AD&D- Overpowered Magic Items

Voadam · Jun 20, 2024

Beads of force was how I killed my first mind flayer.

I really thought we were dead, that this decked out faction boss would mind blast us into mental jelly then eat our brains. I thankfully got initiative and threw a lightning bolt at it and it missed its save. Among other items it had a string of beads of force that it was carrying. Once it missed its save it had to roll separately for every bead of force. A couple missed and exploded, the mind flayer again missed its first save, took damage and was encapsulated by a sphere of force, and had to make saves for every bead again. It made some saves but not all, which triggered more rounds of saves and more explosions. Rounds later the sphere dropped and we were all ready to skewer the mind flayer with extreme prejudice upon his release, but he was fully pulped from multiple force explosions after taking a full lightning bolt.

I was quite satisfied coming out of the fight even though there was absolutely no loot.

Fortunate Son · Jun 20, 2024

The humble Ring of Invisibility was always annoying, from a DM's perspective. Really, most items that had unlimited use powers were prone to abuse.

Lanefan · Jun 20, 2024

Fortunate Son said:
The humble Ring of Invisibility was always annoying, from a DM's perspective. Really, most items that had unlimited use powers were prone to abuse.

Invisibility isn't a problem.

Free Action, on the other hand (and why not - you've got two hands), is IME the DM's bane.

James Gasik · Jun 20, 2024

Ugh, the arguments I've had over what is and isn't covered by Free Action makes me wish the spell had never been created.

JEB · Jun 21, 2024

Mannahnin said:
That doesn't make them undead, though, any more than Goblins or Elves or Gnomes being on the Giant Types table makes them species of Giant. Same with Cockatrices or Balrogs being on the Dragon Types table.

Those encounter tables are rough thematic groupings which sometimes have unrelated creatures thrown in to round out the table.

Right. All I said is that they were "undead" types in the original game.

That said, nothing in OD&D says dopplegangers aren't undead, either.

Mannahnin said:
And neither Will-o-Wisps or Shadows are undead either (the latter explicitly saying so, in Greyhawk), despite them also being used to help round out that expanded table to 20 entries.

As with dopplegangers, nothing in the original will o'wisp description actually rules out them being undead. Which means their current status as undead in 5e might be in accord with the original...

As for shadows, Greyhawk isn't actually explicit: they say they're "not 'Undead' per se" which ultimately translates to them not being affected by undead-affecting items. Then BD&D and AD&D resolved that ambiguity in different ways - Basic says they're definitely not undead (starting in Moldvay) and AD&D says they definitely are undead (starting in the Monster Manual).

(Bonus fun fact: the OD&D ghost (The Strategic Review #3) also ambiguously says: "These creatures are not true Undead, although they are the spirits of humans who were totally evil." So maybe they shouldn't be categorized as "Undead" types here either?)

Mannahnin · Jun 21, 2024

JEB said:
Right. All I said is that they were "undead" types in the original game.

"Undead Types" in terms of appearing on that chart. Not, as far as anything in the rules says, in terms of being able to be Turned by Clerics, taking extra damage from a flaming sword, being controlled by a Potion of Undead Control, etc.

JEB said:
That said, nothing in OD&D says dopplegangers aren't undead, either.

Sure. Just as it doesn't say that they can't fly, can't breathe fire, can't grant Wishes, and don't carry a random artifact which they give out as a gift to anyone who walks up to them and says "November".

JEB · Jun 22, 2024

Mannahnin said:
Sure. Just as it doesn't say that they can't fly,

Bonus bonus weird fact - the Eldritch Wizardry encounter tables have a subtable for "FLYERS". Within that table is "Undead-Type." Therefore, 0e has flying dopplegangers!

Orius · Jun 23, 2024

No mention of the deck of many things?

And the dwarf thrower hammer from Dragon #156 (April 1990):

Hammer +3, Dwarf Thrower: When wielded by anyone but a dwarf, this acts as a normal war hammer. Whenever a dwarf tries to wield this hammer in combat, however, it picks him up and hurls him bodily at his opponent, at + 3 to hit and for 1d12 + 3 hp damage (to the dwarf—the opponent takes only 1-4 hp damage); the range is 60’. If the dwarf misses his opponent, he (again the dwarf) takes double the above damage; if his opponent has time to “set” or “ground” a weapon such as a spear or military fork— well, it’s not a pretty picture. Incidentally, this hammer is an unusually handsome weapon, featuring the finest work of the elvish master smiths.

James Gasik · Jun 23, 2024

Look, with the Deck, it's half cursed item, half OP garbage. We love it. We hate it. It's been the subject of so much discussion and debate, by people who champion and revile it, what is there to be said?

Is it a destroyer of campaigns or a little dash of spice to add to a bland adventure? Should you use it as is or water it down to make games more interesting?

And what about variants?

I mean, at some point, we might as well discuss the Machine of Lum the Mad or Heward's Mystical Organ.

Fortunate Son · Jun 23, 2024

I wouldn't say a deck is overpowered. Potentially campaign disruptive, sure, but not really in an overpowered way when averaged out.

AD&D- Overpowered Magic Items

Voadam

Legend

Fortunate Son

Villager

Lanefan

Victoria Rules

James Gasik

We don't talk about Pun-Pun

JEB

Legend

Mannahnin

Scion of Murgen (He/Him)

JEB

Legend

Orius

Legend

James Gasik

We don't talk about Pun-Pun

Fortunate Son

Villager

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