Items that are magically altered in some way, usually beneficial but occasionally cursed. A classic example is the magic ring in The Lord of the Rings, which made it's wearer invisible when worn.
40
votes
11answers
3k views
How can I reward a character that doesn't want magic items?
So I've got a campaign where one of the characters, a fighter, severely distrusts magical items. The party level is 6+, and it seems difficult to figure out a way to compensate this character in ...
22
votes
10answers
1k views
How to make magic items more interesting?
We all read about the little person finding a magical ring and the GM basing
his whole plot on that little ring. That was a cool example
of a MacGuffin.
Earthdawn has a system in which characters ...
21
votes
5answers
781 views
Uses for a 4e Portable Hole?
I was slightly shocked to read the 4e version of a portable hole:
Power (At-Will): Standard Action. Place a portable hole on a wall, a floor, or a ceiling. (The surface must be flat for the item ...
17
votes
2answers
1k views
Can players use crafting to improve beloved magic items instead of churning gear?
I'm all about the story, and as such, I've always been a fan of long-term attachment between players/characters and their special (usually magic) items. But with D&D 4th edition, it seems the ...
17
votes
5answers
612 views
Can magic items that deal fire damage function underwater?
From the DMG p93:
Spells or spell-like effects with the fire descriptor
are ineffective underwater unless the caster makes a
Spellcraft check (DC 20 + spell level). If the check succeeds, the
...
13
votes
4answers
739 views
How can players learn the nature of magic items?
I'm running a sandbox campaign with Adventurer Conqueror King System (essentially Moldvay-Cook Basic/Expert D&D). My players are starting to find probably-magic items during their expeditions and ...
13
votes
2answers
746 views
What happened to scrolls in 4e?
I'm still learning the 4e system, and I'm trying to find out what happened to scrolls. I loved scrolls back in my 1e days because it let players experiment with spells they normally wouldn't want to ...
11
votes
4answers
632 views
About Spell Scrolls' mechanic, how do they work?
This question is bothering me, my dm couldn't answer it.
What is the difference between a spell scroll and a page of spellbook? One goes "puff" after use while others stays permanently. Also I'm ...
11
votes
2answers
1k views
What is implied by a temporary ability bonus?
What is implied by a "temporary ability bonus"? I've noticed this wording on all of the stat boosting items in the core book.
Treat this as a temporary ability bonus for the first 24 hours the ...
11
votes
1answer
402 views
Will attacking with a magical or wonderous item overcome damage reduction?
As I recall, magical weapons can overcome damage reduction. If one were to attack an enemy with a wonderous item, like say attacking with an everfull mug in a barfight would it overcome an enemies ...
10
votes
7answers
463 views
Can a cat familiar open a potion bottle by itself?
My character has a Cat familiar (lvl 16) with an INT of 11 and a DEX of 15. Previously our DM has ruled that the Cat can retrieve a potion from the characters Heward's Handy Haversack. The question ...
10
votes
4answers
261 views
Would an armor and shield of light fortification stack?
Lets say we have a character wearing both an armor and shield with the light fortification special ability. If this character is critically hit, are percentile dice rolled twice to negate the critical ...
9
votes
3answers
568 views
How should I hand out magic items in D&D 3.5e?
So, I started running a standart 3.5 campaign (magic average) with four PCs several weeks ago, and as I am a rookie DM and quite an inexperienced player myself, I am starting to wonder when and in ...
9
votes
2answers
391 views
Group-wise Combinable Magic Items (each member owns 1)
I realize this isn't the best reference, but there was a show in the 90's "Captain Planet" where there was 5 kids, and each had a ring of power, and it was when they would combine all of them the ...
9
votes
1answer
184 views
As a DM, what is the best way to create custom weapons and armor for your PCs?
After quests have been completed, or during the course of completing them, your Player Characters might pick up new armor or weapons that you have put placeholders in for. What is the best way to ...
9
votes
2answers
429 views
Mechanics for implementing Earthdawn magic items in D&D 4e
I'm a big fan of the Earthdawn take on magic items. When you find a magic item, in order to use it you need to learn some of it's history, and spend legend points (Eathdawn XP) to bind it to you.
