First off, if every encounter is a cake walk - the DM sucks, or it's too early in the game where the DM hasn't properly compensated for group dynamics. D&D isn't supposed to be easy. Conversely it's also not supposed to be a Total Party Kill every other game session. The best DMs know how to walk the line of challenge. You want the fights (especially the bosses) to have that sense of "Holy crap that was tough!" without the "Why the hell did you put us against him?!" Ok, again - I've...
View full commentFirst off, if every encounter is a cake walk - the DM sucks, or it's too early in the game where the DM hasn't properly compensated for group dynamics. D&D isn't supposed to be easy. Conversely it's also not supposed to be a Total Party Kill every other game session. The best DMs know how to walk the line of challenge. You want the fights (especially the bosses) to have that sense of "Holy crap that was tough!" without the "Why the hell did you put us against him?!"
Ok, again - I've agreed to all of this. I know full well that there isn't a single DM in the world who will run 100% of WOTC content in their game because frankly it would make no sense with how varied the content available is. It still boils down to the simple point that there is NO purpose behind an item like the Rod of Absorption other than to break the game for a specific type of character. I have a pretty good imagination, but I can't think of a single scenario in which a baddie having this item or eventually a player having this item wouldn't cause 1) Enemies with magic to be lawn ornaments for all the use they would be in a fight or 2) The DM to never use any magic-user enemies which would make this Legendary item completely worthless since no magic would ever be cast at its owner.