D&D 5E DMG - breaking bounded accuracy already?

[Mouseferatu]

How often do you think pcs will find these items? Do you really expect a pc to find multiple books that increase the upper bounds of the same stat? What's the rarity of those books again?

Any given tome? 1-in-100 on the actual table, and the odds of getting to that table are, depending on level, either 2, 8, or 10-in-100.

So 1% of 10%. At most. Per book. And it takes six of the same sort of book (or four, if you're talking about a barbarian's Str or Con at 20th level) to break a stat of 30.

In other words, really not gonna happen unless the DM makes it happen.

 

[Pickles JG]

The only one that concerns me is Shield & Armour stacking - since arrows are individually magic items their use will be memorable rather than breaking.

 

[Parmandur]

Well, I'd you look at 30 as the preternatural barrier, past the natural barrier of 20, it's not so bad given the CR over 20 challenges. Also, a single character getting bot +3 armor and shield needs the active collusion of DM and fellow PCs...

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

Bounded accuracy works perfectly in practice, but it certainly doesn't work in theory-crafting. I couldn't care less. Nobody is getting all the legendary defensive items of the DMG in my game. Nobody is getting both a legendary bow and legendary arrows to go with it either. I don't know if one of those books will ever appear in my game. They were fine in 2E, when magic was the only alternative to permanently increase a stat, but in 5E they're just a mix of upholding tradition and throwing a bone to the munchkins, and I don't need them.

That said, if you want a game where all those things happen, more power to you. Nobody needs to see bounded accuracy as a good thing. Actually, it kind of makes me happy that DMs and players who get excited by high numbers will find something to tinker with in 5E. All playing styles should get some support.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I wouldn't worry about it. Magic items are supposed to be unbalanced. It's their ability to break the normal bounds of the rules that makes them special. It's up to the DM to determine how much of that he or she is prepared to handle, and give out items accordingly.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Sure those books exist, and can be used an infinite number of times as long as their magic persists (once per century per book), but that doesn't mean your players will get them. If you want to break bounded accuracy then you can let your players have them (either by buying them in a magic item shop or if you give them a few), but the decision is ultimately yours.

This. They are exceedingly rare and potent magic items. DMs don't need to include them. How does this break a game?

 

[Blackwarder]

so if I start out with a 20 year old elf... and I convince the DM to give me one of each of the books, then skip 100 years every couple of adventures... I could use the books like 4-5 times each.... then be a super old elf with a 30 stat... or well in theory, if I had control of my DM

This sounds like a great backstory for my next villain.

Warder

 

[variant]

The game is specifically not balanced for magical items. If a DM adds magical items, it's up to him to cope if he breaks the system.

 

[Ilbranteloth]

It's not just a 22 strength it could be a 40 strength if you got your hands on 20 books, because it increases the maximum.

While I can certainly see why the way it's written gives the indication that you could theoretically go beyond a 30 with those items, I personally wouldn't rule it that way. Sure, it could have been worded better, but I think the intent was simply to say you can increase the ability above the usual cap of 20 for characters.

Regardless, if you're players can get their hands on 20 books then you have a bigger problem than whether the designer's adherence to bounded accuracy is good enough.

Ilbranteloth

 

[ranger69]

Because a magic item is in the DMG doesn't mean that it has to come into play. A DM should have complete control over the items in their campaign. If you want to keep bounded accuracy at 20 then it is easy to do so.