Topic: How often do you get your PCs to make attunement skill checks for magic items?

[Druss_the_Legend]

How often do you get your PCs to make attunement skill checks for magic items?

Iv homebrewed a fair few magic items and most of the (that are not weapons) require at least one attunment check to revela their power(s). Weapons pretty much never require attunement checks in my game.
Magic rings, magic helmets and magic amulets however require them.

Once a successful attunement check is made the magic item is usually able to be used without additional checks but there are some exceptions for items too - like set of helmets that allow the wearers to communicate telepathically which is realy handy for night raids... these helmets boost stealth and perception checks and prevet the wearer from being ambushed as well. Quite powerful I know which is why im requiring an attunement check each time these are used... thoughts?

[MisterK]

Attunement required once for all non-automatic abilities (constant or environmentally triggered).

Depending on success, one or more abilities are accessible.

Once an ability can be used, it can be used, period.

Exception is if the ability is controlled by the item, or by an entity bound into the item. In this case, attunement only allows to communicate with the ability controller. Negotiation is required afterwards.

If an ability is not discovered, new attunement rolls are only possible if circumstances change, either for the character or for the item (new knowledge, new magical environment...).

[Majyk]

No wrong answers here.

You do what fits your power level in your games.
I always liked adding a multi-round experience for poorly skilled Attuners(Fighters) where % results on the MM table vs the Static one would show how close to 100% one was to using a power vs not being allowed to use it at all!
It added a tonne of suspense for dire situations faced by the PCs…but also made lunkheads appreciate what Spellusers went through just to cast a spell vs being able to reliably swing a weapon every round.

Fighter: “I boldly stand in front of the charging Minotaur 500’ away and summon a Plasma Bolt from the ‘Eyepiece of Oskaroth’s’ helmet we looted recently!”
**Attunement result shows 30% achieved.**

GM:  “…an angry purple hue begins to glow from the eyepiece but the fiery laser it shot with immediate effect seems to be charging up to be used this time!”

Fighter: *Player starts sweating* “Oh shyt(e)!”

===

I also never liked single tries per level as I wanted the players to have access to cool items, also!
I’d allow 1/3 PC Level tries before needing to go up that level to try again upon obtaining a new toy.
It usually amounted to 3 strikes, you’re out.

[Ecthelion]

In our game once for attuning and - if not known otherwise - revealing the spell abilities of item. For non-spell abilities no attunement is required in our game.

[Druss_the_Legend]

No wrong answers here.

You do what fits your power level in your games.
I always liked adding a multi-round experience for poorly skilled Attuners(Fighters) where % results on the MM table vs the Static one would show how close to 100% one was to using a power vs not being allowed to use it at all!
It added a tonne of suspense for dire situations faced by the PCs…but also made lunkheads appreciate what Spellusers went through just to cast a spell vs being able to reliably swing a weapon every round.

Fighter: “I boldly stand in front of the charging Minotaur 500’ away and summon a Plasma Bolt from the ‘Eyepiece of Oskaroth’s’ helmet we looted recently!”
**Attunement result shows 30% achieved.**

GM:  “…an angry purple hue begins to glow from the eyepiece but the fiery laser it shot with immediate effect seems to be charging up to be used this time!”

Fighter: *Player starts sweating* “Oh shyt(e)!”

===

I also never liked single tries per level as I wanted the players to have access to cool items, also!
I’d allow 1/3 PC Level tries before needing to go up that level to try again upon obtaining a new toy.
It usually amounted to 3 strikes, you’re out.

Totally agree with the sentiment of letting the spell users have their time in the sun here.
I have a barbarian in my game who totally distrusts magic and is finding this a bit of a liability now the party have collected a number of magic items requiring attunement to use effectively. The barbarian is the most deadly fighter by far in melee so its  nice to showcase some of the other non-combat skills/professions to balance things out.
He most recently tried to attune to a magical sword that has a nasty trap on it designed to harm low magic type professions (deals an A cold critical if you fail your attunement role, he was lucky and took minimal damage but is now more wary about claiming the sword for himself... and has let another character have a go attuning to it).
I love the idea of magic items working unreliably as well, for low magic type professions. A little chaos adds tension and causes players to pause and think before snatching up every item they find.

[Druss_the_Legend]

No wrong answers here.

You do what fits your power level in your games.
I always liked adding a multi-round experience for poorly skilled Attuners(Fighters) where % results on the MM table vs the Static one would show how close to 100% one was to using a power vs not being allowed to use it at all!
It added a tonne of suspense for dire situations faced by the PCs…but also made lunkheads appreciate what Spellusers went through just to cast a spell vs being able to reliably swing a weapon every round.

Fighter: “I boldly stand in front of the charging Minotaur 500’ away and summon a Plasma Bolt from the ‘Eyepiece of Oskaroth’s’ helmet we looted recently!”
**Attunement result shows 30% achieved.**

GM:  “…an angry purple hue begins to glow from the eyepiece but the fiery laser it shot with immediate effect seems to be charging up to be used this time!”

Fighter: *Player starts sweating* “Oh shyt(e)!”

