Question about the bonuses of an "enhanced" weapon

[smubee]

If a player finds a sword that is +3 vs Trolls for example, do you tell them that it's +3 vs Trolls, or do let them figure it out?

[tkdco2]

If the situation comes up during play, the player finds out during the game. Otherwise, the DM told the player after the game. This was usually because we rotated DMs, and someone else might run the next session.

[Finarvyn]

Gary always charged folks for the information. There was a character called the "striped mage" who could identify items at a cost, and I think he just told them on the spot and charged them later when they hit town.

Otherwise, that's why the "identify" spell was created.

[smubee]

Feb 17, 2016 5:36:26 GMT -6 Finarvyn said:

Gary always charged folks for the information. There was a character called the "striped mage" who could identify items at a cost, and I think he just told them on the spot and charged them later when they hit town.

Otherwise, that's why the "identify" spell was created.

Interesting, I was going to do something similar -- have an old wizard working in a shop just sitting around identifying strange items.

I'm just whipping together a small dungeon to run my mom and her boyfriend (who has never played) through, so just wanted to see what the best option would be for identifying treasure.

Thanks!

[tkdco2]

I knew players who didn't like to part with the gold their characters found. They'd haggle and/or cheat in order to avoid paying up. But that's another topic.

[Porphyre]

Don't have access to my PDF version, but it seems to me that the properties of a magical sword are automatically communicated by the (intelligent) sword to its owner, either my empathy, telepathy or speech (according to the int level of the sword), but maybe I have it mistaken with an ultérior edition.

Usually , I avoid keeping players in the dark about the magical properties of their items for too long: game sessions are too much far and between , I it saves me keeping secret notes taht I might forget (players -in the other hand- *never* forget theit bonuses!)

Also, I don't use the extended spell lists so the "Identify" spell is not available, but I allow MU to use "Read Magic" to decypher "magical runes and engravings" on the blades; and a Savig Throw against magic also works for identifying the magical properties of an item.

(finally, I think I might steal the 5th edition "Atunement" mechanic)

[Finarvyn]

Feb 18, 2016 1:17:02 GMT -6 tkdco2 said:

I knew players who didn't like to part with the gold their characters found. They'd haggle and/or cheat in order to avoid paying up. But that's another topic.

In Gary's game you never cheated the Striped Mage. He was basically harmless unless you tried to cheat him or steal from him, but in those cases he would unleash full DM power upon you. Not a pretty sight.

[Porphyre]

*Although the sword cannot communicate it will endow its user with the powers
 it has, but these will have to be discovered by the user.

M&T p30. 

So: Swords with Intelligenece above 6 can communicate their powers to the owner , but "low intelligence" swords can't