Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd

From: tamitha@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Tamitha Carpenter)

Subject: Re: Identification of Magic Items

Date: Tue, 4 May 1993 18:16:26 GMT

Lines: 113

 

zxmna01@studserv.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de (Brian Nash) writes:

 

>Hey all, here's a quick D&D question that I've been deliberating 

>over recently.  What kind of methods do you all use to handle the 

>identification of magical items?

 

I am usually running a very detailed (some might call slow) campaign.

In this campaign, there is really no way to fully identify a magic

item.  There are players carrying equipment that is very magical, but

they still have no clue that it even is magical, much less what its

powers are.

 

What about detect magic, you say, well, the items are apparently

nondescript, and they don't expect them to be magical, so they 

have never put them on the table to be detected.  There is even one

case that the wearer of a magical pin wears it on a magical vest and 

therefore they have never seen the pin glow alone.  The magic of the

vest masks its detection.

 

Thus, my answer to your question would be "Why should they fully identify

items?  The mystery of the items exact power makes the game MUCH more 

fun than actually knowing the plusses/charges/powers/etc."

 

Yes, it makes much more work for the DM to keep track of the items, but

lets you have very interesting roleplaying sessions, when the thief

gambles away an apparently blank book, that is a magical spell book

that the mage has long been looking for.

 

 

But to answer, specifically, your questions:

>Weapons - 

	Weapons feel lighter (Optional rule that magic weapons reduce

	the speed factor added to inititive), keep their edge better, 

	and sometimes glow.  But when identified, the mage/sage can 

	only find out its history, possibly some of its extra powers,

	and give only a bague impression as to its usefullness against

	enchanted creatures.

 

	But, after about 15 game sessions where the player knows it is

	magical, has used it against opponents, and felt its speed in 

	use, I will give the "plusses" to the player.  By that time the 

	player is used to not knowing its plus and tends to role play

	like the character doesn't either.

 

>Misc Magic - 

	Potions usually can be guessed by tasting them and gauging

	the feeling, or a minor impression of what the whole thing 

	will do.  Also, color, appearance, taste, and smell remain 

	the same for a type of potion from the same type of source.

	(Mages make say, yellow healing potions, while clerics of 

	the local religion make blue... but gnollish shamans might 

	make icky grey helaing potions... as long as they remain 

	consistant the characters don't have to run home to find out.)

 

	Other magical items often take game years to discover what 

	they do.  A medalion of Protection from Scrying and Location

	was mistaken for a blessed holy symbol for almost 2 years

	until someone tried to talk telepathically with the character

	and the medallion blocked it.  Now they think it is a holy

	symbol that prevents mental domination.... :-)

 

	Only when they find instructions, notes, or are told by the 

	seller, creator, etc. will the characters really know what

	to do with an item.  They can try to "invoke" its magic 

	by concentrating on it, focusing a spell on it, or throwing 

	it to the floor, but they will not really ever know EXACTLY

	what it will do.

 

	One of the best was a "disconnected" Neclace of Missles Bead.

	It looked mostly like an acorn.  The party mage detected 

	"Evocation" on it.  (USE this difference between clerical 

	detect magic and wizard detect magic.  It is important to 

	determine what the item can or cannot do.)  The players 

	tried planting it (thinking it was some magical tooth/bone 

	that would summon a warrior), concentrating on it, etc.  

 

	They had to break it to cause the fire-ball explosion.

	Finally, they tried to place it in a dead character's 

	mouth and crushing it with his teeth.  Thinking it would

	heal or bring him back to life.  ---> Boom.  Now they 

	know what the other 2 acorns will do.  BUT THEY STILL DON'T

	KNOW THE hit dice OF THE OTHER BEADS.  They probably never 

	will.

 

>Rods/Staves/Wands - 

 

	This is easier.  A wand is useless without the command word, 

	unless it was specifically enchanted to go off when waved

	or some such thing.  An identify might tell you in vauge terms

	what the item will do (basically detecting the spells inside),

	and a detect magic might determine which Class of Spell is

	in there... (Often they only see the Permenancy spell, for

	non-charged items.)... but without the command word... nothing.

 

	Since items often live longer than the maker, an application of 

	the invisible Wizard Mark spell often hides the command word.

	Or it is inscribed on the side of the item in plain sight.

	But if you have a paranoid mage that made the item, there might 

	only be one copy of the command word written in a book 

	somewhere in the wizard's library.  The object for a quest, 

	etc.

 

So, only tell them what the item does either AFTER they basically have

got it right and have some confirmation, or if the information 

source is reliable.

 

It is more work for the DM, but makes the game much more enjoyable

and detailed.

 

		Wizard of the 7th Circle

		David E. Wall

			wiz@donald.phast.umass.edu

			or this account.