Avoid the Worst Magic Items in D&D

[@FattyMcFox]

So, in one of my games back during 4thE, i had a magic shop run by the son of a witch, and he would sometimes ask for payment in things that many people didn't find valuable, or were only valuable to the player character. They later found out that this shop keeper was anylizing the memories or the "echoes of the cosmos" on these objects. After the players figured this out, they started collecting things to trade. By the end of the campaign, the shopkeep using these items made an item that was so powerful that it bypassed much of the final boss. They then found out, that this shopkeep had used the knowledge and memories to become one of the most power magic users in the setting. He was going to become the BBEG for the next campiagn, but the PCs talked him into becoming a force for good. The next campaign, instead of the BBEG, "the guardian of cherised memories" became their quest giver and a replacement patron for warlock players. None of that would have been possible if i hadn't put that into place so a bunch of broke adventurers could get better armor because they kept getting steam rolled.

[@FablesD20]

That’s such a great adventure and a fun twist for your players to discover!

[@TwinSteel]

Kind of like aging potions, I’ve used owners/events for empowering magic items - the more owners that wore a set of armor into dungeons or the more great deeds the wielders of a magic sword performed with it, the more powerful the items became before making their way to the players - then great deeds performed by the players could further empower the magic of the item - e.g., being used by a lich to subjugate a great nation might impart unholy energy to deal more damage to paladins and control undead whereas defeating a lich could give it holy energy to destroy undead by unsheathing it in their presence

[@FablesD20]

more owners and wearers and how they're used, leaving a magical history to the item is a really cool concept!

[@Vpkoivisto]

I can understand the idea of magic items having monetary value serving as a money sink, but it also cheapens their idea in a way. In my homebrew game, non-consumable magic items have a rarity value used for trading. The higher the value, the rarer the item, 1 being the most common and numerous item while 10 represents unique artifacts. To trade a magic item to another, you must match or exceed the Rarity of the desired item. So, to get a Rarity 4 magic item you need to trade either a single Rarity 4 magic item or multiple ones whose total Rarity matches that.

[@phoeberia2734]

I got a magic shop that takes electrum only, treating elecrtrum as like an amber like material, something used to create magic stuff, its not something you can simply trade metal coin for, it is its own economy and system.

[@FablesD20]

I love electrum for magical stuff! I started something similar in our Curse of Amity Island adventure. One of our players is the daughter of a magical smith, but they need electrum to conduct the magic into their creations. And her first arc is just surviving the journey over the sea to get the electrum to her father.

[@CapnAlces]

That wine-potion idea... 🤯

[@FablesD20]

Thank you

[@hadesblackplays]

your videos always help me so much to keep expanding my world and bring better games to my players! thank you

[@FablesD20]

My videos help me think through ideas that i want to use and help me articulate ideas, either ones that come to mind in the shower or late at night or ones that I hear from other brilliant minds. No matter the inception, great ideas that I think are helpful, you can count on me to find a way to share them

[@TwinSteel]

❤️🥳👍🏿