Hey hey people, new DM here. I am having my players roll on the trinkets table from the PHB for me to convert into magic items. That way they all can have a cool and unique item from the start and by rolling on a table can't point a finger at me screaming favoritism if someone else gets something cooler. Thoughts on this? Do you think this is a bad idea or a good idea? How would you go about creating a magic item out of some of the stranger trinkets (a shriveled hand, etc)?
I think that’s a great idea! I’d make them Common items so they’re more flavor than powerful. The shriveled hand could be used to cast Mage Hand once per day for example, which is fun but not super powerful.
Ooh that's a great idea! I just came to terms myself with limiting them to flavorful items which helped a lot actually as I've no experience with creating my own magic items. For example my buddy rolled and got the "alabaster mask" trinket. I figure a simple Mask of Waterbreathing will be cool and flavorful enough. (My first thought was to replicate the Mask of Dragon Scales, glad I toned it down lol). I figure I'll make them hold onto their trinkets for a few sessions before running into an appraiser which will reveal them as magic items too, just to add some suspense. But again love the shriveled hand idea!
Low power but flavorful. They’ll enjoy them and surprise you with them.
Okay my final player rolled the trinket "an orb filled with water with a clockwork fish swimming around". I'm torn between treating it as a Crystal Ball of Shape Water that can only be used once per day or giving it like 5 charges and then it shatters. Was wondering about your opinion on the pros and cons of each?
I definitely love this. My DM did the same thing one time and when I rolled the mechanical canary in the gnomish lamp, the canary would listen and mimic certain words that I could then have it repeat for me. It wouldn't get whole sentences but just enough to help get intel if I left it in a room somewhere. Giving them simple abilities would definitely be the best course of action and one thing my DM was nice enough to do (since some of the trinkets are just lame in general) was roll three times and then pick from those three. that way I had a little more control over what I had. That may help for you too so that players don't feel cheated if they get something dumb right off the bat.
A Common magic item that the clockwork fish snowglobe could become is an Orb of Direction. Essentially a compass. You could speak a direction and the fish will point that way.
Hm. I rather like this idea. May be incorporating this into future games. Turning trinkets into low-key magical items could be a fun way to generate Mysterious Novelties for my players to obsess over, especially if there's vague hints that the item "was once much more powerful than it is now"
A Common magic item that the clockwork fish snowglobe could become is an Orb of Direction. Essentially a compass. You could speak a direction and the fish will point that way.
Hm. I rather like this idea. May be incorporating this into future games. Turning trinkets into low-key magical items could be a fun way to generate Mysterious Novelties for my players to obsess over, especially if there's vague hints that the item "was once much more powerful than it is now"
Exactly! Doesn't have to be a game changer but it makes the trinkets table a little cooler and let's the players start off with a fun little unique item.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wealth beyond measure, outlander.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Hey hey people, new DM here. I am having my players roll on the trinkets table from the PHB for me to convert into magic items. That way they all can have a cool and unique item from the start and by rolling on a table can't point a finger at me screaming favoritism if someone else gets something cooler. Thoughts on this? Do you think this is a bad idea or a good idea? How would you go about creating a magic item out of some of the stranger trinkets (a shriveled hand, etc)?
Wealth beyond measure, outlander.
I think that’s a great idea! I’d make them Common items so they’re more flavor than powerful. The shriveled hand could be used to cast Mage Hand once per day for example, which is fun but not super powerful.
Professional computer geek
Ooh that's a great idea! I just came to terms myself with limiting them to flavorful items which helped a lot actually as I've no experience with creating my own magic items. For example my buddy rolled and got the "alabaster mask" trinket. I figure a simple Mask of Waterbreathing will be cool and flavorful enough. (My first thought was to replicate the Mask of Dragon Scales, glad I toned it down lol). I figure I'll make them hold onto their trinkets for a few sessions before running into an appraiser which will reveal them as magic items too, just to add some suspense. But again love the shriveled hand idea!
Wealth beyond measure, outlander.
Low power but flavorful. They’ll enjoy them and surprise you with them.
Professional computer geek
Okay my final player rolled the trinket "an orb filled with water with a clockwork fish swimming around". I'm torn between treating it as a Crystal Ball of Shape Water that can only be used once per day or giving it like 5 charges and then it shatters. Was wondering about your opinion on the pros and cons of each?
Wealth beyond measure, outlander.
If you give it a limited number of uses it’s not fair unless all of the other trinkets also have a limited number of uses. That’s my opinion.
Professional computer geek
I definitely love this. My DM did the same thing one time and when I rolled the mechanical canary in the gnomish lamp, the canary would listen and mimic certain words that I could then have it repeat for me. It wouldn't get whole sentences but just enough to help get intel if I left it in a room somewhere. Giving them simple abilities would definitely be the best course of action and one thing my DM was nice enough to do (since some of the trinkets are just lame in general) was roll three times and then pick from those three. that way I had a little more control over what I had. That may help for you too so that players don't feel cheated if they get something dumb right off the bat.
Full of rice, beans, and bad ideas.
A Common magic item that the clockwork fish snowglobe could become is an Orb of Direction. Essentially a compass. You could speak a direction and the fish will point that way.
Hm. I rather like this idea. May be incorporating this into future games. Turning trinkets into low-key magical items could be a fun way to generate Mysterious Novelties for my players to obsess over, especially if there's vague hints that the item "was once much more powerful than it is now"
Please do not contact or message me.
Actually love this
Wealth beyond measure, outlander.
Exactly! Doesn't have to be a game changer but it makes the trinkets table a little cooler and let's the players start off with a fun little unique item.
Wealth beyond measure, outlander.