I’m currently mulling over some homebrew solutions on how to give players that satisfying feeling of finding cool, high-tier loot without completely breaking 5e’s Bounded Accuracy over a long campaign. I want items to feel impactful, but I also want to avoid the "static high AC" problem where monsters can no longer hit the PCs.
I’m currently considering some options for a hybrid setup.
1: Decoupling "+" Bonuses from the d20 Roll
Magic bonuses affect everything
except the actual d20 roll to hit or defend.
- Weapons (+1 to +3): The bonus applies strictly to damage, not to the attack roll. A +3 Longsword doesn't alter the fundamental probability of hitting the target, but rolling 1d8 + STR + 3 on a successful hit still feels great for the player.
- Armor and Shields (+1 to +3): Instead of granting extra AC, the bonus is converted directly into Damage Reduction (DR). A piece of +2 Chain Mail provides its standard base AC, but reduces all incoming physical damage (or all damage) by 2 points per hit. It solves the high-AC breaker. Characters still get hit at a reasonable, scalable rate, meaning lower-CR monsters can still contribute to a fight. However, the player still feels like an absolute tank because minor attacks just glance off their DR.
Option 2: No Stacking
When keeping +1/+2/+3 bonuses to AC and attack rolls, I need a counterweight to prevent math inflation while staying within a 5e framework.
- Strict Typing & Attunement Limits: In PF1, you had Enhancement, Deflection, and Natural Armor bonuses that didn't stack within the same category. 5e often ignores this, which is how you end up with Bracers of Defense, a Ring of Protection, and a Cloak of Protection stacking to absurd heights. I'm considering a hard rule: you can only benefit from a single magic bonus to your AC at any given time, regardless of the source. Rare cases that stack requires attunment.
Option 3: Replacing Flat Bonuses with "Spendable Currency"
Instead of flat, permanent bonuses, magic items could offer a limited resource pool used during combat.
- Magic Dice Pools: A +2 Shield wouldn’t grant a static +2 AC. Instead, it contains 2 "Defense Dice" (like d4s or d6s, could scale for more powerful items) per short rest. When the character is hit, they can roll a die and add the result to their AC as a Reaction. It gives the player the exact same high-impact feeling of using cool loot, but because it requires resource management (a Reaction and a limited pool), the statistical average of the system stays intact over a full adventuring day. It prevents the passive, un-hittable AC wall.
Option 4: Horizontal Progression via Pathfinder-Style Qualities
Instead of making items vertically stronger (+1, +2, +3), make them broader. That way I could lift the weapon and armor quality systems straight from PF1 (
Flaming, Keen, Fortification, Spell Resistance) but adapting them to a simpler structure.
Instead of handing out a flat +2 sword, I’d award a sword with 2 quality points:
- 1-Point Qualities: Adds 1d6 elemental damage (Fire/Cold), emits light, or allows a free skill check with Advantage once per day.
- 2-Point Qualities: Ignores damage resistance, scores a critical hit on a 19-20 (Keen), or grants a single use of a Battle Master Maneuver per combat.
- For Armor: Qualities like Light Fortification (25% chance to ignore extra critical hit damage), elemental resistance, or the ability to use a Reaction to step back 5 feet when an enemy misses an attack.
I was also thinking of using the pricing system from PF1, but halve bonuses. A +1 item gives zero bonus (but is magical), a +2 gives +1 etc. Think of something to reach +3 (maybe epic pricing.) Mulling over having the qualities (
flaming etc.) cost double "plusses". But I'd have a pretty robust pricing system to start from.
Beauty - all the options can be combined and mixed. Thoughts?
