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Strong Magic Cursed

I f orget where in the multitudinous blogoland, but someone posted a comment to the ef f ect that high-level
characters in Lamentations of the Flame Princess (think basic D&D with player character power dialed a bit
down) don't do well in high-level AD&D modules made f or more souped-up characters.T hat may be so - and is
doubly true of my own 52 Pages rules where you can't come in with 4 magic missiles and 2 f ireballs prepared at
the same time.

I mean, great. T he less overwhelming your high-level

characters, the more you approach the ideal where big
scary monsters are actually a threat to them rather than
resorting to blind-tiger gimmicks ("you wake up naked and
beref t in an anti-magic zone") or stupid dumb munchkin
armies of 4 beholders and 20 f rost giants, etc. T he f ewer
bonuses pile up on them, the less you f eel you need to
compensate in an eternal treadmill of armor class and hit
bonuses.

Now, another assumption of high-level AD&D, that grittier ref erees may balk at, is the ubiquity of magic items. A
7th level character in AD&D is likely to be tricked out in at least +2 everything, or a couple of wands and many
lesser items if a spellcaster. One answer to this, of course, is the low-magic campaign where items are rare.
T he answer I pref er is "keep Fantasia weird" and f illed with magic, but balance strong magic - most +2 and
def initely all +3 and above - with the cosmic revenge of the universe on tools that so def iantly f lout its laws -
with the karmic debt paid f or owning a sword that cleaves bronze like butter - with, quite simply, the human
energy cost of a stick that shoots death. Something's got to pay somewhere.

(In ef f ect - a shallower and broader implementation of the 1st edition AD&D "random drawback" approach to
artif act-level magic.)

30 Random Drawbacks f or Magic Weapons and Armor (d20, -5 at +2, +5 f or each plus above +2)
"Armor" here includes shields.
0 or less: No drawback
1: -3 to a random saving throw.
2: -1 to all saving throws.
3: Accentuates your worst personality traits. -2 Charisma
4: Constant whispering sound makes it hard to concentrate. -2 Intelligence
5: Estranges you f rom God and nature. -2 Wisdom
6: Exhausting to wield. -1 Strength if an armor, -1 Constitution if a weapon.
7: Makes unexpected, clumsy, conf ining moves. -1 Dexterity.
8: Take 1 hp damage when you equip it.
9: Take 1 hp damage when you un-equip it.
10: If you die while wielding/wearing it, you rise immediately as an undead creature of hit dice appropriate to
your level, and attack the party immediately.
11: Has minuses instead of pluses when f ighting one creature type (reptiles, undead, humans, etc.)
12: Animals are unf riendly to you while carrying it.
13: +1 of its enchantment vanishes f or the day when you hit (weapon) or are hit (armor) on a natural 13.
14: You need to eat f ive times as much on any day you use it in combat.
15: While wielding or wearing it, unintelligent enemies attack you by choice.
16: When you are aware of an enemy, you have +3 move to go towards them, and -3 to go away.
17: To enjoy its magical benef it, requires you to f orswear your religion and f ollow an obscure, nearly-dead god,
wearing its symbol and f ollowing its strange customs.
18: Can't heal HP while you're carrying/wearing it.
19: Glows visibly when enemies are near, within 60'... but only if you already know they're near.
20: Jealous ... drops f rom your grasp if you're carrying another weapon (weapon), f alls of f your body if you're
carrying any other magic item (armor).
21: Each time you do (weapon) or take (armor) 8 or more HP of damage in one blow, you lose 1 HP.
22: Fogs your vision, you can only see 30' in dim light.
23: Makes an audible screaming sound when it hits (weapon) or when you are hit (armor).
24: Only has its magical powers each day if exposed to the rays of the dawn.
25: You must rest and not attack one round out of f ive while wielding or wearing the item.
26: You lose the ability to speak while wielding/wearing it.
27: Gives -1 to hit (if armor) or 1 worse armor class (if weapon).
28: You hit your nearby f riends (weapon) or your nearby f riends hit you (armor) on a natural to hit roll of 3.
29: Any NPC's who see it and are able to wield/wear it must save (Will/WIS/spell) or become covetous and
scheme to take it f rom you.
30: Powerf ul wizard/demon/undead creature thinks the item is theirs and begins pursuing you d4 weeks af ter
you acquire the item.