D&D 5E Access to Ability Boosting Items in your game

[Agamon]

Is it possible for a 1st level character to have a BoGS? Sure. Is it likely? Not at all. So, is there a way for a level 1 PC to have a (beyond maximum) Str? Yes. Is it worth worrying about? Not for me.

Certainly not worth worrying about for my game. Worrying though that, if this came about, they apparently didn't use the same designers for the DMG as the PH for some reason.

I won't say there won't be some sort of "belt of strength". I just doubt it's going to give one a strength past 20. It makes no sense.

 

[Eejit]

I won't say there won't be some sort of "belt of strength". I just doubt it's going to give one a strength past 20. It makes no sense.

I expect it will. Hopefully with significant limitations, fingers crossed.

Like if such a Belt set Str to 20 and to buff it past that point required a use/day spell-like ability requiring Concentration. Or if it simultaneously lowered one or more other stats, gave a particular damage vulnerability or whatever.

 

[Astrosicebear]

I won't say there won't be some sort of "belt of strength". I just doubt it's going to give one a strength past 20. It makes no sense.

I would take the farm as well. In whatever form the Belt of Giant's Stength takes (22 or 24) I'd bet its in the DMG. It does make sense, as its precedent is already set in the PHB with the Barbarian's rage ability.


The original question wasn't whether 1st level characters could get it (of course they could if it was given to them... hell of a campaign idea, random commoner now Hercules, and everyone trying to get it) but whether characters could "assume" they could get one, and the equivalents throughout the levels and therefore dump stat.

But given that it makes more sense to raise your primary stat beyond 20, it does raise a valid concern about characters built post level 1. Especially if these items are available. Sure ill build my 18th lvl NPC fighter with a 14 str, knowing he will have a BoGS. Gives him one hell of a CHA.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Certainly not worth worrying about for my game. Worrying though that, if this came about, they apparently didn't use the same designers for the DMG as the PH for some reason.

I won't say there won't be some sort of "belt of strength". I just doubt it's going to give one a strength past 20. It makes no sense.

In what way does it make no sense?

A MAGIC item granting powers & abilities unavailable by mundane means makes perfect sense. An item that could never grant abilities beyond what one could obtain by normal means isn't very magical.

 

[Agamon]

I expect it will.

Yes, I get that. We'll know one way or the other soon enough, I guess.

Hopefully with significant limitations, fingers crossed.

Like I say, if it's something you want, just uncross your fingers and make it yourself. One thing I'm confident the DMG will have is item creation guidelines.

 

[Astrosicebear]

Yes, I get that. We'll know one way or the other soon enough, I guess.

Someone tweet Mearls, lol.

 

[Eejit]

Like I say, if it's something you want, just uncross your fingers and make it yourself. One thing I'm confident the DMG will have is item creation guidelines.

Well I'm considering jumping in on a few Encounters sessions, so the official rules would matter then too.

 

[Agamon]

In what way does it make no sense?

A MAGIC item granting powers & abilities unavailable by mundane means makes perfect sense. An item that could never grant abilities beyond what one could obtain by normal means isn't very magical.

From a rules stand point. Once you start breaking the level cap, messing with action economy, significantly screwing with damage output, etc, from an item that potentially anyone could get at any time in their adventuring career, it messes with how the rules work with each other.

I'm the last person to worry about balance (a four letter word, imo), but the rules work so nicely the way they crafted them. Why mess that up with poorly designed magic items? The items we've seen so far, don't do that. I'm wondering why people think there will be such items.

 

[Agamon]

Well I'm considering jumping in on a few Encounters sessions, so the official rules would matter then too.

There's already people complaining about the items that give you a 19 for play in Encounters. I can't imagine something like this would make things better.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I dislike these type items for a few reasons.

It messes with organized play, you could find one before the level where you can respec and build your character around it.

Would someone actually do a complete respect based on an item that they very well could lose at any moment? That seems odd to me.

It never goes to the class or character you think it should, the strength gauntlets end up with the priest since the fighter has already spent his ability score increases to get to a 20, all this does is piss off the fighter's player.

Can't say I ever saw this happen in nearly 35 years of gaming. Every case that I can remember, the party decided to give the items to whoever could benefit the most, and no one got pissy about it. If someone did, they probably aren't grown up enough to play at our table anyway.

They don't work for everyone, it is weird that a headband that makes everyone else smarter doesn't make the smart wizard any smarter.
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That's because those items aren't "makes you stronger by X amount" but are "makes you as strong as an ogre." Hence the name of the item. It would be pretty silly to have an item that is called "gauntlets of ogre strength" and the person who puts them on is only as strong as an average human if his or her strength was weak to begin with. Those would be "gauntlets of human strength". If you're already as strong as an ogre, I would expect that an item that it's name implies you get ogre strength wouldn't do much for you.


to the OP, I would have them in a random pile of treasure. Things like monsters, treasure, etc all exist long before the PCs ever decided to explore the area. If someone wants a specific item, I make into a quest. A few years ago, the paladin wanted a holy sword (as paladins are wont to do).

He had to kill one of his arch enemies who wielded Blackrazor. Then take that sword to a lair of a white dragon and have it breath on it. While frozen, he had to smash the blade with Whelm, and then take the shards to the high temple of Cuthbert and have it reforged. So in order to get his holy sword, they had to fight this guy (he was part of the ToEE main plot), then go to White Plume Mountain to get whelm, and then go find a white dragon.

It was a great campaign actually.