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This article drifts into an esoteric aspect of worldbuilding. Some articles in this series are neutral in regards to Bottom-Up or Top-Down worldbuilding, applying equally to both. Then there’s trade and economics, a subject that quickly gets finicky and OCD even when building a Top-Down world for mass consumption.

Regardless, it can be handy to know some of the major trade routes of the region as well has how towns and nations support themselves. It’s also useful to keep in mind the economics of the world and the game.

As this is such an esoteric topic, I’ll be covering a couple topics at once to keep things short.

Chapters

Below are links to the other chapters in this series.

Introduction

Part 1: The Hook

Part 1.5: Factors

Part 2: Conflict

Part

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clawclawbite.com

Claw/Claw/Bite is an online resource for role playing material.  The result of early brainstorms between Stephen Hilderbrand and Adam Thompson, this blog serves as a whiteboard for ideas that we typeset into Claw/Claw/Bitemagazine, and then eventually into modules released by Unicorn Rampant Publishing and Inverspace Press.

We try to write material that is both compelling, engaging, easy to use, and fun. Our adventures are meant to be dramatic. We also love whimsy, so you may also notice bits that make you say, “is that meant to be funny, or are they just dumb.” It’s probably a mix of both. Pop culture references from the 80’s, stupid (or awesome?) puns.

This blog includes material for the 3.5 edition of the d20 fantasy rules, the Pathfinder

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Interlude: D&D Next and Magic Items

A brief interlude to talk about the subject of today's Legend & Lore column: magic items. But, before that, please make sure to fill out the survey on editions, organized play, and where and how you play.

The evolution of magic items in D&D has been interesting. From Original D&D to Basic to AD&D to 2E, magic items were the domain of the Dungeon Master. The DM selected (or even rolled randomly) based on the types of creatures or level of dungeon involved. As a result, there was often a sense of mystery. If you didn't own the DMG and similar DM books, you didn't know all of the items available. And if the DM was at times rolling randomly, there was a chance you would get a really neat and sometimes powerful item.

Powerful, however, wasn't the same as in...

I have not fully reviewed the playtest, so I may add some commentary of what I'd like to see later.

Magic items were lost in 4.0, there are too many and the abundance of magic items became all too much. Also without the ability of being able to combine enchantments, took the uniqueness away from magical enchantments.

So I like the 3.5 system, but, like the rest of D&DNext we are going to incorporate some elements of 4th edition.

The 3.5 system of enchantments is relatively comfortable in operating in, the DM could create items and hand them out, and the characters could make items (with the DMs discression).

1) I dislike the need for magic weapons and armor to have a mandatory +1 before its enchantment. If there is an enchantment on an item, it is quite apparent that with its enchantment or...

The first magic item I remember finding when I started playing Dungeons & Dragons was a sword +1, flame tongue. The item stands out in my mind not for its power—and it was quite powerful—but for its importance, its place, and the story implied by its name. As a twelve-year-old kid, I appreciated the extra damage and the bonus to hit, just as I would now. The mechanical qualities, as fine as they were, did not secure pride of place in the dusty attic of my mind, though. The sword sparked my imagination. It felt unique and important. It changed how I played the game. It contributed to my character’s identity and how I imagined my fighter when he charged headlong into battle, with a flame-kissed blade. More than anything else, it gave me ownership over a piece of D&D, because

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Back in the day, just about every Dungeon Master had a set of house rules, or special exceptions to normal play that usually dealt with some offending bit of tech or a gap left in the rules. Some DMs had a few; others had huge binders filled with all sorts of changes and corrections for their games. I was no exception. We had eight ability scores (Perception and Comeliness). We also used Rolemaster’s Arms Law for critical hits and fumbles. One rule I changed that sticks out clearly in my memory was “+x or better to hit,” which was the kiss of death for player characters in my games.

You might say I was a bit stingy with the magic items. Bring a 10th-level character into my ongoing campaign, and I’d tell you to buy your equipment just as if you were a 1st-level character.

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I have been a little disappointed in the magic items in 4e. I think they are a little lame to be honest. They are not that powerful and don't seem to make much difference to characters. So, I was excited when I heard about the publication of Mordekainen's Emporium. I hoped to find many old 1e favorites adapted for 4e. Alas, there were some things adapted, but they are rather impotent items.

Consider, for example, the "Oil of Etherealness" in Mordekainen's vs the first edition DMG. The 4e version of this potion allows a character to be "insubstantial" (apparently 4e doesn't understand what the word ethereal means) until the end of his or her next turn, whereas the same potion in 1e allows the character to be ethereal for multiple rounds. We had so much fun when a character would find such

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Alliteration aside, and ancillary to all. Sorry...

Since I started thinking about how things could be in the future, and the just massive discussions lately on the boards about the fabled 5e looming around the corner like a gelatinous cube, had got me thinking about Mike Mearls talking about abilities defining your character.

It defines your Character, but not your Character's character, although one can postulate that the abilities of the Character one can deduce the type of character the Character can have. Also, alignment helps define the Character's character. But largely it's the player that characterizes the Character's character.

Abilities

The tried and true abilities that D&D has had over the years is the STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA. Notice I still type these out in

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Today, I’m looking at magic items, as requested by ramius613 a little while back. I’ve mentioned magic items quite a few times, but I don’t believe I’ve dedicated an entire blog to the fail that is 4e’s magic items. Or, at least not since 2009 and this embarrassingly early blog.

Rarity

I think my biggest problem comes from the inherent lack of rarity of magic items. Magic items are assumed for the math of the game. It wasn’t until the DMG2 and its addition of optional inherent bonuses – a full year into the edition – where a low(er) magic game became possible. And that rule is buried in the back of the book, hidden under a wall of text. I can never find it when I needed and often turn to the Dark Sun book where the rule was reprinted

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