Why are Magic Items listed in the PHB?

[JDJblatherings]

No more players buying the DMG solely for the magic items section.

Yup Brilliant marketing at work. Kill multiple play styles and encourage half or more of the people who used to buy a DMG to NOT buy a DMG.

 

[malraux]

Mysterious magical items are neat. Every single magical item being mysterious is a pain. And really, the magic items/wealth system is just an XP system for items anyway. If characters are expected to use magical items in accordance with their level, and certainly within 3&4e they are, then it makes no more sense to make items more mysterious than spells or feats unknown because they aren't common or forcing all races to only appear in the MM.

This isn't to say that no magical items should be weird and unknown. Artifacts fit that niche, and 4e has done a good job of making artifacts more than just magic items with more power than the wealth rules allow.

 

[The Shaman]

They had permanent magic items, they just couldn't make them easily. They had to earn them the old fashioned way. They got the flaming sword when they pried it from the cold dead fingers of the troglodyte chief. Not when they paid the gold and snapped their fingers.

As it should be.

That put a smile on my face, that did.

 

[Remathilis]

Yup Brilliant marketing at work. Kill multiple play styles and encourage half or more of the people who used to buy a DMG to NOT buy a DMG.

Didn't stop the bulk of my players from buying the box set anyway, esp since many have no intention of DMing...

 

[malraux]

Plus, if I'm buying a book just for the magic items, I'd much rather go with the Adventures Vault/Tomb of Treasure/Folio of Phat Loot.

 

[JDJblatherings]

Didn't stop the bulk of my players from buying the box set anyway, esp since many have no intention of DMing...

which boxed set? All three books? Never happened in my experience.

 

[charlesatan]

Yup Brilliant marketing at work. Kill multiple play styles and encourage half or more of the people who used to buy a DMG to NOT buy a DMG.

Care to elaborate on multiple play styles?

If players want to buy the DMG, they're free to do so. As long as they're not forced to do so because the magic items are in it.

 

[Wormwood]

which boxed set? All three books? Never happened in my experience.

In my games, I've seen six boxed sets---only two DMs.

 

[Wormwood]

If players want to buy the DMG, they're free to do so.

In fact, I *want* my players to read the DMG. It's full of excellent advice on improving the game experience.

Having everyone on the same page is always a good thing, IMO.

 

[charlesatan]

In fact, I *want* my players to read the DMG. It's full of excellent advice on improving the game experience.

Having everyone on the same page is always a good thing, IMO.

Agreed but 1) getting players on the same page can be accomplished by a pre-campaign/pre-game discussion and 2) again, players are free to buy the DMG because they want to read the DMG, not solely because "all the magic items are there".

Hey, I want my players to become GMs too (so that I can play as well...) but I also don't want them burdened by the obligation to buy two (three books if you were a summoner or shapeshifter in 3.XX) books to make a mid-level/high-level character.