Book of magic items?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

The DMG has a bunch of magic items, of course, but I was wondering if there
was a published sourcebook of just all sorts of various magical
items(including hopefully tables for treasure generation, etc). A "Compleat
Tome of Plentiful Magic" or some such, perhaps?

Thanks in advance.

--
Jeff Goslin - MCSD - www.goslin.info
It's not a god complex when you're always right

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

In article <cIWdnSJJrL1WdcLfRVn-vg@comcast.com>,
Jeff Goslin <autockr@comcast.net> wrote:
>The DMG has a bunch of magic items, of course, but I was wondering if there
>was a published sourcebook of just all sorts of various magical
>items(including hopefully tables for treasure generation, etc). A "Compleat
>Tome of Plentiful Magic" or some such, perhaps?

Reminder: for 2e.

Somebody with better memories of 2e than me will need to give a reply of more
substance. I have vague memories of such a book, but that doesn't do you any
good.
--
"Yo' ideas need to be thinked befo' they are say'd" - Ian Lamb, age 3.5
http://www.cs.queensu.ca/~dalamb/ qucis->cs to reply (it's a long story...)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

David Alex Lamb wrote:
> In article <cIWdnSJJrL1WdcLfRVn-vg@comcast.com>,
> Jeff Goslin <autockr@comcast.net> wrote:
> >The DMG has a bunch of magic items, of course, but I was wondering
if there
> >was a published sourcebook of just all sorts of various magical
> >items(including hopefully tables for treasure generation, etc). A
"Compleat
> >Tome of Plentiful Magic" or some such, perhaps?
>
> Reminder: for 2e.
>
> Somebody with better memories of 2e than me will need to give a reply
of more
> substance. I have vague memories of such a book, but that doesn't do
you any
> good.

The Tome of Magic had a lot in there (as well as tons of spells). As
for magic items exclusively, I can't think of any off the top of my
head outside of the Book of Artifacts.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"David Alex Lamb" <dalamb@qucis.queensu.ca> wrote in message
news:d3orr1$qbj$1@knot.queensu.ca...
> In article <cIWdnSJJrL1WdcLfRVn-vg@comcast.com>,
> Jeff Goslin <autockr@comcast.net> wrote:
> >The DMG has a bunch of magic items, of course, but I was wondering if
there
> >was a published sourcebook of just all sorts of various magical
> >items(including hopefully tables for treasure generation, etc). A
"Compleat
> >Tome of Plentiful Magic" or some such, perhaps?
>
> Reminder: for 2e.
>
> Somebody with better memories of 2e than me will need to give a reply of
more
> substance. I have vague memories of such a book, but that doesn't do you
any
> good.

2E or 3E, both are good. I'm fairly adept at doing minor conversions for
mechanics. If there's a 3E book, I'd like to know about it too. Even if I
can't use it directly, it's more about the ideas. Many of the magic items
in the DMG are of the "been there done that" variety.

--
Jeff Goslin - MCSD - www.goslin.info
It's not a god complex when you're always right

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

David Alex Lamb wrote:
> In article <cIWdnSJJrL1WdcLfRVn-vg@comcast.com>,
> Jeff Goslin <autockr@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>>The DMG has a bunch of magic items, of course, but I was wondering if there
>>was a published sourcebook of just all sorts of various magical
>>items(including hopefully tables for treasure generation, etc). A "Compleat
>>Tome of Plentiful Magic" or some such, perhaps?
>
>
> Reminder: for 2e.
>
> Somebody with better memories of 2e than me will need to give a reply of more
> substance. I have vague memories of such a book, but that doesn't do you any
> good.


Do you mean Encyclopedia Magica? It was a four volume set that
supposedly had every magic item that had been officially published at
the time.

It even had treasure generation tables in volume 4.

