GMs, Fight The Urge To Take Things Away From Players

I tend to spend a lot of time in forums and social media groups where players and Game Masters congregate. And every day or so someone runs in with wild eyes and their hair sticking up at all angles, on the verge of panic because it turns out that a player character has an ability that is wrecking house, or they gave their PCs magic items that have seriously upended the balance in their game. Then, without fail, they start asking all of us how to take those items and/or abilities away from their players.

I want to be very clear, here... do not do this. Nothing will frustrate your players faster, or mar their trust in you more, than feeling like they cannot rely on you to hold up your end of the social contract for this game.

That said, if you find yourself in this situation, consider the following steps.

No, give me that back!

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Step #1: Re-Read The Rules in Question

It says what, again? Really?

This is the first step because it's one nearly everyone skips, and it can solve a majority of problems in a lot of situations. If an ability like sneak attack or smite is giving you fits as a Game Master, make sure that you're reading it carefully, and that your player has been running it correctly. A lot of the time we misread a class ability, item description, or feat, and then it becomes far more potent than it should be due to a misunderstanding.

As an example, I once shared a table with a player who wanted to use the Panther Style combat feats in Pathfinder. The way they work is that when you trigger an attack of opportunity for moving through an enemy's space, you may counterattack them if they take that attack of opportunity against you. It's a useful ability for speed-based characters with a high armor class to get in extra shots on several enemies while rushing through a crowd.

What it does not do, however, is allow you to trigger all of your possible counterattacks at once when an enemy attacks you. It's one counterattack per attack of opportunity against you, and most foes you fight only get one. However, this player insisted that he should get 6 free attacks on an enemy, and that they should all resolve anytime he received an attack of opportunity for any reason, rather than due to movement as the feat states.

If something seems really overpowered to you, look it up. There's a good chance the player isn't reading the rules correctly.

Step #2: Look At The Big Picture

Don't get too close to things.

If it turns out the rules are being run correctly, and the ability, magic item, etc., does do what you think it does, then step back and take a big picture look at your game. Try to gain a sense of perspective, and ask if something is really as potent as it first appears when you look at it from your god's eye view.

For example, your wizard may be able to wipe out a single encounter by using a combination of their highest level spell as well as several metamagic feats... but while that's impressive, is it that game breaking when there are 4-5 encounters that are going to happen in a given session? You can ask the same question about barbarian Rage, paladin smite, magic items that have daily charges, and so on, and so forth... any ability that can only be used a certain number of times per day has a cap built in. And that cap is usually enough to carry the day in one or two encounters, or to solve a handful of problems, but it has limitations beyond that.

Even if an ability can be done as often as the circumstances present, like sneak attack, take a look at what it's actually doing. Sneak attack damage allows a character to deal extra damage to a single foe under specific circumstances... even if such an attack kills a foe, is that such a big deal when there are 4-6 enemies on the board? Even slaying as fast as they can, the sneak attacker can only be in so many places at once... and the circumstances for that ability to work won't always be present whenever they attack.

As someone who's been a Game Master, and written my share of modules, even the most powerful player abilities are rarely as potent as we think when we look at them in regards to the sheer amount of nonsense they're going to have to face down over the course of a campaign.

Step #3: Modify Your Challenge Accordingly

Numbers... got to change the numbers...

Once you've checked the rules, and examined the ability or item in question, and you've determined that it is, indeed, a powerful ability that still doesn't mean you should re-write the rules to take it away from your players. Instead, modify the challenges you're presenting.

To reiterate, this does not mean immediately presenting only enemies and scenarios that render powerful or potent abilities unusable. It simply means that you need to put a few extra bells and whistles in to make sure the game doesn't become a cake walk.

For example, say your barbarian fighter has a devastating ability to deal a lot of damage to any foe they charge. Cool, let them do that! But instead of just putting one enemy on the board, give them a couple of mobs to deal with. That way everyone gets to participate, and while the blood is still going to flow it isn't just letting Rogar run in and one-shot the enemy tank. If you have a sorcerer whose area of effect spells are really potent, let them blow up a crowd of foes from time to time... but ensure there's cover strewn around, and that enemies are widely dispersed enough that it isn't enough to immediately end the entire battle. If the fighter got hold of a flametongue far earlier than you expected, don't make all their enemies immune to fire... but once word has gotten out that Kristoff the Red bears a blade of fire, maybe have enemies drink potions to offer them some limited protection if they were planning on taking on the party.

Bonus Step: Alter, But Do Not Remove Items

Most of the examples up to this point were about class abilities, feats, etc. However, sometimes you get a little overly generous with magic items because you want everyone to have fun, and you realize too late that you might have screwed yourself over in terms of presenting a challenge.

Ideally, you should alter the threats your players face, making these items a necessity, or providing some challenges they simply cannot defeat. Perhaps the barbarian who acquired frostbrand has been tearing through many of the bandits with it, but when it's time to fight the leader we find that they're a demon in disguise, and the greatsword's icy aura is nowhere near as potent against them. A normal blade, however, would have been utterly insufficient to pierce their hide! Mayhap your rogue acquired a ring of invisibility, and while it's enough for them to sneak around guards and undead minions, it does not hide them from the dragon's keen senses. And so on, and so forth.

However, if you feel like you really messed up and gave your players something far too powerful, and it's going to break your game, make modifications to the item instead of coming up with some reason that it gets stolen, broken, or commandeered by an NPC.

For instance, consider putting a minor curse on an item that explains why it was found so early in the game. Perhaps the Iron Bands of Binding that were found only work on evil outsiders, making them potent when facing demons and devils, but less so the rest of the time. The deadly dagger the rogue found has been a life saver, but it turns out that it only functions in areas of dim light or darkness. The enchanted suit of armor the fighter has used may seem great, but the armor is actually woven with a thread of cowardice, and it offers less protection the more injured its wearer is.

You get the idea.

Lastly, if an item is particularly rare, powerful, or unique, consider making it intelligent (though perhaps it was asleep until just now). This doesn't lessen its powers, but it does turn the item into something of an NPC that players will have to contend with in order to continue using its abilities. This can add an extra hurdle to unlocking the item's full powers, and make it a more engaging aspect overall.

All of these choices are infinitely better than just having an item stolen off someone's hip while they're at the bar, or finding it missing from camp in the morning. Because your players are going to want it back, and to punish the thief, often to the point that this will utterly derail whatever campaign you were trying to run in the first place to rectify this situation.

