Robe of Useful Items

[austinjimm]

I need some opinions on this.

The wearer, and only the wearer of the robe, can see, recognize, and detach any 1 of these patches in 1 round. Detaching a patch causes it to become an actual item as indicated below. A robe will always have 2 each of the following patches:

dagger pole ( 1 0 ' )
lantern (filled and lit)
mirror (large) sack (large)
rope (50'coil)

Additionally, the robe will have 4-16 of the following items which must be
diced for:

Does a magic user wearing the robe *know* every patch and what it does? Or, are the "diced for" items random and determined at the time they are removed?

This came up in my last game, and I told the player they were random, but he strongly disagreed.

Opinions?

[T. Foster]

I've always played it (and seen it played) that the wearer of the robe knows what the items are, but in your game you're free to do whatever you want - especially with something out of the DMG (for all your players knows this is intentionally a variant version of the item).

[austinjimm]

I've always played it (and seen it played) that the wearer of the robe knows what the items are, but in your game you're free to do whatever you want - especially with something out of the DMG (for all your players knows this is intentionally a variant version of the item).

Good to know (how you played it, that is). After posting this, I remembered that there is a bit of precedent for this item in my game. I run my game mostly in Austin, TX, but I also run it in Minneapolis, MN, once or twice a year for 2 or 3 sessions on each occasion. Oddly enough this item has appeared, totally randomly, in both of my games. In Mpls., I made the MU get the item properly identified (at great expense, by the Oracle of Orthoss) in order to know its particulars. Of course, my Austin players were not privy to this, but it gives me some good ground, especially as the player in my Mpls. game is an AD&D rules aficionado, and would not let me get away with something like this if he thought it was too far beyond the scope.

[TRP]

can see, recognize,

[austinjimm]

can see, recognize,

which must be
diced for...

It's not black & white. Although I see your point.

[deathsdj]

The owner of the robe can tell what the item is prior to pulling out the patch.

Every robe has two daggers, mirrors, lanterns and ropes.

You dice to see which of the 4-16 additional items the robe contains. The owner of the robe can tell what these items are prior to pulling them out as well.

That is how I run it in my game. I feel it is btb.

Cheers!

MJW

[austinjimm]

The owner of the robe can tell what the item is prior to pulling out the patch.

Every robe has two daggers, mirrors, lanterns and ropes.

You dice to see which of the 4-16 additional items the robe contains. The owner of the robe can tell what these items are prior to pulling them out as well.

That is how I run it in my game. I feel it is btb.

Cheers!

MJW

Well, the crux of the matter is *WHEN* are the 4-16 add. items diced for. I'm now leaning toward your reading, although the idea of "dicing" for something always makes me want there to be a more random element.

[grodog]

Does a magic user wearing the robe *know* every patch and what it does? Or, are the "diced for" items random and determined at the time they are removed?

I'm with your player, per

The wearer, and only the wearer of the robe, can see, recognize, and detach any 1 of these patches in 1 round.

Also: don't forget about the Robe contents generator @ page 227, too.

[austinjimm]

I'm with your player, per

The wearer, and only the wearer of the robe, can see, recognize, and detach any 1 of these patches in 1 round.

I'm not clear on your position, grodog. Are you saying you agree that the add. items are random at the time they are removed from the robe?

(About to go look at p. 227 of the DMG, as you recommend...)

[austinjimm]

Interesting. Just checked out the section you were referring to. It offers a number of items, if I'm not mistaken, that aren't even mentioned in the desc. in the earlier treasure section of the DMG.

[grodog]

I'm with your player, per

The wearer, and only the wearer of the robe, can see, recognize, and detach any 1 of these patches in 1 round.

I'm not clear on your position, grodog. Are you saying you agree that the add. items are random at the time they are removed from the robe?

Sorry for being unclear. I think you can run the robe either way---by generating the contents ahead of time, or by dicing for them at the time of the MU deciding to use it---but regardless, I think that the MU knows the full inventory of the robe, and can pick and choose the best possible items to use from among all of the present items. Unless you have a variant magic item, of course

(About to go look at p. 227 of the DMG, as you reccomend...)

You might also get some good ideas of possible items from perusing the Quaal's Feather Tokens (and Ed Greenwood had a nice article with some additional FTs in Dragon #54 too).

[grodog]

Interesting. Just checked out the section you were referring to. It offers a number of items, if I'm not mistaken, that aren't even mentioned in the desc. in the earlier treasure section of the DMG.

Quite true

[austinjimm]

Sorry for being unclear. I think you can run the robe either way---by generating the contents ahead of time, or by dicing for them at the time of the MU deciding to use it---but regardless, I think that the MU knows the full inventory of the robe, and can pick and choose the best possible items to use from among all of the present items. Unless you have a variant magic item, of course

Ok. So when you say, "I think that the MU knows the full inventory of the robe, and can pick and choose the best possible items to use from among all of the present items," I have to conclude that your position is that a MU that "dons the robe" knows its contents, and which specific patches correspond to the contents of the robe, allowing him to choose the specific patch/effect he desires, no?

[EOTB]

I'm not grodog, but that's the way I read it, too.

Or you could say that the remaining patches are randomly determined at each point that the MU wants to use the robe, but that he knows at that instant what it has for that usage; more work than I would be willing to go with.

But I don't think the intent of the item is for the mage to only know, for sure, the non-random elements of the robe in his time of need.

I look at it like a potion of dragon control. Which dragon it controls is random; you have to dice for it. But that is done by the DM before placement, at which point it is not random any longer. And if identified, A PC would know what dragon it effected.

[TRP]

Ok. So when you say, "I think that the MU knows the full inventory of the robe, and can pick and choose the best possible items to use from among all of the present items," I have to conclude that your position is that a MU that "dons the robe" knows its contents, and which specific patches correspond to the contents of the robe, allowing him to choose the specific patch/effect he desires, no?

I'm not grodog either, but the word "recognize" clearly points to this. Otherwise, it's only a Robe of Useful Items If You Are Really Lucky, and I don't think that's the intent of the item at all.