AD&D- Overpowered Magic Items

So a quote from @DarkCrisis in the thread announcing the new PHB had me thinking...
"I mean, you can use AD&D magic items in 5E games. Nothing really stops you."

AD&D magic items! Oh yeah! Now, obviously, AD&D had magic items. I mean, you couldn't clear out a dungeon without tripping over the Long Swords +1. But in addition to the ubiquitous +1 Long Sword, AD&D had a number of really cool magic items.

...but what was the coolest magic item?
And what was the coolest magic item that AD&D had that isn't in 5e?
And and what was the coolest magic item that AD&D had that is in 5e, but has been nerfed into 5e-ness?

There are two categories of magic items that we can consider when we are thinking about magic items, obviously!

1. Artifacts (and relics).
2. All the other magic items.

I think you need to start by differentiating out those two, after all, it just isn't fair to include Artifacts (and relics) with all the other goodies, is it? It's like when you are trick-or-treating, and one house has the full-size candy bars. Yeah, those are the artifacts.

Of course, the other problem is that artifacts had variable powers, so while the Invulnerable Coat of Arnd was always going to make you immune to physical attacks (and so on), it would also have 10 abilities that were completely different from table to table.

Because of that, we have to exclude Artifacts. Which pains me, because my second-favorite item in the game (after the Head of Vecna) was, of course, the Teeth of Dahlver-Nar. Nothing like smiling with someone else's teeth!

Also, unfortunately, we have to exclude so-called UNUSUAL SWORDS. Sorry, no smarty-pants swords that are intelligent, have an alignment, and are probably going to drive you to kill those bards already (which you were going to do anyway, right?).

So, what do you think? What are some of the OP items in AD&D?

Snarf's List of OP AD&D Magical Items, Top 10, No Particular Order

1. The Holy Trinity. Long before your local corporations pivoted to video and preached synergy, AD&D was all about the synergy. The Holy Trinity of AD&D was the Hammer of Thunderbolts, the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, and A Girdle of Storm Giant Strength.

Why? Because if you had these three items, the hammer went to +5, got double damage dice, all gauntlet bonuses, all girdle bonuses, and would strike dead any giant that it hit. Wait, wut?
Yeah. +5/+5 .... +3/+6 .... +6/+12 This means that you were +14 to hit, +23 to damage, and double damage dice.

2. Scarab of Protection. Hear me out. It's not the +1 vs. spells. It's that it allows you to save against anything that would not allow a save! Sure, it set the save at 20, but it allowed you to pull in bonuses for that. It also protected you from level drain, so there's that.

3. Rod of Absorption. Allows you to instantly identify spells being cast and the level, and determine if you absorb them, and then use those levels to case your own spells.

4. Ring of Regeneration. Can't stop, won't stop. Or, to quote Crank, the PC died, but he got better. Sure, not as big a deal in 5e, but in 1e?

5. Mirror of Mental Prowess. Scry any place, including other planes. Read the thoughts of those you see. Use it as a portal to go to places. Oh, and it will answer questions for you.

6. Sphere of Annihilation. Okay, no one was stupid enough to try and use it, right?

7. Helm of Brilliance. Causes 1-6 damage to undead. Makes all swords into swords of flame (in addition to their other properties), allows you to produce flame, double-strength fire resistance. Also? 40 light spells, 30 fireballs, 20 walls of fire, and 10 prismatic sprays. .... just don't fail on magical fire.

8. Rug of Welcome. If you don't know, look it up.

9. Robe of Scintillating Colors. Neutralize all the opponents, all the time. Okay, fine, maybe you prefer the robe of eyes. But that's no fun.

10. Horn of Blasting. Surprised. Expected the Staff of the Arch Magi? Well, this is powerful and fun. And? It's a HORN.

Anyway, share your favorite items (or your favorites uses for items) in the comments.

You want something something dead, no save you say?

Cloak of Poisonousness: This particular cloak is usually of woolen-like material, although it can be leathern. It can be handled without harm, and it radiates magic. A neutralize poison spell will not affect it. As soon as the cloak of poisonousness is actually worn, the wearer will be stricken stone dead. The cloak can only be removed with a remove curse, which destroys the magical properties of the cloak. If a neutralize poison spell is then used, the person can possibly be revived by a raise dead or resurrection spell, but there is a −10% chance of success because of the poison. After its effects are known, a small label saying “Nessus Shirt Company” might be seen at your option.

Voadam said:

After its effects are known, a small label saying “Nessus Shirt Company” might be seen at your option.

Click to expand...

I always loved that part, although it was almost too obvious.

What would you do with gust of wind if it was at will? Possibly come up with an actual use in a game.