Recommended Reading

If you'd like to check out some more stories with lessons for Game Masters in them (or just some GM advice in general), I'd recommend some of the following:

- Game Masters Shouldn't Leave Players Twisting in The Wind: While this particular incident happened at a Werewolf: The Apocalypse LARP, it's a lesson that I think can be applied across all RPGs; don't let your players chase their tails for no reason.

- 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better Game Master: 10 years of tested advice from this blog, boiled down into a simple, easy-to-digest list for GMs new and old alike!

- How To Ruin a Promising LARP in 3 Easy Steps: A game that had great promise, but which was ultimately laid low by the way the folks running it handled (or didn't handle) things.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Concealment is Worth Far More Than We Think (in Pathfinder)

There are dozens of different tactical considerations to keep in mind when it comes to an average combat in Pathfinder. From the effective range of an attack, to battlefield positioning, to which options an enemy is more likely to be resilient to, there are so many factors that it's easy to overlook one or two in the heat of the moment. For those looking to exploit an edge, though, concealment is something that doesn't get anywhere near as much love as it should.

As such, I figured I'd talk about it today.

Shhh... did you hear that?

What is Concealment?

The short version is that concealment is any effect that blocks line of sight, though not line of effect, to a target. It might be an enemy lurking in deep shadows away from party members who don't have darkvision, the blinding rain of a storm that hampers your ability to see, illusions that confuse where someone is or isn't standing, or something as simple as billowing smoke. Even heavy underbrush provides concealment to those lurking within it.

Which is particularly handy if people are throwing axes at you.

Mechanically speaking, concealment grants a 20 percent miss chance on attacks against a target (in melee their square has to be within an effect that provides concealment, and at range the attack simply has to pass through a square that provides concealment). And if you have line of effect to a target, but not line of sight, then they have total concealment, which creates a 50 percent miss chance.

If someone is standing on the edge of a fog bank so they're obscured but you can see them, that's 20 percent. If they're deep in the fog and you can't see them at all, that's 50 percent. Make sense?

Concealment does more than grant you a miss chance to attacks targeting you, however. An enemy cannot take an attack of opportunity against you if you have total concealment, for instance, and precision damage like sneak attack doesn't apply when total concealment is present. So even if you drop down among a team of human rogues, all it takes is a billowing cloud of smoke, or a blur effect, and their most potent weapon is immediately stripped from them. When you add in that concealment allows you to make Stealth checks, thus vanishing from an enemy's view and allowing you to surprise them on a subsequent round, concealment can be a potent weapon.

Getting The Most Out of Concealment

Concealment isn't exactly new to most players. After all, it's why so many of us play PCs who have darkvision; you don't want every single monster in the dungeon to get concealment from your archer when you go down into the underground tomb, after all.

Well, somebody's shooting at us. No I can't see who!

However, most of us only think of concealment as something we gain from a magic item like a cloak of displacement, or from temporary spells we activate in combat. Some of the most common methods of gaining concealment include:

- Smokesticks: A simple alchemical item, tossing one of these into a hallway, or in front of a door you just breached, can seriously impede enemy archers and spellcasters from picking out targets as you and your allies make your way inside.

- Eversmoking Bottle: A magic item that billows smoke until it covers an entire battlefield, this magic item is ideal for creating a literal fog of war to obscure your actions and deny the enemy the ability to accurately focus fire. Perfect when combined with abilities like Cinder Sight, or with magic items like a goz mask or fogcutting lenses.

- Darkness: A basic spell or spell-like ability, a single use of darkness is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you can move freely while your enemies without darkvision aren't so lucky. This doesn't often work against monsters and other creatures, but in settings where your primary foes are humans and other surface dwellers, it can be a life saver.

- Invisibility: Whether it's with vanish, invisibility, or other spells, rendering yourself unseen is perhaps the most common way to gain concealment.

There are two primary difficulties in creating concealment. The first is that not every method of concealment will work against every foe, so you need to be sure your strategy is going to function. The second is that you need to make sure your strategy will impede the enemy without hampering your allies.

And if you want to add a third difficulty in, creating concealment often takes your entire turn, meaning that you need to take your action to change the battlefield for the benefit of yourself and your allies.

Tactics, and Denying The Enemy Options

I've said it before, but too often players each want to be the point man. We all want to be the sword that strikes the death blow, or the arrow that brings down the enemy. However, denying the enemy the ability to harm you and your allies is just as useful, while often being far more important.

Now you see me, now you don't.

Take the scenario where a group of rogues have all ganged up on one party member. That party members doesn't have the actions to extricate themselves, and they'll draw several attacks of opportunity if they try. To make matters worse, there are precision archers focusing fire as well. Thinking quickly, an ally tosses out a smokestick. It fills the area with smoke, denying the rogues their sneak attack, but also allowing the ally to retreat without drawing attacks of opportunity. That automatically denies the enemy several d6 of potential damage, as well as other crippling effects that may go with the sneak attack damage. It cost the ally their action to provide that aid, but it provided a timely shield to a party member who may not have survived otherwise.

Alternatively, say the party cleric casts obscuring mist to grant their allies concealment against an enemy force while in a courtyard. An enemy spellcaster might summon up a wind to blow that concealment away, but doing so also ate up that enemy spellcaster's action, buying the party time they wouldn't otherwise have had.

These defensive measures aren't meant to be permanent... they're meant to waste the enemy's time and resources, while providing short-term protection to you and your allies.

Concealment will not solve all your issues, as there will be enemies with blindsight, tremorsense, true seeing, and no one trick is going to automatically work against every foe. The key is to make sure you have enough different strategies that no matter what you're facing you've got something you can pull out to help you and your allies snatch victory.

Lastly, at time of writing it's the 3rd Saturday of the month, which means that my new release from Azukail Games just dropped! So if you haven't had a chance to check out 100 Superstitions For a Fantasy Setting, take a moment to give it a look.

Like, Share, and Follow For More!

That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well! And if you'd like to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little bit of help can go a long way, trust me on that one.

