exact reason I described in the OP - because with the sheer number of rolls made, weapon-based characters mush for these more than anything else. Any the correlate is that if I only give out a few, those PCs could easily be getting a bonus on 20+ rolls a session more then the other weapon users (each attack could be two, a hit and a damage roll), so I sort of feel compelled to give them all so one doesn't outshine. And if there is any "what reward do you want" or other choice, you know what they are going for - boring math advantage because it's so useful.

In other words, the +X to weapons especially is too useful for players to pass up if given. So the idea si explicitly taking it away.

It would also go away from the implements that change spell attack or DCs, so it's not favoring Fireballs either. I should have explicitly called that out.

 

[Blue]

+x weapons and armor are a logical extention of the system.

Where I think you went wrong is offering uncommon magic items. Naturally, most warrior types are going to want a magic weapon, because they are cool and useful nearly all the time. Unlike say, an Alchemy Jug, which is a niche item at best. If you offered up rare magic items, you might have seen more variety.

Actually, I've never done it, just been a player when two different DMs have done it. It's common at my FLGS for when they want to start at 5th instead of 1st.

But it could also come up at other times - getting a boon from a noble for a mission done, whatever.

Or DMs could allow magic item shops, or hiring a crafter to make a player an item, or questing after a specific magic item, or plenty of other ways to allow player agency in determining what they want for their character.

Can we get off DM-shaming for how they want to run their table and focus on the point?

 

[Leatherhead]

Please don't attribute malice to a post that had none. Such an action was not the intent.

 

[Mephista]

I like the +X bonuses in some cases. Like, a Holy Avenger that is more accurate against undead and fiends, for instance. There, it makes sense.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Again from the flame tongue thread, having a magical sword that can surround itself in phantom flames that sheds light like a light spell would mean that your human warrior no longer has to worry about carrying around a torch when in a dungeon.

One worry replaces another: now he has made himself a convenient target for any sniper lurking in darkness.

 

[aco175]

Another good threat, thank you

I am having less problems with +x weapons than +x armor. I have a problem with PC AC being able to outpace the ability of monsters to hit them. My group at level 9 has the fighter with AC22, the cleric with 19, the fighter/bard with 18, and the thief with 16. The only magic armor is +1 breastplate with some dragon ability that I think came from LMoP.

At least magic weapons just allow them to kill the monsters faster and not make it very hard for low level monsters to remain relevant. Monsters like goblins and skeletons become just a nuisance unless there is a horde of them since they need to roll so high to hit. I like giving items with other bonuses that are not just +x, but include other powers that make them useful, expecially armor since I do not plan on giving bonused armor out

 

[patwil]

I notice that everyone is talking about swords. It'd feel a little weird without any, but I could certainly live without them. But armor? That's trickier. There are just fewer things that you can do with armor than you can with weapons, as far as I can tell. Still, a good DM ought to be able to pull it off.

I did do something with armor as well - each character got a weapon, armor of some type, and a miscellaneous magic item.
One armor was robes of entanglement which reduces damage by 3 for any targeted attack. Another character got a shield of Argythys which has 5 charges a day. An action allows you to cast the spell and each charge corresponds to a level so 1 charge equals first level and 5 charges equals a 5th level.
Most characters for the miscellaneous magic item got a ring of phantom steed which can be used 5 times a day. However the monk got shoes of movie villains which allows him to walk and keep up with the heroes.


Sent from my iPhone using EN World mobile app

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

The nice thing about 5th Edition, even though they lowered the max + from 5 to 3, they also declared that any magical weapon without a + still counts as magical when used in combat and will do normal damage. Older systems required a weapon to have a + in order to do full damage to creatures with resistance to non-magical damage.

 

[LapBandit]

Another good threat, thank you

I am having less problems with +x weapons than +x armor. I have a problem with PC AC being able to outpace the ability of monsters to hit them. My group at level 9 has the fighter with AC22, the cleric with 19, the fighter/bard with 18, and the thief with 16. The only magic armor is +1 breastplate with some dragon ability that I think came from LMoP.

At least magic weapons just allow them to kill the monsters faster and not make it very hard for low level monsters to remain relevant. Monsters like goblins and skeletons become just a nuisance unless there is a horde of them since they need to roll so high to hit. I like giving items with other bonuses that are not just +x, but include other powers that make them useful, expecially armor since I do not plan on giving bonused armor out

At level 9 I imagine that goblins and skeletons should be fodder to such powerful heroes, so I'd call that working as designed.