Treasure Parcels (Big Six included)

[ruemere]

Any treasure parcel that shows a gp value can (and should) be filled in with consumable treasure.

Just keep in mind that if your NPC consumes it, the PCs don't get it!

Depends on the number and type of consumables. The utility ones are unlikely to disappear during combat, the ones used for gaining combat advantages still require actions to use.

When you look at the design of d20, all permanent items come down to certain bonuses and special abilities. Since most of them rarely last beyond combat, replacing them with items of limited usability and requiring only swift/immediate actions to activate allows to maintain the original balance.

However, the same items, when used by PCs serve to both decrease overall magic level and add interesting resource management angle.

Monte's campaign, or yours? Monte never struck me as a lower-than-usual magic kind of guy.

Check Arcana Evolved. And read the following entry: "Modifying Magic to Suit Your Needs":
Modifying Magic to Suit Your Needs

Yes, my Scarred Campaign magic level is lower than that of default d20, however using some of Monte's ideas allows to preserve game balance:
(Scarred Lands basic assumptions)
- items worth below 10K GP cost twice as much.
- items over 10K GP value are not in the market though they can be comissioned
(my developments)
- not many people can afford 10K GP - it's mostly a matter of barter or trading favors
- creation of permanent magic items is usually considered risky (dangerous to one's sanity) and often unreliable (basically, loss of xp was replaced with loss of sanity in my campaign - it's mostly handwavey, but it does happen - usually the convicts are charged with supplying life force expended during creation of magic items)
(Monte's ideas)
- NPCs use consummables rather than permanents
- permanent items, since they are less frequent, are a little stronger than usual

Regards,
Ruemere

 

[meomwt]

Wulf: my thanks.

Once again, you have found a way to take one of the Good Things about 4E and turn it into a set of mechanics for d20.

This system was something I was considering, I just didn't know how to implement it.

Your tables, posts and chart have just been turned into Useful Fodder for something I have been half planning for a while, and am starting to develop atm. With this, and the 4E-style encounter design, this DM is finding new inspiration to write his own adventures again.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Wulf: my thanks.

Once again, you have found a way to take one of the Good Things about 4E and turn it into a set of mechanics for d20.

Well, I don't know about that. I mean I am happy to help, but I find the whole thing rather depressing.

85-90% of your wealth is tied up in the Big Six?

So, if we're talking about the Good Things about 4e, let's start with the fact that you aren't saddled with that.

Of course, I'll follow up on this thought more thoroughly-- that is, balancing 3e against an "integral" Big Six. (Though I don't find the Big Six nearly as essential as some players seem to think they are.)

In my opinion, the larger problem is not the Big Six, the problem is Item Creation. Give the players the ability to customize their items and they will min-max. It's the players' nature-- and that's fine. I like for my players to be thinking tactically and investing themselves in tricking out their characters. But if you take away the Big Six, they'll just spend their money on Big Seven Through Twelve-- cloak of displacement, boots of speed, heavy fortification, the list goes on and on and on.

You fix this particular problem by curtailing Item Creation and Ye Olde Magic Shoppe.

I certainly don't think the solution is to make all magic items equally uninspiring and unimpressive.

With this, and the 4E-style encounter design, this DM is finding new inspiration to write his own adventures again.

Thanks in turn for the inspiration to keep designing.