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As mentioned previously, the Magic Items table is weighted towards results which balance the game. Potions, scrolls, armor and arms are plentiful. Rings, rods and miscellaneous items of magic represent only a 25% occurrence on the table. This is so done in order to keep magic-users from totally dominating play. They are sufficiently powerful characters without adding piles of supplementary goodies. What they gain from the table will typically be used up and discarded.
When determination of a magic item is needed, simply roll percentile dice and consult Table III. Complete explanations of each category follow, but many items duplicate or closely resemble the effects of various magic spells.
The suggested experience point (X.P.) values are for characters who keep the items.
Gold piece sale values are the usual sums which characters will be paid for magic items, and, if so sold, the X.P. award should be based on the selling price of the items, not the X.P. value. Also remember that a character is assumed to retain an item, thus getting the low X.P. value for it, if he or she sells it to another player character.
Note: Many magical items are of an expendable nature, where their power is depleted with each use and eventually used up. The Dungeon Master can use his discretion in setting such limitations on other particular items, if he wishes.
* Effectiveness on type of creature controlled must be determined by die roll; consult item explanation.
** The Dungeon Master must mislead the possessor of the potion so as to convince him that it is not harmful. (See the appropriate item description for particulars.)
(F) = Fighters only may use.
* 30% of all scrolls are of clerical nature (dice 71-00), and 25% of all clerical scrolls are druidical. 10% of all magic-user scrolls are illusionist. This applies only to scrolls 01-60 above. Asterisked numbers indicate clerical spell levels.
Curse. It is incumbent upon the Dungeon Master to do his utmost to convince players that a cursed scroll should be read. This is to be accomplished through duplicity, coercion and threat, etc. - i.e., any scroll not read has a chance of fading in normal air, but this can be noted by the archaic wording if read in the still dungeon atmosphere.
A curse takes effect immediately; suggested curses are:
Scroll Experience Points (x.p.) Value: Awarded only to characters who can use the spell(s); the award should be 100 x.p. per spell level. Protection scrolls are noted as to x.p. value on the table itself.
Scroll Gold Piece (g.p.) Sale Value: Any scroll can be sold in the “open market” for three times its x.p. value. Protection scrolls sell for five times x.p. value.
Campaign Rule. Acquiring Name Spells. No "name" spell can be selected by a magic-user or illusionist for inclusion in their spellbook when gaining a level of experience. Furthermore, these spells are normally not available for random treasure determination (subject to the DM based on circumstances). A "name" spell is one where the name of the caster is included in the name of the spell; ie. Bigby's Hand spells, Tenser's spells, Evard's, Tasha's, etc.
† These rings contain the most powerful magical abilities and may possess only a limited number of magical charges before being depleted, at the DMs option.
(M) = Magic-user use only.
(C) = Usable by the cleric class only.
(F) = Usable by the fighter class only.
(M) = Usable by the magic-user class only.
(T) = Usable by the thief class only
( ) = Usable by any class unless otherwise prohibited.
Non-standard Magic Items
Non-standard Magic Items
There are two considerations respecting non-standard magic items. The first is your invention and inclusion of them in your campaign, and this is expected and encouraged. You should put your imagination and inventiveness to work this way. Standard items can be varied so as to make it more interesting when your players are familiar with the usual forms.
New devices can be created to add freshness and new dimensions to the game. Special magic items can be devised to complement some special situation or to serve as a special reward for overcoming some special monster or difficult area. All such creations, however, must be made with care. The items must be such as to not unbalance the game. They must not make one player character too strong, either with respect to opponents or his or her fellows or to the campaign or to the game system as a whole.
Items which are expended after a single use, those with limited usages, and those with variable effects are most desirable. As it is very likely that every campaign will have its special items, the second consideration comes up.
Other referees will not generally know what special powers or restrictions such items have. Thus, they will not be usable in campaigns other than that from which they came in most cases. You, as a referee, should simply cause any such items brought into your campaign to disappear. Never take a player’s word for any item. Do not allow its use in your campaign unless you know his or her DM and get a full explanation in writing from that person which details the properties of the item. Do not allow a player to bulldoze you in any manner regarding this. Simply inform the person that he or she must have left the item in his or her former area, as it is not around in yours! This solves the problem of having a possible imbalance brought into your carefully designed campaign. This ties directly to the section dealing with Integration of Experienced or New Players into an Existing Campaign.
Note. Altered form of a standard AD&D item is not a new or non-standard item, i.e., a cap which causes its wearer to be invisible is the same as a ring of invisibility.
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