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.
I mean, just don't give out +X gear, or bound it to +1.
There is no magic item shop.
All magic items do stuff. As the DM this is your job.
...
Some of my "do stuff" looks like your ideas.
Common magic items are ones that can be made in this age. They are expensive to make, but it is merely a matter of coin. Rarer items are beyond the ability of the current era to produce; most states have laws about possessing them that sufficient social status can get you.
In general: weapons deal 1 extra "elemental" damage as common, 1d4 as uncommon, 1d6 as rare, 1d8 as very rare and 1d10 as legendary.
Two handed weapons deal 1d4 / 1d6 / 1d10 / 2d6 / 2d8 (except polearms, which use 1 handed weapon rules).
Weapons generally have additional properties; 1 at uncommon, 2 at rare, 3 at very rare and 4 at legendary. These tend not to all be "kill more" as we sort of actually handled that.
A common magic shield (requires attunement) is one that lets you expend a reaction to being hit or taking damage. This reaction grants +2 AC against the triggering attack (which can cause it to miss), and resistance if you take the damage. You cannot use it again until you recharge it as a magic action.
This is intended to be quite a good item; it exists as part of the balance between shield users and two-handed weapon users. It was reverse engineered from the magical ancient shields, which tend to have a similar property (+1 extra AC per tier at least) and other properties.
My "ability" boosting items do not set your ability to 19. Instead they grant a die from d4 up to d12. These boost saving throws, skill checks, and damage rolls on matching-stat-based attacks and on one damage roll on matching-stat-based spells; (the con booster instead boosts magical healing on the wearer, but no more than doubles it). They also tend to have some ribbons; belts of giant strength let you carry, throw rocks, and give resistance to the appropriate damage, for example. Ogre Power gloves let you wield 2 handed weapons in one hand (they lose the heavy property however). Etc.
So a Belt of Fire Giant Strength would grant a 1d8
MIGHT die. You add your
MIGHT die to strength checks, saving throws, and damage rolls from strength-based attacks. As an action you can also throw a boulder up to 2 pounds at a range of 30/100; it deals 1d10 damage per pound plus 1d6 fire damage. Your carrying capacity is increased 5x and you gain fire resistance.
Or a more complete set:
(U) Ogre: 1d4 might, can threat 2 handed melee weapons as not-HEAVY and 1 handed.
(R) Hill Giant: 1d6 might, 3x carrying capacity, throw 1 lbs boulder 30/100 for 1d10 damage as an action.
(VR) Stone: 1d8 might, 5x carrying capacity, throw up to 2 lbs boulder 60/120 for 1d12 damage per pound as an action
(VR) Frost: 1d8 might, 5x carrying capacity, throw up 2 lbs boulders 30/100 for 1d10 damage per pound + 1d6 cold as an action, cold resist
(VR) Fire: 1d8 might, 5x carrying capacity, throw up to 2 lbs boulder 30/100 for 1d10 damage per pound + 1d6 fire as an action, fire resist
(L) Cloud: 1d10 might, 10x carrying capacity, throw up to 3 lbs boulder 30/100 for 1d10 damage per pound, invisibility/levitate/feather fall on self 1/day
(L) Storm: 1d10 might, 10x carrying capacity, throw lighting bolt 60/120 for 3d12 lighting damage as an action, fog cloud 1/day, levitate/feather fall on self 1/day, resist lighting and thunder
A strength-based character will be pretty happy with these belts, even if they no longer grant crazy +ATK bonuses.
Other items go from passive bonuses to active effects, like:
(R)
Ring of Protection: As a reaction to being hit, you can make the attack miss. As a reaction to failing a saving throw, you can pass the saving throw. Once you have used a given property, you cannot use it again until noon, midnight, dawn or dusk has occurred.
(U)
Cloak of Protection: As a reaction to failing a saving throw, reroll the saving throw with advantage. As a reaction to being hit, make the attacker reroll with disadvantage. Each time this results in you passing a saving throw or causing an attack to miss, gain a level of exhaustion (-1 on all d20 tests).
I'd argue these are pretty solid. In-game their description is pretty similar, but instead of a passive "modify numbers on the character" you get an active ability. It does increase tracking, but with 3 attunement items, that should be limited.
