Item some being wants back

[brian14]

My suggestion is: make some items "previously owned", and have the owner -- specter, aberration, devil, -- show up at inconvenient time.

This is how it should work:

Only some specific item types should be subject to this "repossession", and only a few of each types. As an example, say 5% of all +4 Charismatic Cloaks. "Previously owned" items should never be bound, so once knowledge of their existence spreads, paranoid players could sell their +4 Charismatic Cloaks quickly. Whereas players who WANT to confront the "repo-devil" (you'll see in a minute why), could buy them up.

The repo-devil (specter, etc.) appears when the character is in a quest -- not right after buying/finding item, but say 20% chance of this happening at each quest, -- and only when the character is below 60% of his hp. Repo-devil first attacks the item's owner, but can be intimidated, aggroed, and generally acts no different from its species norm. If the character is slain, repo-devil disappears and takes the item with it. If repo-devil is slain, the item's true potential is unlocked -- that +4 Charismatic cloak becomes +4 Charismatic cloak of Ice (3/rest Fireshield), and binds to the character. He is not bothered by repo-devils any more -- unless he acquires another previously owned item.

I thought of this when reading description of Moon Beast in PnP Monster Manual II, and how each Moon Beast is tied to particular moonstone and periodically hunts down whichever unlucky adventurer currently has the moonstone. BTW, moonstones are already in DDO (uncommon omen collectible), and giving a repo-aberration to something so useless would be particularly ironic. Of course, if moonstones are treated that way, they better become something really good afterward.

[Tymoriel_Ayreweaver]

My suggestion is: make some items "previously owned", and have the owner -- specter, aberration, devil, -- show up at inconvenient time.

This is how it should work:

Only some specific item types should be subject to this "repossession", and only a few of each types. As an example, say 5% of all +4 Charismatic Cloaks. "Previously owned" items should never be bound, so once knowledge of their existence spreads, paranoid players could sell their +4 Charismatic Cloaks quickly. Whereas players who WANT to confront the "repo-devil" (you'll see in a minute why), could buy them up.

The repo-devil (specter, etc.) appears when the character is in a quest -- not right after buying/finding item, but say 20% chance of this happening at each quest, -- and only when the character is below 60% of his hp. Repo-devil first attacks the item's owner, but can be intimidated, aggroed, and generally acts no different from its species norm. If the character is slain, repo-devil disappears and takes the item with it. If repo-devil is slain, the item's true potential is unlocked -- that +4 Charismatic cloak becomes +4 Charismatic cloak of Ice (3/rest Fireshield), and binds to the character. He is not bothered by repo-devils any more -- unless he acquires another previously owned item.

I thought of this when reading description of Moon Beast in PnP Monster Manual II, and how each Moon Beast is tied to particular moonstone and periodically hunts down whichever unlucky adventurer currently has the moonstone. BTW, moonstones are already in DDO (uncommon omen collectible), and giving a repo-aberration to something so useless would be particularly ironic. Of course, if moonstones are treated that way, they better become something really good afterward.

/not signed.

20% chance that the repo-devil will show up in any quest... you do not see a problem with that?
This would undoubtedly involve the party you are with at that time. What benefit/reward do they receive for fighting your repo-devil? I am seeing lost time and wasted resources with no ROI. What happens if the group is in a difficult fight that could potentially end in a wipe when all of a sudden your silly repo-whatever shows up? DO you honestly think anyone wants to see this thing when fighting Harry, Titan, Horoth etc etc? I have to be honest with you, I could care less whether or not a stranger unlocks some mystery "True potential" on one of their items. I would be irritated enough if it was a friend or guildmate that dragged me into something like this. It just is not practical.

[Oreg]

Interesting concept but unlike the previous poster I see the spawning of an additional devil, orthon, whatever as trivial and thus the subsequent reward (using your example as the basis for this argument) is too powerful for such a trivial encounter.

[Dragonhyde]

If it were to make it into game, you should be ported to the devil. That way it could be set to have a percentage to happen only in public places and you could only have one item with unknown or released potential on at one time (exclusive). Optional way would be to have the item bind after defeating the "real" owner and the whole thing only doable once per character

[Faelyndel]

I like the idea, very interesting, but I can definitely see the problems the above posters have pointed out. However, I do like Dragonhyde's suggestions. Less problematic but on the same concept.

