Magic Items are rare

[Lord Eldred]

Are you severely limiting the number of magic items in your campaign? Why or why not?

[Lord Eldred]

I wonder why no one has any thoughts on this subject. According to the Birthright rules, magic items should be very rare. I think the conversion of this rule does not limit them enough. Especially with the ease of creating magic items that feats allow, I think the 3E causes many problems with this original rule.

[Raesene Andu]

If you are using 3E rules as they are set out in the book, then yes it could cause some problems. I haven't experienced any trouble in the games I'm running at the moment, but if I do then it should be fairly easy to fix, just increase the costs of construction.

The 3E rules (IMO) assume that the character lives in a magic rich world, with a magic shop in every town and components around every corner. Birthright is not like this, towns are lucky if they have a magician, let alone a wizard and there are no magic shops. This would tend to indicate that the costs of creating magical items is significantly increased, perhaps as much as 5 or 10 times more expensive, both in time and gp cost. I will do something like this in my Adurian setting, but I haven't decided what exactly yet.

[blitzmacher]

:P I have had a problem with that either since my players are choosing feats that make them more powerful in combat, but it could be a problem in the future. If it is I'll probably do what Andu said and give the costs a high price hike

[morgramen]

I have all but eliminated magic items. They are still there to be sure, but my players are used to the farmer and his son having +2 daggers hidden under their beds.

When my group first played BR, they searched endlesssly for secret doors in the dungeons and plundered the dead for any treasures. They couldn't seem to grasp the concept that Sedrie Bellamie, the Storm Walker, and the COunt Aglondier, where the ONLY wiozards worth their salt in the entire region.

Looking back on it now, I think I might have over done it a bit. I should have compromised I think, and thrown in more of what they were used to, and then slowly weened them from those concepts of D&D. I fear me now, that they aren't eager to play Birthright, since there is no +5 Holy Avenger awaiting them under the farmers bed...

:(

BTW, I don't use the 3E rules for magic items and treasures. WHile I like the idea that there is some sort of mathmatical structure to determining Challenge Ratings and XP awards, I have always hated the idea that it was the value of the treasure which determined it. It should be the value inherit in the manner of role playing IMO, but then how can you place a number on that???

[Lord Eldred]

Our group had a long drawn out argument where I had to cite pages from the different books about birthright to prove that magic was rare and that the changes made by 3E don't take this into account. One member threatened to walk because of the fact that I wanted to limit it. It is not as though they can't find magic. I just didn't want them cranking it out like they were manufacturing plain old daggers.

We eventually settled on making the costs sky high and chances of failure. It seems to work out alright. We will have to see.

[morgramen]

Pre-rant HURROOOOMPH!

Doesn't anyone just want to PLAY anymore?? It all seems about getting the shiniest, sharpest, most magical sword, and walking around with a stack of bonuses under your arm that would choke a Gorgon.

If I go 200 levels without finding a +1 dagger or a bazllion GPs, then oh well. As long as the FUN continues, who cares how many pluses and freebies!!

It's about the FUN folks, not the math!!!

End rant.

[Lord Eldred]

My feelings exactly. I really want people to use their brains and role playing skills more than magic. I liked birthright because it focused more on politics and role playing yet it still didn't get rid of desire for more.

I agree it is about the fun, not the math.

[Abbess Allessandra]

Our campaign is really fun! Of course, I have the character that trouble just
loves to follow wherever she goes,as with all characters who are sworn to samash
evil and be honorable,and of course the bad guys are always watching.
Changes have taken place and a sense of team has to be built. A United country has to at least appear
to be that way, to your enemies.
I believe we are part way there and have some work to do. The Birthright campaign
allows characters abilities not given to other campaign worlds. That is
the reason why I enjoy playing my character(s)

[Lord Eldred]

My Lady Allessandra,

As usual, you ramble on. Between the lines I read that you like the role playing rather than the gathering of stuff.