-Tialan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Tialan wrote:
> David Alex Lamb wrote:
>
>> In article <cIWdnSJJrL1WdcLfRVn-vg@comcast.com>,
>> Jeff Goslin <autockr@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>> The DMG has a bunch of magic items, of course, but I was wondering if
>>> there
>>> was a published sourcebook of just all sorts of various magical
>>> items(including hopefully tables for treasure generation, etc). A
>>> "Compleat
>>> Tome of Plentiful Magic" or some such, perhaps?
>>
>>
>>
>> Reminder: for 2e.
>>
>> Somebody with better memories of 2e than me will need to give a reply
>> of more
>> substance. I have vague memories of such a book, but that doesn't do
>> you any
>> good.
>
>
>
> Do you mean Encyclopedia Magica? It was a four volume set that
> supposedly had every magic item that had been officially published at
> the time.
>
> It even had treasure generation tables in volume 4.

Fun books, but expensive at the time, if I remember correctly, and,
frankly, full of silliness.

They literally tried to include EVERYTHING ever published in an official
TSR source, which includes April Fools editions of Dragon Mag.

Volume 4 does include 30 pages of tables, though. A Full Set on Ebay
looks like it would go for around 30-40$US.

DWS

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Tialan wrote:
> David Serhienko wrote:
>> They literally tried to include EVERYTHING ever published in an
>> official TSR source, which includes April Fools editions of Dragon Mag.
> Yeah. My favorites was include the Helm of Forty Watt Brilliance and
> Robe of 3-Speed Blending.

Ring of Hunan Influence. When the wearer ate something, it would cause an
intense burning in the mouth and stomach. Drinking water did not help, it would
only increase the pain and damage. The only thing to salve it was to eat like
1d4 bowls of rice or something like that.
--
"... respect, all good works are not done by only good folk ..."
--till next time, Jameson Stalanthas Yu -x- <<poetry.dolphins-cove.com>>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"David Serhienko" <david.serhienko@ndsu.nodak.edu> wrote in message
news:1160290nna1un04@corp.supernews.com...
> > Do you mean Encyclopedia Magica? It was a four volume set that
> > supposedly had every magic item that had been officially published at
> > the time.
>
> Fun books, but expensive at the time, if I remember correctly, and,
> frankly, full of silliness.

I was hoping for something maybe a little less silly and a little more
useful(ideas-wise). Even if it isn't D&D proper, maybe there are some other
resources that have various magic items described? Cthulhu? GURPS? Who
knows?

--
Jeff Goslin - MCSD - www.goslin.info
It's not a god complex when you're always right

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Jeff Goslin wrote:
> "David Serhienko" <david.serhienko@ndsu.nodak.edu> wrote in message
> news:1160290nna1un04@corp.supernews.com...
>
>>>Do you mean Encyclopedia Magica? It was a four volume set that
>>>supposedly had every magic item that had been officially published at
>>>the time.
>>
>>Fun books, but expensive at the time, if I remember correctly, and,
>>frankly, full of silliness.
>
>
> I was hoping for something maybe a little less silly and a little more
> useful(ideas-wise). Even if it isn't D&D proper, maybe there are some other
> resources that have various magic items described? Cthulhu? GURPS? Who
> knows?

See my response to David. There's silliness and there is a fair amount
of redundancy. But on the whole, I consider the set to be quite useful.
It doesn't take a lot of effort to spot the April Fools items-
especially if they include a reference to the modern world (i.e. Robe of
Three Speed Blending- It slices! It dices!).

Like David said, the silliness results from their effort to include
EVERYTHING. That means they also got the serious stuff, too.

BTW- "everything" includes all the items and tables from the Book of
Artifacts. You could get this set, and all you'd miss from the Book of
Artifacts are a set of magic item creation rules. And those artifacts
are certainly NOT silly.

I think on the whole, if you are looking for an idea generator,
Encyclopedia Magica could work. There are sections that include lists
of generic attributes for weapons and the like. You could play mix and
match. Take the principle behind one item, and apply it to another.
And who knows? Maybe you'll even find some redeeming value in the April
Fools items. Strip away the silly appearance of the Helm of Forty Watt
Brilliance, and you are left with an item that simply gives good ideas
to otherwise not-too-bright folks. And I consider that to be fairly
reasonable.

