| Post/Author/DateTime | Post |
|---|---|
| #1ZardnaarMay 31, 2015 16:18:22 |
Last night we started a new game from level 3 after a 2nd TPK attempt at HotDQ adventure which was level 1. I put a +2 magic weapon into the game and it was the 1st and only magic item the PCs have come across. That weapon was a mighty mighty......
+2 dagger.
Not daggers are not overly useful as a weapon. A +2 dagger however is roughly equivilent to a 1d8 weapon and gives you +2 to hit. I thought the Rogue or Druid would end up with it but the Valor Bard with a 16 dex ended up with it.
In 3E you would probably sell it and buy 2 +1 great swords or something but in 5E that is not an option so the PCs are actually using it. I suspect some magical spears and maces might also be in the works as well. Magical hand crossbows may as well not exist in my games and magical longswords will be more common than magical great weapons and rapiers.
Public holidays in NZ atm. Back to back D&D days of 8 hour sessions from the look of it. Its a rarity these days.
I wanted to see what the PCs would do with the item anyway as daggers are semi pointless on their own merits. A high dexterity low level cleric would be about the only class I see actually wanting to use a non magical dagger. |
| #2IllithidbixMay 31, 2015 16:59:51 | Silver/magical daggers can be a fairly cool way of dealing with a desire to keep monsters that are resistant/immune to non-magical weapons scary, but give the non-caster characters *some* way of dealing with them. A surprising number of how many level monsters (Jackleweres, Lycanthropes and Coatls) are outright immune to non-magical/silvered weapons (rather than just being resistant). I did a thread on the subject here http://community.wizards.com/forum/rules-questions/threads/4195911
You're at a disadvantage if you have to resort to the magical dagger rather than a greatsword, but you can still make it bleed!
I also like using them as a rogue because they can also be thrown. Their is also the non-mechanical but fiction led aspect that they are far easier to conceal than most other weapons. |
| #3draegnMay 31, 2015 17:02:11 | In our game every player uses a small blade (dagger, dirk, stiletto, knife, etc...) Be it a tool to skin a rabbit or cut a rope, a weapon or instrument of torture.
In the world you created are characters allowed to roam freely armed and armored for war? |
| #4ZardnaarMay 31, 2015 18:04:20 |
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| #5EthanSentalMay 31, 2015 19:13:27 | Hey Zard, where did they wipe? Same place as last time?
I like the placement of +2 dagger, even if its not recommended in the DMG or PHB, can't remember which that talks about what +x magic items shoud be given out level wise. From the information, I see a DM adjusting the adventure to help push through a pinch point. |
| (Reply to #5)Zardnaar |
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| #7FFSAAJun 01, 2015 16:27:17 | Why do you think they wiped? Too agressive? Too much time pressure? |
| #8ZardnaarJun 02, 2015 0:24:04 |
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| #9MistwellJun 01, 2015 21:43:01 | I think that's a pretty interesting idea. It would likely cause me to actually play the Dagger Thrower I dreamed up last year.
But, the key is it's increasing attack bonus. The damage isn't that meaningful - the damage will be from sharpshooter and sneak attack. |
| #10Ralif_RedhammerJun 02, 2015 7:41:20 | I dig this idea. It puts a magic item out there that's powerful, but not really optimized for anyone. And in 5e, they can't just go and sell it for the gold. |
| #11ZardnaarJun 02, 2015 23:09:06 | Its an old concept from the TSR days. |
| #12FFSAAJun 03, 2015 12:10:57 |
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| (Reply to #12)Zardnaar |
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| #14Slyck314Jun 03, 2015 12:36:09 | I did this in my 5e campaign as well and a +2 dagger was really deadly in the rogues hands. Increased accuracy and bypassing DR on the sneak attack turned out to be almost over powered. |
| (Reply to #14)Zardnaar |
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| #16Slyck314Jun 03, 2015 12:58:39 | My player actually adjusted his own tactics with the introduction of the dagger. He tended to hang back before that. |
| #17MistwellJun 03, 2015 13:03:14 |
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| #18ArithezooJun 03, 2015 13:34:19 | A bit off topic, but why do people keep saying things like "In 5e, they can't just go and sell it for the gold."?
Sure, the default assumption for the game is that magic items are not readily available for purchase. Even so, the DMG includes baseline prices for magic items, and there is even a downtime activity "Selling Magic Items".
Especially considering the fact that the OP was talking about a home game (I think), saying "in 5e you can't sell your magic item and buy something you want" just seems silly to me. If you want to say, "In my current game, magic items can't be sold or bought", that is fine. But a blanket statement about the entire system? No thanks. In my current game, for example, magic items are indeed available for sale (and can be sold by PCs too). Not every item is available in every town (the bigger the town, the better chance of finding what you want), but given enough time and resources, they can usually find just about anything.
As for the actual topic, I like the idea of giving magic weapons that aren't the typical weapons used by players, but I prefer for them to have more features than just a bonus to hit and damage. As you said, the +2 dagger isn't much better than a non-magical longsword. So to me, it just feels a bit flat for something that should be an exciting reward. |
| #19FFSAAJun 03, 2015 16:04:05 |
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| #20BRJNJun 03, 2015 16:28:45 | My HotDQ group has been carrying generic +1 weapons since leaving Balder's Gate (at L4), courtesy of our previous DM. I'm going to give them some neat powers on their weapons so they do more than just aid with game mechanics. (We keep forgetting that we do indeed have magic weapons.) I need to carefully peruse a DMG first, to see what is available. Later on - probably L10+ - I'll improve them to +2 weapons.
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| #21ChrisCarlsonJun 03, 2015 16:46:02 |
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| #22IstborJun 04, 2015 14:40:06 |
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