Beginner's Magic Item list

[steeldragons]

I really like the input and interest (and appreciate both) in the "Beginner's Monster List" thread.

So let's try it again with Magic Items. What are your favorites/must haves?

We decided (and by "we" I mean the unilateral decision by moi. ) on a list of 50 for the monsters. So why not, let's go with 50 Magic Items for a section in a D&D-style fantasy game "starter kit."

(Again, "edition" is not relavent so let's keep it that way. Spanks.

I will suggest the following breakdown, but as before, any/all thoughts are eagerly welcomed:

10 Potions
5 Types of Scrolls (note a "Spell Scroll" would be 1 type with a random table of how many/what kind of spells are on it.)
5 Wands
5 Staves
10 Miscellanous Items
15 Arms and Armor

EDIT: DUH! I'm an idiot. Forgot RINGS! Ya know, only the single most commonly known magic item in creation. Ok. Ok.

Ya know what, Scrolls really are just all Spell Scrolls. So nix Scrolls as a category and go with 5 quintessential kinds of Magic Rings instead.

/EDIT
Have at ye!
--Steel Dragons

 

[steeldragons]

10 Potions:
1. Antitoxin/Neutralize Poison: immediately halts the effects of any (natural or magical) poison. It does not "undo" damage inflicted from damage causing poisons, but it will stop any further damage being taken, negate a paralytic, awaken the unconscious or asleep, etc.
2. Extra/Better/Serious Healing: I'm thinking an automatic 10 hit points.
3. Flying: allows flight, at will, for 24 hours.
4. Growth: increases the size of the imbiber d4+1 times larger. Potions may be random or specific (a "double size potion", "triple size potion", etc...) at the DM's discretion.
5. Healing- Obviously a "must have." Whatever an "average" amount of healing would be in your game. Personally, I'm thinking an automatic 5 hit points.
6. Plant Growth: increases size as a "Growth" potion of whatever plant it is poured on.
7. Poison: effects vary by DM's discretion or imagination, but are all nasty, generally undeniable effects. Any from d6 damage (ongoing for d4 rounds, for example), paralysis, unending sleep, and the all powerful "Save or Die" poison.
8. Polymorphing: changes the shape of the imbiber PERMANENTLY to a different creature (creature type determined by the DM)
9. Shrinking: decreases the size of imbiber d4+1 times smaller.
10. Water Breathing: allows normal breathing under water, as needed, for 24 hours.

 

[Dice4Hire]

10 Potions:
1. Antitoxin/Neutralize Poison: immediately halts the effects of any (natural or magical) poison. It does not "undo" damage inflicted from damage causing poisons, but it will stop any further damage being taken, negate a paralytic, awaken the unconscious or asleep, etc.
2. Extra/Better/Serious Healing: I'm thinking an automatic 10 hit points.
3. Flying: allows flight, at will, for 24 hours.
4. Growth: increases the size of the imbiber d4+1 times larger. Potions may be random or specific (a "double size potion", "triple size potion", etc...) at the DM's discretion.
5. Healing- Obviously a "must have." Whatever an "average" amount of healing would be in your game. Personally, I'm thinking an automatic 5 hit points.
6. Plant Growth: increases size as a "Growth" potion of whatever plant it is poured on.
7. Poison: effects vary by DM's discretion or imagination, but are all nasty, generally undeniable effects. Any from d6 damage (ongoing for d4 rounds, for example), paralysis, unending sleep, and the all powerful "Save or Die" poison.
8. Polymorphing: changes the shape of the imbiber PERMANENTLY to a different creature (creature type determined by the DM)
9. Shrinking: decreases the size of imbiber d4+1 times smaller.
10. Water Breathing: allows normal breathing under water, as needed, for 24 hours.

These are beginner magic items? What would advanced be?

Also, why two entries for healing.

If I were going for "beginner" potions, I would stay pretty much with abilities real-world animals have like minor regeneration, chameleon ability, heightened senses, and the like.

 

[steeldragons]

These are beginner magic items? What would advanced be?

Also, why two entries for healing.

