TOPIC: 2023 Rare Token Ideas

Thinking along the paranormal theme:
Something that allows a dead character to gain the rogue/bard clue once per game, but can only communicate it through pantomime.

Also in the paranormal theme: Faith healing. Or, making healing a bit more available at Rare and below.

Right now, a healer can get at maximum a +8 bonus to heal spells without UR tokens. Adding a few more healing tokens without full focus bonus (no spell/poly damage) at Rare and under would help, such as:
+1 Healing ring (no spell/poly damage)
+2 Healing neck
+1 healing bead
etc.

Additionally, one big advantage UR players have is the ability to split healing between multiple characters, either to "top up" a party with a low-level spell or to spread out the effects of one big heal. It would be nice to see a version of this at Rare, with limitations that fence it off from Lenses of Divine Sight. Limitations could include:
- No built-in heal bonus
- Affects healing spells only (not scrolls)
- Limitation on frequency such as 1/room
- Cannot equip UR+ items (like Humble Cup)
- Limitation on timing, such as out of combat only
- Change the slot (neck, head, heck - torso to block high AC armor)

I know that giving UR abilities at lower levels is always tricky, but this could help bridge Normal to Hardcore in some nice ways

Edit to prevent thread spam:
The more that I think about it, the more I think it makes sense to stick a Rare item with Lenses of Divine Sight in the Torso slot. It prevents Cleric (and Druid if they're on it too) from equipping high AC armor, breaks Defender set, and feels thematically appropriate. It creates a "priest" build type that's lightly armored but better at healing. So the token could be something like:

Robes of the Healer
Cleric & Druid
+1 to healing Spells & may divide (in any way) your healing Spells total between 2 targets
Torso slot

This may seem strong at first blush, but consider that it also implicitly reads:
- 4-8 AC
- Cannot wear Defender set
- No other bonuses from armor (saves, fear immunity, stats)

I think it's reasonable.

Powerblade3 wrote: I'd like to see GP item values spread out a little more than just two items at the Rare tier, so, shamelessly stealing an idea by Fiddy (and perhaps others), I think a way to do this would be to keep a couple "pure" GP items with slightly lower values, and then a few "gear" GP items (essentially Rare equippable items that have a GP value in addition).

"Pure" GP Rare Item Ideas:
Huge Rose Pearl (350 gp)
Siren Bust (300 gp)

"Gear" GP Rare Item Ideas:
+1 Gilded Rapier (200 gp)
Ioun Stone Golden Pearl (200 gp, some Ioun Stone effect)
Bangles of the Tide (200 gp, wrist slot, +2 Dex and +1 Will)

These are just examples, of course.

+1 to this. Spreading GP out a bit more will make it less feast or famine on getting GP. And attaching GP value to useful tokens avoids the issue where new players get “useless” tokens.

Thanks, glad you like it! For NightGod's question, I'd probably leave that up to people more experienced at transmuting than me, but I could see it being either only GP, or both.

I also like the paranormal theme items you mentioned, Marc, I had forgotten about that part of the theme! Healing items at rare would be nice.

I'm trying to think of some other fun paranormal theme items, maybe like consumable incense sticks that give a bonus against undead and extradimensional enemies? Or +1 Cutlass (or other weapon) of Ghosttouch (ignores incorporeal miss chance), or Charm of Ghostly Binding (Turn Undead gives some penalty to affected enemies, like -1 or -2 to attacks)

+1 to a reprint of +2 Cloak of Resistance! I definitely meant to include that one.

+1 Blunder Pistol. Would be great to have a 1H ranged weapon for classes that use shields. Don’t leave out cleric!

Chain Shot Slug. Ammo token that deals the same damage to a second creature. Double the blunder damage if you’re feeling evil.

A mystic staff at Rare, and a couple more options to boost int/wis. I really liked this design from 2022.

For Bard, a ranged weapon similar to Fae Blowgun Flute from 2017 would be great. It would be worth considering Charisma scaling like the mystic staves as well.

+1 to +2 cloak.

Swashbuclker's Parrying Blade. Offhand Melee.
+1 AC, +1 melee damage. D4 damage wheel, useable offhand by Ranger.

Ring of the Stout
+1 Con
(This finishes the +1 attribute ring set, along with the existing Dex and Str rings.)

Ring of Resistance
+1 all saves

Pirate Eyepatch of Unseen Accuracy
+1 ranged hit. 100% hit chance vs Invisible

Ioun Stones of Specific resistances. As a bonus, these could be 250gp each per Powerblade3's excellent suggestion.
Ex:
IS: Mercury Sphere - +3 ref save
IS: Diamond Sphere- +3 fort save
IS: Ruby Marquee- +3 Will save

BasicBraining wrote: +1 Blunder Pistol. Would be great to have a 1H ranged weapon for classes that use shields. Don’t leave out cleric!

...

A mystic staff at Rare, and a couple more options to boost int/wis. I really liked this design from 2022.

For Bard, a ranged weapon similar to Fae Blowgun Flute from 2017 would be great. It would be worth considering Charisma scaling like the mystic staves as well.

I was going to post the 1H ranged weapon, but figured I'd spammed enough for one night. A +1 Blunder weapon is exactly what I had in mind

I posted about the potential for a staff/baton of focus reprint in the reprints thread, but I can echo it here and add that it'd be cool for the Mystic Staff design to get rolled into those focus items.

For a Bard weapon, a variation on Fae Blowgun Flute would be cool. We've also danced around a melee version for a while now. A lot of people suggested guitar puns (axe), but I think that breaks the fourth wall a bit too much. What's nice about the blowgun flute is that you can picture how it works to both make music and attack. So, I'd like to see something similar on the melee side. A drum could work, as percussion can deal damage

The Texan in me says the pirate Bard weapon should combine music and firearms.

Marc D wrote: For a Bard weapon, a variation on Fae Blowgun Flute would be cool. We've also danced around a melee version for a while now. A lot of people suggested guitar puns (axe), but I think that breaks the fourth wall a bit too much. What's nice about the blowgun flute is that you can picture how it works to both make music and attack. So, I'd like to see something similar on the melee side. A drum could work, as percussion can deal damage

I agree with the melee weapon that can also use bard song. I'd personally go with a singing sword as it gets the idea across of why it confers melee damage while also being bard song item.

It's been since 2017 for a +2 damage Bracers...so perhaps

Bracers of Woe Wind
+2 Darkrift damage with melee attacks
or
Treacherous Bracers
+2 Poison damage with melee attacks
or
Bracers of Booming
+2 Sonic damage with melee attacks

Maybe an item that let's you sideboard an item.

Satchel of Holding
Slotless
Stow one non-armor/weapon uncommon token;
free action to use this item as if equipped for rest of room (1/game)

So afraid of insects; put a Bead Bugbane in your satchel.

Then maybe it could transmute into:

Satchel of Stowing
Slotless 4*
Stow one non-armor/weapon rare token;
free action to use this item as if equipped for rest of room (1/game)

Oh one more:

Bead of the Limber Scallywag
+4 Reflex Saves
to complete the +4 Bead cycle
(maybe this is a completion token)