In my last post I recommended to “love the delve.” I can understand that many of us (most?) do not play D&D because we love battle tactics more than anything else. I feel safe in stating that most of us play D&D for the story as well. Yet a three to four room delve every week runs the risk of being all battles and very little story or plot. Plot I will address in the near future, but for now I want to look story. I can hear you now… “Jason, story and plot are synonyms!” Yes they are but I am going to define each a touch more subtly. Story; I feel, is the elements of the game that build immersion. Good story telling pulls in the audience and makes them believe. A good story does not ask players to have huge suspensions of disbelief. A great story portrays a world that is complete, concise, coherent and consistent (the 4Cs of world building). Plot on the other hand is the events as they take place. The “why are we here and “what is my character’s motivation to explore the world.”
It is general agreement in the D&D 4e blogosphere that asking your players for a list of magical items that they would like to have for their characters is the best way to fill treasure parcels. The benefit is that the treasure given is a true reward for your players and eliminates the silly rigmarole of having to disenchant unwanted items and then use the resulting residuum to enchant the item the players want. Generally I agree with this practice but as a bit of a grognard myself there is something unsatisfying for me about it. The make believe world should feel real and a real world would have treasure that is not perfectly tailored to the character’s desires. Remember the 4Cs, a complete world has people and events that are not the characters. More importantly some of the treasure found may be needed yet unknown to the characters and their players that the item is of great value or will be in the future. A great example from the Lord of the Rings are the Elven Knives that the hobbits find in the Barrow Downs, the hobbits take them at that time because they are great weapons, but none could ever imagine; at the time of their finding, the use they would have against the Witch King. Finally, some treasure should be introduced that may have greater value as a trophy. A world feels real if character’s find some treasure that they choose to keep just because. Perhaps they will place it on the mantle or declare it to be an heirloom of their family line.
The treasure parcels recommend four magical items to be given to the party at each level and each of the items are recommended to be 1-4 levels greater than the party (which makes me wonder how to give out 1st level magical items, but that is a conversation for a different day). With a small amount of preparation you can divine all the magical items that will be given out over the course of the next few adventures. At 4 magical items per level you can create a random chart of 20 magical items the first five levels. Ask each of the players for either 3 or 4 magical items they would specifically like (3 if you have 5 players or 4 if you have 4 players). Then fill in the few other slots with items you would like the characters to have or that are integral to the plot. Then list all the magical items in order of their level and number them from lowest level to highest level 1-10; the second half will not be numbered. Each time a magical items is found roll a d10, reward that piece of treasure and move the items up on the chart. In this way the magical items you are granting to the characters keep in pace with the level of the characters.
The chart is easy to update and to change. At each new level remind your players what items they have on their wish list and ask them if they want to make any changes. Also, ask them what new item they would like to add. At any time you can choose to make changes to the chart as well. Add or remove items as plot points change or items no longer have benefit. Fit the new items into the chart at the appropriate level. Now you have a living chart that grows and adapts to the story, your player’s desires and the character’s level.
This has added a subtle touch of reality to my game and still granted the magical items my players want so they can build characters they love to play. Please try it out in your game and let me know how it works or any ideas you have to improve it.
…I feel I should end all my blogs with a witty catch phrase like “keep on rolling them 20s,” or some such silliness. Got any ideas? Let me know, but until then… Keep on rolling them 20s.