Ring of Elemental Command: The 4 types of elemental command rings are very powerful. Each appears to be nothing more than a lesser ring (detailed below), but each has certain other powers as well as the following common properties:
1. Elementals of the plane to which the ring is attuned cannot approach within 5’ of or attack the wearer; or, if the wearer desires, he or she may forego this protection and instead attempt to charm the elemental (saving throw applicable at −2 on the die). If the latter fails, however, total protection is lost and no further attempt at charming can be made, but the secondary properties given below will then function with respect to the elemental.
2. Creatures, other than normal elementals, from the plane to which the ring is attuned attack at −1 on their “to hit” dice, the ring wearer takes damage at −1 on each hit die, makes applicable saving throws from the creature’s attacks at +2, all attacks are made by the wearer of the ring at +4 “to hit” (or −4 on the elemental creature’s saving throw), and the wearer does +6 damage (total, not per die) adjusted by any other applicable bonuses and/or penalties. Any weapon used by the ring wearer can hit elementals or elemental creatures even if it is not magical.
3. The wearer of the ring is able to converse with the elementals or elemental creatures of the plane to which the ring is attuned, and they will recognize that he or she wears the ring, so they are at least going to show a healthy respect to the wearer. If alignment is opposed, this respect will be fear if the wearer is strong, hatred and a desire to slay if the wearer is weak.
4. In addition, the possessor of a ring of elemental command will suffer a saving throw penalty as follows:
Air −2 vs. fire
Earth −2 vs. petrification
Fire −2 vs. water or cold
Water −2 vs. lightning/electricity
5. Only one power (whether major or minor) of a ring of elemental command can be in use at one time.
—Air: The wearer can at will produce the following magical effects:
gust of wind (once per round)
fly
wall of force (once per day)
control winds (once per week)
invisibility
The ring will appear to be nothing other than an invisibility ring until a certain condition is met (such as having the ring blessed, slaying an air elemental, or whatever you determine as necessary to activate its full potential).

Most any wand. Enough charges to actually use regularly as opposed to as a last resort after spells are gone or dire emergencies or as a resource management daily type pool.

Unless noted to the contrary, these items will have the following number of charges; each time the item is used, there is an expenditure of 1 charge (the user will not necessarily be aware of the number of charges in an item):
rods 50 charges minus 0 to 9 (d10 − 1)
staves 25 charges minus 0 to 5 (d6 − 1)
wands 100 charges minus 0 to 19 (d20 − 1)
Most of these items can be recharged by spell users of sufficiently high level. This is discussed elsewhere under the heading FABRICATION OF MAGIC ITEMS. Note that a rod, staff or wand completely drained will become forever useless, crumbling to powder as its last charge is expended.

Some of my old favorites are the Wand of Wonder, Robe of Eyes, The Rod of Lordly Might, and The Book of Infinite Spells. And my favorite "errr, what am I going to do with this?" item has to be Bracers of Brachiation.

And if UA is involved, there's the Everything items and the Hat of Difference for super redonkulous nonsense.

Voadam said:

Most any wand. Enough charges to actually use regularly as opposed to as a last resort after spells are gone or dire emergencies or as a resource management daily type pool.

Unless noted to the contrary, these items will have the following number of charges; each time the item is used, there is an expenditure of 1 charge (the user will not necessarily be aware of the number of charges in an item):
rods 50 charges minus 0 to 9 (d10 − 1)
staves 25 charges minus 0 to 5 (d6 − 1)
wands 100 charges minus 0 to 19 (d20 − 1)
Most of these items can be recharged by spell users of sufficiently high level. This is discussed elsewhere under the heading FABRICATION OF MAGIC ITEMS. Note that a rod, staff or wand completely drained will become forever useless, crumbling to powder as its last charge is expended.

Click to expand...

There was a spell in an issue of Dragon called Recharge; the DM let us use that in a game and things got pretty silly.

Snarf Zagyg said:

So a quote from @DarkCrisis in the thread announcing the new PHB had me thinking...
"I mean, you can use AD&D magic items in 5E games. Nothing really stops you."

AD&D magic items! Oh yeah! Now, obviously, AD&D had magic items. I mean, you couldn't clear out a dungeon without tripping over the Long Swords +1. But in addition to the ubiquitous +1 Long Sword, AD&D had a number of really cool magic items.

...but what was the coolest magic item?
And what was the coolest magic item that AD&D had that isn't in 5e?
And and what was the coolest magic item that AD&D had that is in 5e, but has been nerfed into 5e-ness?

There are two categories of magic items that we can consider when we are thinking about magic items, obviously!

1. Artifacts (and relics).
2. All the other magic items.

I think you need to start by differentiating out those two, after all, it just isn't fair to include Artifacts (and relics) with all the other goodies, is it? It's like when you are trick-or-treating, and one house has the full-size candy bars. Yeah, those are the artifacts.

Of course, the other problem is that artifacts had variable powers, so while the Invulnerable Coat of Arnd was always going to make you immune to physical attacks (and so on), it would also have 10 abilities that were completely different from table to table.

