Hey all. I have a D&D blog now, this is my first article, wanted to see what the Playground thought. Hope you like it.
Blog post with intro and some examples:
http://forgotmydice.com/index.php/2015/11/02/setemup/
Quick rules:
Item sets are groups of magical items that work together in tandem, providing greater benefit than the items used alone. The origin of a set in your campaign can vary to suit your world. In some cases, the items could have been created separately but all belonged to a great hero or terrible villain who used them together for so long that their magical energies became attuned to one another and took on traits of their user. Alternatively, the items were constructed as a set and were meant to be used together, and grow weaker when separated.
An item set is approximately equivalent to an artifact in terms of power. Finding all the pieces of the set should be relatively difficult, and even acquiring a single piece can be dangerous, as those possessing other pieces of the set may desire to complete the collection and take action, whether subtle or direct, to relieve the character of the items.
Set Properties:
All item sets require attunement. Once you are attuned to one piece of a set, adding additional pieces requires no additional attunement time. Sets can count as a single or multiple attuned items for purposes of a character’s maximum number of attuned items, as follows:
1 or 2 pieces of a set count as 1 item.
3 or 4 pieces of a set count as 2 items.
Additionally, while attuned to one or more pieces of a set, the bearer can sense if another piece of the set is within 2 miles, though not its location. If within 1,000 feet of another item in the set, the bearer knows its general direction. The bearer can also immediately recognize and identify another piece of the set on sight.
Similar to artifacts, sets can have minor or major beneficial and detrimental properties, however, these properties only become evident when multiple pieces of the set are worn or used. You can use the tables for artifacts found in the DMG, or you can create your own, similar properties. Unlike artifacts, it is recommended that you set the properties in advance rather than roll randomly when the item is acquired, to preserve the theme of the set. If you roll or choose a property that occurs when the user becomes attuned to the artifact, it occurs immediately when the user adds the required piece to the set. Additionally, when assembled, the set provides artifact level powers to the user, which should be crafted along the theme of its origin. A set should be 2 to 4 items. The larger the number of pieces in the set, the more powerful and dangerous the set can be.
A two piece set, when assembled, gains a unique ability determined by the DM. When the second piece is added, the set will have one minor beneficial property and one minor detrimental property.
A three piece set functions as above, but the unique power is not activated until all three pieces are assembled. Adding the third piece also adds a major beneficial property and an additional minor detrimental property.
A four piece set will have a unique power for assembling 3 pieces, and an additional unique power for adding the 4th piece. Artifact properties accumulate as above, but adding the 4th piece adds an additional minor beneficial property and a major detrimental property (for a total of 1 major and 2 minor properties of each type).