-Tialan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

~consul wrote:
> Tialan wrote:
>
>> David Serhienko wrote:
>>
>>> They literally tried to include EVERYTHING ever published in an
>>> official TSR source, which includes April Fools editions of Dragon Mag.
>>
>> Yeah. My favorites was include the Helm of Forty Watt Brilliance and
>> Robe of 3-Speed Blending.
>
>
> Ring of Hunan Influence. When the wearer ate something, it would cause
> an intense burning in the mouth and stomach. Drinking water did not
> help, it would only increase the pain and damage. The only thing to
> salve it was to eat like 1d4 bowls of rice or something like that.

The Horror!

Not only is it a joke item, but it's a joke item based on a typo!

The Horror!

On a side note, I actually DID read it as Ring of Human Influence my
first time through. Had to reread it to get the joke.

Heh! Hu-NAN!

-Tialan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

David Alex Lamb <dalamb@qucis.queensu.ca> wrote:
> In article <cIWdnSJJrL1WdcLfRVn-vg@comcast.com>,
> Jeff Goslin <autockr@comcast.net> wrote:
>>The DMG has a bunch of magic items, of course, but I was wondering if there
>>was a published sourcebook of just all sorts of various magical
>>items(including hopefully tables for treasure generation, etc). A "Compleat
>>Tome of Plentiful Magic" or some such, perhaps?
>
> Reminder: for 2e.
>
> Somebody with better memories of 2e than me will need to give a reply
> of more substance. I have vague memories of such a book, but that
> doesn't do you any good.

There's the _Encyclopedia Magica_, four fake-leather-bound books
containing 'all the magic items published up to that point'. Came out
before 3e, but I forget how long before.


Keith
--
Keith Davies "Trying to sway him from his current kook-
keith.davies@kjdavies.org rant with facts is like trying to create
keith.davies@gmail.com a vacuum in a room by pushing the air
http://www.kjdavies.org/ out with your hands." -- Matt Frisch

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

In article <1113601408.127358.244260@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
Rump Ranger <buttpirate2@fadmail.com> wrote:
>
>David Alex Lamb wrote:
>> In article <cIWdnSJJrL1WdcLfRVn-vg@comcast.com>,
>> Jeff Goslin <autockr@comcast.net> wrote:
>> >The DMG has a bunch of magic items, of course, but I was wondering
>if there
>> >was a published sourcebook of just all sorts of various magical
>> >items(including hopefully tables for treasure generation, etc). A
>"Compleat
>> >Tome of Plentiful Magic" or some such, perhaps?
>>
>> Reminder: for 2e.
>>
>> Somebody with better memories of 2e than me will need to give a reply
>of more
>> substance. I have vague memories of such a book, but that doesn't do
>you any
>> good.
>
>The Tome of Magic had a lot in there (as well as tons of spells). As
>for magic items exclusively, I can't think of any off the top of my
>head outside of the Book of Artifacts.

I think that's the book I was trying to remember -- it sounds familiar.
Probably less expensive than Encyclopedia Magica.
--
"Yo' ideas need to be thinked befo' they are say'd" - Ian Lamb, age 3.5
http://www.cs.queensu.ca/~dalamb/ qucis->cs to reply (it's a long story...)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Tialan wrote:
> Jeff Goslin wrote:
> >
> > I was hoping for something maybe a little less silly and
> > a little more useful(ideas-wise).
>
> See my response to David. There's silliness and there
> is a fair amount of redundancy. But on the whole, I
> consider the set to be quite useful.

For example, there are *tens of thousands* of items in the
Encyclopedia Magica (enough that the random tables require you to roll
a d1000 (3 d10's, one for 1's, one for 10's and one for 100's) rather
often), and there are probably thirty to forty really silly items.

Jeff: People are talking about the silly items because those are the
ones they remember. They represent an incredibly small fraction of
the items in the Encyclopedia. And better (for you), the items are
all 2e (meaning they're also wildly unbalanced, and contain no hints
about or indication of relative power or cost).

Remembering those makes me *so* happy I play 3e.

--
Nik
- remove vermin from email address to reply.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"Nikolas Landauer" <dacileva.flea@hotmail.com.tick> wrote in message
news:1113632125.9579e683227621b055eebc81d535bf9b@teranews...
> the items in the Encyclopedia. And better (for you), the items are
> all 2e (meaning they're also wildly unbalanced, and contain no hints
> about or indication of relative power or cost).
>
> Remembering those makes me *so* happy I play 3e.