4 Ways DMs Can Take The Commerce (And The Math) Out of Magic Items

With the holidays coming up, I'm reminded of a study I once read that said money is one of the best gifts you can give during the holiday season. However, in worlds of fantasy, I often find that massive piles of gold are just... eh. Sure, the party can liquidate their funds and do the math to buy whatever magic items they want, but doing that makes getting your hands on what should be major milestones that should leave you staring in awe feel like an almost purely mechanical exercise.

And the bigger the treasure budget you're handing over, the more ludicrous this whole thing becomes.

All right, that's 37,575 gold pieces. Enjoy your legendary armor, sir!

I've harped on this before in How To Keep Your Magic Items From Getting Mundane, as well as in Alternatives to Traditional Magic Weapons and Armor, but I figured this week I'd provide some specific examples for the DMs who want to keep their magic items feeling special, but who aren't sure where to start.

Method #1: Spoils of War

This is one most dungeon masters out there are probably familiar with. Whether the party is going through a dragon's hoard, they're exploring the ruins of the necromancer's tower, or they've defeated the bandit king, the idea is that they're going through the spoils of the battle to see what sort of loot can be found.

Holy crap! This guy had a Hell Globe just sitting around!

Most dungeon masters I've seen at this point just roll randomly for whatever loot is on the bodies, or in the chests... but this is your world! The stuff that's in there is the stuff you say is in there. So if your players are hitting that point where it's time to start upgrading their gear, put stuff there that suits them. The bandit leader managed to keep all those men under his command, maybe he has a headband that boosts his Charisma that would be ideal for the sorcerer, or the paladin. Maybe the risen bodyguard that protected the necromancer wielded a potent magical ax that would be right at home in the barbarian's hands. Perhaps the dragon kept a careful display of trophies taken from past heroes, allowing you to provide some options and choices for what your players take.

You should have a couple of valuables strewn around too, don't get me wrong... but more often than not the gold equivalent is geared to provide magic items to keep your party on the proper track to handle the threats coming their way. So just give them the cool stuff they'd buy anyway, make them feel like they earned it by winning it in a battle, and make sure you attach a bit of a story to the items in question.

That point goes for the rest of this list, as well. And if you have trouble coming up with stuff like that on the fly, then you might want to get your hands on 100 Histories and Legends For Fantasy Weapons. Trust me, it will make your players far more attached to their items.

#2: The Reward

Some adventurers perform their deeds out of a sense of duty, to defend their community, or to get revenge... but let's face it, a lot of them do it for the money. And just like with sacking an enemy's lair, actual coinage should be handed out as part of the reward... but if you know your party is going to spend the reward to get new equipment, why not just make that equipment part of the reward in the first place, and cut out the middle man?

I'll be damned, you brought him in. Well, let me just unlock the case here.

One of the reasons that a lot of DMs avoid having just the right equipment in a villain's lair is that it can sometimes feel over-planned, or a little trite. After all, why would an enchanted monk's robe be in a bandit stronghold? Why would an enchantress have a magical greatsword in her bedchamber? You can find reasonable answers for these questions (the bandits sacked a monastery, the sorceress took it as a trophy, etc.), but sometimes it's just easier to decree that the items are a reward for a job well done. After all, a noble whose problem has been solved, a wizard the party has helped, or even a city that's been saved could produce unique items that are fitting for the character, and their deeds.

This is especially true if they have a noted reputation, which I refer to as The Small Legend.

For example, if the party's cavalier is little more than a hedge knight, then a noble patron might give them a unique banner for their symbol, or even an enchanted saddle or shoes like those given to his house's champions. Perhaps the wizard whose enemies the party slew passes on a staff of power to the magus, commenting that it was given to her by her teacher, and that she sees the same potential in this younger arcane caster. And so on, and so forth.

Since there's usually a bit of downtime between when the party completes a job, and starting the next one, this allows you to get the present ready. And if there's a celebration of any sort (as big problems often have), you can make a big deal out of the presentation. If you're looking for a bunch of potential patrons for this sort of scenario, then 100 Nobles To Encounter might be just up your alley.

#3: The Steward

Sometimes there are items that are either so massive in cost, or so specific in rarity, that it feels stupid to be able to just walk into a market and buy them (even if you can afford to do so). And even more "normal" magic items might feel too special for the party to just hand over a bunch of gold for them, if you've given the item a name, a backstory, and all of the associated goodness.

That's why another interesting approach is to declare a character the steward, or current bearer of a particular item.

Particularly if the item is kept under lock, key, and guard.

While this can be a serious provision of trust (the paladin is given a holy avenger from the church's vaults because he's proven himself worthy, the ranger is given the armor worn by one of the founders of his order, the wizard is granted the right to wear one of the circlets of the Council of Nine, etc.), it's important to remember that this can be done in a smaller sense, as well. In those cases characters might be loaned equipment for use on a mission, or given it as an advance as a way to help them complete a particularly difficult task. Items like endless decanters for exploring a ruin in the middle of the desert, wands, scrolls, etc. might be provided as part of the price of taking on the job.

If you've ever played Spycraft, this is very similar to how agents are given a mission budget, and then allowed to take the equipment they will need most to complete their upcoming task. They can still have their own, personal stuff, but they aren't expected to buy a tank with what they have saved up in their private fund.

Churches, guilds (good, neutral, and evil), along with other in-game organizations all tend to have potent items they hang onto in times of need. As long as the party has a benefactor, like some of the groups found in 100 Knightly Orders, then you have someone who could provide them the tools they need to see their adventure through. Or, in some cases, the individual may have to officially join an organization for the privilege of wielding the item... which can be a kind of reward in and of itself.

#4: The Special Merchant

I know the whole point of this post thus far has been to avoid trading magic items for straight gold, but note the term "special" in this title. Most merchants you find in town won't have magic items for sale, and if they do they'll be minor baubles at steep prices. But there should be a few folks that crop up time and again who are always willing to trade for something... unusual. Or, in some circumstances, for a favor.

What did you bring me today, darlings?

The special merchant can take many forms, and ask for many things. Maybe it's that shady dealer in the low quarter who always has something, "for his friends," as long as they don't ask where he got it, and they can pay him something quick. It might be the fey merchant the party finds in parts of the forest, asking strange or bizarre prices for items that would be priceless anywhere else. Or it might even be that tiefling who specializes in "slightly" cursed objects, whose problems make them ideal for certain party members (a sword that only comes alive in the hands of an orc, a bow that hates elves for the ranger who has them as his favored enemy, and so on, and so forth).

