A Maximum on Stat-Increasing Magical Items?

[EricNoah]

I think, for flavor, I'm going to implement a "no more than one stat booster per character" rule in my next campaign. It can get pretty cheesy pretty quickly otherwise.

 

[Li Shenron]

Always thought our stats seemed jacked up... now I know they were.

Don't know how I missed *that* rule.

Mmm... did nobody notice that the game was perhaps a little too easy? :\

In any case, I don't know of any limit to a single item, but the cost increases geometrically (with the bonus squared) which is very much keeping those bonuses down.

If you use only DMG magic items, IIRC you can get at least these:

- an enhancement bonus up to +6 (e.g. Cloak of Charisma) which doesn't stack with "animal buff" spells
- an inherent bonus up to +5 (e.g. Tome of Understanding) which doesn't stack with Wish

plus of course racial bonuses and the unnamed increase you get every 4 levels.

 

[ARandomGod]

There is a maximum of +6 to attributes for non-epic items. That's also an enhancement bonus.

Is this true? Does it actually say this somewhere? Because by my math, using the formulae that the book recommends and they used to make items up to +6 you could theoretically make an item of +14 to a stat. (14*14*1000 = 196,000). And I was under the impression that 200K was the gold cap on "non-epic" items.

Of course, this doesn't matter in that we've house-ruled the cap at +6 (well, we've also house-ruled the +2 str gauntlets to cost MUCH more and to give an 'inherent' bonus to strength, along with a wait time for it to work (must wear for 7 days) but noone's every used them).

I think, for flavor, I'm going to implement a "no more than one stat booster per character" rule in my next campaign. It can get pretty cheesy pretty quickly otherwise.

That would be sad, as most of my characters spend most of their wealth on various stat boosters. I like to get +6 to my main stat, +4 to secondary stats, and generally by then it's not to hard to throw on a +2 to useful but non-main stats... even my mage wears at least +2 to strength by high-mid levels.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Is this true? Does it actually say this somewhere? Because by my math, using the formulae that the book recommends and they used to make items up to +6 you could theoretically make an item of +14 to a stat. (14*14*1000 = 196,000). And I was under the impression that 200K was the gold cap on "non-epic" items.

Here's the definition of an Epic item:

While not truly an artifact, the epic magic item is a creation of such power that it surpasses other magic items. Epic magic items are objects of great power and value. The following are typical characteristics of an epic magic item. In general, an item with even one of these characteristics is an epic magic item.

• Grants a bonus on attacks or damage greater than +5.
• Grants an enhancement bonus to armor higher than +5.
• Has a special ability with a market price modifier greater than +5.
• Grants an armor bonus of greater than +10 (not including magic armor’s enhancement bonus).
• Grants a natural armor, deflection, or resistance bonus greater than +5.
• Grants an enhancement bonus to an ability score greater than +6.
• Grants an enhancement bonus on a skill check greater than +30.
• Mimics a spell of an effective level higher than 9th.
• Has a caster level above 20th.
• Has a market price above 200,000 gp, not including material costs for armor or weapons, material component- or experience point-based costs, or additional value for intelligent items.

An epic magic item that grants a bonus beyond those allowed for normal magic items has a higher market price than indicated by the formulas for non-epic items.

 

[ARandomGod]

Well, I suppose that means it wasn't a house-rule after all. Good to know!

And while they have a listed price for "luck", "insight", and "other" bonuses for AC and resistance, they don't have such listed for ability bonuses. So that throws any non-enhancement bonuses to ability farther into house-rules territory.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

I think, for flavor, I'm going to implement a "no more than one stat booster per character" rule in my next campaign. It can get pretty cheesy pretty quickly otherwise.

Agreed. I had been thinking something similar myself. Plus then that item becomes more meaningful as well.