Initial Magic Item Allotment - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Initial Magic Item Allotment

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
nghtsngr
Nov 02, 2010 10:26:46 I'm starting a DS campaign midway through the paragon tier, and I'm having some difficulty with adjudicating starting equipment. We usually use the lvl-1/lvl/lvl+1 with lvl-1 cash to spend on incidentals, but this really falls flat to me with regards to the low-magic nature of Dark Sun. We're using the inherent bonus system, which describes how to restrict magic items obtained through adventuring, but I've been unable to find a fair way to start the characters off. I've got some ideas:

Nothing But Birthday Suits
Start them off with nothing but mundane equipment. Their inherent bonuses should provide all of the abilities they'll need to survive. They loose out on powers from items, but once we start adventuring items will slowly start to fill their inventories.

Inherent Item Powers
Instead of just allowing for the inherent bonuses, they can select a restricted number, perhaps gold-piece cost equal to a single item of their level, of magic item powers and effects they have inherent to themselves.

Change the Nature of Magic Items
The default theme of magic items is that they are primarily created by arcane casters, and craftsmen of magical races. The age old example is that boots of elven kind were just the boots that all elves wore. One of the ideas I've had is an adaptation from Eberron. The magic items are not powered by arcane magics (and thus automatically causing suspicion if not outright violence from people on the street), but by enslaving spirits of nature and the world into an item. This would explain the presence of magic items with less dependency on the players hiding their equipment, but falls back into the trap of having the characters be dependent on their equipment and does nothing to describe how much to start with.

How are you addressing these concept in your DS games?
#2
Alphastream
Nov 02, 2010 11:12:34 My suggestion would be to start them with nothing, but very quickly (since this is paragon) provide them a bonus. They accomplish some goal for a noble, and he rewards them with training in a subject matter of their choice. They learn a secret house technique. Each player can now choose one weapon, armor, neck, or implement property and will always have it active. Better yet, select a few options and let them choose. The house knows how to do x, y, and z... in which would you like training?
#3
hairyscotsman2
Nov 16, 2010 17:46:43 For a low magic item setting the treasure parcel system basically takes away half the GP value of items. Transfer that to the starting at a higher level system
A 4th lev character (as an example) would normally get 2520gp of items
half that leaves 1260gp so a 4th level character could either take

1 item at lev-1 and one at lev-2
or
2 items at lev-3 and one at lev-2

plus lev-1 equivalent in gold for equipment other than magic.

works out differently at higher levels so I would calculate it each time.

#4
hairyscotsman2
Nov 16, 2010 17:49:12 And items are such a premium that for a replacement character I would let the party keep the same GP value of items that the character who has left had.
#5
hairyscotsman2
Nov 16, 2010 18:06:20 or you could add up all the magic treasure parcels for every level up to their level-1 and divide it by 10 (or 5 if non-restricted) to get their item budget. Restrict them to items of their level or their level-1
using this system gives no items for 2nd level in restricted but I'd give them a 1st plus the 304gp the calculation gives.
#6
Acrilos
Nov 18, 2010 6:10:37 Considering the setting, I use a low-magic atmoshpere for my DS campagin.
Magic items are mainly rare, uncommon at best. You won't enter a shop to buy magical items, except for potion fruits in some places, and perhaps a few trinkets if you can have access to the Veiled Alliance.

In my campagin, the characters are currently level 10 characters (nearly 11) and most of them have no more than 2 magic items. One of them has only one he got it around level 8.
I compensate with blessings from the spirits of the world, special combat moves unlocked after combat encounters and such.
My players like this low level of magical items. Even money is not someting mandatory since the characters won't use it the same way we do in other settings. Money is mainly used to bribe, to buy passage from here to there and such, to contact specific people and such. They have good survival skills in the group so rarely have to buy food and water in settlements.
#7
awaken_D_M_golem
Nov 19, 2010 15:15:56 If you are doing the No Magic Items routine, you get no magic items.
None. Not at the start, and not in the middle. Zero.

Starting cash is one of two values. It's either:
(a) ... the level-1 value ... or
(b) ... add up ALL the money only treasure values of ALL previous levels, and divide it equally among ALL the party members ... only to end up with a number fairly close to possibility (a) above.

Just a hint, B is too much work, for oh so little gain.

Then instead of Magic Items, you get Boons.
This is a "How Much Work Does The DM Wanna Do" problem.
Boons are well described in DMG2.
You either get the Boon the DM gives you,
or you Divination-ed (rituals - multiplural) from the gawds or spirits or ancients
what exactly you had to do to get the specific Boon.