These merchants will still ask a price, of course, but it might be something more in-keeping with the resources the party has. Taking their old weapon in trade as something that's tasted the blood of a dragon, perhaps. The skull of an orc champion. A cursed item that's useless to the party, but extremely valuable to the merchant. Hearing the tales of a certain battle firsthand so they know the full truth, along with a small stack of platinum coins. Maybe even the vintage gold found in an old vault, as the coins themselves are more valuable as items of history than for their weight in gold.

You'll find a few NPCs who fit this bill in 100 Merchants to Encounter, should you need a place to start looking.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Increasing Your Movement Speed in Pathfinder (A Beginner's Guide)

It's been a while since I've done an in-depth piece on how to tweak a particular part of your PC in my favorite game, so I figured it was time to do another one of those! And if you've ever had one of those frustrating moments where you were 5 feet out of range of the enemy, well, then this collection of tips and tricks may be just what you've been looking for!

Oh that's cute... you thought I couldn't get to you!

And if you like this particular guide, you might also want to check out:

- Tips For Building a Whip-Wielding Swashbuckler
- Aid Another in Pathfinder is More Powerful Than You Think
- How To Increase Spell DCs in Pathfinder
- How To Weaponize Your Intimidate Check in Pathfinder

Anyway, onto this week's musings!

Classes and Feats

You can learn to be faster. Here, let me show you!

One of the easiest ways to increase your speed is to invest in a class that gives you the Fast Movement ability. This typically boosts your base speed by 10 feet, but some classes give you additional boosts as you go up in level. The trade-off is that you typically can't wear more than a certain amount of armor while also maintaining said speed. Still, if you don't need a heavy metal tank, you can try out the following options:

- Barbarian (level 1): Add 10 feet to base speed as long as you're wearing medium armor or less, and not carrying a heavy load.

- Bloodrager (level 1): Second verse, same as the first. It's identical to the barbarian ability.

- Monk (starting at level 3): Monks add 10 feet to their movement starting at level 3, and they can add up to 60 feet as they progress. They lose this bonus if wearing any armor, or carrying a medium or heavy load.

- Hinterlander (level 2): A prestige class found in Paths of The Righteous, the Hinterlander gets an additional 10 feet of land speed, but there are no stipulations regarding load or armor for keeping it. Then again, this prestige class has such high prerequisites that you're probably already juggling other concerns.

You're probably noticing a theme here... classes that get fast movement typically have to give up defense. This makes it pretty tough to build a fast-moving tank. Even the feat Fleet (found in the Core Rulebook) comes with the stipulation that you can wear no more than light armor and carry no more than a light load, or you lose the bonus 5 feet of movement it grants you.

Not great options, really. Fortunately, that's what magic is for.

Spells and Magic Items

Now we're getting somewhere...

Magic allows you to re-write the laws of reality, and it's one of the best ways to give yourself a bit of a boost to your speed. So, to start with, here are a few spells you may want to keep in mind if you've got a time for some pre-casting.

- Longstrider: An old standby for rangers, this spell grants you a +10 foot enhancement bonus to your base movement speed, but no other movement types. A greater version of the spell in the Advanced Class Guide grants a +20 foot enhancement bonus to your land speed, and a +10 foot enhancement bonus to any other forms of movement a character actually has. The advantage of these spells (1st and 3rd level respectively) is that they last for hours per caster level, which makes them a great pre-cast. Sadly, they're self only, meaning you need a spell completion item, or the ability to share spells with your target (such as casting this on a mount or a familiar who will be delivering your touch spells).

- Burst of Speed: A solid spell from Ultimate Combat, this spell seems a little weak for a 3rd-level spell slot at first glance. As a swift action you gain a 20 foot bonus to your speed (untyped), or a 10 foot bonus if you're wearing medium or heavy armor. The advantage is that your movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, and you can move through spaces of creatures larger than you as long as you don't end your movement there. Again, it's only usable on the self, but it's a handy trick to have up your sleeve if you need to close with an enemy (or get behind them for a flank) in a big damn hurry.

- Haste: Everyone's favorite party boosting spell, haste adds 30 feet to a person's movement in all forms. This counts as an enhancement bonus, so it won't stack with other enhancement bonuses. However, it has the advantage that it can affect several people at once, and that it will boost party members who can fly, swim, burrow, climb, etc. It also eats a 2nd or 3rd level spell slot, depending on your casting class, so you can keep it in spell-completion form, too, should you need it.

- Expeditious Retreat: A lower-level way to give yourself a 30-foot bonus to your speed, expeditious retreat is also treated as an enhancement bonus. It lasts for minutes per level, and it's a great way to get around the limitations placed on you because of heavier armor, shorter movement speeds from size, etc. And, despite the name, you can use this spell to move into an attack position if that's what you'd rather do!

- Blessing of Fervor: A spell that gives you and your allies all sorts of options to pick from, one of them allows you to add 30 feet to your speed. This doesn't stack with haste and other similar spells, but it's another useful spell for giving the party some options.

Again, there's a theme here of spells all granting enhancement bonuses, ensuring that you can't stack them up to suddenly turn yourself into the Road Runner with a greatsword. However, if you don't have spells at your beck and call, or if you just want a more permanent sort of boost like what you'd get from a class feature, then you could also add some of the following magic items to your roster.

- Expeditious Armor: Named after the last spell mentioned above, this enchantment allows you to flick a switch 3 times per day as a swift action, and add a 10 foot enhancement bonus to all forms of movement for 1 round. It can only be put on armor, and while not great, it comes with a flat gold cost rather than a magical enhancement value, so there is that.

- Boots of Striding and Springing: An old standby, these boots add a 10-foot enhancement bonus to the wearer's base land speed, and they're a very common way to overcome penalties from heavier armor. Also, they provide a +5 competence bonus on Acrobatics checks, so that's nice to have as some icing on the cake.

- Boots of Speed: While wearing these boots, as a free action, someone can click their heels together and act as if under the effects of haste for 10 rounds per day. Snazzy if you can find them, and you don't want to wait for your party caster's initiative to come up.

- Horseshoes of Speed: For mounted warriors, or those who managed to convince their DMs to let them play a centaur, these horseshoes add a 30 foot bonus to the creature's land speed. It counts as an enhancement bonus, of course, but with an extra 30 feet how much more do you really need?

