Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 shintashi Jun 19, 2015 15:10:06	how many magic items are you guys giving out? Our current campaign is averaging about 1 item per person per 4 levels, maybe slightly less. I'm trying to get an idea of frequency distribution. Also, do you find that some classes, like fighters or wizards, are accumulating more magic items than others?   I've heard of campaigns where people reach high level without ever seeing magical weapons or whatever. I find that sounds way off, like something is wrong or it's an intentionally low magic campaign.
#2 Tempest_Stormwind Jun 19, 2015 15:54:18	Here's what the DMG tables imply. Note that this is the raw tables and what the DMG says is "typical", not an anecdote.   Games with no items just don't use the tables. In 5e, magic items are always under the perview of the DM, and it's rare that everyone's kitted out as a walking armory. (Having five or six permanent items by level 20 is more than sufficient.)
#3 BRJN Jun 19, 2015 17:57:01	For my Tyranny of Dragons campaign group, we all got basic +1 Weapon and +1 Armor at the L4/L5 transition from our former DM.  As the new DM, I intend to give everybody some cool magic item (unique to each individual) before finishing Tier 2, plus let them "borrow" items like Boots of Surviving the Freezing Cold for the duration of a trip to the polar zones.  (Borowed items are intended to avoid tedious paperwork tracking for food / water / temperature exposure / &c.  They will get access through the plot device of patriotic Waterdeep nobility.) I also intend to put a magic feature on each weapon - again, everybody getting something different and cool, like one Acidic Sword; one Axe of Coldness; one Wand of Fireball; &c. I will be upgrading the magic weapons / armor in line with their Tier advancement, so the group should be granted +3 gear as their reward from a grateful populace of the Sword Coast if they defeat Tiamat.
#4 Touc Jun 21, 2015 9:47:34	Our group is randomly rolling hoards and I'm letting the dice fall where they may. I don't control distribution nor guarantee a class will get something useful, and I'm not concerned with having too little or too much.  My players are fairly heavy on the # of items, but not all of them are directly combat useful.  At 5th level, each player roughly has 2-3 items.  Sounds like a lot, but we're talking things like a Bag of Holding, Wand of Secrets, Staff of the Serpent, and so on.  Having more items hasn't hurt the game any, and I'm very aware players love getting their hands on magic items.  There's always some anticipation for the random rolls, and players might adjust their style around getting a particular item. Makes our magic acquisition exciting.   It never worked for me that the party has a scimitar specialist and gee, coincidentally the basilisk's hoard has a magical scimitar.
#5 Barky Jun 21, 2015 13:17:48	My five players are currently level 3-4. Total magical loot:   - one cloak that gives permanent barkskin. By far the most powerful item. - one +1 dagger and one +1 battleaxe that has some extra properties (not listed here in case my players read the forums) - two more "masterwork" daggers. In my campaign, this means they have the equivalent of +1 to hit but are not magical. - so far, potions have been pretty rare. Instead, the party has several different poultices. Poultices are bundles of enchanted herbs & components that confer magical abilities. It effectively takes four rounds to unpack, tie, & absorb into the bloodstream before they confer their properties. - they have a couple of smoke bombs & sleep bombs, small ceramic spheres that, if thrown against a hard surface, causes those effects in a 10' diameter. These aren't magical either, but are alchemical.   I think that's it.    Note that the cloak and the weapons have plot points associated with them. They are not just a "+1 battleaxe" but are integral to the lore of the campaign. Only the regular +1 dagger has had its plot point resolved, the others are still in play. I think this is the best way to do magic items: make them linked to the lore of the world.
#6 Ralif_Redhammer Jun 22, 2015 7:16:01	My distribution is probably higher than that. The group is between 4th and 6th level, and most have between two and four magic items. The group consists of generally three to six PCs at any time, and I generally give out one magic item per adventure, though I might have a one-shot item in there too.
