Magical items

In fantasy, one of the most common goals that characters have to achieve is to collect some kind of magical, mystical weapon or armor that will ultimately give them the power they need to overcome the evil that they are standing against. A spell, a sword, a shield, a chest plate, or even a ring - whatever it is, you can guarantee it's behind age old traps and protections that will only ever open for the chosen main character, who will of course be immediately followed by the villain, ready to swoop in and steal the mystical item from under the hero's nose.

Which, of course, will lead to the hero realizing he never needed the magical item in the first place, and that they had the power inside of them all along. Which will in turn beg the question of why the hero ever needed to go on such a journey in the first place.

It's a valid question, and one that you have to ask yourself when you are writing this kind of story. Do you want to have some kind of legendary item that your character wants to collect? Why do they want to collect it? Is it something that they will eventually be able to get, or will it slip from their grasp at the last second? What kind of consequences will that have on them, both internally and from the point of view as their quest as a whole?

Personally, I'm of the view point that if you want to have them need to collect something, then they should be able to collect it. It's alright if it ends up in enemy hands at one point or another, but ultimately it should end the story in the hero's hands. Or perhaps it is something that they only need temporarily. Something that will keep something about them in check until they can learn how to control it on their own. Some great power - perhaps the ability, or rather curse, to take the form of a dragon? This, also, would be acceptable.

But I'm also the kind of person who isn't big on the collection of these, at least in my own stories. I don't mind seeing it in other books, movies, or games, but it's just not something that I would really think of using. I'd rather see my character grow then see them collect something that makes them stronger. What good is strength if it is not your own, after all?

I suppose that it is simply a matter of preference in story telling. I would not wish to use it as a device because it does not fit with the kind of story that I want to tell. For me, it is not about the destination, but the journey, if I may use cliches. Personal growth rather than what you do with that growth. And that's not something you can just get from an all powerful weapon.