3.5 Rebuild Poll Part 33: Stat Boosting Items

[bhu]

If you were rebuilding 3.5, would you keep stat boosting items like Gauntlets of Ogre Power as they are now, in a new form, or get rid of them entirely.

[Runestar]

Depend on whether the game assumes that PCs will have access to them or not.

I am in favour of removing stat boosters entirely, but the designers also need to take heed of this and ratchet the monster's stats downwards accordingly, to take into account that players will not be hitting as frequently or as hard.

[veekie]

I'd say ditch compulsory stat boosters, have any magic items that contribute to character power come out of a PC resource, such as feats(a Legacy feat for stuff like magic armor/swords/staves, an Arsenal feat for potions and various expendables), while generally 'utility' and 'plot' magic items are available on an individual campaign basis.

Basically, make it possible to have a difference between a character owning a magic item(bought, looted, or whatever) and a character mastering one. Wealth unlinked to power.

[RobbyPants]

I voted other because, I think if they do stay, they should be based on level, not just the item.  Honestly, it wouldn't hurt the game to get rid of them (it makes balancing the Random Number Generator easier), but you can make it work.

I'd say stat boosting items and other "plus" items (magic swords and what not) should just be magical.  The exact bonus comes from your level.  This gets rid of the need to continually upgrade your crap to stay level appropriate.

So, instead of Gauntlets of Ogre Power +2 or a Belt of Giant Strength +4, you now have Gauntlets of Ogre Power and a Belt of Giant Strength.  Period.  If you're level 5 - 8, it's a +2 bonus.  If you're level 9 - 11, it's a +4 bonus.  If you're 12th level or higher, it's a +6 bonus (note that I'm just using 1/2 WBL values here for example.  These numbers are completely up in the air at this point).  

The same goes for other "plus" gear.  You simply have a Magic Sword.  You can add things like Flaming, and Vorpal to it, but the bonus comes from your level.

[dman11235]

I voted other because I think by default magic items should not give bonuses, but when they do (as an additional bonus coupled with a unique thing the item can do) it should be level-dependent, and the power come from the character (as I've said in the other threads).  And I agree with Rob on the level thing, but I will expand by saying that I think Weapons of Legacy-style items should be the norm.  Just make them good.  See my almost re-vamping of the system in the inspiration strikes forum.

[Pteryx]

I feel that RobbyPants's approach is intriguing and worthy of serious consideration.  -- Pteryx

[PhaedrusXY]

I voted other because, I think if they do stay, they should be based on level, not just the item.  Honestly, it wouldn't hurt the game to get rid of them (it makes balancing the Random Number Generator easier), but you can make it work.

I'd say stat boosting items and other "plus" items (magic swords and what not) should just be magical.  The exact bonus comes from your level.  This gets rid of the need to continually upgrade your crap to stay level appropriate.

So, instead of Gauntlets of Ogre Power +2 or a Belt of Giant Strength +4, you now have Gauntlets of Ogre Power and a Belt of Giant Strength.  Period.  If you're level 5 - 8, it's a +2 bonus.  If you're level 9 - 11, it's a +4 bonus.  If you're 12th level or higher, it's a +6 bonus (note that I'm just using 1/2 WBL values here for example.  These numbers are completely up in the air at this point).  

The same goes for other "plus" gear.  You simply have a Magic Sword.  You can add things like Flaming, and Vorpal to it, but the bonus comes from your level.

Just let them scale over odd numbers, too. I've never understood why they don't come in odd numbers...

[veekie]

I voted other because, I think if they do stay, they should be based on level, not just the item.  Honestly, it wouldn't hurt the game to get rid of them (it makes balancing the Random Number Generator easier), but you can make it work.

I'd say stat boosting items and other "plus" items (magic swords and what not) should just be magical.  The exact bonus comes from your level.  This gets rid of the need to continually upgrade your crap to stay level appropriate.

So, instead of Gauntlets of Ogre Power +2 or a Belt of Giant Strength +4, you now have Gauntlets of Ogre Power and a Belt of Giant Strength.  Period.  If you're level 5 - 8, it's a +2 bonus.  If you're level 9 - 11, it's a +4 bonus.  If you're 12th level or higher, it's a +6 bonus (note that I'm just using 1/2 WBL values here for example.  These numbers are completely up in the air at this point). 

The same goes for other "plus" gear.  You simply have a Magic Sword.  You can add things like Flaming, and Vorpal to it, but the bonus comes from your level.

Just let them scale over odd numbers, too. I've never understood why they don't come in odd numbers...

Looks like a good way to do those, yes. Makes them pretty much automatic Legacy too.

[RobbyPants]

Just let them scale over odd numbers, too. I've never understood why they don't come in odd numbers...

They could.  It isn't hugely important.

Keeping it at even stat bonuses means that you will always get a predictable modifier.  A +4 item will always yield a +2 modifier.  If you allow for odd bonuses, half of the time it will give a better modifier than the other half of the time, which means it's harder to predict the value of the item.

Of course, in a system where bonuses scale by level, I think you might be onto something.  If the item itself has no intrinsic value, then it doesn't really matter anymore.  So, yeah, I think odd bonuses could work in this system.

[Levithix]

I think the standard stat boosters should go. I'm a big fan of the "heroic" variant.