D&D 4E The 'Big 6' in 4e

[Atlatl Jones]

4E Designers: Just say No to the Big 6!

One of the interviews (or blog posts, can't remember) implied that magic items are indeed more of a "coolness" thing, ala most items from MIC, rather than necessary things to keep up with the Jones'.

I sure hope so. And no one can keep up with me!

 

[breschau]

I would be ecstatic if the amount of magic items in D&D dropped.

I've quit playing with some DMs because they give out magic items like candy. In many cases it really does become an issue of "I've got great gear" instead of "I've got a great character."

I'd much rather play a great character.

 

[danzig138]

A belt of giant stength should just increase yout size.

This wouldn't really be a belt of giant strength, then, would it? It would be a belt of giantyness.

I think there should be both.

Otherwise, eh. I've not had the problems with magical items that other people seem to have.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I'd love to see 'the big 6' disappear and be replaced with more flavourful stuff that doesn't just give a numeric buff.

 

[Uriens]

I'd love to see 'the big 6' disappear and be replaced with more flavourful stuff that doesn't just give a numeric buff.

Since the designers have been saying for a while that 4e will be less dependant from magic objects, this may be the way it will be!

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

This wouldn't really be a belt of giant strength, then, would it? It would be a belt of giantyness.

Perhaps then a the belt grants the 'powerful build' ability

Technically not a 'big 6', doesn't adjust your size or stats.. but you can weild large items, lift more stuff, and grapple better!

Anyway, my normal games avoid these types of items already.. so I would have no issue with them being officially scratched.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I think you're smoking crack if you think that no stat boost items but entirely MIC style items would end the "Christmas Tree effect." Consider the effect of the MIC in actual play and you find its actual effect to be very different from ending the so-called Christmas Tree.

Augment crystals are designed so that a character is supposed to be able to carry half a dozen of each and switch them out as needed. Cool? Maybe. But it's not ending the Christmas tree effect.

The other magic items are cool too, but the effect of allowing them into play--at least for one-shots like the Undermountain mods at Gen-Con was that people would buy multiple copies of the efficient and useful items (like belts of healing for instance--and the outright broken items like belts of battle). If Undermountain had been higher level, I would fully expect to have seen characters carrying a half-dozen or more belts of battle and simply switching them out after each combat. That's not ending the Christmas tree effect--it's just changing the decoration.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I think you're smoking crack if you think that no stat boost items but entirely MIC style items would end the "Christmas Tree effect." Consider the effect of the MIC in actual play and you find its actual effect to be very different from ending the so-called Christmas Tree.

I don't think it would end the christmas tree effect (different changes would be needed for that), but it would reduce the huge array of boring but 'necessary' magic items which festoon so many PCs nowadays.

 

[Marshall]

I think you're smoking crack if you think that no stat boost items but entirely MIC style items would end the "Christmas Tree effect." Consider the effect of the MIC in actual play and you find its actual effect to be very different from ending the so-called Christmas Tree.

The MIC re-opened the slots that the Big 6 currently occupy, 4e looks like it will just delete the Big 6 altogether, well most of 'em anyway.

Augment crystals are designed so that a character is supposed to be able to carry half a dozen of each and switch them out as needed. Cool? Maybe. But it's not ending the Christmas tree effect.

Right, so they are a cool option and not something that opponents of equal CR assume u have.

The other magic items are cool too, but the effect of allowing them into play--at least for one-shots like the Undermountain mods at Gen-Con was that people would buy multiple copies of the efficient and useful items (like belts of healing for instance--and the outright broken items like belts of battle). If Undermountain had been higher level, I would fully expect to have seen characters carrying a half-dozen or more belts of battle and simply switching them out after each combat. That's not ending the Christmas tree effect--it's just changing the decoration.

Dont most of those items have the '24 hour attunement period' written into them? IDHTBIFOM, but I'm pretty sure the BoB does. That ends the magic item rotation right there.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

One options to reduce the stat boosters is to change it so that only one stat can have an enhancement bonus at once. I know that by high level, I often have 3 or 4 boosted, and even at mid levels I have 2 or 3.

I usually play it that way, with the further caveat that you can only boost your highest and your lowest stats. You can fill a gap (lowest stat) or be even better at what you do.

Magic changes sound interesting in 4E. I think that a +x sword though is still the stuff of gaming. Remember when you got your first frostbrand or +1 flaming sword? Those are still cool no matter how old you are.