===

I also never liked single tries per level as I wanted the players to have access to cool items, also!
I’d allow 1/3 PC Level tries before needing to go up that level to try again upon obtaining a new toy.
It usually amounted to 3 strikes, you’re out.

Totally agree with the sentiment of letting the spell users/semi spell have their time in the sun here.
I have a barbarian in my game who totally distrusts magic and is finding this a bit of a liability now the party have collected a number of magic items requiring attunement to use effectively. The barbarian is the most deadly fighter by far in melee so its  nice to showcase some of the other non-combat skills/professions to balance things out.
He most recently tried to attune to a magical sword that has a nasty trap on it designed to harm low magic type professions (deals an A cold critical if you fail your attunement roll, he was lucky and took minimal damage but is now more wary about claiming the sword for himself... and has let another character have a go attuning to it).
I love the idea of magic items working unreliably as well, for low magic type professions. A little chaos adds tension and causes players to pause and think before snatching up every item they find.

[Spectre771]

I use the MM Table.  I love the choices for difficulty levels and the array of results.  One of the later Companions had extended difficulty categories as well, but I've never used those.

[Druss_the_Legend]

I use the MM Table.  I love the choices for difficulty levels and the array of results.  One of the later Companions had extended difficulty categories as well, but I've never used those.

how do you decide on what difficulty to assign?

[Majyk]

Love it.
Teach that “Baba” not to meddle with the affairs of magic!

Re: MM column difficulty choices.
-Anything in combat was a Hard(-10) roll
-Ramp up or lower difficulties based on the Alignment/Will/Sentient IQ level/Outlook/Demeanour of Intelligent Items as you see fit.

Enjoy.  Sounds like you’re doing things right if your Players react to such things via their PCs like your example.

No wrong answers here.

You do what fits your power level in your games.
I always liked adding a multi-round experience for poorly skilled Attuners(Fighters) where % results on the MM table vs the Static one would show how close to 100% one was to using a power vs not being allowed to use it at all!
It added a tonne of suspense for dire situations faced by the PCs…but also made lunkheads appreciate what Spellusers went through just to cast a spell vs being able to reliably swing a weapon every round.

Fighter: “I boldly stand in front of the charging Minotaur 500’ away and summon a Plasma Bolt from the ‘Eyepiece of Oskaroth’s’ helmet we looted recently!”
**Attunement result shows 30% achieved.**

GM:  “…an angry purple hue begins to glow from the eyepiece but the fiery laser it shot with immediate effect seems to be charging up to be used this time!”

Fighter: *Player starts sweating* “Oh shyt(e)!”

===

I also never liked single tries per level as I wanted the players to have access to cool items, also!
I’d allow 1/3 PC Level tries before needing to go up that level to try again upon obtaining a new toy.
It usually amounted to 3 strikes, you’re out.

Totally agree with the sentiment of letting the spell users/semi spell have their time in the sun here.
I have a barbarian in my game who totally distrusts magic and is finding this a bit of a liability now the party have collected a number of magic items requiring attunement to use effectively. The barbarian is the most deadly fighter by far in melee so its  nice to showcase some of the other non-combat skills/professions to balance things out.
He most recently tried to attune to a magical sword that has a nasty trap on it designed to harm low magic type professions (deals an A cold critical if you fail your attunement roll, he was lucky and took minimal damage but is now more wary about claiming the sword for himself... and has let another character have a go attuning to it).
I love the idea of magic items working unreliably as well, for low magic type professions. A little chaos adds tension and causes players to pause and think before snatching up every item they find.

[Spectre771]

I use the MM Table.  I love the choices for difficulty levels and the array of results.  One of the later Companions had extended difficulty categories as well, but I've never used those.

how do you decide on what difficulty to assign?

I start with Medium for simple magic items with only 1 property.  Go up or down for spell user/non-spell user and the difference between item level and user level.  The more properties or the more powerful the item I ramp up the difficulty.  A non-spell user trying to attune to a level 50 artifact will be at an extremely high difficulty. 

I don't do this for items with innate properties.  Certain magical metals have +5, +10, etc. bonuses based on the material itself.  Or an item like a Battle Totem that automatically negates stun wouldn't require an attunement roll.  The item is just doing it's own thing whether the wearer wants it to or not. For a ring with strange inscriptions that feels much heavier than it should and feels very warm to the touch, that would require an attunement roll

Ultimately, I want the PCs to get to use the goodies, but I like to slowly learn the items and and puzzle out the secrets it may have.  I love items with more than one property imbued.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

I hardly ever do, as the magical items I leave for the PCs to have are items whose abilities I took into account… As a matter of fact, I don't think I ever did…

[pantsorama]

Love it.
Teach that “Baba” not to meddle with the affairs of magic!

Make 'em use their directed spell skill as well. 

[Druss_the_Legend]

Attunement has become one of the more important skills in my campaign.

this is because...
1) most new magic items the PCs have found recently require a skill check to use them when first used
2) its allowed the less combat orientated professions to get a chance to shine
3) its added some diversity for magic weapons/items which i can custom make abilities for based on the individual characters. eg. a mage slayer sword that harms the user if they fail their attunement check

not for everyone but im liking the options its added to my campaign.