As ...
8
votes
5answers
435 views
What is this player planning?
I'm running a Pathfinder game for a few friends (using core + UM + UC + APG). Last session the party thief said that he was planning on buying a called anchoring adamantium axe. What I want to know is ...
8
votes
5answers
285 views
How can I do signature items?
What is the best way to introduce a signature item to a player? By signature I mean a weapon that stays with them as they progress levels and is associated with who they are and not ...
8
votes
2answers
617 views
Custom magic item creation standardization
I run a rather lighthearted campaign that contains a number of re-flavored elements, including items. For the most part since these are based on published items their actual value for sake of crafting ...
8
votes
2answers
759 views
Potions and Oils in Pathfinder
In Pathfinder, in the magic items chapter it discusses oils under the potions section. An oil is essentially a potion that can be applied to whatever target you can interact with, following the rules ...
8
votes
1answer
2k views
Who can use magic items?
The rules on using magic items are not at all clear to me. Especially the Spell Completion and Spell Trigger activations are confusing. What kind of character (class, level) can use a wand (spell ...
8
votes
1answer
272 views
Tenser's Circular Shield
Tenser's Circular Shield: The item says it's an optional focus for the Tenser's Floating Disk ritual. Does that mean one can perform the ritual free of component costs (10gp)?
8
votes
1answer
216 views
Does the ability Sudden Raystrike work on rays cast from a Wand?
One of the abilities that the Spellwarp Sniper gains at 2nd level is Sudden Raystrike (p64 of Complete Scoundrel). The description says:
If you can catch an opponent
when he is unable to ...
8
votes
2answers
434 views
Increasing Save DC for new magic items
Paizo PRD:
Magic items produce spells or spell-like effects. For a saving throw against a spell or spell-like effect from a magic item, the DC is 10 + the level of the spell or effect + the ...
8
votes
1answer
711 views
How do masterwork armours work (e.g. Feyleather, Starleather)?
In D&D 4e, there are superior "masterwork" versions of armour types, like "feyleather" for leather armour or "wyrmscale" for scale armour. They have a higher armour bonus, but a minimum ...
7
votes
3answers
162 views
Advantage of Howling Helm in combat
My character has recently acquired an item called the Howling Helm. What I have been doing in some of the bigger encounters I've been in, is command the 1d3 Wolves it creates to attack before I do.
...
7
votes
6answers
1k views
Fair replacement rule for D&D 4e item creation?
My group is very dissatisfied with the item creation rule in D&D 4e. Specifically the fact that it costs exactly as much to create an item as it does to buy it.
The problem is:
The economics ...
7
votes
6answers
612 views
How would one create a bag of coin-changing?
I was chatting with a friend about Dungeons and Dragons, and he had mentioned that in 4th edition, there is an item that converts coins to different denominations. In the campaign that I am running, ...
7
votes
3answers
295 views
Necklace of fireballs as musket ammunition?
What would happen if beads from a necklace of fireballs were loaded into a firearm as ammunition? Would loading count as "throwing" the bead, so as soon as the bead stopped in the barrel, it would ...
7
votes
3answers
581 views
Are there limitations/cautions to “Vorpal”?
I want to give one of my good characters a vorpal Dwarven Ax. My first thought is about alignment issues. I realize that it's how it's actually wielded that would cause alignment conflicts, but is it ...
7
votes
2answers
88 views
Staff of Resilence, do I lose the THP if I get disarmed or put away the staff?
I'm reading Adventurer's Vault 2 and the Staff of Resilience says:
Power (Daily). Minor Action. You spend a Healing Surge but regain no hit points. Instead, you gain temporary hit points equal to ...
7
votes
1answer
213 views
Can magically sharp swords like a vorpal sword cut stoneskin?
If someone is under the effect of the spell stoneskin, can a vorpal sword or a sword of sharpness bypass the protection afforded by the stoneskin?
One consideration is that both types of sword can ...
7
votes
1answer
241 views
What can a player do to force down a flying creature?
Dakeyras' answer in this thread got me thinking about how a player would/could counter an enemy that used hovering flight to its full advantage.
