The latest preview article had a few things that are being discussed, but I don't see any discussion about a sweet new option. And that option is: a way to reduce or remove magic items from a campaign!
The article says that Chapter 5 is all about Divine Boons, Legendary Boons, and Grandmaster Training. These are used as rewards to replace or supplement magic items.
To me as a DM and a Player, that sounds awesome! I love that magic items have been simplified, but there's still too many. It takes time to prepare interesting and randomish treasure, and it takes players time to figure out how to deal with it all. The ideal for me would be a way to make everything more interesting and fun. The characters can get some magic items, but now they are all relevent to the story and thus more exciting and special. In addition, they get Boons and Training that tie into their characters and the campaigns.
While that sounds awesome, I don't know how it will work. Will these boons and trainings be managed like items, giving bonuses and extra daily powers? Will players choose them, will the DM, or something in between? I want to know now!
and as there being to many magic items, thats your oppnion, and I dont like tht they have been simplified.
this is ofcourse my oppinion, and I am welcome to it
The full price paid to make but 1/5th price to sell is backwards, it should be the other way around.
My plan was that every four levels, there would be a significant quest which would end with the players being awarded an extra feat-like reward, sort of like a dragon mark. (My campaign is for only two players, so they need a boost to compensate for their shortcomings.) I was even thinking that they would occasionally receive a boost to an ability like strength (drink from the magic well guarded by the dragon).
It troubles me in Dungeons and Dragons, that a hero must be laden with shiny items. Hercules made do with a lion skin and a club and often his bare hands, but no character could do such. Samson had only the jawbone of an ass. Arthur had Excalibur: I do not recall ever reading that his armour, shield, necklace, cloak, rings, bracelets, boots and gloves, saddle and warhorse were magical as well. Or that the length and breadth of Excalibur were twice a man's height and width, like a glowing fantasy cricket bat.
Or that the length and breadth of Excalibur were twice a man's height and width, like a glowing fantasy cricket bat.
Wouldn't that be a cluebat?
It troubles me in Dungeons and Dragons, that a hero must be laden with shiny items. Hercules made do with a lion skin and a club and often his bare hands, but no character could do such. Samson had only the jawbone of an ass. Arthur had Excalibur: I do not recall ever reading that his armour, shield, necklace, cloak, rings, bracelets, boots and gloves, saddle and warhorse were magical as well. Or that the length and breadth of Excalibur were twice a man's height and width, like a glowing fantasy cricket bat.
Those were low-magic campaigns. While I mean that partially in jest, there's some truth to it as well. Samson would have needed more than a jawbone of an ass if his opponents had been something out of D&D. Excalibur could have been a +1 Sword of Cool Sound Effects, and that would have been enough if everyone else was a commoner. (while I get what you're saying, that's like saying blasters are excessive in Star Wars because Neil Armstrong got by without any weapons at all)
It troubles me in Dungeons and Dragons, that a hero must be laden with shiny items. Hercules made do with a lion skin and a club and often his bare hands, but no character could do such. Samson had only the jawbone of an ass. Arthur had Excalibur: I do not recall ever reading that his armour, shield, necklace, cloak, rings, bracelets, boots and gloves, saddle and warhorse were magical as well. Or that the length and breadth of Excalibur were twice a man's height and width, like a glowing fantasy cricket bat.
I like your example of Samson, but both Hercules and Arthur had many items besides what you mention. Hercules had mentions of a shield, bow and arrow, and a belt; Arthur in addition to Excalibur had an enchanted sheath which cured all ills, a dagger and a spear, and I believe The Round Table could be considered a magic item.
That said I agree with your point that a certain number of magic items should not be required for each D&D character. I would prefer it if groups could be as varied as they want to be, for example: a wizard with only an arcane staff, a fighter with enchanted armor, sword and shield, and a rogue with a magic trinket in nearly every pocket.
Arthur in addition to Excalibur had an enchanted sheath which cured all ills, a dagger and a spear, and I believe The Round Table could be considered a magic item.
Arthur had several magic items, long before Caledfwlch became Caliburn and then Excalibur and gained a magical sheath.
Caledfwlch, his sword, emitted radiant light when he slashed it as it killed foes. He also lent this sword out to his chief warriors.
His shield, Wynebgwthucher, was magically exchanted as well, though rather than enchanted with Celtic religious symbols, it was painted with the face of the Virgin Mary, and had the power to bring forth inner strength to all his allied warriors who looked upon it (use a Healing Surge?).
He also had a Mantle of Invisibility - YES, he had an Invisibility Cloak. The Mantle of Arthur was one of the 13 Treasures of the Isle of Prydein.
His Spear, Rhongomynyad, could spear 10 men in one blow, and lusted for blood, and if it wasn't satiated with animal blood, it would possess its holder to kill other humans.
His throwing knife/dagger, Carnwennan, could slice the target in half upon impact.
