The arguments make sense for a few of the items, which is why things like the girdle of masculinity/femininity and the talisman of ultimate evil were dropped
from the previous version of D&D (they might've been added in later supplements but neither are in the DMG 3.0
or 3.5; I don't think they made it into Second Edition either). They were items created by Old School DMs that had a very Us vs. Them attitude (the same
with things like the Cloak of Poison or the Libram of Eternal Darkness; basically save or die traps disguised as magical items). Some of the other items have
some actual usefulness. Potion of Jumping? Sounds kind of lame, but seriously, when you need to get out of a 50 foot pit and don't have a rope, that's
the kind of thing you need. It's like Water Breathing; very specialized, but when you need it, you really need it.
And the Apparatus of Kwalish is just wacky. I always found it to be amusing, if not something I'd throw into a game unless it was, as they said, on the
water. I could see a whole underwater salvage group with them, if the magical levels of the game setting were high enough.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com
"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."
from the previous version of D&D (they might've been added in later supplements but neither are in the DMG 3.0
or 3.5; I don't think they made it into Second Edition either). They were items created by Old School DMs that had a very Us vs. Them attitude (the same
with things like the Cloak of Poison or the Libram of Eternal Darkness; basically save or die traps disguised as magical items). Some of the other items have
some actual usefulness. Potion of Jumping? Sounds kind of lame, but seriously, when you need to get out of a 50 foot pit and don't have a rope, that's
the kind of thing you need. It's like Water Breathing; very specialized, but when you need it, you really need it.
And the Apparatus of Kwalish is just wacky. I always found it to be amusing, if not something I'd throw into a game unless it was, as they said, on the
water. I could see a whole underwater salvage group with them, if the magical levels of the game setting were high enough.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com
"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."