Dungeon 191 - Save My Game: Snowflake Treasures - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Dungeon 191 - Save My Game: Snowflake Treasures

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
MaximumHavoc
Jun 26, 2011 23:17:52 Dungeon 191
Save My Game: Snowflake Treasures
by Stephen Radney-MacFarland

Never underestimate the power of treasure. Treasure and magic items are the adventurers' true rewards.

Talk about this article here.

#2
doug_lampert
Jun 27, 2011 21:50:36
Dungeon 191
Save My Game: Snowflake Treasures
by Stephen Radney-MacFarland

Never underestimate the power of treasure. Treasure and magic items are the adventurers' true rewards.

Talk about this article here.

Well, individualized treasure rewards are a nice idea.

It's one of the reasons I liked the idea of item rarity. But one year in and the implementation still looks like someone spent MAYBE one afternoon on it and then said, "Screw it, everything else is uncommon no matter HOW obvious it is that the item should be rare or common."

And that appears to be company policy, how else to explain that they haven't FIXED any of the rarities for pre-essencials items since then.

And of course without a working rarity system PCs are justly upset if they can't simply MAKE items they want. I mean if a Magic Ki Focus is still Uncommon how can I seriously tell the players that this system is while they can only make common items that will still cover all the neccessities?

And while EVERY item that states explicitly in its description that it is unique and can't be duplicated by Enchant Magic Item is still just Uncommon how can I tell them that the extra difficulty is compensated for by the extra value and usefullness of the nearly nonexistent rare items?

But it's nice of you to point out that rare and unique magic items are nifty, maybe someday that idea will even get some actual rules support. Then I could maybe search in the Compendium for Rare items and get a real idea of what the designers think is a balanced and fun "snowflake" item to hand out and make up something similar. The current handful is totally inadequate to get any such concept, "make it up yourself" is nice advice, except Wizards is supposed to be SELLING me a system here, and the system should at least include a fair selection of examples and get the obvious stuff right, not tell me to "wing it", while doing an obviously inadequate job in the published rules.
#3
Madfox11
Jun 28, 2011 7:23:40 Wasn't one of the main points of the article that a snowflake item actually does not need to be powerful or even have unique powers? Fluff is often just as important, if not more so. Who cares that my fighter's great spear is a simple dynamic weapon. It is a gift by the Dhaakani goblins for a service rendered, a reminder to a great adventure, decorated with ancient Dhakaani runesd and something I can show to goblins as proof the character earned the respect of the lorekeepers of the goblins.
#4
Plaguescarred1
Jun 28, 2011 9:01:14 I liked the idea conveyed in this article. I favor less but unique and more special Magic Items over the more, unimpressive kind. I believe that some items should have a story to tell, an obscure history behind them, and for some, a great future in front of them....

But i also echoe Doug in that we need a better baseground to work upon. The Rarty System was a good idea but poorly implemented right now and need fixing. Not to mention that if one uses the eTools solely, the CB doesn't handle well the Custom Items proposed by Mr. MacFarland and is therefore a something harder to handle properly but that is another matter entirely.

Rest is, i liked it for it remind DMs to make Magic Items Special if the book doesn't make it for him. Magic should feel, Powerful, intriguing and tempting yet scary, not unimpressive, boring and dull.

Cookie to Stephen Radney-MacFarland for this insightful article.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 MaximumHavoc Jun 26, 2011 23:17:52	Dungeon 191 Save My Game: Snowflake Treasures by Stephen Radney-MacFarland Never underestimate the power of treasure. Treasure and magic items are the adventurers' true rewards. Talk about this article here.
#2 doug_lampert Jun 27, 2011 21:50:36	Dungeon 191 Save My Game: Snowflake Treasures by Stephen Radney-MacFarland Never underestimate the power of treasure. Treasure and magic items are the adventurers' true rewards. Talk about this article here. Well, individualized treasure rewards are a nice idea. It's one of the reasons I liked the idea of item rarity. But one year in and the implementation still looks like someone spent MAYBE one afternoon on it and then said, "Screw it, everything else is uncommon no matter HOW obvious it is that the item should be rare or common." And that appears to be company policy, how else to explain that they haven't FIXED any of the rarities for pre-essencials items since then. And of course without a working rarity system PCs are justly upset if they can't simply MAKE items they want. I mean if a Magic Ki Focus is still Uncommon how can I seriously tell the players that this system is while they can only make common items that will still cover all the neccessities? And while EVERY item that states explicitly in its description that it is unique and can't be duplicated by Enchant Magic Item is still just Uncommon how can I tell them that the extra difficulty is compensated for by the extra value and usefullness of the nearly nonexistent rare items? But it's nice of you to point out that rare and unique magic items are nifty, maybe someday that idea will even get some actual rules support. Then I could maybe search in the Compendium for Rare items and get a real idea of what the designers think is a balanced and fun "snowflake" item to hand out and make up something similar. The current handful is totally inadequate to get any such concept, "make it up yourself" is nice advice, except Wizards is supposed to be SELLING me a system here, and the system should at least include a fair selection of examples and get the obvious stuff right, not tell me to "wing it", while doing an obviously inadequate job in the published rules.
#3 Madfox11 Jun 28, 2011 7:23:40	Wasn't one of the main points of the article that a snowflake item actually does not need to be powerful or even have unique powers? Fluff is often just as important, if not more so. Who cares that my fighter's great spear is a simple dynamic weapon. It is a gift by the Dhaakani goblins for a service rendered, a reminder to a great adventure, decorated with ancient Dhakaani runesd and something I can show to goblins as proof the character earned the respect of the lorekeepers of the goblins.
#4 Plaguescarred1 Jun 28, 2011 9:01:14	I liked the idea conveyed in this article. I favor less but unique and more special Magic Items over the more, unimpressive kind. I believe that some items should have a story to tell, an obscure history behind them, and for some, a great future in front of them.... But i also echoe Doug in that we need a better baseground to work upon. The Rarty System was a good idea but poorly implemented right now and need fixing. Not to mention that if one uses the eTools solely, the CB doesn't handle well the Custom Items proposed by Mr. MacFarland and is therefore a something harder to handle properly but that is another matter entirely. Rest is, i liked it for it remind DMs to make Magic Items Special if the book doesn't make it for him. Magic should feel, Powerful, intriguing and tempting yet scary, not unimpressive, boring and dull. Cookie to Stephen Radney-MacFarland for this insightful article.