This isn't new or anything, it's been happening for a while, but it seems more rampant than previously. I'm finding weapons that inflict upwards of 20 damage in the early game. Even a bow that was 33 damage ignore 66% armor showed up.. Now I understand that levels are meant to be the barrier to equpping these items, but by the time I found and could equip them I had just finished researching the 2nd tier of weaponry (bows/swords).

The odd part about this is that later game I didn't find these items more frequently. Rather it just seems that the random number generator is rearing it's ugly head. Perhaps it is important to note that the 'broken' items were found from killing a river drake and from waltzing on an unprotected shrill lord lair.

Meanwhile the obsidian golems kept dropping burning axes... There appears to be a serious disconnect between risk and reward. This isn't touching on the matter of finding these items (even at the end of the game) really removes any emphasis from teching. It would be nice if we could purchase 'champion-only' weaponry or if champions had some other mechanic in their use (ei: multiple attacks) that made teching for items viable.

Alternatively (and perhaps in addition to) items beyond basic gear should only be available from quests. Monsters simply provide cash and/or useless items for resale.