Non-random aquisition of magical items?

[KathD]

Does anyone have house-rules for removing the random element from finding magical items? I dislike both the randomly rolling part, and the fact that players have to spend (variable) amounts of XP to get items.

I'm wondering if someone has a better solution, apart from the obvious "GM decides" . I've tried to search the forums, but apparently 'magic', 'items' and 'rivendell' are too frequently used to return any results...

[Otaku-sempai]

A Loremaster always has the option of just choosing off of the item generation lists or improvising his/her own additions. And the random element is also removed or minimized by generating a list of items in advance.

[Corvo]

Effectively, I don't know of any other "rule" for handing out magical items

[Falenthal]

What's wrong with the "GM decides" rule? It takes away the random element and the expenditure of XP, both your concerns. And Magical Items will surely appear exactly when they're meant to!

An option, just out of my mind, would be to make a normal roll, using the Wisdom or Valour score, whichever is lower, at a TN18.
For Treasures rated **, the TN could be 16. For those rated ***, it could be 14.

A simple success grants a Precious Object; a great success grants a Wondrous Artifact; an extraordinary success grants a Wondrous Artifact with a Greater Blessing OR with two Blessings OR a Famous Weapon or Armour.

If the player so chooses, he can use the highest of Valour or Wisdom, but the item will be Cursed.

Variants of this, where the *s just allowed you to reroll one success die, or all of them, or the feat die, etc can be used, too.
Or where the Eye rune is always a success, only that granting a Cursed item of the quality achieved by the number of 6s.

There's still randomness, of course, but might feel a less "strange" rule than the RAW.

[Rich H]

I'm just about to introduce them in my campaign. Assuming the PCs succeed then at the end of the adventure "Those Who Tarry..." the Lady Irime will gift an item to each of the player-heroes. I'm not sure if I'm going to charge XP for such things, probably not - I'll simply factor in such a cost to what I hand out.

[Summerhawk]

I've moved away from the randomness, because the items are crafted with the players in mind, and I like for things to show up at a thematically appropriate time and place. I have continued to charge xp. Rather than at the moment of acquisition, I have the player spend the xp when they identify the item's first quality by visiting an appropriate loremaster. From that point on, qualities are unlocked by raising valour in the usual way.

[Rich H]

I have continued to charge xp. Rather than at the moment of acquisition, I have the player spend the xp when they identify the item's first quality by visiting an appropriate loremaster. From that point on, qualities are unlocked by raising valour in the usual way.

That's the way I've ended up going after thinking about this over time.

I certainly prefer that I can gift such items, not just as part of a treasure hoard, but at key points in the game - especially by Loremaster characters; that carries a lot of dramatic punch when done right.

[Glorelendil]

I 100% support the gifting of narratively appropriate items, but I have to say I think the random (but low) chance of getting a magic item adds a LOT of excitement.

I'm still tingling from just such an event two days ago. Now I'm positively jonesing for the XP needed to get all systems online (wow mixed metaphors there...).

And I have some really fun RP planned that I won't spoil in case the other players are reading this...

For you WoW players:
I think I've only once been more excited by random loot: Jan 2nd, 2008, our second Illidan kill. I clicked on the corpse and saw...mainhand warglaive. I actually got chills, and sometimes when I think back on it I still do.

It took another 6 months, killing Illidan every week, for the offhand glaive to drop, but still. It was awesome.

Turns out I was prepared, mofo.

[Rich H]

I 100% support the gifting of narratively appropriate items, but I have to say I think the random (but low) chance of getting a magic item adds a LOT of excitement.

I don't disagree, my players were finding it a little 'stressful' though with regard to feeling like they needed to hold back on spending XP in case they came across a hoard of treasure. It's a very easy element of the rules to alter based on taste though.

For you WoW players:
I think I've only once been more excited by random loot: Jan 2nd, 2008, our second Illidan kill. I clicked on the corpse and saw...mainhand warglaive. I actually got chills, and sometimes when I think back on it I still do.

It took another 6 months, killing Illidan every week, for the offhand glaive to drop, but still. It was awesome.

Turns out I was prepared, mofo.

Ah, David, just for you: Have a lovely day here!

[Insect King]

Does anyone have house-rules for removing the random element from finding magical items? I dislike both the randomly rolling part, and the fact that players have to spend (variable) amounts of XP to get items.

I'm wondering if someone has a better solution, apart from the obvious "GM decides" . I've tried to search the forums, but apparently 'magic', 'items' and 'rivendell' are too frequently used to return any results...

I think the magic item rules are ridiculous. Just make magic items you think are appropriate to the game, let the PCs find them as part of their adventures. Don't make them roll dice to see if they find it. It's so arbitrary and useless.

Also, if you give the item two to three magical qualities, let the player just spend a point of experience to unlock one other quality as part of an undertaking or let them use the abilities straight away.

Cheers,

Chris.