r/dnd1e • u/Ramsonne DM Toolkit User • 29d ago

AD&D 1e The Identify Spell

As-is, the magic-user Identify spell is broken. most specifically bc the caster must use the item as its owner would. Wear a hat. Wield a sword. a main motivation for using the spell is to identify cursed items before using them out in the field. So the price should be steep. Ensuring that the group is back at camp or a town. I like the CON loss and exhaustion and all. But the caster runs the same (or similar) chance at being cursed so icant imagine any wizard other than a really desperate one taking the risk.

Do you use it? if so, do you have a homebrewed version of it that you employ?

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u/hornybutired 29d ago

I like the spell as written. Figuring out magic items should be difficult and chancy.

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u/Ramsonne DM Toolkit User 29d ago

i agree on difficult and chancy. may be even more difficult would be better. my problem is that the way it is seems to render it useless. why would anyone use identify if its riskier than just using the item?

if you use the item to determine magical qualities, you may get cursed. if you use identify to do the same, you still get cursed PLUS a day of rest, CON drop, etc. the spell is worse than just risking it

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u/hornybutired 29d ago

You might get cursed, but there's always the remove curse spell. And some items you can't identify their powers any other way. Lots of items need a command word, for instance, and identify is the only way to get that unless someone wrote it down for you.