Magic Item Compendium and DMG Only for Magic Items?

[Atavar]

Hello Everyone,

Today I picked up the new Magic Item Compendium (MIC) from WotC, and so far it looks pretty darn cool and useful. I did notice something, though, that prompted me to ask a question to all y'all.

Is WotC's intent that the MIC and the DMG be the sole standard sources of magic items available in a standard campaign (barring items published in later books, of course)?

For example, I recently allowed a player to upgrade his weapon with the Sonic Burst ability from Player's Guide to Faerun, even though we do not play in the Forgotten Realms setting. It was my understanding (according to something I read or heard recently) that the MIC would contain all magic items and abilities from previously published sources (excluding the DMG) that WotC thought would be best used in standard campaigns (along with many new items as well).

Well, I looked up the Sonic Burst weapon ability in the MIC, and it is not there. In fact, I could not find anything in there that does sonic damage (although I admit I did not inspect every letter of the book thoroughly).

Does that mean that, in WotC's opinion, such an item from a previously published source that is NOT reprinted in the MIC should NOT be used in a standard campaign for some reason (like its being unbalanced or something)?

I know I can allow and disallow anything I want in my campaign as the DM. I just wanted to hear from others to see if what I had heard was true or not and, even if true, should I just ignore it?

Thanks,

Atavar

 

[Crothian]

I don't think Wizards really cares what we use in our game. I wouldn't worry too much about what they might think anyway.

 

[Shade]

I don't have the book, but the table of contents showed the screaming and screaming burst properties, which in their previous incarnations did sonic damage.

 

[Atavar]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Screaming and screaming burst do, indeed, appear in the book, so it looks like my example is moot anyway.

I know those abilities as sonic and sonic burst from Player's Guide to Faerun. In what other book were they renamed to screaming and screaming burst?

Later,

Atavar

 

[jasin]

What are the MIC screaming and screaming burst like? Not 1d6 and 1d10, I hope?

 

[Rauol_Duke]

What are the MIC screaming and screaming burst like? Not 1d6 and 1d10, I hope?

Rest easy, Jasin, they're 1d4 and 1d8...

 

[Aaron L]

The lack of inclusion of an item in the MIC doesn't mean that WotC considers it "unofficial" anymore, any more than the lack of inclusion of an spell in the Spell Compendium makes the spell "obsolete."

Did you read the commentary on the WotC site? It's a collection of the items the staff found most interesting, or wanted to update; if anything, if an item isn't included in the Compendium, it should be takes as a sign that it's fine as is and didn't NEED updating.

All that, plus a bunch of new items (and a bag of chips, or so my sources say!) means this is one book I'm definitely getting (I can only afford about 4 or 5 books a year, so the ones I do get have to look damn good); in fact, I ordered it a few hours ago and should be getting it tomorrow. It should be invaluable for my Cannith Artificer who just came across a ton of cash.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

The lack of inclusion of an item in the MIC doesn't mean that WotC considers it "unofficial" anymore, any more than the lack of inclusion of an spell in the Spell Compendium makes the spell "obsolete."

Did you read the commentary on the WotC site? It's a collection of the items the staff found most interesting, or wanted to update; if anything, if an item isn't included in the Compendium, it should be takes as a sign that it's fine as is and didn't NEED updating.

All that, plus a bunch of new items (and a bag of chips, or so my sources say!) means this is one book I'm definitely getting (I can only afford about 4 or 5 books a year, so the ones I do get have to look damn good); in fact, I ordered it a few hours ago and should be getting it tomorrow. It should be invaluable for my Cannith Artificer who just came across a ton of cash.

From what I understood from the latest article on the MIC, if they haven't updated it, it was either fine as it was or it just sucked so badly that it wasn't worth including in a MIC.

Olaf the Stout

 

[EyeontheMountain]

I have always thought that magical items are prime house rule territory, and players rarely complain.

 

[delericho]

I don't think that was WotC's intent, but it certain is my intent to only allow magic items from the DMG and the MIC, just as I only allow spells from the PHB and the SC. It's just so much easier to have two books to handle than dozens.