That's nothing that can't be solved simply by saying "PCs in tier x should have about this much while tierY should have this other amount".
... beyond that is just pointlessly treating prof bonus or character level as a sacred cow. In ways that reduce the usefulness of such a system by forcing it into a more crude & inflexible form.
Coincidentally, the number of the Proficiency bonus happens to be about right for the number attunable magic items.
Per 2014, the math expects zero magic items. However, DMs Guide instructs a maximum of three attunable magic items.
For the tier of levels 1 thru 4, a maximum of two magic items, according to the Proficiency Bonus, feels less disruptive to the game. On the other hand, at higher tiers more than three magic items feel ok.
The Proficiency Bonus happens to generate useful numbers for attunable magic items.
My original assessment was only one attunable magic item at the lowest tier, and upto five attunable items at the highest. Then I realized the Proficiency Bonus was already close to this and probably better numbers. It makes more sense to refer to Proficiency Bonus for the number of attunable magic items for the math of the mechanical game engine purposes. The numbers happen to be good numbers.
Moreover, it is simple to say, the highest magical bonus for a tier, such as for a sword +1, equals the Proficiency/2. At levels 1 thru 4 and 5 thru 8, the highest expected bonus is +1. At levels 9−12 and 13−16, the highest bonus is +2. Having a +3 bonus is Legend. These bonuses make sense because of 5e bounded accuracy, despite feeling small if accustomed to the inflated numbers of earlier editions.
The Proficiency Bonus works.
I should have been more clear on the advantages.
Linking a PC's potential attunement points to a secondary value (like the one I linked or whatever) allows the GM to set PC specific ceilings.
A DM can do whatever the table finds interesting. I am talking about what the math of the game engine expects. This requires a default that is stable and reliable.
Without inviting a return to the excessively flogged horse corpse... many of my posts in this thread have been about various ways that 5e tries to ensure those things happen or resist the GM's efforts to mitigate them.
It is unfair to rely on the DM to compensate for magic items, especially to respond to overpowered magic items. The introduction of powerful magical items and the various means by which a DM can compensate for them to maintain a reasonable challenge, is extremely complex and normally requires an experienced DM. Powerful magic items are far beyond the scope of core and default.
Anything core and default needs to be safe and reliable, and functional in terms of the normal 5e game engine. Such as for novice DMs.
Higher tiers in the context of powerful character features can handle more powerful magic items in context. So limiting items by tiers is safer.
I don't think that you understood the bit you quoted.
My point is, the careless introduction of magic items
WILL destroy the game.
As a DM, I learned that the hard way.
The only thing that keep balance is the appropriate amount of power at the appropriate level.
Any other variable except for "level" becomes a problem.
In context, the idea of "attunement points" implies that a player can invest all of the points on a single magical item, that is more likely than not, overpowered compared to the current tier and will break the game.
The trouble here is that those numbers are bad and/or cause breakdowns through application of a crude indiana jones
style rolling stone. The only way to manage it is to manipulate prof bonus & impact a ton of things, tear it out, or somehow replace it.
Either way it doesn't matter because the thing we are talking about is the sort of change that only works if the core game
and all magic items are built for that sort of design. That many magic items.
I dont understand the point you are making here.
Re the Proficiency Bonus, having two attunable magic items during levels 1 thru 4, is almost two too many.
Outside of combat time in D&D flows more closely to the speed of plot than anything else.
I agree. It depends on the narrative.
To discover some challenge, then spend an hour to attune a specific item that can meet the challenge, then go face the challenge, seems like a normal story to me.
Anything more involved would require some benefit to be gained & frankly attunement as it is on top of "always a boon" magic items is too much of a hobbling designed to ensure the "certain aspects" you noted are guaranteed so I'm not sure what there is to be gained by changing attunement speeds.
The point of attunement at all is, the narrative flavor makes sense while preventing the possibility of too many magic items in use at the same time.
Without inviting a return to the excessively flogged horse corpse... many of my posts in this thread have been about various ways that 5e tries to ensure those things happen or resist the GM's efforts to mitigate them.