While a few options have no doubt slipped through the cracks (and if I missed any really good options please leave them in the comments so I can update the list), these are the options you're going to find the most often.

Why Do You Need All This Speed, Anyway?

Getting the hell away from that, for starters.

While having an increased speed is nice, it might not be clear right away what you can actually do with it. After all, it is going to be kind of situational, as once you're in fighting range it's time to focus on swinging. With that said, though, there are a few reasons to invest in upgrading your ability to get around the battlefield.

The first is so you can play range games with your opponents. Because staying out of reach of your enemies while still being able to harry them is a solid path to victory. Whether you're dealing with shambling undead, or humans in heavy armor who can only move 20 feet or so, if you can hit and move (either with a ranged or reach weapon, a spell, or a feat like Spring Attack) then you can basically dominate a particular fight while not letting yourself get surrounded.

Secondly, the ability to get around a battlefield is often greatly hindered by the abilities of enemies and the terrain itself, and a little enhancement on your part can really help in breaking through those obstacles. Difficult terrain costs double your movement, for example. So does tumbling past opponents to avoid attacks of opportunity, and moving stealthily (without the proper rogue talent, at least). A simple tanglefoot bag can chop your speed in half, and that's without even getting started on all the ridiculous spells there are out there that can stagger you, and make it hard to get around. So it's important to have an ace up your sleeve for when the bad guys think they've got you in a trap.

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That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well! And if you'd like to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little bit of help can go a long way, trust me on that one.

Rise of The Runelords Chapter 12: Demonbane

It seems, for the moment, that the strange conspiracy wrapping its tendrils through Magnimar has been slain. Its leaders lie dead, its plans smashed. Sandpoint is safe, and all of the troubles appear to have come to an end. But this was the same sort of calm our heroes felt after Nualia died, and it wasn't over then, either. Still, great deeds call for great rewards... though some rewards are stranger than others.

To bring yourself up-to-date, check out the previous parts of the story:

- Chapter 1: Blood and Butterflies
- Chapter 2: Murder and Glass
- Chapter 3: The Sin Pit
- Chapter 4: Tussles in The Tangle
- Chapter 5: The Assault on Thistletop
- Chapter 6: Secrets Behind The Curtain
- Chapter 7: Murders At The Mill
- Chapter 8: Halflings and Ghouls
- Chapter 9: Fox in The Hen House
- Chapter 10: Something Rotten in Magnimar
- Chapter 11: The Crumbling Tower
- Chapter 12: Demonbane
- Chapter 13: Trouble at Turtleback Ferry
- Chapter 14: The Taking of Fort Rannick
- Chapter 15: Water Over The Dam
- Chapter 16: Mad Lovers, And Lost Captains
- Chapter 17: The March of The Giants
- Chapter 18: The Taking of Jorgenfist
- Chapter 19: The Secrets Beneath Sandpoint
- Chapter 20: At The Gates of The Runeforge
- Chapter 21: Storming The Halls of Evocation
- Chapter 22: The Bowels of Necromancy's Tomb

- Chapter 23: The End of Runeforge

- Chapter 24: Preparation For The Final Journey 

- Chapter 25: The Hunger in The Mountains 

- Chapter 26: The Gateway to Xin-Shalast

- Chapter 27: The Path of Temptation

- Chapter 28: The Three-Fold Challenge of Xin-Shalast

- Chapter 29: Crossing The Barrier of Greed

- Chapter 30: The Fall of Karzoug

With the monsters slain, and lives saved, the only logical thing to do is, of course, to raise a glass!

The Gratitude of Lords

Through deft explanations and saving those who pull the levers of power a great deal of face, the Lord Mayor and many others were able to take some of the credit for stopping the heinous actions of the Skinsaw Cult. With the lamia lying dead, the Lord Mayor hosted a dinner in honor of the heroes who had come from the north to stop this menace. An affair that had more than a few rewards planned by the night's end.

Not all cults have treasure in their vaults, after all.

The night's notables swirled around the heroes, eager to brush up against the greatness of the hour. Zordlan told the tales of their adventures, embroidering them as he sipped his wine to the delight of his audience. Mirelinda was hung on by young men and women alike, all of them curious as to how one of Varisia's native people fell into such unusual and eclectic company. Zhakar was approached enthusiastically by many, but more than a few felt the strange, pulsing emanations crawling through him... like the fever twisting his hand was growing worse, instead of better. Bostwick avoided the spirits, as well as the finery, but was still given his share of thanks for his part in protecting the city. And Thok, who had chosen to garb himself in more traditional clothing, found himself being treated more like an exotic animal than a man.. particularly by one noblewoman who felt a night with him would be well worth the scandal.

It was as the meal was finishing, though, that the Lord Mayor drew everyone's attention to the head of the table. In exchange for the companions' service, he felt it was appropriate to show gratitude in the way that Magnimar felt was most genuine; with coin of the realm. An expensive bounty was given to each companion, an iron-bound chest holding the gold. Enough to prove that the city of statues did, indeed, value what they had done.

Echoes of a Dead God

With no demands on their time the following day, Zhakar found himself accompanying Mirelinda as she headed through the massive marketplace of one of the biggest cities in the nation. With his own gold locked firmly in a vault in the church of Abadar, and noting that Zordlan and Thok were both otherwise occupied, he wanted to be sure the young sorceress didn't fall afoul of any cut purses. Or worse, ardent admirers.

It was in the midst of the marketplace when Zhakar's eye fell on a strange structure. The stone was old, and the stairs worn from use, but the building looked all-but-abandoned. Above the single door he could just make out a winged, all-seeing eye... the Eye of Aroden, worn away to nearly nothing. Much like the dead god's worship.

A place of worship... now little more than a tomb.

Without thinking, Zhakar stepped between the stalls, and found the old path. Mirelinda, confused, followed him. They stepped into the dimly-lit interior, and saw the hollowed-out husk the church had become. Like a riverbed in a drought, it had been carved by belief and faith, but now it was empty. A few ragged tapestries still hung on the walls, but the floor was thick with dust, and the air with silence. The place had been a path to the divine, but it was no longer a place where the divine could be felt.

Mirelinda had her hand on Zhakar's arm, about to say they should go, when a figure emerged from the rear of the church. Older, with a gray beard and a single, blind eye, the priest smiled at them.

