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Message: <blockquote data-quote="HeavenShallBurn" data-source="post: 3293097" data-attributes="member: 39593">In the past year on these boards I've seen at least fifteen threads devoted solely to how many  or how powerful magic items should be available and how their availability should be limited.  Every time it basically comes down to the DMs judgement because it's his campaign and his world.  That said maybe we should consider maintaining the power curve but altering the formula?  This is my definitely fallible and imperfect suggestion.  PROBLEM:  DMs have trouble deciding how to manage the sort of magic items that PCs have access to.  This seems to be connected to their design as distinct physical items and the use of money as a balancing tool for how much PCs have access to.  It also means that playing with the monetary wealth of parties or campaign worlds can create a non-trivial amount of work rebalancing encounters and entire campaigns to match the altered power level.SOLUTION?:  1.)  Partially this could be dealt with by removing money as a balancing tool for many sorts of magical enhancements, especially the weapon and armor enhancements in particular though not them exclusively.  Instead of treating the bonus as applied to a specific object treat it as an enhancement to the character themself and any tool they use to which the enhancement may apply.  It has the effect of making a character more innately heroic and the DM no longer has to drop the appropriate items at particular times or allow the PCs to buy them.  This doesn't deal with items that are themselves magical those have to be handled differently.EXAMPLE:  A Level 11 fighter has chosen the following enhancements- +1 enhancement bonus, Ghost Touch, and Flaming.  He applies those qualities to any weapon he uses.  So whether it's a sword, or bow, or his fists they all get the bonus.  On the other hand if a town guard picks up the sword it won't be anything but a normal sword to him.  2.)  For objects that are magical in and of themselves rather than as extensions of a character seperate rules are needed.  While I don't generally agree with Hong the Imbued Magic Items Rules are a good place to work on this from the aspect of object creation.  The cost of magic item creation is not so much gold as its drain on the innate "soul power" of its creator.  If mixed with the Artificer's Handbook so that exotic components can replace part or all of an items XP cost to create the system becomes more complex but also more robust and flexible.POTENTIAL PROBLEM:  The above rule handles creation not pricing.  Basically since many kinds of effects normally seen in D&D as discete items would now be considered effects placed on characters instead fewer actual items would be necessary to maintain the same power curve.  Of those actual items that would still appear many of those that are currently less expensive (mostly single use or charged items) would be made by the party more and at significantly lower cost in GP.  Those innately magic items left that the PCs would have to seek out would be the more powerful ones which would make major magic items that PCs acquire less common but more powerful and unique.</blockquote>

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