You need tables to indicate relative power? I would think it would be
fairly self-evident which items would be of high and low power respectively,
and therefore their costs would be fairly easy to determine, relatively
speaking.

--
Jeff Goslin - MCSD - www.goslin.info
It's not a god complex when you're always right

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 22:49:17 GMT, Keith Davies
<keith.davies@kjdavies.org> carved upon a tablet of ether:

> There's the _Encyclopedia Magica_, four fake-leather-bound books
> containing 'all the magic items published up to that point'. Came out
> before 3e, but I forget how long before.

Mid nineties. I've got a set in a box of AD&D2 FR stuff I borrowed
from a friend at that time that I've still got (he went overseas, and
I've heard rumours that he's back in the country but he's made no
effort to get in touch with old friends, so who knows?)


--
Rupert Boleyn <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz>
"Just because the truth will set you free doesn't mean the truth itself
should be free."

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

In article <F56dna-0JZiRaf3fRVn-pg@comcast.com>,
Jeff Goslin <autockr@comcast.net> wrote:
>"Nikolas Landauer" <dacileva.flea@hotmail.com.tick> wrote in message
>news:1113632125.9579e683227621b055eebc81d535bf9b@teranews...
>> the items in the Encyclopedia. And better (for you), the items are
>> all 2e (meaning they're also wildly unbalanced, and contain no hints
>> about or indication of relative power or cost).
>>
>> Remembering those makes me *so* happy I play 3e.
>
>You need tables to indicate relative power? I would think it would be
>fairly self-evident which items would be of high and low power respectively,
>and therefore their costs would be fairly easy to determine, relatively
>speaking.

It's easy to distinguish a Challenge Rating 20 creature (high power) from a
CR 5 (low power) monster, but rather than just "high" and "low" many people
would like a finer grain of resolution than just "high/medium/low".
--
"Yo' ideas need to be thinked befo' they are say'd" - Ian Lamb, age 3.5
http://www.cs.queensu.ca/~dalamb/ qucis->cs to reply (it's a long story...)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"David Alex Lamb" <dalamb@qucis.queensu.ca> wrote in message
news:d3r53b$hi6$1@knot.queensu.ca...
> In article <F56dna-0JZiRaf3fRVn-pg@comcast.com>,
> Jeff Goslin <autockr@comcast.net> wrote:
> >"Nikolas Landauer" <dacileva.flea@hotmail.com.tick> wrote in message
> >news:1113632125.9579e683227621b055eebc81d535bf9b@teranews...
> >> the items in the Encyclopedia. And better (for you), the items are
> >> all 2e (meaning they're also wildly unbalanced, and contain no hints
> >> about or indication of relative power or cost).
> >>
> >> Remembering those makes me *so* happy I play 3e.
> >
> >You need tables to indicate relative power? I would think it would be
> >fairly self-evident which items would be of high and low power
respectively,
> >and therefore their costs would be fairly easy to determine, relatively
> >speaking.
>
> It's easy to distinguish a Challenge Rating 20 creature (high power) from
a
> CR 5 (low power) monster, but rather than just "high" and "low" many
people
> would like a finer grain of resolution than just "high/medium/low".

I guess so. Maybe it's just me, but I've never really had a problem fairly
accurately guesstimating the relative power of a magic item, at least in
broad strokes, and I've never needed anything more specific than the broad
strokes.

It seems in 3E that many of the magic items are based almost directly on
spells(wands and potions, eg), or they are of a linear scale value(+whatever
weapon/armor, etc). It's only when you get into the items that don't really
have direct comparisons that things get a little more dicey, but even those
can be determined fairly rapidly as either a high medium or low power
item(talking mostly about misc magic items or items with multiple
powers(staff/rod, etc)).

