Does a good ("epic") item have to be magical?

[Pshaw]

I would say no it doesn't need to be 'magical' in the sense that it does not need to have been enchaned by magic. However if a weapon has been crafted to such a degree that it is almost a legend it should still have increased effects that one would assocaite with it being a 'magic' item in terms of game mechanics.

 

For instance if you wanted to say have a legendary sword of untold craftsmenship I wouldn't want it to just be 3d8 when most magic weapons are 1d12+2 + 1d4 fire or 2d8 +1d6 poison or what have you. Yes that sword would clearly be better than any average sword. It would also be better than many magic swords. However it's boring, which doesn't make it feel epic. I'd rather have it still have the +stat +damage +attacks per round kind of bonuses associated with 'magic' items rather than just having extremely superiour base stats.

 

So I'm all for masterworks of weapons and armor being in the game but I wouldn't want to see them functionally any different than magic ones. Let the item backgrounds tell me that they're masterworks forged by the greatest artisans of their time and had no need of being enchanted. Beyond that I personally like items being interesting which means stepping away from whatever normal items are.

Edited October 20, 2012 by Pshaw

[Sensuki]

That's basically what I am saying. It doesn't have to be magical to have bonuses etc

[Forlorn Hope]

Does a good ("epic") item have to be magical?

 

Nope.

[rjshae]

One difference between a well-made sword and an enchanted swords should be that the well-made sword requires a skilled swordsman to fully exploit. A tyro wielding a sword like a bar of iron will be equally inept with a plain sword and a masterwork weapon. But an enchanted sword should actually help the tyro fight better. Perhaps give the masterwork weapon a better chance of penetrating armor, while an enchanted sword has a better chance of penetrating the defense.

[JWestfall]

I'd say "no, not necessarily", but the topic bring to my mind the interesting question of what exactly is a "magic item." In typical fantasy, a magical weapon is usually crafted specifically to be just that, by wizards or gods or otherwise exceptional beings.

 

In P:E, there may be alternatives. For example, lets extrapolate from the description of the Chanter class:

 

While chanters do use the power of their souls to work their magic, chants are exhortations to the unconscious memory of wayward souls and the diffused spiritual energy of the world. That is, ambient spirits respond to the evocation of ancient, common story elements and play their part in reconstructing the chanter's tales.

 

Perhaps a mundane Warhammer was carried around by a famous hero long ago, which has now become legend. The very fact that the weapon is tied to legend may cause "ambient spirits to respond" spontaneously around such artifacts. Thus, the mere fact of an item being associated with a legendary person, or are otherwise related to "ancient, common story elements" may make them "magical."

[rjshae]

^^^^^^^^^^^

Yup, plus such items can become a channel or focus for specific soul-based powers, without being magical themselves.

Edited October 20, 2012 by rjshae