MichaelSomething
Legend
Whatever assumptions they make about items and optimization need to also include guides on adjusting the game based on different amounts.
If One D&D is being backwards compatible, +X weapons and +Y armors are not going away.I'd agree re: eliminating them. At this point they're desperately uninteresting and basically just weak meme fodder.
Then you could balance without them. However if they do insist on including them, I think it's a mistake to balance entirely without them.
I qualify moderate optimization as following the PHB instructions and putting your highest scores in the ones associated with your class and taking feats associated with your class and race.I also think we need to quantify what is "moderate optimization". Hell you could argue that putting your highest stat in your "class' main stats" is some moderate optimization, as oppossed to complete roleplayers that will play the high wisdom, low strength fighter kind of thing.
Since you posted while I was typing... I'd call that bare minimum low charop at best& even then I feel like it would be generous to even call it low optimization. An analog to your example might be making sure your tires are properly inflated as "moderate hypermiling"I qualify moderate optimization as following the PHB instructions and putting your highest scores in the ones associated with your class and taking feats associated with your class and race.
Moderately Optimized is Bruenor Dwarf Fighter with STR, 16, DEX 10 CON 15 INT 8 WIS 13 CHA 12 with Tough Feat.
That's why it's moderate."Heavy Optimization and Some Numerical Bonus Magic Items" for a few reasons. There is no benchmark or even vague gesticulation for "moderate" "heavy" "some" or "many". If you ask one group you might get (tippyverse)*(eberron+pre cleansing war athas) & punpun for many & heavy while another group might say +2 attrib gear by level X & +1 weapon or +1 armor by level Y with your primary stat as your highest ability score during chargen.
Heavy optimization with some magic items allows a GM to finesse the "phat lewtz" more or less as needed based on the needs of their players & their individual optimization levels even if a player i (un)optimized well beyond the curve of expectations in either direction.
Since you posted while I was typing... I'd call that bare minimum low charop at best& even then I feel like it would be generous to even call it low optimization. An analog to your example might be making sure your tires are properly inflated as "moderate hypermiling"
Numerical bonuses to damage/hp, while not much more interesting than bonuses to hit/ac, at the very least don’t mess with bounded accuracy.That's still a numerical magic item bonus assumption though, right?
If 4e told us anything about damage is damage can be a role shift