Vlad, I might have the quoted info all wrong. I'm going from a RMSS/FRP standpoint quoting material from Treasure Companion with pg #'s. Sometimes I wax loquacious on house rules. Never want to lead others astray. Never want to say what works for me will work for everyone. Thanks for the input.
I have the same problem... let me state the disclaimer here then: what I say is usually MY, very strict, interpretation of the rules. I have faced PCs, in multiple groups, that wanted to glue mithril coins to everything, in hopes they would turn something magical. I realized it would be unbalancing so I bent my interpretation of the rules to fit a more balanced approach.
Respectfully, there is an asterisk on pg 38 of TreasCo which disagrees with the "Just a wooden quarterstaff is actually -20", rule.
Ah yes... another house rule/ interpretation... due to these rules: a simple steel club (some call that a mace) would be +20... I'm not for this... it does make a Mithril quarterstaff quite a bit better (+40?). Another tip I learned with faling: don't allow Mithril items to be melted down for cash... the multiplier and the base material cost per ounce are WAY off...
"right forge and sufficient skill": Both of these are necessary in my games as well. I still remain fastidious in the requirement of magic to work mithril. Assumptions 1.1 pg 5. Working Magical metals requires Enchant spells be cast (Work Mithril) pg 7. Mithril (pg 13) can only be processed by magic. So, I totally agree.
You make magic items to be special, and since Mithril is magical, it is special. I can see why, but I want a system where Mithril is just another material coming out of the ground. It is actually soft and can be alloyed to make the other magical alloys (Ithilnaur, Anornaur, Eog, Kregora) Weapon grade Mithril alloy (called Mithrilang) is +20. Dwarves and Elves get to forge it without the need for magics.
Yeah, mithril does sound like it's raining money up in here. That would have been a sweet keep, for sure.
Good info on coins!
Yeah thanks. My players keep me on my toes in that respect, so I need to stay one step ahead. But I am going with the RM2 convention: 1/2 ounce coins.
I'm glad you found the "ideal level range" for magic items and player level in your groups. Boy, I'm always having a time with this one.
It is not that hard to figure: I just use +1 per level as reasonable, but with a general +/-5. Fighters get their weapons slightly early (say +10 gear at lvl 5) and second rank fighters get it around their level. As for multipliers: I use +% items in the same way: so pures and hybrids get +10% at lvl 5, semis get +10% at lvl 10. Adders go +1 per 4-5 lvls. Otherwise it is roughly the treasure companion levels that I stick with.
I'm not yet good enough to have the player characters wear tin hats made of beaten foil. I will try, as my personal challenge to incorporate this into the game. Once they realize the benefits of such headgear, I've no doubt that my industrious team will attempt to increase their protection with steel reinforcements. Hope they're not reading this..
It is fairly easy: just have an important NPC tell the PCs that tinfoil hats work as full helmets against Mentalism spells, without the negatives on Essence and Channeling casting... provide tin foil as needed the next day
Titanium alloy armor would be nice. I had a player hand me the specs of exactly how he would make a "titanium vapor deposit .. something, something forge" from 1800's tech. He always said sufficient vacuum and heat were the only obstacles. Maybe that's white alloy.. I'm not a metallurgist.
Yeah, White alloy would be the Titanium alloy one. I don't like it when players go beyond the rules and start figuring things their characters couldn't. I've had characters wanting to make gun powder, laser weapons, etc... With RM you just point out their gimmicry skill value, but how to stop a an armor smith in D&D with +70 skill from making tanks? (Mumakil + full plate + pillbox on top...)