4E: You and Your Magic Items
- From: DougL <lampert.doug@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 10:01:10 -0700 (PDT)
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080516a
Comments:
Price on Phasing looks low compared to Flaming. The Holy Avenger looks
like one taken from a Paladin of Pelor works JUST AS WELL for a Cleric
of Grummash (none of the stuff lists any prerequisites or alignments
unless radiant is inherently aligned).
Loot, Prices, and expected wealth seem to be roughly x4 for 5 levels
(comparable to 3.x . XP awards are x2 for 4 levels. I'd guess this
means power progression is expected to be roughly half the rate of 3.x
but that the retained (faster) wealth progression will force
characters to stay close to the expected level on magic items.
Text:
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In today’s preview, we asked Andy Collins to reveal a bit more about
the role your magic items play in 4th Edition. Then we present three
such items for your characters to quest after!
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We’ve been saying for a long time that we wanted magic items in 4th
Edition to take up a smaller portion of a typical character’s array of
options than in previous editions. The primary method used to
accomplish this was to expand the average character’s class- and race-
based power options. Even if a 4th Edition PC carried around the same
array of gear as his 3rd Edition counterpart, you could still honestly
say that those items were a smaller percentage of his options than
before.
However, that semantic flourish wouldn’t really change the perception
among many players that the average character simply had to carry
around too many items to keep up with the foes he faced. Between six
different stat-boosting items and at least three AC-boosting items
(four counting shields), the typical player character faced an
enormous drain on resources simply to stay competitive with the enemy.
Something needed to change.
In 4th Edition, only three magic items are important for your attacks
and defenses to keep up with the escalating power of the monsters you
face. These are your weapon, your armor, and your amulet or cloak
(also known as your neck-slot item). Together, they enhance your
attack rolls, damage rolls, and all four of your defense scores.
The game assumes that the “plus” of each of these three items follows
the normal enhancement curve of items in the game: +1 from 1st to 5th
level, +2 from 6th to 10th, and on up to +6 from 26th to 30th. Many
(perhaps even most) characters will have at least one item slightly
ahead or behind this curve, but if you’re more than a couple of points
ahead of or behind the expected progression, you may find your foes
notably less (or more) challenging than normal.
Beyond those three key items, characters are free to accessorize in
whatever manner they prefer. If you like to carry only the choicest
items, picking and choosing the most powerful pieces of equipment that
you can find or afford, that’s a reasonable plan. In fact, you could
reasonably survive with just a good weapon, a good suit of armor, and
a good neck-slot item.
On the other hand, if you prefer to wield a larger array of lower-
powered magic items, that’s OK too… with some caveats. Most items are
tied to body slots, so there’s a built-in limit to the sheer quantity
of items most characters can easily tote around. In addition, each
character can only activate a few different magic item powers in a
given day, so the guy who brings a loaded pack full of flashy items
doesn’t get as much bang for his buck. Again, your class powers should
be the main focus of your character, not the precious little trinkets
you swiped from cave-dwelling fiends.
--Andy Collins
As you gain levels, the mundane equipment you purchased as a starting
character becomes less important; it’s overshadowed by the magic items
you acquire on your adventures. Magic armor that can cloak you in
shadow, magic weapons that burst into flame, magic rings that turn you
invisible, or Ioun stones that orbit your head to grant you great
capabilities—these items enhance and supplement the powers you gain
from your class and enhance your attacks and defenses.
Magic items have levels, just as characters, powers, and monsters do.
An item’s level is a general measure of its power and translates to
the average level of character using that item. In practice, your
character will end up with some items that are three or four levels
above your level and others that are several levels below. There’s no
restriction on using or acquiring items based on their level, except
that you can’t use the Enchant Magic Item ritual (page 304 of the
Player's Handbook) to create an item above your level. If, for some
reason, your 10th-level character finds a 20th-level magic sword, you
can use it to full effect.
You can sometimes buy magic items just as you can mundane equipment.
It’s rare to find a shop or a bazaar that routinely sells magic items,
except perhaps the lowest-level items. Some fantastic places, such as
the legendary City of Brass in the heart of the Elemental Chaos, have
such markets, but those are the exception rather than the rule. Your
DM might say that you can track down a seller for the item you want to
buy or that you might have to do some searching, but in general you
can buy any item you can afford.
You can also use the Enchant Magic Item ritual to create an item of
your level or lower. In terms of the economic transaction, creating an
item is the same as buying it: You spend money equal to the market
price of the item and acquire the item. Some DMs prefer to have
characters enchant their own items rather than buy them, particularly
for more powerful items.
As you adventure, you’ll come across magic items as part of the
treasure you acquire. Often, these are magic items much higher than
your level—items you can’t enchant and can’t easily afford to buy.
