magic items and energy ecovery

[KillWatch]

1) How fast do magic items recover energy? Is it automatically replenished every day at dawn/dusk/midnight?

2) Are you guys impressed with the power of rune weapons? I mean, sure on one on one battles or vs a small group they are extremely valuable. But, facing an army? The weapons don'e seem so "legendary" or valuable enough for "rulers to ransom their kingdoms" for

3) what modifications have you made to magical weapon design rules?

[kiralon]

1. Usually says in the item, automatically replenishes x ppe per hour or is x uses per day.
2. Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Necrom is pretty handy in a full out war vs elves for example, castle rake is handy as well. All the ones that can do river of lava 6 times a day also can make an impression on an enemy army, but you are pretty much right about the rulers. My rulers tend to treat them and their wielders like they are terrorists with backpack nukes. if you are a known good guy they might only just watch you, but if you are an unknown its usually put the weapon in a safe place or you aren't allowed into the city/country.
3. lots, as there aren't really any other than this is the list of powers and this is what can be put on them.

[eliakon]

2) Are you guys impressed with the power of rune weapons? I mean, sure on one on one battles or vs a small group they are extremely valuable. But, facing an army? The weapons don'e seem so "legendary" or valuable enough for "rulers to ransom their kingdoms" for

Just rememeber.
a) the list of powers? Those are the most common powers. That is basically what the 'B-team scrub weapons' can do.
Mass produced weapons and the like... When you start looking at the "big boys" you start seeing some scary stuff. Utter and total immortality, the ability to destroy entire castles, the ability to make bridges across lakes that entire armies can cross, the ability to devour souls simply by touch, the ability to perform spells of legend and much, much more...

b) there is a hidden power in those weapons... the weapon itself! They are sentient and can communicate with their wielder. They are also made out of godlings, or ancient dragons, or very high level wizards and the like! The intelligence inside can be a councilor with the wisdom of the ages. A rune crown for instance would have the experience of every court it has been in since it was forged... how would YOU like to have a political advisor who has the intimate details on running your country since before it was founded! They can know hidden secrets, share lost lore, be repositories of True Names or secret spells or the like

3) what modifications have you made to magical weapon design rules?

The biggest and most extensive modifications I have made are to the Techno-Wizardry rules in Rifts... as those are the only rules that have the quality of actually existing. For Alchemist stuff I allow more than 3 powers in a weapon if they are related. For example a Thunder Hammer can shoot lightning bolts as well, and while you pay for both powers it only takes up one 'slot', or you could take several of the"resist <type> <#> times per day powers and they all take up just one slot" I also do not charge a 'slot' for several of the trivial powers such as color, or shed light. Another change is that I have 'improved' versions of several powers. So instead of the trivial 'resist cold 3x per day' power I have "provides resist cold while weilded/grasped".
I also am free with the ability to make 'greater' weapons if they are thematic. For example I have an assasins dagger running around... it has "Teleports to Wielder", Poisoned (always on), Ignores Armor, and is both indestructable and invisible.
It isnt a rune weapon or the like... but it is ALSO not something that you can get replicated at the local alchemist (even if they were willing to make such a thing in the first place!)
I also have a rather extensive list of additional powers that I allow. One of my personal favorites is "skillful". A skillful weapon is always wielded as if the person holding it has the WP. A least skillful weapon provides level 1, a lesser equals your level up to 6, a greater skillful weapon can replicate your level up to 15 and a greatest skillful weapon can have any level of skill pre-programed in (and if your level is higher then you use the better of the two)... So you could make a rapier with Greatest Skillful/10 and anyone who picks it up is treated as having WP: Sword or WP: Rapier at level 10.

[RockJock]

I usually use a 12 hour recharge per hour, or a 24 hr at midnight, or whatever given time recharge.

The minors are rarely worth the gold in my games. The greater rune weapons are powerful, and coveted for what they can do with and for the right wielder that gives them power. A great warrior, general, or king may have money, land and power, but can he survive defeat an enemy warlock or wizard assassin one on one? The rune weapon allow that warrior/general/king to be a great warrior in his own right, but also a match for a wizard, warlock, or mind mage. No, I don't mean they have the exact same powers/levels as the classes, but they can fight against them.

I've used paired weapons before, for example a rune dagger and long sword as a pair, that had more abilities, but required both swords to work. I've also used rune type weapons from other games such as Nightbane (Artifacts) for other flavor.

[eliakon]

I thought some examples of how a Rune Item can be priceless beyond its simple stats might be interesting.
In my games there is a legendary item coveted by all mages called The Green Grimore. It is a (green obviously) Rune (lesser) Book of Images...
...with the intelligence that is bound into it a magic user of some sort. As they are bound to the book they can change the pages at a thought themselves... and they can 'perceive' anything anyone else does as well.
Over the millennia they have used this to acquire the formula for thousands of spells, circles, wards and the like. Some great, some small, some simply minor variations... but still a truly mind boggling array of magic.
For those who it chooses to help it can display these formula on its pages allowing a mage to learn its magic... much of which dates back to the Age of Chaos never mind the Time of a Thousand Magics.

It has no other powers as a rune weapon... but it is still considered one of the greatest runic prizes in existence.

Also in my game the Timiro Royal Crown is a rune artifact. The soul inside is a Titan noble who still maintains their role as a peacemaker, advisor and scholar vicariously through the kings. While a weak or foolish king can be easily deceived or controlled... the crown itself can not be so easily duped. Thus with its wisdom the kingdom of Timiro manages to not just survive but thrive in the face of hostile neighbors.

I think the biggest problem is most people forget that Rune Items are really NPCs and not just spiffy magic items.