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I happily noted that magic bonuses will not be expected by 5e's math. I treat accuracy, damage, and defense bonuses as their own abilities like returning, ghost touch, and spell reflection anyway, and as common or rare as I want them to be.

I wouldn't invest feats in things that can be lost, and I wouldn't want players to feel entitled to keep things they can lose. A method of adding abilities to items sounds fun, tho': probably a ritual or crafting skill.

Beyond math and numbers, I like utility abilities to magic items. I generally never tell players what they do (or if it is magic at all); I want players to tinker with them in different situations. I also attach caveauts because it's a fun way to create story. They needn't outweigh the benefit, however.

with all due respect, the concept of magic item and balance are anathema. Magic items are supposed to either be Deux Ex Machina or Wish Fulfillment. I'm aware of the trend to swap out Modern Technology for Magic Technology, but it's really got to be stomped out. If you want to play a modern paramilitary game, play Cyberpunk, the first version took place in 2013 - that's next year. You can even biosculpt your characters to look like dwarves, dragonborn, and elves of every color. If you really must have a fireball by chanting, play Shadowrun.

But seriously, Magic items need to be magical, acting as an X factor, not a calculated adjustment to your hit, AC, healing, resistance, and damage output. If Everybody's got one, it's not magical. The Holy Avenger wasn't balanced, but fair because there were four ways originally to not see it in the game - the character had to be human in a game where you could play elves and dwarves; the character had to have stats so high you'd probably never see the numbers legitimately again for years; the character could fall from grace and be unworthy to quest for it; and finally, the character had to successfully complete the quest to get it, with a solid possibility of failure. As it became easier to play a paladin, both the class and the sword have been nerfed. If I wanted to play Nerf I would go to Central Park.

Its funny, because I would be more inclined to change the statement to:

Please MAKE magic items Useless LOL.

Honestly I tire of magic items defining the character more so then his/her own abilities.

For example, whats the point of having a feat that gives you a +1 to hit when you can buy a weapon that does the same for a mere 1000 gp.

I think D&D Next should instead focus on magic items that provide UNIQUE abilities that don't infringe on your character's abilities and arn't mechanically built into your character's progress as it was in 4th Edition.

Apr 16, 2012 -- 9:23AM, Lawolf wrote:

A weapon that can shine like a torch and deal fire damage upon command: cool but not mandatory. A weapon that gives you +5 to hit and damage: not cool but mandatory. I would much rather see cool items than mandatory ones.

Couldn't agre with you more.