--
Jeff Goslin - MCSD - www.goslin.info
It's not a god complex when you're always right

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Rupert Boleyn <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz> wrote:
> On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 22:49:17 GMT, Keith Davies
><keith.davies@kjdavies.org> carved upon a tablet of ether:
>
>> There's the _Encyclopedia Magica_, four fake-leather-bound books
>> containing 'all the magic items published up to that point'. Came out
>> before 3e, but I forget how long before.
>
> Mid nineties. I've got a set in a box of AD&D2 FR stuff I borrowed
> from a friend at that time that I've still got (he went overseas, and
> I've heard rumours that he's back in the country but he's made no
> effort to get in touch with old friends, so who knows?)

Heh, I could just get off my ass and look. They're on the shelf not
five feet from me.

First one is (c) 1994, fourth one is (c) 1995.

I've got the _Wizard's Spell Compendium_ and _Priest's Spell Compendium_
as well.


Keith
--
Keith Davies "Trying to sway him from his current kook-
keith.davies@kjdavies.org rant with facts is like trying to create
keith.davies@gmail.com a vacuum in a room by pushing the air
http://www.kjdavies.org/ out with your hands." -- Matt Frisch

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Nikolas Landauer wrote:
>
<snip Encyclopedia Magica discussion>
>
> And better (for you), the items are all 2e (meaning
> they're also wildly unbalanced, and contain no hints
> about or indication of relative power or cost).

First, the Encyclopedia Magica had many items from OD&D, BD&D and 1E,
not just 2E.

Second, while some 2E items were "wildly unbalanced", saying that they
all were is a gross exaggeration (to say the least).

Third, Encyclopedia Magica entries had the item's xp value (indicating
relative power/usefulness) and gp value (the cost of purchasing the
item).

> Remembering those makes me *so* happy I play 3e.

<sigh> This is not the first time someone here has attacked 2E by
making factually untrue statements about it.

I often wonder how much of the animosity some people on this newsgroup
have toward 2E is due to simply not remembering it clearly.


Arivne

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

arivne@cox.net <arivne@cox.net> wrote:
> Nikolas Landauer wrote:
>>
><snip Encyclopedia Magica discussion>
>>
>> And better (for you), the items are all 2e (meaning they're also
>> wildly unbalanced, and contain no hints about or indication of
>> relative power or cost).
>
> First, the Encyclopedia Magica had many items from OD&D, BD&D and 1E,
> not just 2E.

True. I suspect he meant 'pre-3e'.

Also, if EM is like the spell compendia, many of the items will have
been 'updated' for 2e, either to add information they didn't have or
make them more consistent with 2e material. Granted, I don't know that
this is the case.

> Third, Encyclopedia Magica entries had the item's xp value (indicating
> relative power/usefulness) and gp value (the cost of purchasing the
> item).

That's what I always used, with the understanding it could be out to
lunch (ioun stones, anyone?)

>> Remembering those makes me *so* happy I play 3e.
>
> <sigh> This is not the first time someone here has attacked 2E by
> making factually untrue statements about it.
>
> I often wonder how much of the animosity some people on this newsgroup
> have toward 2E is due to simply not remembering it clearly.

I'm not sure that that's it. I've seen way more house rules trying to
fix 1e and 2e than I've seen for 3e. A lot of people do houserule 3e,
but many of the house rules are quite common.

Granted, many of the 2e house rules were pretty common too, but 3e seems
to have less requirement for modification.

It is most certainly mechanically simpler. A few weeks ago I tried to
figure out THAC0 and it took me a few minutes to remember how it worked.


Keith
--
Keith Davies "Trying to sway him from his current kook-
keith.davies@kjdavies.org rant with facts is like trying to create
keith.davies@gmail.com a vacuum in a room by pushing the air
http://www.kjdavies.org/ out with your hands." -- Matt Frisch

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 18:38:31 GMT, Keith Davies
<keith.davies@kjdavies.org> carved upon a tablet of ether:

> Heh, I could just get off my ass and look. They're on the shelf not
> five feet from me.

I didn't 'cause all said friend's stuff is in boxes on top of a
wardrobe, and I didn't feel like courting a head/neck injury getting
them down.


--
Rupert Boleyn <rboleyn@paradise.net.nz>
"Just because the truth will set you free doesn't mean the truth itself
should be free."