Magic Item Poll

[deadlandsrules]

Howdy fellow Alliance players. As anyone who has worked with me on a chapter or National level knows, I am very much in favor of a limitation on magic items in our game. That being said, I also realize that not everyone agrees with me. So to that end I wanted to throw this up just to sort of gauge general attitudes toward our current magic item system. These are just the options I feel could be easily implimented and would effect logistics the least, so if you have a different idea, please feel free to hit other and give an explanation. Above all, lets keep things civil and on topic.

Thanks for your time

(Just fixed a few typos.... nothing to see here. - Stephen)

 

[Davion]

I voted "Other."
I'd limit it to 1 ritual per level, not counting extenders/artifacts/evers.

 

[Robb G]

x

 

[RiddickDale]

I'm also in favor of a ritual limit.

I think that it is completely within reason to assume that we have enough math-inclined folks that we could figure out the correct number of rituals to allow without imbalancing the game.

My only caveat is that I would like to see this number be static regardless of level. Changing MIs is partly to level the playing field and that acts counter to that goal.

 

[Michiko]

Great poll Sean! Thanks for putting this up.

I originally voted Limit # of items but after thinking about it a bit more I'm changing my vote to Total Ritual cap (or rather I would if I could, instead just... math... and stuff.)

 

[Tyson]

Would be possible to set the cap based on the total difficulties of rituals, instead of the number of rituals?

That way a 1/day stone bolt doesn't have the same "cap hit" as a 1/day prison, and people wouldn't be as encourage to stock up on top-level stuff only.

 

[Dan Nickname Beshers]

I would like to see a two-point cap, targeting number of items and number of rits. Take for example 5 items 25 rits: you can have as many items as you want so long as the total number of rits is 25 or fewer. Similarly, one could carry and user a large number of rits so long as all those rituals are contained on no more than five items. I feel this is equitable both for people who have saved up to make 1 or 2 large items and players who have collected a larger number of smaller 1-3 rit items.

 

[Alavatar]

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:wacko:

 

[Avaran]

I think if there is to be a cap, it needs to differ based on class.

I think putting a limit on MI's hurts caster-types and their potential longevity more than it does martial-based classes, and Earth Scholars most of all (imho). Therefore, I think Scholars should have a higher limit than Fighters, Scouts, and Rogues, with Adepts/Templars/Artisans having a limit somewhere in between.

 

[mikestrauss]

I voted "Other", so I think it is worth explaining.

I'd like to see the vast majority of magic items that are currently times per day changed to times ever. The current ratio is (best guess) something like 95% of items are times per day (excluding "always on" items like damage aura). I'd like to see that ratio essentially reversed. I don't really see damage auras, elemental auras, protection auras, or basically any "always on" magic item as a problem (with the possible exception of Arcane Armor). I see the proliferation of Cloaks, Banes, Magic Armors, Spells Shields, Life spells, and Purify spells as a problem. If they were almost exclusively times ever items, I think that problem would disappear.

-MS

 

[obcidian_bandit]

Other: Must have the skill to use the item it duplicates (including High Magic). Potentially, with a cap at like 5 "exception" rituals, which would be where things that aren't build duplicating would live.

 

[tieran]

I agree with Mike Strauss. I don't think the problem can be fixed "for real" without an overhaul of the ritual system.

But, given that such an overhaul would be hugely drastic and that most changes are made in baby steps, I think there should be a cap of some sort.

I think the best solution is a cap based on ritual difficulty with a hard limit of X difficulty worth of rotuals that is modified by skills purchased. So, say 500 difficulty worth of rituals plus another 50 (or maybe 100) per ninth level spell the character has.

 

[soleedge]

I agree with Mike Strauss. I don't think the problem can be fixed "for real" without an overhaul of the ritual system.

But, given that such an overhaul would be hugely drastic and that most changes are made in baby steps, I think there should be a cap of some sort.

I think the best solution is a cap based on ritual difficulty with a hard limit of X difficulty worth of rotuals that is modified by skills purchased. So, say 500 difficulty worth of rituals plus another 50 (or maybe 100) per ninth level spell the character has.

