What differs it from the forgotten realms and greyhawk though, is that Dragonlance seems to be more of a setting where magic is "private" that is mysterious. For example, you don't see shops that deal in magical weapons very often (most mageware shops deal spell components and such) and magic doesn't seem to be particularly flashy or commonplace outside of a few items of legend (such as Wyrmslayer). Even high level NPCs' don't seem to be as loaded down with magic as you would find in your average D&D game.
Now, with 3e part of the balance comes from magical items (with the warrior classes, ironically, more dependant on magic items than the spellcasters). If one was to restrict magical items, what should one do? Is it better, for example, to simply make flashy magical items (such as energy weapons) unavailable, or restrict magical items altogether and replace them with "character qualities" which boost their stats without items?
Tanis Ftr 6: Longsword +2, Leather armor +2
Raistlin Wiz 4: Staff of Magius (+3 ac, +2 to hit, 1d8 damage, Continual Light 1/day, Featherfall 1/day, Sturm Brightblade Ftr 7: Two hander +3
Riverwind Rgr 6: Longsword +2, Hunting Knife +1
Flint Ftr 5: Two handaxes +1
And all the rest had a smattering of magical trinkets, and serious loot at the end of the mission.
For example, you don't see shops that deal in magical weapons very often (most mageware shops deal spell components and such) and magic doesn't seem to be particularly flashy or commonplace outside of a few items of legend (such as Wyrmslayer)
Almost every single Dragonlance novel has magical items, be they weapons, artifacts etc. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that magic, as magic in items, is more common than in any other settings. For instance in the Chaos War Series, when it was realized that magic was needed to fight the creatures of Chaos, suddenly magical weapons were appearing left and right and everyone knew what they were.
Perhaps what does seem to be true for Dragonlance is that heroes aren't always crawling out of the woodwork. In the Forgotten Realms, adventurers are so numerous that they form official companies with licenses and patronage from monarchs and wizards. In Greyhawk, they're similarly around every other corner, plundering this or that tomb. Krynn has a healthy amount of heroes and villains but there's not always the expectation that a party of adventurers will be in every inn, watering hole, tavern and alehouse in every major city waiting for somebody to walk in and post up a dungeon crawling expedition.
Since the number of heroes is slightly lower, I believe this corresponds with a lower number of personal magic items, but the proportion is still similar. On converting the Heroes of the Lance for play throughout the original modules, I believe it very important to give them magical equipment expected of characters of their level in 3rd edition.
Cheers,
Cam
They may be equivalent of normal +x enchantments but no flashy magic has ever been seen except extraordinary weapons like the wyrmslayer or the dragonlances.
This for me is what what is great about dragonlance. It values roleplaying more than powergaming.
Sure you can powergame anything and I'm not even get into that discussion, but all the games we have played, masterwork weapons are the best you can get unless you find unique magical weapons.
But hey, each DM has his or her own way of doing things, and on boards like this we can get new ideas from learning how others do it.
Cheers
In TotL are mentioned a few magical items which belong to the companions and as i remember they were very, very unbalancing! Even for a FR campaign they were too much.
Caramon had a bracer which had a permanent protection vs arrows spell cast on him, it makes piercing and slashing doesn't do damage, and blunt weapon do half damage, improves his AC in 2, and casts heal once a day!!!
And dont forget his sword, a +1 wizard bane long sword, with the spell turning abilty and could dispel magical barriers.
Gilthanas had an amulet that allowed him to cast every healing spell up to cure critical, and remove blindness/deafness/disease 1/day each, in addition to prevent disease and aging for the wearer. His long sword was a +1 weapon, and i asume to be abel to cast spells his chain mail was an elven one.
Tika's ring was a ring of warmth/sustenance.
Rastlin had a +3 dagger.
Depending on what trilogy u take for reference the heroes might have different magical items, but they always carry magical stuff.
Even Tas, had a +4 shure striking dagger, the glasses to read magical inscriptions, the teleportation ring, the polymorphing ring, the "Trapspringer's spoon" , a +1 leather armor and a +2 hoopak...