"We see few enough in these troubled times," he said, leaning against the stone that had once been the altar. "And rarely heroes who save the lives of the city's wealthy."

A Forgotten Weapon

The old priest offered a wry smile, and shook his hand to dispel the air of mystery. He lived in Magnimar, and though he was half-blind, there was nothing wrong with his ears. He recognized the swordsman with the iron gauntlet, and the jewel-bedecked companion with him. It wasn't until Zhakar mentioned he'd felt a pull into that place that the old man's smile grew sad, and he nodded.

"They have waited long to find a new champion," he said. "But if they were to call one, it would probably be one such as you. Wait here."

You will not be the first to wear them... and I hope you are not the last.

The priest ducked into the back room for a moment, and emerged carrying a rosewood box, with a strange lock on the front of it. Removing the all-seeing eye from around his neck, he placed it into the aperture, and turned slowly. The lock opened, and he carefully lifted the lid. Sitting on a blue velvet cushion were a pair of vambraces. The steel was dull and worn, the leather straps dark and supple. There was a hum about them, though, that made Zhakar's hair stand on end.

"Your arm, young man," the priest said. Zhakar extended his left arm, and the priest reverently lifted one of the vambraces out of the box. "They have had many names. The Devil's Lash, when they were worn by Sharai Trentwater in the days when Cheliax stood as a bastion of righteousness. The Crucible when they were given as a gift to Conran Skullsplitter for his friendship and aid in our cause."

The old man fastened the vambrace smoothly, as if it were a task he had performed a thousand times. It was snug, but not uncomfortable, hugging Zhakar like a second skin. A shine went over the steel, and it began to alter. A pattern of feathers etched into it, bright light shining from between them. A steel plumage that turned into a smooth grain that shone with a mirror polish. The priest beamed, nodding.

"But when I wore them to the Worldwound, they were known as Demonbane," he said.

He reached for the second vambrace, but before he could touch it, the steel flew out of the box, wrapping itself around Zhakar's right forearm. The steel blackened as if it had been blasted by fire, the straps snapping around his arm. The steel twisted and ground, the pattern of feathers turning into a kind of dark membrane, run through with deep red veins. Zhakar stared at it, horrified. The priest backed away, tears running from his blind eye. Zhakar slowly raised his left hand, making a placating gesture. He slipped a brass key from his belt, and laid it on the altar.

"For your generosity," he said, quietly. The priest said nothing, his pulse beating hard in his neck. Zhakar nodded, and left the church. As he walked, the vambraces seemed to mold tighter to him. As much a part of him as the strange changes happening just beneath his skin.

"What just happened?" Mirelinda asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"You're the one with the cards," Zhakar murmured, idly touching the blackened steel embracing his right arm. "You tell me."

What strange adventures await Sandpoint's companions? Are they being guided by a force greater even than themselves? Or is there darkness at the end of their journey? Stop in next time on Table Talk to find out!

And if you have a guess as to what magic item it was that sought Zhakar out, leave it in the comments below! It is in the core game.

For more work by yours truly, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, or head over to Dungeon Keeper Radio. If you're looking to check out some of my fiction, then go to My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife!

To stay on top of all my releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. And if you'd like to support me and my work, you could Buy Me A Ko-Fi, or if you'd rather be a regular, monthly patron go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Every little bit helps.

Use Magic Device Is A Great Skill, And Pathfinder Players Should Invest In It

There are some gaming strategies that are so universal in your experience that you occasionally forget they aren't truly universal. For me, this happened the other day when I was on a forum where a player was asking what the point of the Use Magic Device skill was in Pathfinder. The poster didn't see the point in spending points investing in this skill, and there were more than a few commenters who had never bothered with it either. At least a few folks said it should just be stripped out, since it was a vestigial part of the game with no real use.

Since I know there are at least some users out there who haven't heard the good word of U.M.D., I figured I'd spend this week making the case for why you should at least consider taking it for your characters.

The potential of wands alone should be enough to warrant a half dozen ranks.

How It Works, And Why You Should Have It

The name of the skill tells you pretty much everything you need to know; Use Magic Device lets you pick up a magic item, and use it. With a successful check you can fire a wand, even though that spell isn't on your spell list. You can mimic having a high Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma score in order to use an appropriate item. You can use a scroll, you can read a written spell, and you can even emulate a class feature, race, or alignment in order to make a magic item function for you even if it normally wouldn't.

Concrete examples are what really help to bring home how incredibly useful this skill can be, though. For instance, say the cleric has been knocked out, and you don't have any other healers. You've all downed your potions, so you can't just pour an ounce of pure medicine down the priest's throat. If the rogue has Use Magic Device ranks, he could snatch the cure moderate wounds wand off the cleric's belt, activate it, and make sure the holy man doesn't die. If you're playing a monk who wants to have the most ridiculous armor class possible, then using a wand of mage armor and a wand of shield can be just the ticket to being the next best thing to untouchable. If a bunch of shadows come lurking out of the walls, and it's early enough in the game that you aren't armed to the teeth with magic weapons, then the bard pulling out the scroll of scorching ray can be a literal life saver. If your human fighter found a bow that only unlocks its true potential for an elven wielder, he can trick the magic item into working for him, raining all kinds of damage onto the enemy. It's even possible for evil-aligned characters to wield holy weapons without penalty (or vice versa) by making regular Use Magic Device checks.

You can even cause purposeful malfunctions of a magic item in order to direct the item's 2d6 of feedback damage as a weapon against your enemies, rather than taking it all in the face. Which, considering that low-level magic items like a wand of magic missile only deal 1d4+1 damage anyway, is a risky kind of upgrade.

"Just read the scroll." But I'm not a necromancer! "The scroll doesn't know that!"

Pathfinder is a game with a lot of magic. You're practically tripping over it in the world setting, and it's everywhere when it comes to your loot. You can buy at least some magic items in most decently-sized towns and cities, and even if you find a spellbook no one in the party can use, every page in that spellbook acts like a scroll for the listed spells. Everything, from the ability to decipher written spells, to the ability to convince a magic item that you're totally lawful-aligned in order to get the full benefit of its wooge, can be done with a good Use Magic Device check.

There will never be a campaign where you can't make the most of Use Magic Device, if you invest in it, barring DMs who purposefully try to run a low-magic game.

