Identifying magic items

[Kayolan]

Other than Identify (wizard, level 1), are there any other methods of determining the traits of a magic item?

To other Castle Keepers out there, what beyond the book rulings do you have when characters don't know what a magic item does or how to activate it?

[maximus]

Ever since my players were double crossed by the Evil Cleric in the midst of battle in the Caves they don't trust anyone or anything. They haven't even attempted to wear or use anything they haven't Identified yet. Since there is only one MU in the group, it becomes a little monotonous. My expectation is that as soon as the party's clerics gain Remove Curse, they will try that on everything first.

That being said, a Cleric could Animate Dead on a recently slain foe and command the creature to test the item until by trial and error its qualities are revealed. Of course that wouldn't work for everything, as you wouldn't want to waste wands, and the undead couldn't read a scroll.

[Buttmonkey]

I don't have my PHB in front of me, but my brain meats are telling me bards have an identify item class ability.

[Rigon]

A bard's Legend Lore ability could be used to determine the properties of a magic item. Druids could use Nature Lore to discover what potions are. There are all kinds of ways to do it besides spells.

R-

[Kayolan]

A bard's Legend Lore ability could be used to determine the properties of a magic item. Druids could use Nature Lore to discover what potions are. There are all kinds of ways to do it besides spells.

R-

I was thinking that if a spell caster makes an intelligence or wisdom siege check he might know some information about the magic item, and if he fails then another check is only possible if he goes up another level. The challenge level would be based on the relative obscurity of the item, generally potions would be easiest to identify while artifacts the most difficult, this assumes no outside assistance of course. Barring any success at such an endeavor or if only some information is gleaned, then an Identify spell could be cast as a last resort.

The bard's ability Legend Lore is a bit odd concerning "legendary" items and magic items: "The check will not reveal the powers of a magic item, but may give a hint to its history, general function or activation."

If I was to take this literally, say, if a bard was studying a wand of magic missile, he might know the function, that it is a thing you can employ to kill, its activation (command word), perhaps its history (maybe who crafted the wand?) but he could not know that it shoots magic missiles.

I'm OK with that.

[Go0gleplex]

I seem to recall that Detect Magic allowed the caster to determine if the magic involved was enchantment, charm, or such...basically the 'school' of magic (before that term became more popularly used in 2e). You could allow something like that if you wished. It would give your characters a hint and not be limited to just magic users but any of the casters capable of that particular spell.

You could also use non-magical master craftsmen-like NPCs, such as a Master Smith. The NPC examines a magical weapon and makes a skill check. He cannot say what the magic is only that the item is indeed enchanted and if the roll was particularly good, maybe even give a hint at any additional powers (ie. A chill blade...the weapon is enchanted and will be superior in combat to most weapons...and what's this? See here, it seems it may have some sort of extra to it possibly related to cold or ice.)

[Captain_K]

Cursed items should be super rare... unless they are created to do something for someone and the wielder is just a tool.. who would invest that time and energy in something no one wants.. that said, I assume they "occur" by accident or some CE god makes them and has fun watching them get used.... so I like keeping the "bad sides" so rare that they can just try and use and try and get it identified, auguried, or legend lored...

[Go0gleplex]

Cursed items should be super rare... unless they are created to do something for someone and the wielder is just a tool.. who would invest that time and energy in something no one wants.. that said, I assume they "occur" by accident or some CE god makes them and has fun watching them get used.... so I like keeping the "bad sides" so rare that they can just try and use and try and get it identified, auguried, or legend lored...

Cursed items can be due to some magic event warping the original enchantments also or if you use "item growth" to create magic items an evil act can taint them and such. But yes. Agree they should not be prevalent. I use a rough 10% maximum but more typically 5% of the treasure being buggered when I deem it appropriate for such to surface.

[Treebore]

I love the Necklace of Strangulation and the Scarab of Death. When I don't find out what they are the hard way.

Edit: I've had a lot of fun with the cursed Boots of Dancing too. Sneaking in, putting the cursed boots on, then leaving, then initiate combat...

[Captain_K]

I like magic items to have personality, sometimes not everything about them is good. A magic shield that when hit rings like a gong and double the chance for random monsters or the drinking horn that prevent poisoning but always acts as a dribble cup (most Vikings seem to never even notice). So I like things they can't "get rid of" because overall they're still good and worth the occasional hindrance...

[serleran]

Sages. They're not cheap or easy to find, necessarily, but they tend to know a lot of things about a lot of things. Also, libraries. PCs can do their own research. Oh, and some spells. And of course speak with dead to get information from the former owners... when successful.

[T1Hound]

I don't know if a DM created it or found it in a book. The party had a magic slate which could identify 4 items overnight to help the magic users in the party. In the morning, the characters would find written in chalk the description of the item.

Originally, it didn't have a max of 4. Players were greedy and loaded it up after defeating a naga. We started getting false and bad results with more than 4 items. Eventually, the DM was annoyed by some of the uses of the item and it broke when the character fell and had it in his backpack. I say the DM was annoyed as nothing really ever broke before...