Magic Item Vending Machine

[liam]

I've heard it suggested that The Ship ought to have a series of machines, capable of taking in liquid wealth and outputting magic items. These devices, as I've come to understand it, would have a limited range of items available, and anything not on this list would simply not be available on the ship. A PC who wanted something really specific, like a named magic weapon, an Enveloping Pit (much cheaper but more difficult to use Portable Hole that's a [relic]), or even a Belt of Giant Strength with an odd bonus, would have to seek it out on a planet.

I think it would be helpful to begin establishing this list ahead of time.

Disclaimer:
All of this is subject to change if people with more authority than me vote me down.

Part One: Essential Bonuses
At some point, everyone is going to want an Amulet of Constitution, or a Ring of Protection, or Boots of Elvenkind. I think it's particularly important that they not be denied these sorts of things. There's just some staple items that (nearly) every PC is eventually going to need three or four of.

Indeed, the Magic Item Compendium (p 233) suggests that because of this, certain very basic bonuses should be exempt from the multiple-abilities-on-one-item price multiplier. It's hard to give out fun treasure when everyone already has all their body slots full of things they need to survive or to be effective. I am completely in favour of this, and I think it's even more important if we're going to be strictly limiting their access to custom items.

The full table is on p 234 of the MIC, but the abilities in question are:

• Deflection Bonus to AC, +1 to +5, Bonus²*2,000 gp.
  
• Armor Bonus to AC, +1 to +8, Bonus²*1,000 gp. (Like Bracers/Vest of Armor)
  
• Enhancement bonus to Natural Armor, +1 to +5, Bonus²*2,000 gp. (I acutally think this is overcosted compared to Rings of Deflection, and would be in favour of lowering it to Bonus²*1,500 gp.)
  
• Enhancement Bonus to Charisma, +2 to +6, Bonus²*1,000 gp.
  
• Enhancement Bonus to Constitution, +2 to +6, Bonus²*1,000 gp.
  
• Enhancement Bonus to Dexterity, +2 to +6, Bonus²*1,000 gp.
  
• Enhancement Bonus to Intelligence, +2 to +6, Bonus²*1,000 gp.
  
• Enhancement Bonus to Strength, +2 to +6, Bonus²*1,000 gp.
  
• Enhancement Bonus to Wisdom, +2 to +6, Bonus²*1,000 gp.
  
• Resistance bonus to Saving Throws, +1 to +5, Bonus²*1,000 gp.
  

Part Two: Weapons and Armor
Not everyone is going to need a tricked out sword or axe or spear with a jillion special abilities, but a lot of people are going to.
Beyond simple plusses, I submit the following special abilities for availability within the machine:
Weapons

• All of the basic Weapon Special Abilities in the SRD seem fine and wholesome to me. Many of them, like Flaming and Holy, are staples.
  
• I'd suggest a small price increase on Spell Storing ammunition, (maybe to 200 or 250 gp a pop instead of 160), but leave the price the same for melee weapons.
  
• Ditto for all the special abilities in the MIC that are just slightly altered versions of those in the SRD, like Corrosive (+1d6 acid damage) or Impact (keen for bludgeoning weapons)
  
• I actually like all the abilities in the MIC, but in the interest of being completely unambiguous, they should be listed one at a time. I'm particularly fond of Harmonizing, Force, Impaling, Sacred, Warning, and Whirling. Does anyone have objections to specific ones?
  
• Valorous: Champions of Valor. Double damage on a charge, like a lance. Way underpriced at +1, but would be interesting at +2 or +3 for a cavalier or charging-focused character.
  
  
• (Flesh this out later)
  
  

Armor and Shields

• Same as above: Everything in the SRD seems totally fine. Fortification is great.
  
• Likewise, I have no objections to any of the basic armor properties in the MIC.

[liam]

Part Three: Potions, Scrolls, Wands, and so on:
They're fine. Perhaps offer a price break on the higher level healing potions, so they're not a complete waste.

Part Four: Staple Clothing
Everyone loves a pair of Boots of Striding and Springing, or a Ring of Sustenance, or a Hat of Disguise. I'll have a more exhaustive list later, but for now I'm going to say I like almost everything in the SRD (though some of it is painfully overcosted) and almost everything in the MIC (though some of it is painfully undercosted, *cough*healingbelt*cough*).
I'll edit this with a more exhaustive list later.

