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This has been bugging me lately: Why don't characters in the forgotten realms just call ordinary enchanted items by their names? Why must a Longsword +2 become "a longsword of the second tier" or anything of that nature? I'm assuming they know the word "plus", and it's quite likely that after years of saying "of the x tier", they tired of it and just added + whatever.

Is there actual lore in the books mentioning characters referring to enchanted items in such a manner (tiers, etc) is what I'm asking. Would a DM give you a glare for saying "Hey! That trologdyte just dropped a mace plus one!" ?

Last edited by Kjetta on Sun, Mar 15 2009, 13:07 PM, edited 1 time in total.

I would glare at you, as I would see it as sabotaging the process which we are all involved in; transcending the simplicity of the DnD rules by the force of our creativity and imagination, in aims of creating immersion. The terms you want to use, to me at least, convey strong associatons of DnD as a game, not Forgotten Realms as a fantasy reality.

I would only find it acceptable if said troggie dropped two maces.

"Hey! That troglodyte just dropped a mace... plus one!"

My personal preference is to refer to the DR spell a weapon can cut through.

There's Ghostly Visage for +1, the Shekat Soldiers handily provide +2/5 DR to talk about, and then there's Ethereal Visage. Once you're talking about +4 and +5, level 15 or so, all I care about is cutting through Premo and the Stoneskins, so that's how I label them: Stonecutter and not-stonecutter.

It's about the atmosphere and immersion. Using the pure game mechanical term would be a bit distracting, so we prefer to use fancy euphemisms.

Ah. I see.

I do things like powerfully enchanted amulet, it seems to bestow the wearer greater insight((+4 wis ammy)). I find IG descriptions of things without the +, and -, and all the math cooler.

herkles wrote:

I do things like powerfully enchanted amulet, it seems to bestow the wearer greater insight((+4 wis ammy)). I find IG descriptions of things without the +, and -, and all the math cooler.

Indeed. I never really wanted to use the pluses and minuses, I find them detracting from the immersion as well. What I really wanted to know was whether there was any solid lore for or against. Kjetta pretty much answered me there with creativity and immersion.

I like creating names, if they didn't use a mythal every time you do it, I would have personalized everything.

My Ilmaterite carries a sword I named Ilmater's Mercy for example. I just think it is nicer that way and helps on the creation of reality and in immersion. As was sad before.

in baldur's gate 2, the effereti in the first dungeon gives you an item, calling it a longsword +2.

obviously npcs use that name, so why cant we?

Lilarcor wrote:

My brother is a +12 Hackmaster

Indeed.

Zanthair wrote:

in baldur's gate 2, the effereti in the first dungeon gives you an item, calling it a longsword +2.

obviously npcs use that name, so why cant we?

We're not Efreetis in Baldur's Gate.

just throwin it out there

Well, saying +2 is really like coming out and being "I'm level 10, anyone in range to go hunting trolls or more if we can?"

I always thought that +X value was an obscure fact represting more like "say! This blade was made -really- sharp!" or "Darn, that added weight on the mace will break a bone..." [+blug]

'Course I don't know DnD rules and preference on that. But that's the feeling I've gotten from the playerbase that not only should that info seem obscure; but it's considered more a reperesentation of the quality.

So I figure those unmythaled items are like "this is the most basic, cheap, and yet still functioning a weapon can get. No- seriously, this is just a step above a child's wooden sword because it's metal now." [[Well, druids obviously craft the wood better since they can't do the metal]]

I really cant think of anytime someone has done this to me or I to them for that matter, at least not in open rp. Though I do see a lot of it in commerce and trade rp for some reason. I suppose it is used for clarities sake between the buyers and purchasers *shrugs* But still it makes me cringe to read it on occasion, even if I have been guilty of it in the past myself.

Quote:

So I figure those unmythaled items are like "this is the most basic, cheap, and yet still functioning a weapon can get. No- seriously, this is just a step above a child's wooden sword because it's metal now." [[Well, druids obviously craft the wood better since they can't do the metal]]

A longsword can be quite well made but not be magic. That's what Masterwork items actually are. They're +1 AB because they're *that well made*, not because they're magic.

S'why I liked the idea of metal type requirements for higher power enchants. Like, a +2 sword having to be Alchemical silver or Darkiron, or Dusksteel, Ironwood.. Enchanted Mithril, Enchanted Adamantite et al.

I feel the concept of a regular old iron masterwork sword being able to be enchanted into 'Artifact level' just by enchantment magic to be a little bit.. anticlimatic.

Unless it's done by a god or something. Or -transmuted- into another metal type. Like its inherent metal-type controls how much enchantment it can hold before it explodes.. like a battery or something.

I dunno.. just sort of yammering here..

Dwagin wrote:

S'why I liked the idea of metal type requirements for higher power enchants. Like, a +2 sword having to be Alchemical silver or Darkiron, or Dusksteel, Ironwood.. Enchanted Mithril, Enchanted Adamantite et al.

I feel the concept of a regular old iron masterwork sword being able to be enchanted into 'Artifact level' just by enchantment magic to be a little bit.. anticlimatic.

Unless it's done by a god or something. Or -transmuted- into another metal type. Like its inherent metal-type controls how much enchantment it can hold before it explodes.. like a battery or something.

I dunno.. just sort of yammering here..

You need to add in Obdurium .... see []Stronghold Builder's Guidebook[/i].

But enchantments are just that - enchantments. You improve a weapon by gving it stronger and stronger magic. Of course, I could see the material it it made of being powerful enough to hold the magic - you don't want to reduce your weapon to a puddle after all.

Dwagin wrote:

S'why I liked the idea of metal type requirements for higher power enchants. Like, a +2 sword having to be Alchemical silver or Darkiron, or Dusksteel, Ironwood.. Enchanted Mithril, Enchanted Adamantite et al.

I feel the concept of a regular old iron masterwork sword being able to be enchanted into 'Artifact level' just by enchantment magic to be a little bit.. anticlimatic.

Unless it's done by a god or something. Or -transmuted- into another metal type. Like its inherent metal-type controls how much enchantment it can hold before it explodes.. like a battery or something.

I dunno.. just sort of yammering here..

The material types don't allow extra magic though. A +5 weapon may very well just be hardened steel.

Enchanted Item Names

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