I'm thinking of tweaking the weapon breakage and inherant bonus rules. I'm also unsure what treasure level I want. So here is what I'm thinking. Looking for feedback!
Non-metal weapon breakage: On a natural 1 roll a d6. If you roll higher than the enhancement bonus the weapon breaks. I want implements to have similar rules but since most implements aren't made of metal normally I'm unsure if it would make sense....
Inherant enhancement bonuses: I'm thinking of either not using it or using it with a player's level being 1-2 levels lower when referencing the table. Not sure yet.
Treasure: Right now I'm thinking of using default treasure rules. With weapons breaking off and on they will need the resources to repair/replace items.
My goal for these rules is to make people value the few metal items they have. Things will break. I hope there will be enough resources to allow characters to carry spare equipment.
People are scared to embrace the setting. This isn't Camelot where King Arthur has his sword Excalibur. This is Athas. A PC may get thrown into an arena with a loincloth and whatever weapons he can take off the corpses of the warriors from the last match. He may break his axe on the skull of a halfgiant, but he can just pick up a staff from off the ground. It emphasizes one's own abilities without de-emphasizing team work.
I myself plan on not putting a single magic item into the game I'm DMing, but maybe granting boons if PCs do wondrous things.
- a player critically hit three times on a single encounter (his weapon becomes more jagged looking, many notched and wicked, so when he crits he adds +d12 per inherent bonus plus, like a vicious weapon)
-a player is engulfed by fire but fights on regardless of it (his armor is now 'tempered', always hot to the touch and confers resist 2 fire per inherent bonus plus)
Iron Armbands of power = mean spiked bracers with daggers/blades attached to it
Wall Climbing Boots = boots with secret compartment containing a paste made of thri-kreen insides
etc..
Of course i'm not forgetting about Boons and Techniques...
Inherant enhancement bonuses: I'm thinking of either not using it or using it with a player's level being 1-2 levels lower when referencing the table. Not sure yet.
The table already assumes you're 1 or 2 levels "behind the curve" - there's no need to adjust this further. (The curve, that is, being the standard parcel system in a non-inherent bonuses game.)
I'm not sure why "broken weapon" means "need replacement." All the weapon breakage rules have the important clause "until repaired." There's rituals for this, a (kinda crappy) martial practice, and the ever popular DM Fiat. Worst case scenario, you could allow a player to "spend" resources equal to the base price of the weapon to restore all of its non-magical properties.
Inherant enhancement bonuses: I'm thinking of either not using it or using it with a player's level being 1-2 levels lower when referencing the table. Not sure yet.
The table already assumes you're 1 or 2 levels "behind the curve" - there's no need to adjust this further. (The curve, that is, being the standard parcel system in a non-inherent bonuses game.)
Oh, I didn't realize this. Well then perhaps the table will be good as is. Will need to take a closer look. My goal if I use it is to not let players to totally gimped when they break their last magic weapon but to still want to get their weapon repaired/replaced aspa.
Thanks
I'm not sure why "broken weapon" means "need replacement." All the weapon breakage rules have the important clause "until repaired." There's rituals for this, a (kinda crappy) martial practice, and the ever popular DM Fiat. Worst case scenario, you could allow a player to "spend" resources equal to the base price of the weapon to restore all of its non-magical properties.
I agree. as I stated in my original post I'm expecting players to repair/replace broken weapons. As I understand it Make Whole requires 20% the cost of the item to repair. Hence my statement to try and make sure players have enough resources to do this.
I don't understand peoples dislike of inherent bonuses. Its a good thing to not be tied down to your gear. Get tossed in jail without your equipment and someone tries to shank you? No problem! Pick up the equivalent of a +2 Rock of Skullbashing and splatter that dude's brains all over the cell.
I can totally see Dark Sun run in a equipment independant manner. I however want equipment to matter. My goal is to have the players feel like the world is a cruel and unforgiving mistress. In my opion making players just as effectrive with a rock vs. a holy avenger just goes against the game style I'm wanting to run.
When my players are facing the BBB and their last weapon is shattered I want them to go, "oh ****!" instead of knowing their comic-book-hero-style superpowers will see them through.
The character will still go "oh ****!" even with inherent bonuses, believe you me. Without inherent bonuses, however, the player will be completely and totally handicapped in any encounter their level (unless they have a similarly leveled backup weapon, but in that case breakage might as well not exist). Less so in early heroic, of course, but the higher they get, the more brutal breakage (without inherent bonuses) becomes.
Even with a backup weapon, using inherent bonuses, a character still loses the following for using a broken weapon: proficiency bonus (10 to 15% to-hit), weapon damage die (reduced to d4 or d8), magical properties (including a greater enhancement bonus if the weapon has one), and non-magical properties (reach, off-hand, versatile, brutal, etc).
The character will still go "oh ****!" even with inherent bonuses, believe you me. Without inherent bonuses, however, the player will be completely and totally handicapped in any encounter their level (unless they have a similarly leveled backup weapon, but in that case breakage might as well not exist). Less so in early heroic, of course, but the higher they get, the more brutal breakage (without inherent bonuses) becomes.
Good points. I must admit that so far all of my 4e experience has been in parties of the 1-6 range. So I know that I really don't know how the game mechanics work past the lower levels. Input like this is good for me since it provides good feedback from people who've played at higher levels. Thanks!
here's what i'm doing for magic items.
1. There are "some": On occasion an ancient tomb might have an object imbuned with ancient arcane power, a tribal warrior might possess a weapon enchanted by the primal spirits, or a potent psion may add enhancments on his robes, however these are rarities, there will never be a magic item store at the street corner of Balic, possibly a traveling merchant, but most likely he would be hunted by templars, but might give a helpful adventurer part of his, "special stock"
2. Trainings and boons are far more common: Rescuing a druid pursued by belogi will most likely result in the druid teaching a fellow follower of the primal spirits a helpful way of communing with them, not a magical totem of staff. Likewise merchant houses will reward their agents with favors to call in when needed, not some woderous object or ring.
The reasons i'm mixing the two is because from the excerpts of the DSCS there do seem to be magical items, like a scorpion mandible helm, and i don't want to miss out on those, however i also love boons that aren't tied to items, thus i don't see a reason to exclude one or another.
I really like the idea of favors for rewards (in fact I've been doing that since 2e). Boons I'm less excited about. I've seen them before and in the end I've found them not my thing. I don't like people being permemently enchanted. Enchantments that last a day or a week is fine but turning somone into a living magic item just doesn't appeal to me.
)I haven't thought through the exact bits, but I'm not sure I need to do so.