[SisAmethyst]

mhhh ... the initial idea sound interesting, however some thoughts about that:
1. An item that I maybe want to use on more then one character I not suddenly want to have bound just because I slay a monster
2. While being in a Quest and accidently stumbled in a trap or ambush I not as well want to have to face a devil, that will bring a lot of bad mood with it
3. If it is changed to trigger on public aera being teleported to the devil, it may happen while you actualy left the PC to get a new coffee, ouch, dead and item is lost too

[DoctorWhofan]

If it were to make it into game, you should be ported to the devil. That way it could be set to have a percentage to happen only in public places and you could only have one item with unknown or released potential on at one time (exclusive). Optional way would be to have the item bind after defeating the "real" owner and the whole thing only doable once per character

THis is better

[Dragonhyde]

mhhh ... the initial idea sound interesting, however some thoughts about that:

3. If it is changed to trigger on public aera being teleported to the devil, it may happen while you actualy left the PC to get a new coffee, ouch, dead and item is lost too

This could be fixed by having to wear said item, if item is in backpack/bank then it is shielded from view and therefore from a teleport. Again this suggestion is to make it more of a way to avoid it happening inside a quest and causing parties to have to worry if their cleric will be attacked

[phillymiket]

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/658/repoman1.jpg

[Memnir]

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/658/repoman1.jpgExcellent reference to an excellent movie. :D


As for the idea - I really don't care for it. Either it would bring in a Devil that the rest of the group could beat down and only you would benefit from - or you could have a chance to be ported out of a group at an inopportune moment.

/not signed

[Illtemperedclavier]

It could spawn on equip, and a good team player wouldn't equip it during a quest w/ party, right? PC is teleported to said abberation, where the 2 go mano y mano. Winner takes item. I don't know, sounds kinda kinky.

Go for it!

[brian14]

PC is teleported to said abberation, where the 2 go mano y mano. Winner takes item. I don't know, sounds kinda kinky.

Yeah, it's those tentacles... :D

[coolpenguin410]

I love the idea, but the implementation is poor, as other posters have said.

How about you make a quest. Very short, just a brief combat. Upon completing the quest you can unlock the item's power. Since it's a quest you can solo, get friends to help, or get a PUG of other characters that have "pre-owned" items. Then everyone gets to choose to participate or not.

At the end of the combat, a token would drop collectable style. That way everyone in the party gets only 1. It would bind of course. You would then place that token and you item on an alter or some such to release it's potency.

The real trick is quest difficulty vs item potential. You would have to have different tokens for each difficulty. For example:

Casual: Min level 0-4
Normal: Min level 5-9
Hard: Min level 10-14
Elite: Min level 15+

[Kadran]

Love the concept of a pised off Red Named hunting us down for their loot back, but if we get to bring our buddies, he should get to bring his...

I like the above suggestions, but as has been pointed out: I don't care whether or not xxxxxdrizzzziiittttxxxx gets his "special power" unlocked. This could be intentionally used to attempt to grief people. I like both ideas: demon summons YOU while you're in town, and demon surprises you mid-quest at inopportune moment.

Mid-quest: IMO, this effect should only have a chance to proc when you're the only person in an instance. An angry red-named looking for revenge wouldn't strike while you have 5-11 buddies. In fact, he'd probably wait until you're low on health, debuffed, or something of that nature. :-)

In-Town: Demon summons you to his domain (hopefully he and his buddies are ready and waiting for you.)

All classes should be able to handle one mob in some fashion. Red named, challenge rating based on your character level.

Edit: If the Demon Comes to you mid-quest and defeats you, he should take his item back, and leave an ethereal res (not rest) shrine, usable once. It's bad enough you lost your item, no need for him to be a jerk. :-P

[Daehawk]

If it were to make it into game, you should be ported to the devil. That way it could be set to have a percentage to happen only in public places and you could only have one item with unknown or released potential on at one time (exclusive). Optional way would be to have the item bind after defeating the "real" owner and the whole thing only doable once per character

This is similar to what I was going to suggest for his suggestion, but you kinda beat me to it.

The current set of 'cursed' items just have some negative effect on them. What if there was some cursed items inserted into the game or a new ability attached to some items with the meta 'Cursed.'

This "Cursed : This item is possessed by an evil spirit and has bound itself to you. Defeat it to unlock the true potential that is within this item. See the exorcists at the Temple of the Sovereign Host for assistance." tag is not seen by the players until it is equipped.

Once equipped the item is bound to your character and cannot be de-equipped.

You can take yourself and the item to the Temple of the Sovereign Host and there will be a side room, there you can talk to an exorcist and enter an area similar to Jeet's Mind / Inspired Center where you go to sleep and wake up in an empty room.

There a creature will spawn based on the Min Level Range of the item. Could have a few different creatures of each range that are potential to spawn depending on the new effect on the item.

If the player loses against the creature the player awakes back in the room and the item is destroyed.

Cursed tag wouldn't take up a Suffix or Prefix on an item. So you could pull say a +1 Flaming Khopesh of Maiming. You are like wow that's pretty neat. You equip it and you see another tag that says "Cursed and the item is bound to you." And so on and so forth from above.

Might be interesting to have in game.