Inherent Enhancement Bonuses variant rule?

[Rechan]

It's been suggested a few places that, if you don't like the magical item glut/constant upgrading, there's a rule to give the bonuses to PCs as inherent bonuses (they simply get a +1 to Attack/Damage/Defenses, taking the places of the Big Three magical item bonuses).

What I was wondering was, where is this rule? Mearls has mentioned it. I recall someone saying it was also in the DMG2. But I can't find it.

I'm trying to find out what levels the plusses are granted, how crits are effected, etc.

 

[Obryn]

It's been suggested a few places that, if you don't like the magical item glut/constant upgrading, there's a rule to give the bonuses to PCs as inherent bonuses (they simply get a +1 to Attack/Damage/Defenses, taking the places of the Big Three magical item bonuses).

What I was wondering was, where is this rule? Mearls has mentioned it. I recall someone saying it was also in the DMG2. But I can't find it.

I'm trying to find out what levels the plusses are granted, how crits are effected, etc.

It's the sidebar on page ... 138, maybe? It's less obvious than you might expect, because the sidebar isn't even called anything like "Inherent Bonuses."

In short... +1 attack/damage at levels 2, 7, etc. +1 to AC and all defenses at levels 4, 9, etc. Masterwork armor is available for purchase, at the price of a normal suit of +X armor.

-O

 

[Mouseferatu]

It's been suggested a few places that, if you don't like the magical item glut/constant upgrading, there's a rule to give the bonuses to PCs as inherent bonuses (they simply get a +1 to Attack/Damage/Defenses, taking the places of the Big Three magical item bonuses).

What I was wondering was, where is this rule? Mearls has mentioned it. I recall someone saying it was also in the DMG2. But I can't find it.

DMG2, p. 138.

 

[Rechan]

Thanks guys!

Grr. It doesn't address what to do about critical hit damage.

 

[kaomera]

Thanks guys!

Grr. It doesn't address what to do about critical hit damage.

The rules presented there assume that you're still using magic items (or something else, like the boons, etc. also in DMG2), for properties, crit bonuses, etc. The enhancement bonuses wouldn't stack, of course.

Standard crit damage would be +1d6 per point of enhancement bonus, I'd say go with that if you want an inherent crit bonus.

 

[Teemu]

Crit extra damage can be added through boons or just by giving magic items. Boons are essentially reskinned magic items. The book only has a few example boons and they're all divine, grandmaster, or that one whose name I can't remember, but I've given boons of no particular type (reskinned magic items) and mostly just said that they're pretty much like the rest of the characters' powers. It's worked really well and I love that magic items can finally be something special, mainly plot items in some sense.

 

[Rechan]

My next campaign starts at level 2. Since the attack and damage starts at level 2, if one of them crits then they would get crit damage were they wielding a magical weapon. I'd like to only hand out one magical item per PC, or a little more depending on plot. But I wanted something to start with.

+1d6 per plus works fine.

 

[babinro]

I didn't know an actual written rule existing. We've houseruled that you get all armor/weapon/implement/neck slot items enhanced by +1 at levels 3, 8, 13, 18, 23 and 28. As such, your weapons effectively level with you including critical dice/properties and powers.

To balance purchases, equipment that is bought by the PC does not level with you (so no buying tons of level 1 equipment such that it is godly at higher levels).

 

[Obryn]

As far as crits and special effects go, it depends a lot on the direction you want to take...

I mean, at the simplest, give +1d6 crits per +1 attack/damage. It keeps pace, no problems.

Alternately, you could retain magic weapons, and just have that be the perk for a "+1 sword" or what-have-you. This way, basic magic weapons, while being less mathematically critical, would still have value.

-O

 

[Samir]

Our DM uses inherent bonuses, but still uses magical weapons for their properties. He levels up crit bonuses based on the weapon we're using (a regular weapon is 1d6 per plus, but a Vicious weapon is 1d12 per plus, for example).