Based on this thread, I think we've decided:
- when a character dies for whatever reason, at least their most powerful magic item will need to save vs. being destroyed
- saves are assigned using the OD&D guidelines, as follows:
- Figure out the item's general "power level" - low, medium, high
- Assign saves of 14, 12, or 10 respectively
- (Arguably, if the item runs on charges or otherwise one-shot, add 2 to the saves)
- If the item was affected by an "opposite" attack form, penalize the save by +2 in that instance
- in cases where the nature of the death doesn't obviously threaten the item (e.g. dying of poison), the risk is that the character's ghost may haunt the item or it will otherwise be corrupted by such close proximity to the energies released by the violent departure of its user's spirit from the mortal plane
- the kind of thing you'd need to do to repair a "destroyed" item will depend on the nature of the death - so that falling 180' might require re-forging a broken blade, while being poisoned might require an exorcism to remove its ghost-taint.
- the nature of the death might cause other items than your most powerful to require saving throws - e.g. falling into acid might potentially affect all items worn, but not those within a bag of holding