The soft click of Tyrashโs steel-toed boot seemed to bore its way into Valโs mind, breaking his concentration on the sapphire chest he was attempting to open. In the distance, the sounds of a full barrack of city watch filled the corridors and nearby mess hall. At the door, Azreal and Strass kept an eye out for any patrols that might catch them in this latest act of thievery. Val turned and twisted his lock picks, probing at the complex mechanisms.
How can a GM give their players control over defining a magic item? What are the positive and negative effects of doing so? How often should a GM do this?
When Val opened the chest, I handed over a magic item slip that gives details about that magic item. This slip, in addition to stating the abilities of the magic item, also read, โYou can choose what form this item has from the following: projectile, rod, scroll, and book.โ As the player looked over the slip, I explained what was happening to the rest of the party.
Strass and Azreal pressed themselves against the walls as the door swung upon. Tyrash met the eyes of the captain, who in return stared in surprised silence. Val raised his arm triumphantly into the air, holding aloft a gleaming arrow.
By allowing Val to determine what form the item has, the player gets the chance to customize the item to something they find exciting. In this case, Val decided that the item, which could cast the spell command, was an arrow. On the magic slip, I noted what abilities the item would have in each form. In the case of the arrow, the weapon could be thrown or shot and if it hit a target, the spell would affect that target and be consumed in the process. Valโs choice of an arrow immediately sparked excitement and surprise at the table as many players demanded that Val throw it at the guard.
When I offered Val the opportunity to define the item, I provided a chance for the player to create an item that feels personal and customized. Often, players are given items that are predefined. This can result in items that feel lackluster or useless, resulting in players feeling forced to make the item feel significant. Giving the players control over the form the item may take provides a chance for that player to become more immersed into the game and provide an opportunity for the player to claim the spotlight as everyone else waited to hear what type of magic item they found.
Giving your players a set of options from which they may choose their itemโs form helps ensure that no magic item becomes too powerful. Additionally, some players may need this support to help them come up with an idea if they know the rest of the party will be waiting on their answer. Sometimes, players can come up with a unique or surprising item form that can threaten the balance in your game. You may need to sit down with a player after a session to fix a magic item if its form seems too powerful for your game.
Player-defined items are best used infrequently. Creating player-defined items takes planning and work and introducing them into your game has the opportunity to create amazing moments of game play. But be careful not to overuse this tool without talking to your players. After implementing a player-defined item, ask your players if they thought the item design was fun and whether they would like to see it again.
Letโs sum up:
- Player-defined items offer a series of forms from which a player may choose one. These could be projectile, weapon, rod, book, item, scroll… you name it.
- By offering players chances to define their newly discovered item, you provide a space for players to immerse themselves further in the game.
- Moving the spotlight onto important discovery moments results in memorable experiences for players and the table. Hilarious and exciting moments can happen when the players have control.
See you at the table.
That is genius! I might need to use that in my sessions now. Thank you so much.
Glad you liked it! The times that I have done this, its worked out great. Please let me know how it goes!
I will probably do this a couple times myself. Great idea! Great article!
I am glad you liked it. Let me know how your experiences go!
This is amazing for my group since they are all new players and don’t know anything different. I really hope this helps create some great story beats for our game.