Loremaster Telvlon
Villager
One of my favorite things to do as a DM is to give my players "stuff" I've always thought 5e's format was iffy about giving players a bunch of "stuff" because of its underlying math. Of course the DMG has its own rules and tables about giving encounter/narrative based items, but it seems so simple to me to roll on a table and have that be the "stuff"
Now obviously it's one thing to give players a ton of things to work with, and another to make them overpowered to high hell. But part of the fun of DMing for me personally, is making a bunch of randomly magical items and just dumping them on players, and let them decide how they become useful. Which is really neat to consider, players finding ways to use them that you didn't consider.
Which brings me to an example that I just felt I had to share, because it made me genuinely excited and happy.
I run a high-fantasy/player-narrative driven Campaign. So naturally one of the things I enjoy doing is tailoring items I think might fit their character in some way, in addition to random stuff.
So in our first arc, part of the story involved an archmage exploring and studying the Plane of Fire. Driven mad by something beyond the threshold of the material plane, he became obsessed with it. It had caused a considerable stress on the surrounding countryside therefore.
Now, one of my players plays a Tiefling Artificer, pretty cool. And one of the items the mage had on his person was a ring:
"A large Ruby set along a gold signet ring (a flame set within a great brazier). This ring gives off a subtle, yet intense, hot magical energy.
While attuned to this item, you may call forth a Magmin servant once per day.
The fire elemental appears in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you.
The elemental is friendly to you and your companions, and will remain in its physical form for a number of hours equal to your constitution modifier.
The elemental obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you), but requires its own initiative roll. If you don't issue any commands to the elemental, it defends itself from hostile creatures but otherwise takes no actions.
The elemental may remain physically present so long as it baths in flames for the duration of a short rest, or 3 pieces of charcoal are used to fuel its life energy. If the elemental reaches 0 hit points or is not properly attended to at the end of the duration, it explodes. A new elemental cannot be summoned until after your next long rest, regardless if it is a new day or not.
Range: 10 ft.
Duration: # of hours equal to your constitution modifier (maximum of 3)"
This ring was pretty cool, because it FELT organic to the story and the character it was found on, a fire obsessed mage summoning elemental left and right.
And for anyone who knows magmin, knows they have an aoe on death (an explosion) so my artificer had an idea to use it as a suicide bomber. He's Chaotic neutral, so it's highly in character. I was amazed by the idea, though he hasn't done it yet as the ring is not in his possession. I'd not thought about that sort of functionality, so I was intrigued. I think when he does use it, if ever, I might give him inspiration, cause I thought it was tactically amazing.
Anyways, what are y'alls stories of player item functionality gone wrong or differently than expected? I'm curious.
Sent from my iPhone using EN World mobile app
Now obviously it's one thing to give players a ton of things to work with, and another to make them overpowered to high hell. But part of the fun of DMing for me personally, is making a bunch of randomly magical items and just dumping them on players, and let them decide how they become useful. Which is really neat to consider, players finding ways to use them that you didn't consider.
Which brings me to an example that I just felt I had to share, because it made me genuinely excited and happy.
I run a high-fantasy/player-narrative driven Campaign. So naturally one of the things I enjoy doing is tailoring items I think might fit their character in some way, in addition to random stuff.
So in our first arc, part of the story involved an archmage exploring and studying the Plane of Fire. Driven mad by something beyond the threshold of the material plane, he became obsessed with it. It had caused a considerable stress on the surrounding countryside therefore.
Now, one of my players plays a Tiefling Artificer, pretty cool. And one of the items the mage had on his person was a ring:
"A large Ruby set along a gold signet ring (a flame set within a great brazier). This ring gives off a subtle, yet intense, hot magical energy.
While attuned to this item, you may call forth a Magmin servant once per day.
The fire elemental appears in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you.
The elemental is friendly to you and your companions, and will remain in its physical form for a number of hours equal to your constitution modifier.
The elemental obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you), but requires its own initiative roll. If you don't issue any commands to the elemental, it defends itself from hostile creatures but otherwise takes no actions.
The elemental may remain physically present so long as it baths in flames for the duration of a short rest, or 3 pieces of charcoal are used to fuel its life energy. If the elemental reaches 0 hit points or is not properly attended to at the end of the duration, it explodes. A new elemental cannot be summoned until after your next long rest, regardless if it is a new day or not.
Range: 10 ft.
Duration: # of hours equal to your constitution modifier (maximum of 3)"
This ring was pretty cool, because it FELT organic to the story and the character it was found on, a fire obsessed mage summoning elemental left and right.
And for anyone who knows magmin, knows they have an aoe on death (an explosion) so my artificer had an idea to use it as a suicide bomber. He's Chaotic neutral, so it's highly in character. I was amazed by the idea, though he hasn't done it yet as the ring is not in his possession. I'd not thought about that sort of functionality, so I was intrigued. I think when he does use it, if ever, I might give him inspiration, cause I thought it was tactically amazing.
Anyways, what are y'alls stories of player item functionality gone wrong or differently than expected? I'm curious.
Sent from my iPhone using EN World mobile app
