http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drbaz/20080707
Dragonrider Armor - This has no increase in cost over regular scale. Great armor if you're actually riding a dragon, but even if you're not why not have a feather fall for free?
Symbol of Courage - What happens when used against an ability that doesn't normally allow a save. Since it's an immediate reaction the effect takes effect at least momentarily. (Perhaps it's language should be more like fortified armor)
Symbol of the Dragon - This lists as level 3+, but is only priced at 13+ ... also a pretty nice power.
Rog of Baleful Geas - Lists as 11+ but min level is 12. The power is very very strong for the cost. As a free action without limitations it can be used even on opponents turns. I trust I don't need to give examples of how being able to slide an opponent as a free action is strong.
Staff of Verdant Growth - Great power for a small number of spells, thunderwave for example.
Bracers of Escape - Level 7 version is nice, higher level versions cost a lot more for a fairly small increase in benefit.
Eyes of the Dragon - This item is very similar to the Ioun stone of true sight, but it's five levels lower.
Mask of Terrors/Ruby Lenses - I like these items :-)
Ring of Draconic Seal - A free action with no restrictions is strong, not quite sure how this can be fully exploited with a basic attack, but I'm betting there are some strong combos with this item.
Ring of the Ghost Night - Nice ability and great attack bonus for the knight.
Belt of Mountain Endurance - For the right character this is strong.
Flask of the Dragon Breath - What defense is the attack against? Very nice attack bonus and very cheap item once you're in your mid heroic levels if you aren't regularly using your limit on item daily powers.
I was a little sad that neither ring became more powerful after a milestone like the Core rings. I thouhgt it was really neat that rings were paragon and up and that they got more powerful after the milestones.
I agree ... Milestone incentives = tasty goodness
Vitriolic weapons are pretty dangerous to the wielder. Deals enhancement damage to creatures adjacent to the target (and it's a melee weapon).
They're just throwing spiked chain fighters a bone. :P
I think the Mind-rending weapon would make a good addition to my campaign for the eladrin rogue.
He can only use it for opportunity attacks, readied attack or if a Warlord does Commander's Strike however so it isn't that useful.
"Enemies you face have a habit of exploding into fire"
*edit* though now that I look at it again I notice the Orb of Firey Condemnation and the Symbol of the Dragon have their levels in the orange bars mislabeled, they are labeled 5 and 3 when they should be 15 and 13 respectively.
They really should specify that Impaling weapons and Mind-Reading weapons are only useful at all on Opportunity Attacks so people don't get confused...
Why is this so? Why is it only useful on opportunity attacks?
Realization: Oooohh you can't have a reaction on your own turn... Gee. I'm guessing they've mislabeled those, otherwise the daily powers are pretty useless.
Rog of Baleful Geas - Lists as 11+ but min level is 12. The power is very very strong for the cost. As a free action without limitations it can be used even on opponents turns. I trust I don't need to give examples of how being able to slide an opponent as a free action is strong.
Ring of Draconic Seal - A free action with no restrictions is strong, not quite sure how this can be fully exploited with a basic attack, but I'm betting there are some strong combos with this item.
I am not really sure these are all that powerful compared to other magical items. Care to enlighten me as to what I am missing or misunderstanding please?
I am not really sure these are all that powerful compared to other magical items. Care to enlighten me as to what I am missing or misunderstanding please?
The rod has lots of applications. Most of them involve an opponent not being able to control where they are at the end of their move action. In a very simple examlpe a creature moves into melee range with the intention of attacking, but using the rod on thier turn the creature finds themselves unable to attack.
It's harder to exploit the ring since a basic attack doesn't leave a lot of options, but there are things that can be tied to any attack.
I think I'm going to house rule that it is a one-shot item. Great for what it is though.
NecroHands down, the gem of this trove is the simple level 3 item called the flask of the dragon's breath. Let's see, for a mere 680 gp, every member of your party can buy a renewable daily breath weapon to make mince out of your minions. I think the power is great, but the utility of it is a bit much, especially considering you get to do it every day. As a one-time item, I think it's balanced, but now every party member will be breathing fire 1/day. They will nuke your minions (with a minor action) and then still have their encounter/daily powers for your boss mobs.
I think I'm going to house rule that it is a one-shot item. Great for what it is though.
I don't have any experience with higher level play, but I suspect that characters will have no trouble hitting their limit for daily item uses without these so whether or not to use them will come down to deciding whether or not you would be better off not using the daily power from your weapon or other item and instead breathing fire.
I have to say though, I didn't feel this one was up to scratch. One of the things (in my mind) that makes the BotB work, is that each item is presented with enough flavour to make that item seem special, to stir the thoughts of player and DM alike and give them their own ideas about how that item can be made to fit into their campaign.
This article seemed to choose quantity over quality though, presenting a large number of items but nothing about them other than a five word sentence that won't do anything to make people think.
BotB has been my favorite article in dragon for more than a decade, and I always loved the quirky magic items, the ones that make you go wtf is that and then think you know I actually have a use for that. Oddball concepts that you wouldn't normally think about that are actually useful, or at least add flavor to your game/character.
Many of the items in this article are items that should have been in the core books, and some should be more versitile. Example the Vitriolic (sp?) Weapon: acid is a core damage type yet we have to look to a Dragon article to find a weapon enchantment for it, also why not allow the enchantment to be placed on other weapon types?
My Rogue has a Katar crafted from the fang of a Young Black Dragon, why can't I (without house ruling it) have that weapon enchanted with acid damage?