I got a question for you GMs/DMs. How do you deal with players when they managed to turn your homebrewed items overpowered, or when you didn't properly balance homebewed items/options, and ends up messing the party balance because at least one person is incredibly strong?
The former would be players min-maxing hard, while the latter is technically your fault for not realizing the implications of, for example, allowing players to start with a suit of power armor that's effectively full-plate that's bundled with the stat boost of a +6 belt of Giant's Strength.
>>44284889
It's your item. Say that the magic was unstable and is fading away.
>>44284889
Have the items get destroyed during combat encounters. A powerful wizard zaps you with an eldritch field and your item's power is drained.
Have a thief steal the item.
Have powerful mercenaries constantly challenge them for possession of this item, since it's so good. The party can't defeat everyone in the world.
>>44284889
Don't listen to the "take it away" suggestions. It just pisses off players. Have it play a larger role in a campaign, if it's something that they got special let them have the option of using it to power a more powerful, one shot weapon to take out something big. That way they feel it was their "choice" to get rid of it, and reward them in gold or renown.
Rust Monsters, Hammer Wielders, and Batteries.
Don't know about you guys, but I usually roll dice for all the encounters, so if big enemies with big weapons that can remove stuff like that, it isn't my fault. You get more leeway if the previous fights have had people run away and inform their superiors bout what to look out for.
Cheap method aside, always give a charge and a chance of breakage to items you give PCs. The armor is strong but the magic holding it together is unstable and breaks after X hits or a dice roll of X. Same for swords and other gear. Fixing it can be a plot hook and you can be more lenient or strict with it afterwards.
>>44284889
Talk with the players about it and admit that you have been mistaken about the item. Maybe give them a refund if you remove or nerf the item.
>>44284889
>Suit if giant plate
>Have them come across a group of cultist monsters building a giant golem of the giant strength's type (frost, earth, etc)
>Two hand holes exist in the neck, magic checks reveal they are some sort of nerve center for the golem
>Other party members have no effect when they put their hands inside
>Giant armor guy however, can control it
>But he feels something happening to his armor
>Plot calls for lots of destruction, either to something adjacent to the cultists, or them
>Destruction
>Afterwards the golem has just enough power to walk back to their city, camp, or landmark
>New plot piece, but armor is burnt out.
>They can look for ways to power it in the future, but it costs a lot and it's one shot.
>Armor is still plate, and maybe +2
>>44284889
In both cases, you inform them that the item is too powerful and it'll need some tweaking.
Like many problems in a game it's best solved by privately talking things over like a civilized adult.
>Hey /tg/ I'm literally retarded and let my players have overpowered shit and now I have no idea what to do
STOP. DMING. YOU. FUCKTARD.
I don't have shitty adventures that are easily broken from singular items.
>>44284889
The way I've been trying it, if they get an item or talent that I made, I give them a disclaimer - "This item / talent is subject to change at any time." If the item or talent is changed and the player does not agree with it, they get an XP / Acquisition refund. If they agree with it, they stick through, no take-backs. Naturally, this does not apply to stuff in the books.
>>44284992
this.
Any other answer is a joke.
>>44284889
First, don't screw around with homebrew balance if you don't know what you're doing.
Second, since homebrew is fun and you're going to go ahead anyway, then don't just take it away.
>>44284992
This anon is right.
Pic related's GM did it right.
The player used the weapon correctly, but in a way that was never intended, thus making it too powerful.
The removal of it seems more fair because he allowed the use and it would make sense that such a powerful use of it might break it.
Third, if your party is unbalanced by items or options you allowed at the start, then you'll notice right away.
Give the other players options so they are not outclassed by one PC and then play a higher level game.
Fourth, if at any point your unbalanced player becomes a dick about it, then you break out the rust monster variants.
>>44285160
Give them a reason to throw the item away.
It's a family heirloom and the original owning family are spending their fortune trying to regain this item.
OR
The item is cursed and the owner is surrounded by evil constantly, Berserk style.
Continually hound them with stronger and stronger enemies and larger drawbacks to owning the still OP weapon till they decide it's probably better to throw it away.
>>44285820
What I don't like is how in that story it shows that magic users force other players to completely change their builds to stay relevant and all the magic users need to do is swap prepared spells to outclass the melee users. That is why magic users in my games are limited to one school for level 3+ spells.
>>44285820
eh, this story is kinda shit desu
the archer was even forced to abandon ranged, lmao.
>>44286217
Yeah. Archer was forced to abandon his main class feature, the thing he is supposed to be THE BEST at, because the fucktard magic users are overpowered as fuck.
"Oh no it appears you have fallen into a pit of Rust Monsters"
"The wild barbarian charges at you with his axe bared for a crushing overhand swing. Your battles from before have left you weakened and it seems this will be your last moments. As the axe comes down your family armor, the enchanted armor that has protected your family for generations of conflict, glows radiantly and you feel your energy come back in a exhilarating rush. You dodge the axe blow with your newfound strength and counter with a fatal thrust through the chest."
Once they look at the armor later they find it has been weakened to a more reasonable level. Seem fair?
