D&D 3E/3.5 Stacking Bonuses in 3.5

William Ronald · Aug 1, 2003

Lela,

I am still trying to figure out which of the two formulas I stated earlier applies to Epic Skill Bonus items. Still, I think the XP penalties for either might give someone pause before creating such an item.

Also, anything that a PC can do, his enemies may do as well. So, a PC wizard may find his archenemy has also created a spellcraft item of epic proportions.

I think the cap is a good idea, as it prevents people from just pouring money into an item to gain a bonus. The game should not be about the best toys, but the most accomplished characters. (Something that I wished 3.0 and 3.5 had addressed a bit more in the rules.)

William Ronald · Aug 2, 2003

I think we have discussed the skill item issue fairly extensively. Does anyone have thoughts on other magic items, such as armor and weapons? Should there be practical limits to how high a bonus a caster of a given level can put into an item like a shield, a sword, a cloak, or bracers?

Lela · Aug 2, 2003

William Ronald said:
I think we have discussed the skill item issue fairly extensively. Does anyone have thoughts on other magic items, such as armor and weapons? Should there be practical limits to how high a bonus a caster of a given level can put into an item like a shield, a sword, a cloak, or bracers?

I ususally don't have deal with this kind of abuse. How much potential is there?

William Ronald · Aug 2, 2003

In theory, I think the sky is the limit for items for armor class, weapons, and ability scores. Mind you, there are practical limits due to cash considerations.

Lela · Aug 3, 2003

William Ronald said:
In theory, I think the sky is the limit for items for armor class, weapons, and ability scores. Mind you, there are practical limits due to cash considerations.

I agree. I was just wondering how much potential for abuse there is considering the cash limitations. I'd rather not impose rules that aren't strictly necisarry. If it was getting out of hand I'd do something.

I've just never seen it as a problem. My only Power Gamer player stopped playing with us. I think he got bord with killing everything so quickly.

Dinkeldog · Aug 4, 2003

Okay, since we're discussing rules, let's let the gurus in the Rules Forum have their say, too.

Lela · Aug 4, 2003

Dinkeldog said:
Okay, since we're discussing rules, let's let the gurus in the Rules Forum have their say, too.

I kinda thought we were discussing changing the rules (a House Rules thing) but I can flow with the moderator.

PostCount=PostCount+1

William Ronald · Aug 5, 2003

While bonuses of the same type do not stack, bonuses of different types do.

The following bonus types in 3.0 apply to checks, including skill and initiative checks: Circumstance, Competence, Insight, Luck, Morale, Profane, Sacred, and Synergy.

The following bonus types in 3.0 apply to AC: Armor, Deflection, Dodge, Haste, Insight, Luck, Natural Armor, Profane, and Sacred.

The following bonus types in 3.0 apply to saves: Competence, Insight, Luck, Morale, Profane, Resistance, and Sacred.

So, it might be more sensible, economically, for a PC Spellcaster to create multiple skill check itemes working on the different bonuses. So, if a +30 skill check item has a market value of 90,000 g.p. in 3.5 (half the cost at least for the item creator), it would make much more sense to create multiple +30 skill check items than a +60 epic item. (Though I would argue profane and sacred bonuses probably would cancel each other out.)

So, at 45,000 g.p. per each +30 skill item, a character could truly boost a skill to very high levels for relatively little cost when compared with an epic item.

Lela · Aug 7, 2003

William Ronald said:
So, at 45,000 g.p. per each +30 skill item, a character could truly boost a skill to very high levels for relatively little cost when compared with an epic item.

Noted. I think I might just call it blatent abuse though and say, "Um, no." I think it would only be trouble on skills like Spellcraft though (which, at Epic levels, is very likely the most important skill there is). On skills like Hide and Spot, another +30 item on top of an existing +30 item wouldn't make much difference.

William Ronald · Aug 8, 2003

Spellcraft is important at epic levels for spellcasters, however, hide and spot can be very important at epic levels as well. An epic level rogue with a +120 (before his skill ranks and dexterity are added in) on his hide rolls would be one heck of an assassin. There is the old strategy of buffing up one's allies. Or imagine the case of a multi-class arcane caster/rogue. Such a character could easily outshine a rogue of equal levels without access to such items.