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In most other gameworlds, every second encounter will net the party at least
one magic item. By the end of a week's hard adventuring, the party will have
often gone from penniless to wealthy, with each party member equipped with at
least one magic weapon and armour or ring +1. Each villain that is equipped to
deal with this (+2 or better items) will eventually die and the items will be
collected by the PC's... and so it goes on.
Birthright has fewer magic items (only if you assume that the listed items
are the only ones), fewer mages (again only if you assume that those listed in
published works are the only ones) and a lower ratio of fantastic creatures to
humanoids (again, only if...).
I like the low magic feel that the BR rulebook suggests, I like true wizards
to be a rare thing, I like the PC's to 'ooh' and 'ahh' over a +1 weapon and I
like the PC's to enter a tavern and the most exotic creature is the drunk Vos
lying in front of the fire.
I currently employ several tactics to reduce the number of items that PC's
have access to;
1) +1 items become simply well crafted but non magical items (in a world where
magic is the exception, there is a much better market for good craftsmanship)
2) magic items not necessary for the storyline are generally removed.
3) requests for help from mages require the sacrifice of an equivalent powered
magic item (the party needed a fast exit from the SW, it cost a broom of
flying).
4) Finally, if the party winds up with an item that they really don't need, or
it effects the balance, I've borrowed a couple of Orogs from "Seeking
Bloodsilver" who track down the party and steal the item either to return it to
the Gorgon, or to have it destroyed (after all, if the Gorgon already has a
good collection, it's worth so much more if there are fewer items that are not
his >:~)

After all that, my question is; given the glut of items that the party could
get their mitts on, how do other GM's keep the special stuff, fresh and
special?

I know that's a fairly generalised question, but I'm looking at keeping Magi,
magic items and monsters to a minimum.

* Campaign background *
In my current campaign, the 6(7) players are now 3-4th level, having started
at 0. They have been coerced into the SW twice (and it would take the rebirth
of Azrai to get them there again), have been from Ilien to Mhoried and back,
yet they have accrued only 4 magic items, seen only 2 mages and have
encountered less than 5 different monster types (there were multiple undead in
the SW, but the party wasted no time for things like studying them).



Regards,

Dubhghaill (Doyle)
Victoria, Australia,
613 9563 5085, 0409 232 885, enq@completesystems.com.au
"when will they ever learn?
pillage BEFORE you burn" - Where have all the Vikings gone


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