The Curse of the 100gp Pearl

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Spellcast/arcana seems like a much more logical way to go. And frankly, requiring the players in my campaign's mountain barony to come up with a pearl to identify something taken from a river troll's hoard just seems goofy.

 

[Ambrus]

Am I the only one who noticed that the 3.5 DMG allows a DC 30 Knowledge (arcana) check to identify magic items? Although I believe it's intended to be an optional rule, we've been using it in my circle of friends' campaigns since 3.5 hit the shelves. :\

I certainly hope 4th edition makes it even easier to identify items.

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

I like the idea of See Invisibility conferring a bonus to the applicable skill, instead of simply allowing someone to see those that are invisible. The same goes for Read Language - let it confer a bonus that scales upward to the Decipher Script spell, instead of instantly allowing you to read any language on written paper.

 

[Hella_Tellah]

I like the idea of See Invisibility conferring a bonus to the applicable skill, instead of simply allowing someone to see those that are invisible. The same goes for Read Language - let it confer a bonus that scales upward to the Decipher Script spell, instead of instantly allowing you to read any language on written paper.

Ah, so you'd have the 4e Identify spell confer a bonus to the Spellcraft/Lore skill check? I like that. I want similar things for Knock.

 

[Deset Gled]

I guess this is one of the few things I'm going to be a grognard about. I really like Identify having a high cost. There are many times that I've actually thought that it's to easy as it is.

It's just fun to have an item that you know is magic, but don't know what it does. Good old fashioned mystery and suspence. Leads to a lot of excitement when you are in the middle of a dungeon crawl and have run out of pearls. Does this item slice through enemies like butter, or will it curse me? Only one was to find out!

I do not like the idea of identifying something virtually for free, doubly so if it can be done an infinite number of times per day. The only way I can really see being pleased with an option like this is if the casting time was something like 1 day instead of 1 hour.

 

[Hairfoot]

I guess this is one of the few things I'm going to be a grognard about...

I agree with you 100%. If anything, I'd also make detect magic less effective, so that it's difficult to just pile up the loot and pick out the magic items.

For me, the utilitarian approach to magic items has degraded the sense that they are special treasures.

 

[Oldtimer]

Am I the only one who noticed that the 3.5 DMG allows a DC 30 Knowledge (arcana) check to identify magic items?

No, me too. Even though it's just a suggestion, I've used it for years.

Actually, you can use Knowledge: Arcana or Spellcraft.

 

[Vael]

I agree with both sides, and hope to have my cake and eat it too. Artifacts or items similar to Weapons of Legacy, ie. powerful, game-focusing magic items should be darned difficult to figure out. But generic simple magic items like +1 Swords or Bracers of Armour and Cloaks of Resistance should not be difficult to identify.

 

[Rystil Arden]

I guess this is one of the few things I'm going to be a grognard about. I really like Identify having a high cost. There are many times that I've actually thought that it's to easy as it is.

It's just fun to have an item that you know is magic, but don't know what it does. Good old fashioned mystery and suspence. Leads to a lot of excitement when you are in the middle of a dungeon crawl and have run out of pearls. Does this item slice through enemies like butter, or will it curse me? Only one was to find out!

I do not like the idea of identifying something virtually for free, doubly so if it can be done an infinite number of times per day. The only way I can really see being pleased with an option like this is if the casting time was something like 1 day instead of 1 hour.

I'm with you, but I'd actually be totally okay with Identify being cheaper if we could take it back to the 3.0 (or previous) version that gives you many items in one casting but only the main function of the item and not all the item's deepest secrets. Getting everything with Identify at 1st-level is 'Bleh' for me. Analyse Dweomer is positioned at exactly the right level for that.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Not slugging down a 100gp pearl and an owl feather in a bowl of wine is so anime.

The hong is strong in this one.