Activating Consistently (Getting High Checks)

One thing that makes Use Magic Device stand out is that it has some pretty high DCs. Activating an item blindly is a DC 25 check. Emulating a race or a class feature is a DC 20. Purposefully causing a mishap is a DC 30, as is emulating an alignment. Those are some intimidating numbers, especially for players who want to make use of this ability at low or mid levels, instead of waiting till the campaign is nearly over to get consistent results.

Fortunately, Use Magic Device is a skill. And skills are fairly easy to crack in Pathfinder.

Let's crunch some numbers, shall we?

So, the first thing you want to do is have Use Magic Device as a class skill. If you don't have it as a class skill (not uncommon), then you can take the Dangerously Curious trait to make it a class skill, and to get a +1 trait bonus on your checks. So, ignoring your Charisma score for the moment, you've got a minimum of 4 (class skill bonus plus 1 rank) in the skill, and a 5 if you took Dangerously Curious. Not huge, but that's a 25% chance to activate a wand right out of the gate. Alternatively, if you're an Intelligence-based character, you might want to take Pragmatic Activator, which lets you swap Intelligence for Charisma on these checks. Choose your magic trait wisely.

Now, let's move on to feats. The feat Magical Aptitude gives you a +2 bonus on U.M.D. checks, and a +4 if you have 10 ranks or more. Skill Focus gives you a +3 bonus, and a +6 if you have 10 or more ranks (you also get Skill Focus for free if you're a half-elf). So, if you take the first option here, and combine it with the earlier layout, you've got a 7. If you take the latter option, you have an 8. If you take them both, you start off with a 10 overall, giving you a 55% chance of activating a wand (because you can roll a 10-20 and succeed, you don't need an 11).

There are other tricks to increasing your U.M.D. effectiveness, as well. The Pathfinder Savant prestige class, for example, allows you to add half your level as a bonus on Use Magic Device checks. If you boost your Charisma with quick infusions of things like a potion of eagle's splendor, or a stat-boosting headband, that will also eke out a few points for you. And if you have a friend (or a cohort) with the glory domain, they can touch you as a domain power to add their cleric level to any one Charisma-based skill check you make in the next hour. That can be a powerful bonus at later levels. And, of course, if you've activated the item successfully before then you get a +2 on future Use Magic Device checks with it.

Let's go back to our original math. Let's say you took all the early options for boosting, so you had a check of 10 at level one. Now let's add in your Charisma modifier. If you're a high-Charisma class like a sorcerer or a swashbuckler, you've probably got between a 13 and a 15 for your Use Magic Device checks. That's a 75% chance to activate a wand, and a roughly 55% chance to activate an item blindly if you're on the high end of the spectrum there. If Charisma was not a priority, though, you should still have an 11 or a 12. Which isn't bad. By level 5 or so, you should be able to consistently activate a wand, or emulate a race or class feature. And you've got a better than even chance of activating a magic item blindly. By level 10, assuming you took the two feats listed, you should have a minimum bonus of 23 to your Use Magic Device check (10 from ranks, 10 from the feat bonuses, and 3 from the class skill bonus). Adding in your Charisma score, trait bonuses, and miscellaneous bonuses from class features is just gravy, but it means that you should be able to run your fingers over most magic items, and get them to unlock with little difficulty. It also means you're quite unlikely to be the recipient of any backlash, since your skill is so high.

Just remember, that if you roll a natural 1 on a U.M.D. check, and that roll is a failure for that particular check, you cannot active that particular magic item for 24 hours. Which can be a bastard, if you depend on it.

It Never Hurts To Have A Little Magic On Your Side

The degree to which you invest in Use Magic Device will depend on what you want to do with it. Do you want to hoard scrolls, and constantly throw pre-prepared spells into the fray? Or do you just want the ability to use a few, low-level wands in order to buff yourself with self-targeted spells, and to free up the party casters for other duties? How much investment you make will depend entirely on your goals, but even if you're not a Charisma-based class, and you only have a few skill points per level, you can never go wrong with having Use Magic Device on your sheet. It's situational, but those situations are going to crop up pretty damn frequently.

That's all for this week's Crunch topic. Hopefully it got some folks' gears turning, and at least a few character concepts coming to mind. For more from me, check out my Vocal archive, or take a listen to the shows I help put together with fellow gamers over on the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. To keep up-to-date on my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, if you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page. All it takes is $1 a month to make a difference, and to get some sweet gaming swag as a thank you.

"Drawbacks" on Magic Items Can Force Players To Make Tough Decisions in Pathfinder

Magic items are part and parcel of Pathfinder games. Everything, from the types of adventures parties go on, to the CR rating of monsters, is made with the assumption that characters are going to have access to magic weapons, armor, and wondrous items at certain points in the game. If the party has the time and resources, it's even possible for spellcasters with the right feats to make practically any item in the various equipment sections.

However, the problem with magic items being so commonly found is that they can get boring after a while. I talked about this a while back in How To Keep Your Magic Items From Getting Mundane, but that post was all about using description, lore, and unique sets of circumstances to try making "normal" magic items feel more special. This week, though, we're talking about adding some cursed items to your game... but not the normal kind of cursed items. The kind that, while they have a drawback, are hard to pass up since their maker got them almost right.

It is, indeed, +5 full plate with heavy fortification. But it plays Nickelback while you wear it.

Curses and Drawbacks

Cursed items are, by and large, seen as one of those DM dick moves that's meant to screw over players. It's a bait-and-switch, where they pick up the loot, only to find that now it's a sword that makes them clumsy, or armor that deals them damage, or a cloak that's made of poison, etc.

They're like the worst possible practical jokes. The kind where only the guy who thought it would be funny to throw a venomous snake at his friend while he was walking up the stairs can see why it's amusing.

Uh-huh. Explain to me again why it was funny to hide this thing in my bed when you know I carry a gun, Steve.

However, there are varying degrees of cursed items. While some of the more extreme ones can act as a trap for adventurers who are unwary enough to pick up whatever shiny sword or weird wand they find in a necromancer's trophy cabinet, there are less-awful cursed items you might want to consider dotting your game's landscape with.

Especially if you want your players to face some difficult choices when it comes to the gear they buy.

