Socketed Items!

[tecnowraith]

Does anyone know if there have been rules for socketed magic items for armor, weapons and other items? I havee been thnking of doing for our game and wanted if could be done and balaned? Think how most computer RPGs has done them like Diablo 2 and Final Fantasy 7.

 

[werk]

Sounds like a great way to munchkin everything up good...but why would you want to do that?

 

[Ranger5]

Yes. In the Diablo 2: Diablerie book that came out a couple years ago, it had rules for making Diablo 2 type magic items.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Sure, it's doable.

The one problem is that most weapons and armor abilities cost +s, rather than a strict amount of gold. Therefore, you'd get much more "money's-worth" when attaching a Flaming Gem (+1d6 Fire damage, equal to Flaming enhancement) to a +3 sword (now +4 equivalent) than to a +1 sword (now +2 equivalent).

 

[tecnowraith]

but for D20?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

The Diablo 2 book mentioned above is d20.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

That's where you get into the increasing rarity of weapons/armor with more & more sockets in them.

 

[Lord Morte]

Here's one method.

Hmmm... here's a thought: The socketed item begins life with an enhancement bonus equal to the number of sockets plus one (or two or three or whatever). It acts like an item with that enhancement bonus until something is placed in one of the slots, then it loses a point of the enhancement bonus and gains the appropriate socketed ability. So a three-socket +1 longsword would count as a +4 weapon with nothing in the sockets or a +1 flaming burst orcbane longsword with two rubies and an orc's fingerbone in its sockets.

Mechanics-wise, this method doesn't alter the price of the item because the cost of the item is based on the number of sockets (also duplicating rarity from Diablo 2). The cost of the additional flexibility is offset by the fact that only socketable items have to be of a certain value (gems must be worth, say, 500gp or more?) and, once placed in a socket, can not be removed without a lengthy, expensive and difficult to get magical ritual.

It does open up a new level of munchkinism, but it would suit a hack-and-slash focused campaign.

 

[IamTheTest]

Who says that the 'gems' need to be the same as enchantments that exist in the game? Why not make 'gems' findable but each has a pro and a con? Maybe one GemA adds 1d6 fire damage to the enemy but also 1d3 damage to the wielder or something along those lines. That way they would be more reasonably priced and it would add a bit more flavor to your character. Just a thought.

 

[tecnowraith]

well mixing elements from Complete Arcane with talsimans and Complete Adventure with the weapon capsules and having limits on the "talsimans" that either 15 charges or less or having them be like x/per day of uses. creating the talismans is being done the same way as in CA.