I can stand behind this system 100 percent. It doesn't punish scholars and you'd be surprised how quickly 500 points of points can go away for a player in terms of items/weapons.

 

[Tantarus]

Other: Must have the skill to use the item it duplicates (including High Magic). Potentially, with a cap at like 5 "exception" rituals, which would be where things that aren't build duplicating would live.

This would be the best thing for the game, imo. Classes would matter again. High levels stacked with magic items would not effectively be all classes anymore. The flavor and feel of the game would be so much better if not everyone could heal, life spell, dodge, or imprison at the top end. It would encourage team play and just the game better imo.

 

[OrcFighterFTW]

I'm guessing I'm in the minority on this one. I voted "no restriction" because 1) teams/groups/clans/orders/whatever you want to call them will pool/share/trade off items throughout the event anyway (or give them to a different character if the primary using character is not at the event to use it) and 2) I like the idea of "here new player, use my item of power for this mod and feel like a rock star" so I don't want to limit it to only duplicating already achieved skills. I don't think any amount of regulation would stop either of these practices unless magic items are for one character and one character only, but that would only create an entirely different and less fun MI system.

 

[Jim]

I think if there is to be a cap, it needs to differ based on class.

I think putting a limit on MI's hurts caster-types and their potential longevity more than it does martial-based classes, and Earth Scholars most of all (imho). Therefore, I think Scholars should have a higher limit than Fighters, Scouts, and Rogues, with Adepts/Templars/Artisans having a limit somewhere in between.

I was just having a chat earlier about this concept with a pretty similar outcome.

I voted other, but I'm still putting my thoughts together for an explanation.

 

[Cúangol]

Would be possible to set the cap based on the total difficulties of rituals, instead of the number of rituals?

That way a 1/day stone bolt doesn't have the same "cap hit" as a 1/day prison, and people wouldn't be as encourage to stock up on top-level stuff only.

I support a cap, in part to encourage a trickle-down effect: when you get your elemental blast item, you realize that you have little need of the stone bolt item and sell it to a new adventurer (when I was new, My fellow newbies and I tried everything to get the weakest of items - a weakling stone bolt could get a new player to keep coming back). Or sell your weak items to the celestial/earth guilds, which the rulebook says is supposed to often have MIs for sale (but never does in my experiences).

Patrick

 

[Garrick]

Other: Must have the skill to use the item it duplicates (including High Magic). Potentially, with a cap at like 5 "exception" rituals, which would be where things that aren't build duplicating would live.

This would be the best thing for the game, imo. Classes would matter again. High levels stacked with magic items would not effectively be all classes anymore. The flavor and feel of the game would be so much better if not everyone could heal, life spell, dodge, or imprison at the top end. It would encourage team play and just the game better imo.

I am a new-ish player who is in complete agreement with Obcidian_Bandit and Tanrarus - I voted "other" as well. I find that the best part of roleplaying games is having to rely on others' strengths to accomplish a difficult task - everyone has a set purpose and role. Magic items greatly change this dynamic. The balance of the game feels wonky to me when fighters are casting numerous life spells and earth casters are tossing out dragon's breaths. It definitely reduces the need for class diversity and diminishes the interdependence that (I feel) makes encounters much more enjoyable.

 

[Deadlands of Old]

I would like to see a two-point cap, targeting number of items and number of rits. Take for example 5 items 25 rits: you can have as many items as you want so long as the total number of rits is 25 or fewer. Similarly, one could carry and user a large number of rits so long as all those rituals are contained on no more than five items. I feel this is equitable both for people who have saved up to make 1 or 2 large items and players who have collected a larger number of smaller 1-3 rit items.

Good idea. I'd support this.

 

[RiddickDale]

I would like to see a two-point cap, targeting number of items and number of rits. Take for example 5 items 25 rits: you can have as many items as you want so long as the total number of rits is 25 or fewer. Similarly, one could carry and user a large number of rits so long as all those rituals are contained on no more than five items. I feel this is equitable both for people who have saved up to make 1 or 2 large items and players who have collected a larger number of smaller 1-3 rit items.

Good idea. I'd support this.

I like this also... it presents players with game play choices.

More choices = more goodness.