What specific items/powers/etc. can a character use to ...
7
votes
1answer
307 views
Beacon of Erathis, or What boons does an Implement grant a non-cleric?
Our group found a Beacon of ErathisDDI an Implement (Holy Symbol) which grants:
Enhancement: +1 attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d8 fire damage
Power (At-Will): Minor Action. ...
7
votes
1answer
261 views
Magic weapon that can change into another weapon?
I got an item last session from my GM and lost my char sheet and am now trying to find the weapon in the compendium.
What magic weapon has the ability to change into any other weapon and to be ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
Is an item's Caster Level the Minimum Required Caster Level?
Is an item's Caster Level the Minimum Required Caster Level?
For example a Bag of Holding has a CL of 9th
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 9th
Does that mean a creator has to have a Caster Level ...
7
votes
1answer
233 views
Can you have a Magical Accurate Orb +1?
Can you have a Magical Accurate Orb +1 ?
And what would it's attack plus be ?
The wizard has to take the Superior Implement Training feat [ddi] and select Orb as the implement. They can then buy ...
7
votes
1answer
199 views
How do I balance Elder Scrolls soul gems with the loot progression?
I'm currently running a Pathfinder game set in Tamriel, the setting of the Elder Scrolls games. A couple of my players are very interested in using soul gems and enchanting. My first instinct was to ...
7
votes
1answer
452 views
Will magic items with raw stats break game balance in DnD4e?
I, and all the players in my campaign, are all experienced WoW players. (Multiple 85s, reminiscences of 40-man raids when your class — no matter who you were — sucked but was somehow better, etc.…) I ...
7
votes
1answer
263 views
What happens if you wear armor that you don't have a feat for?
In Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium, there are a bunch of new armor and armor types.
It says that to wear these armors, you need to take special feats.
What happens if a PC finds this armor as a ...
7
votes
1answer
152 views
Can Swiftpad boots be used in a vertical jump?
I just found some Swiftpad boots as treasure in the 4e game I play in.
Power (Daily): Move Action. You jump a number of squares equal to your Strength modifier.
The power doesn't define whether the ...
7
votes
1answer
290 views
Grasping Weapon with reach and effects
Grasping Weapon
You can use this weapon to grab targets, adding
the weapon's enhancement bonus to your grab attack.
You can still use this weapon to attack a target
you’ve grabbed with ...
7
votes
3answers
372 views
“Sharing” enchanted items in Dresden Files RPG
One of my players brought up the example of the Warden's Sword as an enchanted item. For those not so familiar with the source books, these are powerful enchanted swords made by Captain Luccio, the ...
7
votes
1answer
401 views
How can I attain eternal youth through alchemy?
Back in the second edition of AD&D, potions of Youth and Longevity were valuable, both to GMs as plot devices, and as a useful way for players to compensate for the variety of supernatural effects ...
7
votes
3answers
781 views
Enchantment number limit?
I was going through the enchantments that can be used in order to protect/trap one's spellbook and that got me wondering:
Is there any mention/indication regarding whether multiple enchantments can ...
7
votes
2answers
204 views
How do you destroy a battle standard?
AV states that Battle Standards have resist 50 all when deployed, but it says nothing about their total health. Can an enemy destroy them by picking them up out of the ground and breaking them in ...
6
votes
1answer
180 views
Do undead benefit from magic items?
Could an undead in 3.5e D&D such as a skeleton benefit from wearing magic items like rings of protection?
6
votes
3answers
226 views
How rare are magic items in the Old World?
In regards to magic item rarity, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay first edition book states:
They should be kept rare enough so that finding one (even in the hands
of an NPC opponent) elicits some ...
6
votes
3answers
407 views
Minor Effects for Magical Items
I tend to prefer high-magic fantasy games, where magical items can be purchased (at around the DMG prices, in D&D) in many large(ish) towns - it's common for the very well-off to have magical ...
6
votes
1answer
336 views
Does anyone know the name of the 3.5e D&D item that allows you to store your current exp?
I have been looking for this item for a while through my books and online, and can't seem to find which supplement it's in. I know this item exists, and was wondering if anyone could remember what ...