You won't have 3 unless your DM is a softy (aww).
You probably have 2.
You could have 1 because the other expired, or your DM is not a softy.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 nghtsngr Nov 02, 2010 10:26:46	I'm starting a DS campaign midway through the paragon tier, and I'm having some difficulty with adjudicating starting equipment. We usually use the lvl-1/lvl/lvl+1 with lvl-1 cash to spend on incidentals, but this really falls flat to me with regards to the low-magic nature of Dark Sun. We're using the inherent bonus system, which describes how to restrict magic items obtained through adventuring, but I've been unable to find a fair way to start the characters off. I've got some ideas: Nothing But Birthday Suits Start them off with nothing but mundane equipment. Their inherent bonuses should provide all of the abilities they'll need to survive. They loose out on powers from items, but once we start adventuring items will slowly start to fill their inventories. Inherent Item Powers Instead of just allowing for the inherent bonuses, they can select a restricted number, perhaps gold-piece cost equal to a single item of their level, of magic item powers and effects they have inherent to themselves. Change the Nature of Magic Items The default theme of magic items is that they are primarily created by arcane casters, and craftsmen of magical races. The age old example is that boots of elven kind were just the boots that all elves wore. One of the ideas I've had is an adaptation from Eberron. The magic items are not powered by arcane magics (and thus automatically causing suspicion if not outright violence from people on the street), but by enslaving spirits of nature and the world into an item. This would explain the presence of magic items with less dependency on the players hiding their equipment, but falls back into the trap of having the characters be dependent on their equipment and does nothing to describe how much to start with. How are you addressing these concept in your DS games?
#2 Alphastream Nov 02, 2010 11:12:34	My suggestion would be to start them with nothing, but very quickly (since this is paragon) provide them a bonus. They accomplish some goal for a noble, and he rewards them with training in a subject matter of their choice. They learn a secret house technique. Each player can now choose one weapon, armor, neck, or implement property and will always have it active. Better yet, select a few options and let them choose. The house knows how to do x, y, and z... in which would you like training?
#3 hairyscotsman2 Nov 16, 2010 17:46:43	For a low magic item setting the treasure parcel system basically takes away half the GP value of items. Transfer that to the starting at a higher level system A 4th lev character (as an example) would normally get 2520gp of items half that leaves 1260gp so a 4th level character could either take 1 item at lev-1 and one at lev-2 or 2 items at lev-3 and one at lev-2 plus lev-1 equivalent in gold for equipment other than magic. works out differently at higher levels so I would calculate it each time.
#4 hairyscotsman2 Nov 16, 2010 17:49:12	And items are such a premium that for a replacement character I would let the party keep the same GP value of items that the character who has left had.
#5 hairyscotsman2 Nov 16, 2010 18:06:20	or you could add up all the magic treasure parcels for every level up to their level-1 and divide it by 10 (or 5 if non-restricted) to get their item budget. Restrict them to items of their level or their level-1 using this system gives no items for 2nd level in restricted but I'd give them a 1st plus the 304gp the calculation gives.
#6 Acrilos Nov 18, 2010 6:10:37	Considering the setting, I use a low-magic atmoshpere for my DS campagin. Magic items are mainly rare, uncommon at best. You won't enter a shop to buy magical items, except for potion fruits in some places, and perhaps a few trinkets if you can have access to the Veiled Alliance. In my campagin, the characters are currently level 10 characters (nearly 11) and most of them have no more than 2 magic items. One of them has only one he got it around level 8. I compensate with blessings from the spirits of the world, special combat moves unlocked after combat encounters and such. My players like this low level of magical items. Even money is not someting mandatory since the characters won't use it the same way we do in other settings. Money is mainly used to bribe, to buy passage from here to there and such, to contact specific people and such. They have good survival skills in the group so rarely have to buy food and water in settlements.
#7 awaken_D_M_golem Nov 19, 2010 15:15:56	If you are doing the No Magic Items routine, you get no magic items. None. Not at the start, and not in the middle. Zero. Starting cash is one of two values. It's either: (a) ... the level-1 value ... or (b) ... add up ALL the money only treasure values of ALL previous levels, and divide it equally among ALL the party members ... only to end up with a number fairly close to possibility (a) above. Just a hint, B is too much work, for oh so little gain. Then instead of Magic Items, you get Boons. This is a "How Much Work Does The DM Wanna Do" problem. Boons are well described in DMG2. You either get the Boon the DM gives you, or you Divination-ed (rituals - multiplural) from the gawds or spirits or ancients what exactly you had to do to get the specific Boon. You won't have 3 unless your DM is a softy (aww). You probably have 2. You could have 1 because the other expired, or your DM is not a softy.