Ideally, these are items that someone in your party can use
effectively, which makes them very rewarding treasure.
If you find a magic item you don’t want to keep, or you find an item
that replaces an item you already have, you might end up either
selling the item or disenchanting it (with the Disenchant Magic Item
ritual; see page 304 of the Player's Handbook). This isn’t a favorable
transaction for you—the sale price of a magic item, or the value of
residuum you get from disenchanting it, is only one-fifth the normal
price of the item. That means selling an item gives you enough money
or residuum to buy or enchant an item that’s five levels lower than
the original item.
Identifying Magic Items
Most of the time, you can determine the properties and powers of a
magic item during a short rest. In the course of handling the item for
a few minutes, you discover what the item is and what it does. You can
identify one magic item per short rest.
Some magic items might be a bit harder to identify, such as cursed or
nonstandard items, or powerful magical artifacts. Your DM might ask
for an Arcana check to determine their properties, or you might even
need to go on a special quest to find a ritual to identify or to
unlock the powers of a unique item.
Prices
The purchase price of a permanent magic item depends on its level, as
shown on the table below. The purchase price of a consumable item
(such as a potion or an elixir) is much lower than the price of a
permanent item of the same level. The sale price of a magic item (the
amount a PC gets from either selling or disenchanting an item) is one-
fifth of the purchase price.
Prices shown are the base market price for the items. The actual cost
to purchase a magic item depends on supply and demand and might be 10
to 40 percent more than the base market price.
Magic Item Prices (first 10 levels)
Item Level Purchase Price (gp) Sale Price (gp)*
1 360 72
2 520 104
3 680 136
4 840 168
5 1,000 200
6 1,800 360
7 2,600 520
8 3,400 680
9 4,200 840
10 5,000 1,000
* Or equivalent gold piece value of residuum acquired from
disenchanting an item
Magic Item Categories
Magic items fall into seven broad categories: armor, weapons,
implements, clothing, rings, wondrous items, and potions. Items in a
particular category have similar effects—all magic weapons give you
bonuses when you attack with them, and all magic boots have powers
relating to movement. Aside from those broad generalities, though,
magic items possess a wide variety of powers and properties.
Within the broad category of clothing, items are grouped by kind of
clothing—whether you wear the item on your head or your feet, for
example. These are called item slots, and they provide a practical
limit to the number of magic items you can wear and use. You can
benefit from only one magic item that you wear in your arms slot even
if, practically speaking, you can wear bracers and carry a shield at
the same time. You benefit from the item you put on first; any other
item you put in the same item slot doesn’t function for you until you
take off the first item. Sometimes there are physical limitations as
well—you can’t wear two helms at the same time.
Wondrous items include a variety of useful tools, from a bag of
holding to a flying carpet. Each item’s description indicates how a
character accesses its effects.
All magic armor gives you an enhancement bonus to your Armor Class.
All magic weapons and implements give you an enhancement bonus to your
attack rolls and damage rolls when you use them to make an attack. All
magic cloaks, amulets, and other neck slot items give you an
enhancement bonus to your Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses. Other
magic items don’t generally give you bonuses to these numerical
statistics, though there are some exceptions.
Flaming Weapon Level 5+
You can will this weapon to burst into flame.
Lvl 5 +1 1,000 gp Lvl 20 +4 125,000 gp
Lvl 10 +2 5,000 gp Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gp
Lvl 15 +3 25,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Weapon: Any
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 fire damage per plusPower (At-Will Fire): Free Action.
All damage dealt by this weapon is fire damage. Another free action
returns the damage to normal.
Power (Daily Fire): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the
weapon. Deal an extra 1d6 fire damage, and the target takes ongoing 5
fire damage (save ends).
Level 15 or 20: 2d6 fire damage and ongoing 10 fire damage.
Level 25 or 30: 3d6 fire damage and ongoing 15 fire damage.
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Phasing Weapon Level 14+
This weapon’s projectiles phase in and out of reality when fired,
slipping through cover as if it weren’t there.
Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Weapon: Any ranged
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Property: Your ranged attacks with the weapon ignore the penalty to
attack rolls for cover or superior cover.
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Holy Avenger Level 25+
The most prized weapon of any paladin.
Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Weapon: Axe, Hammer, Heavy Blade
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 radiant damage per plus, and you can spend a healing
surge
Property: A holy avenger deals an extra 1d10 radiant damage when the
power you use to make the attack has the radiant keyword.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. You and each ally within 10 squares of
you gain a +5 power bonus to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses
until the end of your next turn.
Special: A holy avenger can be used as a holy symbol. It adds its
enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls and the extra
damage granted by its property (if applicable) when used in this
manner. You do not gain your weapon proficiency bonus to an attack
roll when using a holy avenger as an implement.
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Be sure to return Monday for a look at minions!
.
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