Essentially, I'm running a one-shot for some level 7 PC's, and would like it to be equipment-lite. Given D&D's tendancy towards an overabundance of magical equipment, I felt Dark Sun would be a nice choice for sourcing setting or appropriate combat challenges, but I'm still lost
.So, to cut it short: how much magical equipment should I expect any one character to have in order for the party to face an equivalent CR encounter? Dropping the difficulty of encounters is no problem, should they require significant magical equipment, and I'm not about to launch into a tirade of "back in my day, Athas was" should the magical necessities be disproportionately high.
Help would be much loved. Thanks!
A +2 Steel Longsword is worth close to 10000 gp/cp. Give them that instead of.
+1 Bone Longsword (2000gp/cp or so)
+1 Armor (1150cp)
+1 Ring of Protection (2000cp)
+1 Cloak of Resistence (1000cp)
3000cp of asorted scrolls/potions/wands/minor magic nic nacs.
See still cost about the same (10000cp) but cuts down on their equipment alot. Make it a +2 keen steel longsword and it sucks up close to 20000 cp worth of recommended guidlines. Add a magical daggar and bow and the PCs might only have 2-3 magic items each. Give the Wizard a +3 ring of protection- thats expensive.
All I can suggest is that you make their gear unique, and that you merge all of the Cp value a PC of their level should have not into a dozen items or more, but into about three. Twelve items merged together and replaced by an helm, pectoral, and cloak, that does the same stuff as the twelve items.
I do that for the villains I design, I like it better that way. Less gear, same CR rules.
The DMG has recommended wealth guidelines that are applicable to Athas. Rather than let the PCs pick numerous magical items perhaps maybe just give them expensive but not overly useful toys.
A +2 Steel Longsword is worth close to 10000 gp/cp.
That's the idea I was running for, my problem lies in the difficulty levels of encounters. Given, say, the inflated price of a steel longsword and the opportunity cost of having one, should I lower the EL of encounters the party is likely to face?
Really, I suppose I'm asking if the setting takes into account the lack of (arcane) magic and steel in the CR of monsters one is likely to face, since, for example, an Obsidian Retriever has DR/dwarven steel, something that is priceless and probably not available for a party of eigth level...
However, if the wealth levels are straight from the DMG, then it's easy to determine scaling. Essentially, everything will scale with non-metal equivalents (those weapons which don't require iron and don't perform poorly because of it) and I can alter the EL's as need be to take into acount less wealth/level than the DMG assumes.
I'm at a loss here, what is it you want to do exactly? Give your PCs a minimum amount of items?
Sorry for any confusion - I'm trying to achieve a different 'feel' for the game, by changing the basic D&D assumption (festooned with magical jewelry). What I was asking was if the DS conversion, as written, assumes the same wealth/level as the DMG (and thus magical item requirements) or if it had a different premise that I was unable to locate.
What I've done for the moment is ignore the DMG's wealth levels, given the PC's one or two unique pieces of equipment, and double checked the encounters so they won't be overwhelmed. At level 7, at the least, the difference made by equipment doesn't seem to be that major - it's workable, but slightly more challenging, which is fine.
Stoneskin is a great spell on Athas;)
+1 Steel Longsword with the Ghost Touch ability.:D
+2 Steel longword with ghost touch. Doubles the price and then some.
I suggest a sizable quantity of small, one-shot disposable items (see AE): you use it (after which time its useless) to gain bonuses on attack rolls, saves, skill checks, etc.
Also cash may be invested in Merchant Emporiums. Basically you give it to them, they invest it in risky ventures, they give you a ceramic token with a symbol on it representing a specific date in the coming year, and come that date you can go there and present your token and get your money back plus profits from that invested money...if the merchant house made profits from the venture the money was invested in...or you discover you lost everything if the venture dunked. People who don't go to the emporium to get their money before the same date comes one year later - or who are reported by a reputable source to be diceased - loses the money, which gets pocketed by the merchant house.
This could ensure PCs don't get too many items, or too many powerful ones, yet have ready cash to spend every game year.
Like Lady Dread with twin unique longsword, one of fire one of ice, combine both (like the he-man and skeletor blades) and she can summon a solar flare 1/week. my player loved that.
.Cash may be invested in Merchant Emporiums. Basically you give it to them, they invest it in risky ventures and then give you a ceramic token with a symbol on it representing a specific date in the coming year (usually a few months down the road), and come that date you can return there and present your token and get your money back plus profits from that invested money...if the merchant house made profits from the venture the money was invested in...or you discover you lost everything if the venture dunked. People who don't go to the emporium to get their money after that date has come a second time (i.e. a year has passed) - or who are reported dead by a reputable source - lose the money, which gets pocketed by the merchant house. The emporium maintains copies of all tokens issued by them, and slave-scribe accountants split the profits and reimburse investors.
A nice addition would be to say only nobility, or a slave bearing a noble house tatoo or flesh burn, can invest in such a way. This would create middlemen and some interesting roleplaying situations for players, plus a possible adventure hook involving a crooked middleman.
Don't be afraid to give them psionic items either. They would be about as common as magical ones.
I use a 75% psion / 25% magic ratio and I want to reduce the magic ratio even more - maybe down to 10%.
Due to magic being illegal, magic items should be very rare.
Of the items gained, either from character start up or from treasure/loot, 50% are one use, 25% are multi-use, and 25% are premanent. These numbers are not in stone but they are a guideline I try to follow.
I use a 75% psion / 25% magic ratio and I want to reduce the magic ratio even more - maybe down to 10%.
Due to magic being illegal, magic items should be very rare.
Of the items gained, either from character start up or from treasure/loot, 50% are one use, 25% are multi-use, and 25% are premanent. These numbers are not in stone but they are a guideline I try to follow.
Just remember though divine casters create toys as well and all those healing potions/wands etc have to come from somewhere. Templars could do it as well. Only arcane magic is relativly rare on Athas. Do you really want to know if that +1 sword is magic/psionic?
Magic items (as opposed to Psionic items) have always been more common on Athas even in 2nd ed.