His Cauldron, like many Celtic Cauldrons, was either a Cauldron of Plenty, a Cauldron of Rebirth, or a Cauldron of Inspiration. However, he also attempts to steal one of these from Annwfn, so this is a confused account, with alternate interpretations, just like many Arthurian stories.
His ship, Prydwen, was also supposedly enchanted. Though in some stories, Pridwen is also the name of his shield, and he may have used it as a raft to cross rivers like a boat.
So Arthur, at least, relied heavily upon enchanted items to succeed in his campaigns. That, and relying on his warriors and their magical abilities. And also the fact that he had Gods in his retinue as well...
Arthur also had Merlin who was pretty much a living Deus Ex Machina ;p
Yeah, that was his Epic Destiny, in fact ;)
I do like the idea of "boons" - it opens up possibilities like the 'Fountain of Youth' and Achilles' Invulnerability etc. It will be intriguing to see how they are balanced; Magic Items are very carefully controlled and have checks and balances 'ready installed'.
Oh, and final thought: strange women lying in ponds distributing swords really is no basis for a system of government.
Of course it would be the DM who would hand out the prizes (item or no), and thus would determine how rare or valuable these special skills would be. Additionally because it would take them some time to master the skill, maybe an extra quest before finally learning the feat or leaving the master -- perhaps for Zen Archery it would be an archery contest to gain the master's approval, or maybe even a duel -- would add some spice to learning the skill.
Frankly though I'd probably choose David the giant slayer as an example instead of Arthur or Samson because while David killing Goliath with one blow to the temple could be a lucky shot, a skill he mastered over the years as a sheperd boy, or an attack guided by God (however you see it), the fact that most of David's life was guided by his deity pretty much shows how blessed he was...
If he was in D&D I would've given him a Divine Boon: cause a fatal blow to a single target (insta-kill target usable only once and I do mean once), or perhaps several little blessings to show how he was favored amongst men as king of the Israelites. EDIT: Alternatively I would've shown the encounter as Goliath being a minion and Divine Boon being turn an attack into a crit once per day.
For more balanced reasons though I'd give maybe encounter/daily powers that either allow a reroll or add to attack or defense, depending on the deity in question, and again the task of getting certain feats or skills would be an entire quest on its own
And for once I'd like a decent preview w/o the need to subscribe to DDI.
In fact, not only do I hope this system is an excellent new addition to D&D (like Skill Challenges) I hope they come up with reward reasons that encourage other areas of the game to be gravitated toward as well.
Your party is full of "strategic skirmishers" but you want a little bit more RP? Well, maybe some mechanics can entice them.. "Feat: Keep = You recieve some bonus based on the fact that you are better equiped because you own a keep. Blah, etc, blah." Sure, it doesn't "enforce" RP (nothing should) but it sure does give an interesting context to new bonuses.
Anyway, here's to more options.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4pr/20090803
The latest preview article had a few things that are being discussed, but I don't see any discussion about a sweet new option. And that option is: a way to reduce or remove magic items from a campaign!
The article says that Chapter 5 is all about Divine Boons, Legendary Boons, and Grandmaster Training. These are used as rewards to replace or supplement magic items.
To me as a DM and a Player, that sounds awesome! I love that magic items have been simplified, but there's still too many. It takes time to prepare interesting and randomish treasure, and it takes players time to figure out how to deal with it all. The ideal for me would be a way to make everything more interesting and fun. The characters can get some magic items, but now they are all relevent to the story and thus more exciting and special. In addition, they get Boons and Training that tie into their characters and the campaigns.
While that sounds awesome, I don't know how it will work. Will these boons and trainings be managed like items, giving bonuses and extra daily powers? Will players choose them, will the DM, or something in between? I want to know now!
Well, we'll see how they work out in practice. Slotless magic items are a recipe for disaster and have to be very carefully controlled, otherwise they can cause major problems.
I wonder if they will "occupy" slots, if they will be a new slot, or if they will be more like wonderous magical items. I suppose only time will tell.
I have to be honest that I'm less than enthused by the AV2's item sets and this. While having the ability to represent being trained by a master is cool, you have to consider what exactly they're getting and what they're giving up for it.
But yeah, Its cool though, allowing a person not to have magical items in favor of magical favor instead.
It troubles me in Dungeons and Dragons, that a hero must be laden with shiny items.
They must have a weapon/implement, armor & neck item - all the rest is optional.
I hope there's a Grandmaster Training that makes you decent with improvised weapon :D a friend of mine got a treant character she want to ressurect and a Warforged Warden seems it would do the trick but she'll miss its boulder throwing antics.
Hercules had mentions of a shield, bow and arrow, and a belt;
Does anyone else find it hilarious that a poster named 'Hippolyte' forgot about Hercules' belt? :P
(It was an Amazon queen named Hippolyte he stole the belt from in the first place.)
In other words, whatever stuff Artie or Herc were hiking around with is utterly irrelevant to the world of D&D.