Gear of Legends

So if you read descriptions of enchanted items that have appeared in game materials and fiction a lot of times the 'story of the item' is not so much concerned with the crafting of the item than it is with the heroics achieved with that item. For example, the mystic gauntlet is the one worn by Jichael Mackson when he battled a horde of zombies. The implication of many of these stories is that the greatness of the deeds done with this item rub off on the item itself and inpart it with specialness. Objects become special/enchanted because of the great things done with them.

Fourth edition does some interesting stuff with magic items. It makes them basically requried gear for scaling purposes although 'found' items can still be overpowered making them somewhat special. It is a heavily slot based system. I think I have written in a previous post about how slot based system mimic video games instead of fiction and are kind of suspect. They also emphasized artifacts as the 'special' magic items that add to the story.

I digress a little bit. My basic point is that if you like the idea of the greatness of a deed rubbing off on gear you can have have a system where gear essential gets experience. Systems like this have been brought up before, but a simple way to handle this kind of thing is that every character gets x% of his experience is residium to enchant/enhance the gear he was using. No ritual is needed, just an extended rest. This way even the plain items can have a little more character. Instead of swapping out gear, you can keep the weapons you started with and they begin to develop a history. "With the blade a avenged my father when I was a boy. I have followed that path of vengence and the blade that slew your minions will now slay you demon!"