Magical hunter boots: Sensi-Paws, by Firat
By Eric Maziade on Tuesday, June 9 2009, 00:23 - Dungeons and Dragons - Permalink
The Fluff
Firat is proud to introduce its latest addition in their Vibration Savvy Footwear line: Sensi-paws by Firat.
Sensi-paws truly allows you to unleash the hunter within you by letting you be one with nature and feel the earth speak to you through your feet.
The Meta
Sensi-Paws, by Firat (Hunter's Boots )
Level: 4
Item slot: Feet
Power (Daily): Move action.
- You gain tremorsense 5 until the end of your next turn.
- Sustain minor.
- Every turn while this item is active, you can spend one extra minor action to add 1 to tremorsense. Maximum tremorsense 10.
What do I have to say for myself?
I think I love making sponsored magical items for DnD.
This time, I try to go beyond re-fluffing an existing item and create a new one from scratch.
With this item, I picture a ranger with a bow closing his eyes and concentrating on his connection to the ground - allowing him to visualize his quarry, hidden within a dense gas cloud.
I'm not exactly sure about the power level of this item. My older games were always very short on magical items and I always carry the feeling that I risk giving away too much power too soon.
My original item had less power and more robust restrictions. I've been told I was probably making it just too restrictive to be useful.
Let me know what you think about this one.
Comments
My own version would be level 5, Tremorsense 5, get rid of the sustainable condition and put the use of it by encounter. Make a level 10 version with Tremorsense 10.
@SM the DM :
That's definitely a simpler, more elegant take on the boots.
I hesitated between making it daily + sustainable vs encounter and not sustainable.
I felt there would be more use out of it if it could last longer, but wanted it to come at a price.
What would make you set it as level 5 instead of 4? I've set it at 4 in a very arbitrary fashion. I'm curious as how others approach this.
Pretty simple. I used the "number beside de boots" principle. You usually have a +1 thing as a level 1 item. As it goes higher, so does its level.
So, most basic magic item are set at the level of their bonus, with a small mod according to the usefulness of their "side-effect".
Tremorsense, while a cool ability, isnt something that will give a big advantage in a combat. So i figured... why the hell give an increase in level for that.
So in short... simplify the use of your special item ability as it is not game breaking (Daily become encounter and help players experiment a bit more with it)
Afterwards...
Tremor sense 5 = Level 5
Tremor sense 10 = Level 10
Tremor sense 15 = Level 15
And so on.
BUT... take into account that i am also pretty newbie as far as 4th edition magic item goes.
@SM the DM :
We haven't done too much blind fighting to find tremorsense useful yet, huh?
Hmm...
Well, i should've explained that bit more.
I know its gonna be useful if someone is blinded or in complete Darkness. But that a situational use. Unless there's a big suprise in store for us in your game, we will spend what... 80% of our time with our eyes capability intact ? Hence, the effect of that item is useful 20% of the time... unless you fail your D20 attack with power X or unless i save successfully.
On the other hand, take for example a power who would allow me to have a better speed. Now thats useful in every situation, unless im immobilised. Useful 80% of the time, for a 20% exception.
Thats the ratio of usefulness im speaking of.
But dont worry - catch me with blindness in your game and you'll get the "I should've bought those damn boots" like everyone else =P
This actually makes a whole lot of sense - the boots' power are so situational that they come off as underpowered.
A very good case for your reinterpretation.
I might update my boots, through it would mean removing my lovely metafluff
Cant shake the idea... i must say it :
You've been Meta-owwwnned :P