From: Tarl Grenier 

>Hello I am thinking of introducing some mystical type of armor for
the
>players of my game. Sort of Ronin Warriors style though not with a
japanese
>look. These armors would be summoned when the need arrose and would
draw
>power from the bearers. What I need is to find away to do this and
have
>checks so that the PCs will not be able to get too powerfull from
this.
>
I think magic of this power is best guided by it's style, creator or
origin.  Rather than defining the magic item in game terms try
defining the armour in terms of who created it, why, when, for whom,
etc.  Once these details exist the way the armour protects itself
against mis-use will become more obvious.

One immediate suggestion - the warriors of legend depended not on
weapons or armour for their survival but on strength of purpose,
focus, faith, honour, certainty - all qualities of the person within
the armour.  I've always felt that magic items created for war have an
inherent conflict in that the warrior worthy to wear and wield them
shouldn't need them.  Many of the most powerful items wielded their
owners rather than the other way around (StormBringer, Excaliber)
giving some warriors good reason to stick to simple tools.

Applied to your question I'd suggest that the more the warrior calls
on the armour the less respect it has for them - and in respecting
less it protects less.  Perhaps an act of heroism or brutality
(depending on the armour's origin) is needed to regain it's respect.

In game terms of course this usually comes down to a set of numbers.
I've found that the best way to stop the players taking advantage of
the numbers is confusion.  They can't mis-use what they don't
understand.  A good example is magic items whose power depends on
astrological connections to divine powers, waxing and waning with the
heavens.  The players can't over-use this sort of item because they
don't know when it'll fail (or work so powerfully that it threatens
them as well).  Of course players also need a sense of control (or at
least influence) so this sort of uncertainty is better than simple
randomness because the players can quest to discover the rules behind
the item's power and begin to distinguish safe times from dangerous.

Chris.


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