Because of that, we have to exclude Artifacts. Which pains me, because my second-favorite item in the game (after the Head of Vecna) was, of course, the Teeth of Dahlver-Nar. Nothing like smiling with someone else's teeth!

Also, unfortunately, we have to exclude so-called UNUSUAL SWORDS. Sorry, no smarty-pants swords that are intelligent, have an alignment, and are probably going to drive you to kill those bards already (which you were going to do anyway, right?).

So, what do you think? What are some of the OP items in AD&D?

Snarf's List of OP AD&D Magical Items, Top 10, No Particular Order

1. The Holy Trinity. Long before your local corporations pivoted to video and preached synergy, AD&D was all about the synergy. The Holy Trinity of AD&D was the Hammer of Thunderbolts, the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, and A Girdle of Storm Giant Strength.

Why? Because if you had these three items, the hammer went to +5, got double damage dice, all gauntlet bonuses, all girdle bonuses, and would strike dead any giant that it hit. Wait, wut?
Yeah. +5/+5 .... +3/+6 .... +6/+12 This means that you were +14 to hit, +23 to damage, and double damage dice.

Click to expand...

There's a clash there somewhere.

Unlike 3e and later where these items just give a + bonus to whatever Strength score you already have, in 1e these items set your Strength to a particular value no matter what it was before. Gauntlets of Ogre Power set your arms' Strength to 18.00 and locked it in. A Girdle of Storm Giant Strength set your overall Strength to 25 and locked it in.

Which means that when wearing both, either the Gauntlets reduce your arms' Strength to 18.00 or the Gauntlets are overwritten by the Girdle and you function as Strength 25. As each of these items is trying to set your Strength to a fixed value, there's no way in hell these items should stack with each other despite anything ol' Gary might have said/written to the contrary.

Snarf Zagyg said:

4. Ring of Regeneration. Can't stop, won't stop. Or, to quote Crank, the PC died, but he got better. Sure, not as big a deal in 5e, but in 1e?

5. Mirror of Mental Prowess. Scry any place, including other planes. Read the thoughts of those you see. Use it as a portal to go to places. Oh, and it will answer questions for you.

Click to expand...

Yeah, these two rock pretty good. We have a similar mirror as a company possession in the game I play in, and I think the DM regretted giving it to us pretty much immediately.

Given recent experience both as DM (a PC in my game has one) and player (a PC of mine got his mitts on one as soon as he could after I-as-DM had seen how good it was!), I have to add the Rod of Security (from UA) to the list. When activated, the wielder and anyone touching the wielder get blipped into a little demiplane and can stay there for 200/n days, rounded down, where n is the number of people in there (thus 1 person can stay for 200 days, 2 people for 100, 125 people for just one day, etc.).

The demiplane provides food, water, and a comfortable climate. Healing/resting rates are doubled while there. It is completely safe. While in there you're not subject to natural aging. Which means it's the perfect getaway car for a whole party to a place where they can refresh, reset, heal up, swap spells, etc. and where none can follow. This also gives the enemies time to wander off or get bored waiting.

The only drawback is that when the rod's effect ends - either by expiry or by wielder's command - you get blipped back to exactly where you were before.

Lanefan said:

There's a clash there somewhere.

Unlike 3e and later where these items just give a + bonus to whatever Strength score you already have, in 1e these items set your Strength to a particular value no matter what it was before. Gauntlets of Ogre Power set your arms' Strength to 18.00 and locked it in. A Girdle of Storm Giant Strength set your overall Strength to 25 and locked it in.

Which means that when wearing both, either the Gauntlets reduce your arms' Strength to 18.00 or the Gauntlets are overwritten by the Girdle and you function as Strength 25. As each of these items is trying to set your Strength to a fixed value, there's no way in hell these items should stack with each other despite anything ol' Gary might have said/written to the contrary.

Click to expand...

Nope. This was a special property of the HAMMER.

That's why it was such an absurd item.

(It was modeled after Thor's hammer, of course).

But yes, if a DM ever allowed that trio in the game, then ... well, yep.

Snarf Zagyg said:

Nope. This was a special property of the HAMMER.

That's why it was such an absurd item.

Click to expand...

Ah. I've never seen a true Hammer of Thunderbolts either as DM or player. Nearest I've seen are returning throwable hammers without lightning, and that don't change what Girdles and-or Gauntlets do.

And my own twisted variant: the Dwarven Thrower. When wielded by anyone or thrown by a non-Dwarf it behaves as a normal +2 throwable hammer. When thrown by a Dwarf, however, en route to the target the Thrower morphs into a mundane - and usually screaming - Dwarf that impacts the target* then morphs back into a hammer and returns to the thrower.

* - often with a 'splat!'; and it's a different Dwarf each time.