Re: Re: Improving magical items

From: Benedict Adamson <yahoo_at_...>
Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 20:21:40 +0100

flynnkd2 wrote:
...
> Say you have a magic Sunbeam spear, you started the game with it and
> the GM said it was rated 17, based on your own starting skills (for
> balance usually). At the start of the game you will be fighting
> monsters who have similar skill levels, so if you actievly use the
> spears magic it will be 17 vs 17.
>
> Twelve months later your characters have moved to average skill sof
> 5w2, and thus your monsters will have moved to average skills of
> 5w2. Try using your spear 17 vs 5w2 now? (for eg purposes only).
>
> Basically your spear becomes redundant,
...

This is a problem with all abilities, not only magic items. As you play for longer in a campaign, the gap between your best ability and your average ability widens. Worse still, that widening gap encourages you to further use your best ability (taking an improv. penalty, if necessary) whenever you can.

I think it is a problem that the rules do not address. In the past we've discussed this and I've suggested narrating style as the fix (have episodes in which characters can not reasonably use their best abilities and be tough when applying improv. penalties) and others (especially Graham( have suggested a rules change.