Alternatives to stat-boosting items?

[Kobold Avenger]

It's expected now in D&D design that at a certain level, every character must have a stat-boosting item for the primary ability score. There must have circlets of intelligence, cloaks of charisma, belts of strength and so on, or else they're behind the power curve.

Now I want to have it so that they don't always have to have those items around, and to keep them in the power curve. I need other things to give them the +2, +4 or +6 enhancement bonuses.

I also know that the power curve doesn't account for things that give inherent bonuses to stats, like the various tomes or wishes. For one thing would it better to have to change the inherent bonuses given out by such things into enhancement bonuses?

Anyways some of my ideas for things to offer enhancement (or possibly inherent) bonuses to stats...

-Let the stat boosting spells be affected by permanancy (still not decided on what the costs should be).

-Grafts and symbionts, they get the bonus but with some kind of drawback.

-Rituals/Invocations (from Unearthed Arcana) with some sort of conditional terms for having the stats boosted. More spontaneous ones would be blessings I guess.

-Special training which has some sort of associated cost or condition to be met everyday.

-Magical locations, going on a quest to a certain place boosts a stat, and does so relatively permanant instead of a year like many magical locations


So is there any more ideas or ways around the cloaks and belts?

 

[Lanefan]

Simplest idea is if you don't want them, don't use them. You might find you have to tweak your encounters a bit to account for their absence, no big deal. (to be fair, the opposition shouldn't have them either, except in rare instances)

Items that enhance stats should be rare and very costly. But 3e gives 'em out like candy...

Lanefan

 

[shilsen]

At a particular level, just give them a +2 (or +4 or +6, as preferred) to a given stat. Just like they gain a +1 every 4th lvl, but make this one an enhancement bonus. You'll have the same mechanical effect without needing to have the items.

 

[Aaron L]

Increase the stat bonus gained every 4 levels. If you want to eliminate stat increasing items all together, maybe even give them 1 stat increase per level, with the condition that they can only increase the same stat every 4 levels.

 

[Shayuri]

You could also include items that boost DC's only. Like a Circlet of Persuasion doesn't boost Charisma...it boosts all Charisma-based skills. I could easily see an item that gives +1, +2 or +3 to all Int based magic...all Cha based magic...etc. For spellcasters, it would be effectively the same as a stat booster, but without magnifying their actual stats.

Similarly, you could then have other items that boost, say, all Knowledge skills to represent perhaps an object enchanted with a library that's telepathically searchable. And so on.

If you wanted to do away with such booster items -entirely-, then just make it a class feature of caster classes that they get an overall boost to spell DC's at certain levels. Figure out which levels have what suggested loot values, and work out when a caster is most likely to be able to afford each booster item based on those values. Then just give it as a class feature at that level, only that boosts DC's only, not the actual ability score.

Just a thought.

 

[Woas]

How about stat boosting items that are limited activations per day?

I do not like the idea of straight out stat boosting magic items that are 'always on'. So I hand out items that give bonuses that have limited activations. Anything from once or twice per week, per day, per particular modifier score per day...

I find that the players get their much coveted bonuses to stats, but must also learn to use them wisely.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

You could also include items that boost DC's only. Like a Circlet of Persuasion doesn't boost Charisma...it boosts all Charisma-based skills. I could easily see an item that gives +1, +2 or +3 to all Int based magic...all Cha based magic...etc. For spellcasters, it would be effectively the same as a stat booster, but without magnifying their actual stats.

I don't care about the skill modifiers being raised, it's more of an issue of every spellcaster having to wear a circlet, cloak or periapt.

Of course that also reminds me there's really no good reason to raise your lowest ability score with the +1 increase every 4 levels. I know in that case I'd actually allow characters to raise their lowest ability score by 1 (if it's below 11 or something) in addition to their normal increase.

 

[Victim]

Increase the rate of stat gain from levels (possibly while doing something to stat booster spells). I think Conan d20 has all stats increase by 1 every 6 levels in addition to the normal increases. Or something - I don't have the book.

Second World Sourcebook has a variety of non-magical special training options that can replace gear including stat boosters. They seemed a bit overpriced though.

 

[Particle_Man]

In Book of Exalted Deeds, there is a stat boosting mechanism associated with Vow of Poverty precisely to make up for loss of magic items. You could crib that part of it.

 

[Aus_Snow]

It wouldn't entirely compensate, but you could give feats at every odd level, and an ability score increase at every even level. That would raise the power level a bit, and you'd end up with the equivalent of a +5 stat boost item by level 20, plus a few more feats for your trouble. And, it's neat.

But it would in no way fully compensate for the loss of the usual christmas tree's worth. Of course.

Particle Man's suggestion (above) should work just about perfectly though, in addition to the standard increases, naturally.