Amulet that Mightily Blows?

[kreynolds]

In that case, I would say that the Bracers are being priced too low, not the amulet too high. The inability for the monk to effectively combat things with DR is supposed to be one of the monk's limitations, and I think bypassing that should be rather expensive.

Actually, let me retract my previous statement and rephrase: The amulet is roughly the same price at the low end, but it gets obscenely expensive at the high end. Allow me to demonstrate...

+1 amulet of might blows = 6,000gp
+1 bracers of striking = 6,310gp
+2 amulet of might blows = 24,000gp
+2 bracers of striking = 17,310gp
+3 amulet of might blows = 54,000gp
+3 bracers of striking = 37,310gp
+4 amulet of might blows = 96,000gp
+4 bracers of striking = 65,310gp
+5 amulet of might blows = 150,000gp
+5 bracers of striking = 101,310gp

...the amulet of might blows stop here, but if you continue the formula alongside the bracers of striking...

+6 amulet of might blows = 216,000gp
+6 bracers of striking = 145,310gp
+7 amulet of might blows = 294,000gp
+7 bracers of striking = 197,310gp
+8 amulet of might blows = 384,000gp
+8 bracers of striking = 257,310gp
+9 amulet of might blows = 486,000gp
+9 bracers of striking = 325,310gp
+10 amulet of might blows = 600,000gp
+10 bracers of striking = 401,310gp

...see what I mean? The bracers are simply priced as a double-weapon, with an additional 1,310gp added on top. The amulet is lower at +1, higher at +2, and it just climbs exponentially from there.

 

[Hammerhead]

IIRC, the Bracers could only add weapon properties, like Lawful, and not actual enhancement bonuses. Because of that limitation, which doesn't let the monk around his DR problem, they might be priced differently.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

In that case, I would say that the Bracers are being priced too low, not the amulet too high. The inability for the monk to effectively combat things with DR is supposed to be one of the monk's limitations, and I think bypassing that should be rather expensive.

I don't think that's the case. I think they just mostly forgot about the monk and other non 2nd edition classes when it came to items. The items are almost a cut and paste job from 2nd edition with a market price added. But maybe I;m just too cynical.

 

[Staffan]

I don't think that's the case. I think they just mostly forgot about the monk and other non 2nd edition classes when it came to items. The items are almost a cut and paste job from 2nd edition with a market price added. But maybe I;m just too cynical.

There are a few items in the rules that *are* designed for monks - the monk's belt leaps to mind, and monks would probably be more anxious to get bracers of armor than most wizards (wizards do fine for quite a long time with just mage armor). I do not think that the absence of unarmed-attack-increasing items is an accident - monks already have class abilities that help them overcome their lack of items (increasing unarmed damage instead of magic weapons, ki strike to deal with damage reduction - though it's not as good as a magic weapon) and increasing AC bonus to compensate for lack of magic armor). Giving them access *both* to cheap booster items *and* these class abilities would run the risk of making them too powerful.

 

[kreynolds]

IIRC, the Bracers could only add weapon properties, like Lawful, and not actual enhancement bonuses. Because of that limitation, which doesn't let the monk around his DR problem, they might be priced differently.

Looks that way. I suppose it's more difficult (thus balancing) to grant the +1 to +5 enhancement than it is to grant flaming burst? It looks to be, that if you want your bare hands to behave as +5 flaming burst weapons, you need to purchase both, a +5 Amulet of Mighty Fists and a set of Bracers of Striking (flaming burst), which would cost you a total of...

Bracers (17,310gp) + Amulet (150,000gp) = 167,310gp. Ouch.

 

[Caliban]

I believe the amulet affects your entire body (i.e. hands, feet, elbows, headbutt, etc.), while the bracers only affect your fists. (I don't have my books handy, so I could be mis-remembering.)

 

[kreynolds]

I believe the amulet affects your entire body (i.e. hands, feet, elbows, headbutt, etc.), while the bracers only affect your fists. (I don't have my books handy, so I could be mis-remembering.)

The amulet states...

This amulet grants an enhancement bonus of +1 to +5 to attack and damage rolls with unarmed attacks.

...so it looks like any unarmed attack you make. You remembered correctly.