So my players have discovered the Magic Item Compendium, which means I've had to discover the MIC as well.
There are several items built on a similar framework of "3 charges per day, 1 charge does X, two charges does 1.5X, three charges does 2x", where X might be healing hit points, or healing ability score damage, or adding energy damage to spells of the appropriate kind.
These items seem really under-priced using the "classic table". The Healing Belt lets a character essentially cast a Cure spell that they can use on themselves, on an ally, or to harm undead. (heal 2d8 with 1 charge, 3d8 with two, or 4d8 with three) The cost of this item is 750 gp, the same as a Wand of Cure Light Wounds!
And yet, in my current campaign, the characters are 9th level. Being able to heal four to eight d8 of damage per day seems like a pretty trivial thing to worry over. Yes, it's under-priced by the charts, but the effect is so small, is it really worth worrying over? I'd hate that belt with a burning passion in a 2nd level party, simply because it is such a huge boost to party resources at that level, but at 9th level? I think the only way I could really be bothered by it was if everyone had one that they kept in their backpacks and only ever broke out between fights, and even then, that feels more annoying than unbalancing.
Should I worry about items like these?
And if not, what SHOULD I be worried about from the MIC?
There are several items built on a similar framework of "3 charges per day, 1 charge does X, two charges does 1.5X, three charges does 2x", where X might be healing hit points, or healing ability score damage, or adding energy damage to spells of the appropriate kind.
These items seem really under-priced using the "classic table". The Healing Belt lets a character essentially cast a Cure spell that they can use on themselves, on an ally, or to harm undead. (heal 2d8 with 1 charge, 3d8 with two, or 4d8 with three) The cost of this item is 750 gp, the same as a Wand of Cure Light Wounds!
And yet, in my current campaign, the characters are 9th level. Being able to heal four to eight d8 of damage per day seems like a pretty trivial thing to worry over. Yes, it's under-priced by the charts, but the effect is so small, is it really worth worrying over? I'd hate that belt with a burning passion in a 2nd level party, simply because it is such a huge boost to party resources at that level, but at 9th level? I think the only way I could really be bothered by it was if everyone had one that they kept in their backpacks and only ever broke out between fights, and even then, that feels more annoying than unbalancing.
Should I worry about items like these?
And if not, what SHOULD I be worried about from the MIC?