#7 CCS Jun 22, 2015 12:58:06	The party I DM for is 3 players, 4th lv, & has the following permanent items: 1 Cloak of the Manta Ray 1 Wand of Wonder - recast as a magically ever-full, unbreakable, bottle of premium champaign. Instructions of use are "Shake Well, point AWAY from self, pull stopper." If not shaken well all they get is tasty champaigne. 1 small cthulu-esque statue about 2" tall. It whispers indistinct things to its owner atm. It'll be important later.... . They HAD a shield +2, a Silver Horn of Valhalla, a Wand of Disintegration, a scroll of knock, and a potion of gaseous form. The later 3 were used up, the player who had the horn dropped out, and the player with the shield just changed characters. I expect the magic item count will increase come July as the party is now exploring a wizards tower that just phased in. How USEFUL some of what they find will be to a ranger, wild sorceror, & monk(?) Might be questionable....
#8 fylth Jun 22, 2015 13:39:35	The last adventure we did, I had given out so much magical gear, that players were splattering everything within sight in no time. It was rather boring for my players and myself. However, in this new adventure HOTDQ, the players have less magical items and more utility gear. I think there is 3-4 magic items and we are level 10-11 right now. Some gear the players find doesn't seem to 'fit' like gloves of arrow deflecting and such. I also made a few items that allow a bonus action to use them ( a hat of disguise and klebb boots, the ones with a knife in the toe and for a bonus action you can attack and if you hit deal an extra 1d4)   I find the players do just fine at the moment and I don't really plan to hand out piles of magical gear, but I will get them something magical later on at 15- and higher. This is stil our first 5E adventure so I want to get the 'feels' for it and allow my players to do the same. It's only a problem for one of my players who always figures he should get some kind of magical -something- each time we play.   One player has a Cursed Shield of Tiamat ( think FF3 ) and every now and then he must roll against its evil influence. If he fails the Save he takes damage and has Disadvantage on his next attack and grants Advantage against him on the next attack on him. He then has to make a Con Save to avoid being dominated by it. It doesn't give any bonus yet, but after 50 attempts to dominate fail, he will be able to learn how to break the Curse. In the end it will become a +1 or 2 Animated Shield. He is a Lawful Good Paladin of Bahamut and he always feels that if soemthing bad happens, it is his fault he was not there to stop evil so he takes it upon himself to avenge any wrong doing. I also allow the players to use spell scrolls without having to know the spell. I place them on casters and in book shelves and such for players to find. They are consumed on use, so it can't be broken and used over and over. It seems to satiate their lust for items just fine
#9 Barky Jun 22, 2015 16:23:53	I'm pretty sensitive about keeping magic items rare. When last I DM'ed, I was very Monty Hall and it was awful. I intentionally decided to run a low-magic campaign this time.
#10 BRJN Jun 22, 2015 17:18:24	Barky wrote:
#11 Ath-kethin Jun 22, 2015 18:48:28	In my most current campaign, the party is 3rd level, and they each have one item. The fighter has a longtooth shortsword (basically, a shortsword that does damage as a longsword, derived from 2nd edition equipment) and also can detect magic. The cleric has a cube of force that can dispel magic once per week. Since the party has only two people, I chose to place items of slightly greater-than-recommebded power for them, but which are distinct and useful and plot relevant (the sword and cube both belonged to a mostly forgotten halfling champion of the realm, presumed dead, who went missing decades prior). I like magic items to have names and histories and to mean something; there is no such thing as a generic +1 item in my campaigns.
#12 Jev_Roal Jun 22, 2015 23:31:34	I find that a magic item per player about every two levels keeps their interest and gives them something for their character to use to define their role. A Fighter with a +1 Shield is a better hand to hand combatant. While a priest with a Wand of Undead Detection becomes more effective toward the undead. I think it is not just How Many items, but how powerful the items are. A thief with a Bag of Holding might be a lot more powerful/effective overall then a theif with just a +1 Dagger.