Identification Option and Action Tab

[GIndustries]

is there a way to stop items that are unidentified to appear with the asterisks in the actions tab? its just a dead give away that my players have something more than what i describe it as in game. if anyone knows i would appreciate it.

[JohnD]

Do they have an unidentified name or is it just blank?

[madman]

You just need to add the description you want them to see in that field of the item I believe.

Madman..

[GIndustries]

Do they have an unidentified name or is it just blank?

They have a unidentified name but in the actions tab it shows as **steel shield** , i would prefer it to just display “steel shield” as it does in the inventory tab

[Zacchaeus]

It is noted like that in the actions tab specifically so that it is clear that the item has not been identified and that it may have properties other that what is stated. I wouldn’t expect players to equip something they hadn’t identified.

[JohnD]

It is noted like that in the actions tab specifically so that it is clear that the item has not been identified and that it may have properties other that what is stated. I wouldn’t expect players to equip something they hadn’t identified.

Oh man that kind of thing happens all the time!

[GIndustries]

It is noted like that in the actions tab specifically so that it is clear that the item has not been identified and that it may have properties other that what is stated. I wouldn’t expect players to equip something they hadn’t identified.

yeah unfortunately the minute they get their hands on something they love to test it out due to the 5e identification rules with "simply holding the item you can sense it has other properties" i guess in that sense the ** notation can simply be a representation of this part of the rule.

i did find that i can delete them myself just have to do it faster than the player see it to really hide that it has other properties.

[GIndustries]

Side note to that, any time i give them the new item it is automatically equipped and shows on the actions tab? is it not supposed to do this?

[Zacchaeus]

I don’t give out magic items from the Party Screen until they have been identified. I’m not sure about the auto equip thing. If the character already has a weapon or armour i’m Not sure it does default to equipped but I can’t test it right now.

[GIndustries]

I don’t give out magic items from the Party Screen until they have been identified. I’m not sure about the auto equip thing. If the character already has a weapon or armour i’m Not sure it does default to equipped but I can’t test it right now.

i did try it right now it seems that Armour does not equip automatically but any weapon added does.

ill keep in mind what you do there, for me typically i have my players pick from the loot to account for encumbrance rules so that way every item is accounted for. once my players see the asterisk they usually try to go straight into a short rest to begin identifying or any other means of identifying the item before they want to move on. id prefer to have them experiment or be surprised by effects as they use it. then proceed to rest on what happen at least that would make it more interesting but that format is a dead give away that they have something magical instead of just of high quality.

[Zacchaeus]

Well a little more work but perhaps worth it for a special item.

Create more than one item for the same magic item. Let’s say you wanted a long sword +1, and resistance to fire. So create a weapon +1 and and another weapon +1 with the resist fire. Give then only the +1 weapon initially. Now create an effect for Resist fire on the effects dialog and click the hidden eye button. Now place that effect from there onto the PC who is using the weapon. The effect will be hidden from the player but will become obvious once the situation reveals itself. You can then swap out the +1 weapon with the real one that you have kept hidden from them.

[Nickademus]

Maybe I'm not following properly, but isn't there always a red circle with "ID" in the upper right-hand corner that would tell a player anyway that the item is not identified?

[Zacchaeus]

I don’t think the player sees that only the DM. If the item does not have a non id name the player will see ‘unidentified item’, but if it does have such a name the players will only see that.

[kylania]

Maybe I'm not following properly, but isn't there always a red circle with "ID" in the upper right-hand corner that would tell a player anyway that the item is not identified?

Left side is the DM view, right side is the player view of an unidentified item with a name/description included:

https://i.imgur.com/Qd6vupA.jpg

Without the non-id name/description included the player just sees a blank item card that says Unidentified Item.

[LordEntrails]

kylania, thanks for posting that. So the players are already going to know the item is not identified because when they look at the item record they will not only see the red circle, but they don't see any stats or properties etc for the item.

[Trenloe]

Yeah, the purpose of item identification is to not let the players know what the full item is, it is not meant to completely hide the fact that the item is something more than it seems - that would require duplicate stats/properties, which would cause more/different issues.

[GIndustries]

Left side is the DM view, right side is the player view of an unidentified item with a name/description included:

https://i.imgur.com/Qd6vupA.jpg

Without the non-id name/description included the player just sees a blank item card that says Unidentified Item.

well seems the only way to pull off that complete unknown feeling is to make a duplicate and sway as suggested.

[Moon Wizard]

As Trenloe says, it becomes much more complex both for programming and within the UI to have full stats for each state. It is designed to work as it does now.

Also, this can actually be accomplished a different way, which happens to be the way that I do it. If I truly want to hide the fact that an item is special, I actually hand out a completely different and fully identified mundane item. Until the user "figures out" that the item is a) special and b) what kind of special, they don't get to use it as anything other than the mundane item.

Regards,
JPG

[GIndustries]

I really appreciate all the feedback. it will defiantly help me out running my campaigns.