If I were going for "beginner" potions, I would stay pretty much with abilities real-world animals have like minor regeneration, chameleon ability, heightened senses, and the like.

Well, I dunno...more of the same?

The two healing were just going back to the original "Healing Potion" and "Extra Healing Potion". I'm not saying all of these are or should be commonly found. They just seemed like the simple/basic stuff to me...with a couple (like "Flying" and "Waterbreathing") doing things before the characters would be capable of doing so themselves via spells make the potions all that much more precious as treasure and some others ("Polymorphing" and "Poison") which are essentially "cursed"/unwanted items (which might spawn alternate adventures).

All magic items don't have to be useful to those that find them.

But yes, the ability-related stuff makes sense for beginning characters. Things like "Strength" and "Speed" should probably be on this list as well.

Hmmm...Ok. I'll revise the list...

Blending: camouflage ability
Darkvision: grants vision (60'?) regardless of illumination level
Flying
Healing
Invisibility
Neutralize Poison
Poison
Polymorphing
Strength: preternatural strength (however you deem to mechanically show it)
Speed: preternatural movement/speed (however you deem to mechanically show it)
Water Breathing

How's that, KM?

--SD

 

[steeldragons]

Ok. Moving on...

5 RINGS
Animal Friendship
Featherfalling
Jumping
Protection: bonus to AC or/and vs. something specific
Resistance: fire, cold, electric

5 Wands
Wand of Magic Missiles
Wand of Illumination: Dancing Lights, Light and a limited number of damage causing Flare/Starburst charges
Wand of Detection: Magic, Good/Evil, Secret Doors
Wand of Charming: Charm Animal, Charm Person and Charm Monster
Wand of Illusion: Colorspray, Mirror Image and Wall of Fog

5 Staffs
Staff of Striking: ye olde classic
Snake Staff: ye olde classic dos
Staff of Healing: various curative and restorative spells
Staff of Elemental Power: air, earth, fire, water (various immunity and spells associated with each)
Staff of Darkness: I dunno what it does...but it's eeeevilllll.

--SD

 

[steeldragons]

10 Miscellaneous/Wondrous items
Bag of Holding
Boots: Elvenkind (they're just too classic), Levitation, Spider Climbing
Brooch of Shielding
Cloak: Elvenkind, Protection/Resistance, Mantra Ray
Crystal Ball
Gauntlets of Ogre Power
Girdle of Giant Strength
Helm of Reading Magic & Comprehending Languages (quite possibly the longest name for a magic item ever created)
Portable Hole
Rope of Climbing
15 Arms and Armor
Armor: Command. Free Movement, Resistance,any type and/or size
Arrows/Bolts: Dispeling Magic, Piercing, Sleeping
Dagger of Venom
Dancing Sword
Dwarven Hammer
Elvin Bow
Elvin Chainmail
Flame Tongue Sword
Frost Brand Sword
Javelin of Lightning
Luck Blade
Mace of Disruption
Mace of Fear
Shield: Absorption, Reflecting, Winged
Trident of Fish Command

 

[howandwhy99]

Potions
1. Healing
2. Sweet Water
3. Extra Healing
4. Invisibility
5. Levitation
6. Fire Resistance
7. Animal Control
8. Plant Control
9. Philter of Love
10. Speed

Armor
11. +1 Shield
12. +1 Leather
13. +1 Chain Mail
14. +1 Scale Mail
15. +1 Plate Mail

Arms
16. +1 Arrows
17. +1 Dagger, +2 vs. Small or less
18. +1 Bow
19. +1 Cursed Sword
20. +1 Sword
21. +1 1H Misc. weapon
22. +1 2H Sword

Scrolls
23. 1 cursed scroll
24. 1 spell level 1 (random type)
25. 2 spells level 1 (random type)
26. 3 spells level 1 (random type)
27. 1 spell level 2 (random type)
28. 2 spells level 2 (random type)
29. 3 spells level 2 (random type)
30. Protection Scroll - magic

Misc. Items
31. Necklace of Missiles
32. Bag of Transmuting
33. Brazier of Sleep Smoke
34. Dust of Sneezing and Choking
35. Helm of Opposite Alignment

No rings, rods, staffs, or wands.

