Mythic Items (A brief submission for the nest Minotaur)
lerman20 <
zion@...>
2013-02-15 02:17:00 GMT
Mythic Items
by
Pat Mathis
I have noticed a disturbing trend in recent M&M modules. The monsters have hordes of treasure including
various mythic items. This model of distributing treasure has been adopted from a medieval fantasy game,
one of the recent imitators of M&M. This is not at all in the spirit of M&M and our source inspirations.
In the original greek myths, often heroes were visited by the gods and given a quest and loaned powerful
artifacts to help with that quest. It was expected that at the end of the quest, the hero would then return
the artifacts of the gods they had been loaned.
For example: Athena loaned Perseus her shield, Hades' helm of invisibility, and Hermes' winged sandals.
(In Clash of the Titians he got a slightly different assortment of artifacts)
This should be the usual model of mythical items for the Heros of M&M. At the beginning of the quest, the
god/dess or king or Priest/ess or nymph who sends them on the quest loans them a few powerful artifacts to
help with the quest. Sometimes only one of the Heroes will get the mythical artifacts. For example: Aries
might only give his breastplate, helm, and sword to the Noble who has Aries as his patron. Other times, the
mythical artifacts might be divided amongst the party of Heroes so that each Hero gets something. The
artifacts given may or may not help the Heroes in their quest. Often a clever Heroes can find a way to make a
seemingly useless mythical artifact vital to the success of the quest.
Still, the players are likely to want some sort of treasure they can keep. Try to avoid making the treasure be
a pile of gold. Make it something equally valuable, but less liquid, like a large herd of horses or a ship.
Any mythic items that the NPC's have should be wielded against our Heroes. The best ones are single use ones,
like potions, that the heros won't get their hands on unless they defeat the NPC fairly quickly.
Sometime around level 2 or 3, non mythical arms and armor or high quality will start appearing in the hands of
the NPC's. (and after their defeat, in the hands of the Heros) These high quality arms or armor should be
worth ten times their usual value for such and item. Such weapons should offer a non-magical +1 to hit OR
damage. (but not both)
Armor should offer either a non-magical +1 to Armor Class OR a reduction in encumbrance. And the first
enhanced armor that should appear is Breastplates. Shields should be next and enhanced Helms should be
the last to be acquired.
By 4th level, the Heros are wresting mythical arms and armor that offer a +1 bonus from the hands of the NPC's.
For weapons, this is to both `to hit' and damage.
By 6th level, the Heros should face foes that have +2 arms and armor. In case you haven't noticed the formula a
use to calculate the magical bonuses it is:
PC level (rounded down) /2 - 1 = + bonus of arms and armor in the hands of the NPC's (soon to be in the possession
of the PC's)
And if my players grouse about about their 6th level character only have a +2 breastplate, shield, helm,
sword and spear, I point out that for this Quest they have Zeus' Javelin of Lightning or an Atlantean War
galley or Aphrodite's Ointment or the Lyre of Orpheus.
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