Magical
attunement is a way for DM's to manage magical item use in their games. It allows a player to use an item and create
a bond with the magical object. Magical potions and scrolls need never be
attuned. However, staff, wands, rods, rings, weapons, and any other type of
magical item needs to be attuned to a character...
The D&D
playtest states that the maximum number of magical items a character can attune
themselves to is three. Attunement offers great rewards and comes with restrictions
that are adjucated by the DM. Artifacts like the Hand of Vecna come with a list
of restrictions based on attunement with the item. However, magical items have
no set boon or restrictions set to them. Instead the DM comes up with a history
and adjucates how the items interacts with the players character.
One of the
major risks of attuning a magical item is that one runs the risk of becoming a
thrall to the item. The more magical items attuned, the more likely a player
character will succumb to the will of a magical item.
For more on
this new rule from D&D next follow the link to the Wizards of the Coast
website here: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20140512. Mike
Mearls also covers identifying magical items and how the identify spell affects
what one knows about the magical properties of an item.
I think this
is an interesting rule and brings back an emphasis on DM adjucation. Which I
have found lost its way through the last three editions.
Share your
thoughts.
Later
Argon
I like the idea. Not only does it emphasize DM adjudication, but it adds an element of verisimilitude -- it seems like it would be true that you couldn't just pick up any magical item and immediately access all its powers. Time allows the item and the person to work on one another. Like the one ring or a personal wand.
ReplyDeleteTheodric,
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way when I read the article. I like how it makes magical items special again. I tried of +1 items and multitudes of magical items being made just to give ones PC's magical treasure. I ditched such magical items long ago. Any magical items save potions and scrolls, are rare in my campaigns. Heck most masterwork items should have a history behind them. Making it more likely a magical item would as well. One of the reasons I enjoyed the Greyhawk adventures hard-covered book. Each of those items had a history and a reason for being created. Some where cursed. That justs adds to the flavor IMHO.