That's where we get to Drawbacks, listed on page 538 of the Core Rulebook. This chart lists a slew of effects a cursed item might have that make it disturbing, problematic, or even silly. Drawbacks like an item that's garishly colored (like a dancing tower shield that's bright pink, with a lavender unicorn on it) are possible, or items that emit a disturbing sound when in use (like a bastard sword that screams for blood, or a keen dagger that emits a low, wicked laugh). There are items that make the wielder's hair grow, that change their hair color, or that make the temperature colder or warmer near them. Characters might change race, gender, or skin color when first picking up an item. It might mark them with some strange brand, or tattoo. And some items will change your alignment, force a Fortitude save once per day to avoid stat damage, or knock you out for 1d4 rounds once they've been put away.

These drawbacks mean that players have to make hard choices when it comes to some of their treasure. For example, a +3 heavy steel shield would be a boon to the fighter, but the disturbing, vampiric crest means he has to make a save every morning or suffer 1 point of Strength damage. A breastplate that prevents the wearer from casting spells would be ideal for a barbarian, though the item's original purpose may have been to imprison wizards. While the holy glaive that burns with pure light might seem an ideal weapon for a holy warrior, it never stops whispering prayers to its god. That can try the patience of saints, after a while.

What's The Cost?

People don't usually set out to make cursed items, or so the Core Rulebook says, since they're created as a result of a spellcaster failing their check to make a magic item. However, does that mean it's possible to get more powerful items earlier on in the campaign, if the PC is willing to put up with the cost of the curse? Especially since, in addition to Drawbacks, page 536 has a list of situations for Dependent cursed items (meaning they will only function when the conditions for the curse are met, such as being within 10 feet of a certain race, at night, during the day, in the hands of a spellcaster, a non-spellcaster, etc.).

Whether you're trying to get items on the cheap from a wizard's college, and you're buying student work instead of craft by the masters, or you're dealing with traveling merchants who have a narrow, but unusual, selection, these items can be tailored to present your players with some tough choices.

And if the ranger gets too handsy with that scimitar, it might just turn him purple.

That's all for this week's Crunch topic. Hopefully it gets the wheels turning for any DMs out there. If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, then head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron. All it takes is $1 a month, and that gets you both my eternal gratitude, and a sweet stack of gaming swag. Lastly, if you want to keep up on all my latest work, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Just How Old Is Your Loot? Tips For DMs Trying To Spice Up Treasure Hoards

Your heroes have traversed the burning desert, evaded the traps in the bloody labyrinth, and fought their way to the throne room of the Ralthus, the vampire warlord. The undead warrior has been reduced to little more than dust and sand, and the party turns to his collections of treasures... which is around the time you start rolling on the charts, and tossing out whatever loot they find.

And you find *dice rattle* a +2 dagger, and 25 gold pieces.

If this part of the game always feels like a kink in your story's flow, you might want to take a moment to try and make your treasure feel authentic to where your party found it, and how long it's been there, instead of just rattling off a spreadsheet of valuables.

How Treasure Hoards Are Formed

Lots of creatures in fantasy RPGs have treasure hoards. Dragons are perhaps the most infamous for the practice, but trolls, ogres, goblins, kobolds, and even undead lords all have treasures in their lairs. The reasons why should be obvious, but we rarely think about it. You see, treasure accumulates either because the creatures seek out (or occasionally create) powerful items, or because adventurers have been killed by the creatures, and their enchanted items stayed where they fell.

This is the reason you find an ancient sword in a troll's lair, just laying on the floor. It's also why you find talismans of great power in the strongholds of necromancers. These items don't just magically appear when you win a fight; they represent the wealth (either purposeful or accidental) of the creatures you've defeated.

Which, as a DM, is a great storytelling hook that often gets overlooked.

Just How Long Has This Stuff Been Here?

I'm not suggesting that you lay out a hoard with the meticulous care that you do the dungeon the party has to go through to reach it. Down that road lies madness, However, by scattering a few details here and there when it comes time to reward your party, you can turn something that often devolves into a bunch of bookkeeping into a great roleplaying experience.

 

I found a WHAT now?

What sort of details could you throw around though? After all, treasure is treasure... right?

Well, if that treasure is only a few years old, then sure, it's going to be recognizable. But what about treasure that's been sitting in a hoard for decades? Or centuries? What about treasure that made its way to this hoard from a far away land, or which is from empires that don't exist anymore?

For example, let's say your mid-level party has descended into the corrupt necropolis, and smashed skulls until the dead went back to sleep, and the malevolent influence hanging over the tombs departed. What was left behind? Sure, there's probably gold and silver, but who minted those coins? The metal they're made of is good, but a coin with a face you don't recognize is an intriguing detail that will catch some players' imaginations. Especially if you can link those coins back to your world's history, or to your future plot, in some way. Perhaps there are weapons, but if those weapons were buried with the dead in ages past, what do they look like now? Are they pristine, their magic pushing back the forces of decay, or are they waiting beneath the ashes and dust to be discovered? And do these weapons look or feel different from the enchantments of today? For particularly potent weapons, especially named weapons, is the magic laced within them beyond what even the most powerful wizards could create in this day and age?

There are dozens of minor details you can add to your party's loot to make it unique, and to really bring across that the threat they defeated has not been challenged in many years. A shield whose crest belongs to a nation a thousand years in the dust, or armor whose protective enchantments are written in a dead language known only to a few scholars. A breastplate distinctive of a knightly order who is only known today in children's stories of long ago valor. Distinctive patterns of forging or creation thought lost to time (similar to the patterns of Toledo or Damascus steel) would make weapons even more unique, and give players a sense that they aren't just holding a pile of interchangeable numbers. They're holding a piece of the game world's history in their hands.

Don't Roll For The Important Stuff

Every DM has his or her own style, and not everyone is good at off-the-cuff description. Some DMs need to think things through, and write it down long before the party ever gets there. Which is fine. However, take my advice on this one; if you want to create unique descriptions for the treasure your party finds, come up with it in advance. That way you know what's in the room, and you have your descriptions primed and ready for when someone asks what they find.

Do you draw the serpent blade when you find it?

Also, if you're looking for more advice on this particular subject, check out my previous posts Alternatives to Traditional Magic Weapons and Armor, as well as How To Keep Your Magic Items From Getting Mundane.

As always, thanks for stopping in to hear what I have to say. If you'd like to help keep the content flowing, you can support Improved Initiative by visiting The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page and becoming a patron today! Also, if you haven't done so yet, you can keep up on all my latest posts by following me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.