Why are Magic Items listed in the PHB?

[SDOgre]

I don't know how you could play 3e past level 10 or so with out permanent magic items, unless your characters buffed like hell. Didn't many players own all 3 books anyay?
But thats neither here nor there.

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.

Few easy rules oughta fix your problem:
1) PCs can't make magic items.
2) Assuming you want fewer magic items in general give all PCs a +1 enhancement bonus per 5 levels to attack, damage, AC and all defense. This doesn't stack with the bonus from magic items, which will often be higher. Now you can give out less magic gear and your PCs shouldn't fall far behind on the power curve.
3) This one is a lot harder than the other 2. Make lots of custom magic items. Obviously use the ones in the PHB as guidelines. And use magic items from anywhere and everywhere as inspiration.

Thanks for the advice. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'll stick to the rules as is for now. I always do that with the new edition. That way I have a real idea of how everything works/is balanced. Then six months from now I start making changes I need to to make it feel the way I want.

 

[Tuft]

The magic items are also there so that the players can make proper wish lists and give to the DM for treasure parcel creation. See DMG page 125, "Awarding Treasure".

This is more or less required if you want magic items to be rewards.

It's a bit funny: I was discussing the new economy rules with a friend as they were revealed in the preview articles before the release, and remarked "with these sell and buy prices, the only way that magic items can be a proper reward and not just white elephants, is by the players handing in wish lists to the DM", and lo! when the DMG appeared, it was just what it said...

And since magic items are loot drop rewards now, and not tools for the monsters you encounter, well...

 

[Particle_Man]

There are still the mysterious and willful Artifacts.

 

[erik_the_guy]

Yes, in 4e magic items are less mystery, more stat. This is how the general gaming sessions will go, and if yours are going to be different, its going to end up being a bit of extra work on your part. You probably won't like this (if you don't already know), but any character can identify a magic item with an extended rest, and no resources or magical capabilities. I will personally be house ruling to modify this in my campaign.

 

[pukunui]

What do you have against PCs making their own magic items? If they don't find what they want in the monster's treasure horde, I'd much rather they invest the time, resources and effort into making their own rather than just going out and buying them. I mean, somebody's got to make the things. Why not let the PCs do it too?

Unless you're running a campaign where all magic items are ancient and know one has the knowledge to make new ones or something ...

 

[Ziana]

You can allow or disallow anything you like. Rule Zero™. Have a low-magic or rare-magic campaign if you like. Disallow the item ritual and buying items, and have them depend on finding things in dungeons.

But remember, the game is supposed to be *fun* for them. Getting items that improve their characters is enjoyable. Finding stuff no one can or wants to use isn't.

 

[Obryn]

Just like in every edition, PC access to magic items is controlled by the DM. If you don't like the magic item rituals, nuke them, restrict them.

4e is less dependent on items than 3e was.

-O

 

[SDOgre]

I ran a long lasting Greyhawk Campaign in 3E where there were magic shops in all major cities and most towns. The characters could buy and sell, but of course I controlled what was available. Some by my design, some by dice rolls.

When they got something they didn't want they could sell it to the shop for 1/2 price or trade it for 3/4 price.

But again, they couldn't easily make items.

That worked well.

I think part of the new magic item issue is one of instant gratification. If you want something, as long as you can afford it (or get it on credit) you have the RIGHT to it. Now.

We've a whole new generation who've been nursed on that teat. I'm sure this magic item policy works well with them.

I'm just old school.

 

[Dausuul]

I don't plan on having magic items for sale in my game, except in very unusual circumstances - a travelling merchant might have one or two items he's willing to sell, but that's it, and no guarantee he's got what the PCs want. I also dislike the Magic Item Shop mentality.

That said, I have no problem with magic items being in the Player's Handbook. It's a sensible way to do things. Since the day of the straight-up "+1 sword" is mostly gone - the vast majority of magic items now have some special power attached - players will have to look up the abilities of their items on a fairly regular basis. Why should they have to crack open the DMG to do that?

It does mean giving up a little mystery, but when you get right down to it, 1E players who wanted to know what magic items did could just buy the DMG and read the Treasure section. And 4E players who don't want to know what magic items do can just avoid that section of the PHB except when they need to look up the stats on their own items.

 

[Victoly]

Having magic items listed in the PHB also makes it much easier for players to flip a page to refresh themselves on the daily ability of their fancy new weapon rather than having to bug the DM to borrow his or her book all the time.

But yeah, it's an easy thing to houserule. Just remove the PHB magic items from the game and replace them with either items of your own design, or allow the players to get special benefits (martial arts techniques? holy blessings? Pokéballs? whatever you like!) that replicate the extra powers granted by magic items. Magic items seem to be more closely tied into the balance of the game this time around, as it's assumed that a player of X level will have appropriate bonuses to attacks and defenses from his or her equipment, so it's good for players to get a general idea of what they should be capable of doing at any given level.