Part Five: Staple Gear[/u]
Some people insist on always having a Portable Hole or Bag of Holding for hauling their loot around. I know I personally insist on always having a Handy Haversack stuffed to the bring with hundreds of different mundane items, in hopes that they might someday come in handy. (Garlic, anyone?)
A few things are obviously in need of a ban or nerf (Candle of Invocation). Others, like Sovereign Glue or Qual's Feather Tokens or Pearls of Power, are adventuring staples. I'm in favour of offering cheap consumable items, because they encourage
creativity. Or maybe they encourage hoarding, I don't know.
I'll have a list of the more interesting ones soon.

Reusable tools also come in very handy. A Rod of Ropes is your very own Grappling Hook Gun, and everyone wants a grappling hook gun, right?

[Nygil, Nickolie]

We are and have been building a list all summer... mostly it has been is jesse's hands so far. It shall be laid out in a proper list form of item - cost. It will be limiting.... suck it up. (meant in humor)

Better to limit items, and give out cool things than have people who dominate the item rules make better things cheaper.

[Naelwyn]

I've got a bunch of .txt files already set up for this thing.

It covers the majority of items available in 3.5 SRD and MIC, which should be available, and which are available after changes.

I've also got a way to cover the "Essential Bonuses" thing. (By re-purposing the otherwise banned Item Crystal System.)


I am, however, TOTALLY in favor of giving out unique, priceless stuff as mission rewards and having the generator make humdrum bog-standard equipment. (Actually, hold on, that's worthy of a whole new post.)

[Naelwyn]

Wealth by Level/Leveling.Mission Attendance Suggestions

Aha. I figured out how to make attending missions feel rewarding and missing them feel a bit less so.

If we can, we should try to give out unique, interesting gear for missions. (Not necessarily powerful, but interesting.)

If you can't make it for a game day, no problem. You still level up on time, and you can get some bog-standard fabricated gear.

Essentially, do mission, get shinies, miss mission, get blander shinies.

Thoughts?

[Nygil, Nickolie]

Yes, this is good. However, the plan as a base is to have a range for each mission. So 100gp - 300gp this is the min and max any dm should give to each player that day.... never going over, or under. Where in that range you give is based on how hard it is, and how well they did.

For those who are NOT there, they simply get the min. More showing up, means more wealth..... but not showing up does not gimp you.

Still, items that are awesome but do not convert to cash are also a gooooddd selling point... and seeing that we go world to world it lets you carry the flavour of worlds you'd been to before.

[Nygil, Nickolie]

These details WILL be hashed out at the meeting.

[illios]

Sounds like a loooong meeting

[Nygil, Nickolie]

Setting up a linked story/game for 10ish DM's to run twice a week for 40ish people over a full year while holding balance between fair and fun..... yes yes it is a little work to string it together.

[Naelwyn]

SRD Items in the vending machine:

SRD Mundane:
Anything that isn't organic/living, including raw materials to construct mundane things. (1/3 of the price of the finished item, as normal)


SRD Magic Items:

Armor/Weapons: All Bonuses are Available, but none of the Unique Armor/Weapons are, Excepting Slaying Arrows and Sleep Arrows. (Consumables). (Modification: Spell Storing Modifier is a +2 on ammunition instead of +1.)
All SRD Wands, Staves, Scrolls, Potions, and Oils.
No Intelligent, Cursed, Or Artifact.

Rings: Protection, Feather Falling, Sustenance, Climbing, Jumping, Swimming, Mind Shielding, Energy Resistance, Water Walking, Freedom of Movement.


Wonderous:
All Consumables/One-Time Usage Items; Excepting: {Incense of Meditation, Candle of Invocation}
Bracers of Armor, Amulets of Natural Armor, Amulets of Mighty Fists
Stat-Enchantment Gear (Gloves of Dexterity, etc.)
Bags of Holding, Handy Haversacks, Portable Holes.
Ioun Stones
Stat-Boost Books
Bags of Tricks, Monk's Belt, Boccob's Blessed Book
Boots of Striding and Springing, Boots/Cloak of Elvenkind


Is there anything really Iconic I'm forgetting here? (I'm trying to have only the "Generic But Useful" stuff available.)(IE, Unique Items are only available on missions, but normal bonuses are all available.)

[steve]

For Wonderous Items, do we want to (dis)allow Incense of Meditation? I think it's broken for its listed price (even for one time use).

Other iconic items that I think you missed are Boots of Striding and Springing and Boots/Cloak of Elvenkind. Unless you purposely left them out.

[Naelwyn]

Nope, I missed those. Nice catch.

Also, I agree on the incense.

[rivet]

I think we should look at those cleric prayer beads as well.. they were used for some silly things last year

[Naelwyn]

Prayer Beads aren't on the list. For good Reason.