 

[the Jester]

I won't play by your rules, precisely, but I'll list what I've got in my homebrewed system again. It will be a bigger list than yours, so trim as you like.

Note that my "beginner's list" includes cursed items.

It's instructive, I think, to look at the assumptions inherent in a list like this. I notice you don't have "implements" per se, but you have both staves and wands, and nearly 1/3 your items are weapons and armor. Also, note my category of "worn items", which subsumes all body slot items that aren't armor et. al.

POTIONS
Potion of Climbing
Potion of Delusion
Potion of Eloquence
Potion of Energy Resistance
Potion of Healing
Potion of Heroism
Potion of Invisibility
Potion of Poison
Potion of Speed
Potion of Water Breathing

SCROLLS
Cursed Scroll
Identifying Scroll
Mapping Scroll
Prayer Scroll
Protection Scroll
Spell Scroll

ARMOR et. al.
Note: This category includes helms and shields in my system, both of which add to AC.
Alliance
Dragonslayer's
Dwarven
Energy Resistance
Ghost Touch
Immovable
Poison Resistance
Stealth*
Strongmind
Swiftness
Swimming
Vitals Protection

WEAPONS
Anarchic
Axiomatic
Bane
Caustic
Deadly
Defending
Distance
Flaming
Frost
Glowing
Holy
Jagged
Lethal
Maneuvering
Poisonous
Returning
Shock
Speed
Terror
Thunder
Unholy

IMPLEMENTS
Deadly
Disorienting
Finding
Flame
Frost
Glyphs
Healer's
Knowledge
Lightning
Magic Detection
Maneuvering
Metamagician's
Mortality
Radiant
Rulership
Sacrificial
Sea
Smoke
Susceptibility
Swift
Tenacious
Thunder
Vulnerability

WORN ITEMS
Boots of Elvenkind
Boots of Teleportation
Bracers of Defense
Bracers of Defenselessness
Brooch of Shielding
Circlet of Persuasion
Cloak of Displacement
Cloak of Elvenkind
Cloak of Poisonousness
Cloak of Protection
Cloak of Resistance
Gauntlets of Fumbling
Gauntlets of Ogre Power
Gloves of Missile Snaring
Gloves of Thievery
Healer's Brooch
Necklace of Adaptation
Ring of Invisibility
Ring of Shooting Stars
Scabbard of Sharpness

WONDROUS ITEMS
Bag of Holding
Banner of Victory
Carpet of Flying
Chime of Opening
Cube of Force
Decanter of Endless Water
Dust of Appearance
Dust of Disappearance
Iron Flask
Manual of Gainful Exercise
Vacuous Grimoire
Wind Fan

 

[Beginning of the End]

This is a really interesting and timely discussion for me. We've been going over the magic item lists for Legends & Labyrinths again trying to figure out what the "essential" entries are.

We've been going back to OD&D and BECMI a lot in trying to figure out the common "stock" is.

 

[steeldragons]

This is a really interesting and timely discussion for me. We've been going over the magic item lists for Legends & Labyrinths again trying to figure out what the "essential" entries are.

We've been going back to OD&D and BECMI a lot in trying to figure out the common "stock" is.

Glad to be timely. Hope it is providing some assistance.

What has you group decided on thus far?

[MENTION=21556]Jester[/MENTION], great lists! Thanks for sharing. I do like separating out "Worn Items". Makes sense.

[MENTION=3192]howandwhy99[/MENTION] also great lists. I very much like the "back to basics" simplicity. Kind of like, "This is the best stuff you can hope to find." And at low levels, you do rejoice over the +1 weapons and potions and scrolls. I guess I would want to at least dangle a +2 carrot in there someplace to give the unspoken understanding that there could, very very rarely, be more "out there" to water the players' appetites. But, I guess it goes to the amount/level of magic and magic items wanted in a given game world.

I am curious though why you would say no rings, wands or staves? Do you think they are too powerful for a low level group? Add them into a "expert set"? Particularly the wands, being generally weaker limited charge/use items.

But thanks to everyone for the responses. Keep 'em comin'.
--Steel Dragons