I often make the comment that magic items were important to the balance of characters in early D&D. I often cite the intelligent magic sword, which was stated to be a Fighter's answer to a Wizard's magic staff.
Modern D&D has changed the role of these items over the editions- 3e made them an assumed part of character development, and 4e went so far as to make them player facing, points of customization equivalent to Feats.
5e has placed them firmly in the DM's hands, and go on to suggest that, in addition to being optional (as in, not assumed as a part of character development), they should have sharp limits on how many can be used at once.
I have my own thoughts about this, as magic items appear in official adventures, and most campaigns, and there's a sidebar in Xanathar's that discusses the value of being able to overcome resistance to non-magical weapons, and which abilities become more valuable if none exist in the game. It seems that Wizards of the Coast has said "we assume magic items will be use, but we're not going to try and balance them- use at your own discretion".
It's often cited that magic items like Winged Boots and Rings of Invisibility are not just ingrained in the zeitgeist, but can even be said to be necessary for characters who lack magic to overcome higher level challenges. In the old days, we'd assume casters would use these spells on their behalf, but with the advent of the concentration mechanic, it's become much more of a hassle to cast Fly on the Fighter, as that locks off other spells you could cast.
Thus 5e has established it's own paradigm, which the DM's and players have adapted to (or not) in various degrees. But I'm not here to discuss that, specifically.
Instead, I was reminded while making another forum post of a magic item my Thief (yes, it's that old of a story) once possessed.
The Shadow Cape, from The Book of Marvelous Magic.
"This powerful cape is of immediate benefit to thieves as it bestows a +25% bonus to hide in shadows attempts. Any character may use the item, however, and any creature not wearing metal armor can hide in shadows with a 25% chance of success. In addition, the cape enables the wearer to magically travel from one shadow to another; the effect is identical to a magic-user's dimension door spell (360-foot range, no chance of error), except that the user must be in shadow to activate the cape and must arrive in a shadow. The shadow cape can be used for magic travel three times per day, but misuse (such as an attempt to travel to a lighted or occupied area, which will fail) does not count as a use. Any fire, normal or magical, can instantly destroy the cape unless the user makes a successful saving throw vs. spells."
In 5e, this wouldn't be a magic item, but a subclass feature, surely! It got me to thinking how many magic items were designed with that in mind, to grant new and unique abiities to characters beyond what they gained from their classes?
Was the role of magic items to be more than just treasure or the source of bonuses, but actually a means by which to provide players with actual character abilities, that the game designers were unsure of how or when to grant player characters?
What amazing items of old have simply been discarded because the various paradigms lost the ability to comprehend their value?
I know many items, such as the Rod of Lordly Might suffered in the 3e era, as their multiple functions made them very expensive, and thus, simply not worth owning, compared to multiple other items.
In 4e, many items were simplified and toned down, as befit their new status as points of character customization.
Now in 5e, such items are often assigned to the highest of rarities, likely never to be seen by players, because we no longer have any idea of how they affect the balance of the game.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I feel something important to the identity of the game has been lost, but I have no idea how to recapture that sense of wonder created by the Ring of Human Influence, the Helm of Brilliance, or Arbane's Sword of Agility.
Surely, such items have powers that do more than simply take the place of class abilities- they can fundamentally alter the game's balance in unforseen ways!
So I'm curious how others feel about this. Are the magic items of old simply old junk, best discarded?
Have you found ways to use them without feeling that the game has veered off into uncharted territory?
What favorite magic item of past editions do you miss, or was your personal favorite?
Modern D&D has changed the role of these items over the editions- 3e made them an assumed part of character development, and 4e went so far as to make them player facing, points of customization equivalent to Feats.
5e has placed them firmly in the DM's hands, and go on to suggest that, in addition to being optional (as in, not assumed as a part of character development), they should have sharp limits on how many can be used at once.
I have my own thoughts about this, as magic items appear in official adventures, and most campaigns, and there's a sidebar in Xanathar's that discusses the value of being able to overcome resistance to non-magical weapons, and which abilities become more valuable if none exist in the game. It seems that Wizards of the Coast has said "we assume magic items will be use, but we're not going to try and balance them- use at your own discretion".
It's often cited that magic items like Winged Boots and Rings of Invisibility are not just ingrained in the zeitgeist, but can even be said to be necessary for characters who lack magic to overcome higher level challenges. In the old days, we'd assume casters would use these spells on their behalf, but with the advent of the concentration mechanic, it's become much more of a hassle to cast Fly on the Fighter, as that locks off other spells you could cast.
Thus 5e has established it's own paradigm, which the DM's and players have adapted to (or not) in various degrees. But I'm not here to discuss that, specifically.
Instead, I was reminded while making another forum post of a magic item my Thief (yes, it's that old of a story) once possessed.
The Shadow Cape, from The Book of Marvelous Magic.
"This powerful cape is of immediate benefit to thieves as it bestows a +25% bonus to hide in shadows attempts. Any character may use the item, however, and any creature not wearing metal armor can hide in shadows with a 25% chance of success. In addition, the cape enables the wearer to magically travel from one shadow to another; the effect is identical to a magic-user's dimension door spell (360-foot range, no chance of error), except that the user must be in shadow to activate the cape and must arrive in a shadow. The shadow cape can be used for magic travel three times per day, but misuse (such as an attempt to travel to a lighted or occupied area, which will fail) does not count as a use. Any fire, normal or magical, can instantly destroy the cape unless the user makes a successful saving throw vs. spells."
In 5e, this wouldn't be a magic item, but a subclass feature, surely! It got me to thinking how many magic items were designed with that in mind, to grant new and unique abiities to characters beyond what they gained from their classes?
Was the role of magic items to be more than just treasure or the source of bonuses, but actually a means by which to provide players with actual character abilities, that the game designers were unsure of how or when to grant player characters?
What amazing items of old have simply been discarded because the various paradigms lost the ability to comprehend their value?
I know many items, such as the Rod of Lordly Might suffered in the 3e era, as their multiple functions made them very expensive, and thus, simply not worth owning, compared to multiple other items.
In 4e, many items were simplified and toned down, as befit their new status as points of character customization.
Now in 5e, such items are often assigned to the highest of rarities, likely never to be seen by players, because we no longer have any idea of how they affect the balance of the game.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I feel something important to the identity of the game has been lost, but I have no idea how to recapture that sense of wonder created by the Ring of Human Influence, the Helm of Brilliance, or Arbane's Sword of Agility.
Surely, such items have powers that do more than simply take the place of class abilities- they can fundamentally alter the game's balance in unforseen ways!
So I'm curious how others feel about this. Are the magic items of old simply old junk, best discarded?
Have you found ways to use them without feeling that the game has veered off into uncharted territory?
What favorite magic item of past editions do you miss, or was your personal favorite?
