D&D 5E Arcane Grimoire Too Much?

[Guest 7034872]

I need honest advice from DMs who truly know their magic items.

I have a player who's a man after my own heart: he likes to play his characters to their absolute maximum possible effectiveness. In this campaign his character is a wizard, and he has made occasional noises about seeking an Arcane Grimoire, which I regard as one of the best artifacts a wizard can have (short of the really crazy stuff that's impossible to find and costs a true fortune). Now, as far as money goes, these players have done pretty well so far. At the moment, they're L6 and should be L7 before too terribly long.

Would the Grimoire be overpowered for a seventh-level wizard? I mean, let's leave the money question aside for the moment: given wizards' extreme dependence on DC and magical attack stats, would an artifact that permanently boosts one's DC by one (or even two) points be too much? I'm at the point where on Tuesday Mr. Conjectural Me says, "That's way too big a buff," and on Wednesday (same guy) says, "No, it's appropriate." I think the truth, though, is that I just don't know because I've never fiddled with these sorts of items before and therefore lack experience.

Anyone got experience with these things?

 

[pukunui]

Yes, I let the wizard in my Mad Mage game have one, and now I kind of regret it. It doesn’t help that he now also has a +1 wand of the war mage.

One of these days I’m going to run a game where none of the magic items grant a +X to anything.

 

[Guest 7034872]

Yes, I let the wizard in my Mad Mage game have one, and now I kind of regret it. It doesn’t help that he now also has a +1 wand of the war mage.

One of these days I’m going to run a game where none of the magic items grant a +X to anything.

So you'd say it is overpowered?

 

[jmartkdr2]

Rod of the pact keeper +1 is uncommon, so appropriate for tier 1 (L1 to L4) treasure hordes. Not that rarity is a very good guide, but there aren't any very good guides to item power.

So I'd say sure, go for it. But I'm generally generous with magic items overall.

 

[pukunui]

So you'd say it is overpowered?

I’d say it might be OP for level 7. (I think that’s about what level the wizard in my game was when I have it to them.)

I should add that when I played a wizard, my character also found an arcane grimoire. But I think I was higher level, maybe around 9th or 10th level, if not higher. And while I liked having the +1 to both spell attacks and save DCs, it didn’t feel as OP.

I’ll admit this could also be a DM perspective vs player perspective thing. I sometimes find I don’t like things as a DM that I do like as a player. LOL.

 

[tetrasodium]

I need honest advice from DMs who truly know their magic items.

I have a player who's a man after my own heart: he likes to play his characters to their absolute maximum possible effectiveness. In this campaign his character is a wizard, and he has made occasional noises about seeking an Arcane Grimoire, which I regard as one of the best artifacts a wizard can have (short of the really crazy stuff that's impossible to find and costs a true fortune). Now, as far as money goes, these players have done pretty well so far. At the moment, they're L6 and should be L7 before too terribly long.

Would the Grimoire be overpowered for a seventh-level wizard? I mean, let's leave the money question aside for the moment: given wizards' extreme dependence on DC and magical attack stats, would an artifact that permanently boosts one's DC by one (or even two) points be too much? I'm at the point where on Tuesday Mr. Conjectural Me says, "That's way too big a buff," and on Wednesday (same guy) says, "No, it's appropriate." I think the truth, though, is that I just don't know because I've never fiddled with these sorts of items before and therefore lack experience.

Anyone got experience with these things?

If this is the same item it looks positively mundane as a mere uncommon item unless you are giving out +2 or +3 versions. even at low levels a +1 & a number of spell slots with a combined level equal to or less than 1 plus half his wizard level rounded down once per long rest is not going to be an issue there is a reason for that. The reason is going to be because the player is cheating or dramatically better at playing than the other players not the grimoire. Even if the player is dramatically better this is 5e & it's likely due to the rest of the group actively working to fail.

edt: fixed an omitted not

 

[Guest 7034872]

This guy doesn't cheat.

 

[tetrasodium]

This guy doesn't cheat.

I only mentioned it as being more likely to cause a problem than the +1 grimoire even while expecting it to be unlikely

 

[Guest 7034872]

I only mentioned it as being more likely to cause a problem than the +1 grimoire even while expecting it to be unlikely

Oh, I see what you mean now.

Tentatively, I think I might let him have a +1 Grimoire once they level up. Per pukunui's advice, it might well be overpowered at L7, but once they're into L9 or so, I figure it should even out. He was really gunning for one of these things during their trip to Ye Olde Magick Shoppe.

 

[Daraniya]

I'd imagine you could create a grimoire... perhaps the book only allows for certain parts of the book to be viewed or maybe the language is incomprehensible until you get higher levels. Perhaps the book is the sentience of a long dead mage that grants his power... just off top of my head... fun abounds!