D&D General Belts of Giant Strength?

[James Gasik]

I believe in 1e, only fighters, rangers, and paladins - all of whom were likely to already have strength 16+ - could use the belts.

From the DMG:

I've seen Girdles of Giant Strength go to secondary combatants in the past, and the boost was very welcome (a Cleric and a Thief, both in separate games). There was a 2e game where my friend Barb's Fighter died and was reincarnated as a Halfling, which she was fine with, but the hit to her Strength resulted in her struggling for awhile, until the party found a Girdle of Stone Giant Strength for her, after which time she became a pint-sized engine of destruction!

-As an aside, I always found it weird that Magic-Users were immune to the Girdle of Femininity/Masculinity though (however, in 2e, I recall they produced a set of collector cards, one of which featured a Mage who was suffering from the effects of said cursed item).

 

[ECMO3]

I dislike the 5e belts of giant strength (and some other comparable items) because instituting a fixed strength ends up making the PC's actual ability score irrelevant. Unlike the gauntlets of ogre power, which set it at 19, the various giant strength ones set strength to scores the character could not even surpass if they dumped all their ASIs into that ability, so that ability is just off the table. I think magic items should (generally) enhance a PC's capabilities, not replace them.

I am exactly the opposite I couldn't stand the stuff from the 3E era that gave you a +2 or a +4 to strength. I think that 8 Strength Rogue grabbing that belt of Giant Strength is what the fun is all about.

Unlike Zadnar though, as DM I don't let my PC pick magic items. I only let them buy scrolls and potions generally (except for some rare occasions) and generally don't give them enough down time in a campaign to make any items.

When the party finds something like that usually it is going to the PC with a low stat who will get the most use out of it. I've had two 8 strength Rangers rocking strength items. One picked up a Belt of Giant Strength around level 14, she was mostly a caster, using spells, scrolls and other magic items, but it was nice to use when she was in melee (usually with a dragon tooth dagger). I mean it gave her a boost over her 16 Dexterity, but she was already attacking with Dexterity.

A second Ranger I am currently still playing at 19th level is in a game where we found a TON of magic items and the means to have our bastions make massive quantities of potions. The Rogue got the Guantlets of Ogre Power but the Druid made a bunch of potions of Hill Giant Strength and for a while my PC was rocking an awesome intelligent magic greatsword. She would start combat by swigging the potion before using the Greatsword. After a while she ended attunement on the greatsword in favor of some spell type items (Staff of Frost, Wand of Fear, Staff of Swarming Insects, Staff of Striking, Staff of Withering, Ring of Protection), so she actually doesn't use the potions that much any more. She is mostly a caster and changes attunement during short rests a lot when one thing is out of charges.

 

[James Gasik]

Ioun Stones might be better for most characters. Turning an 18 into a 20 would at least save you an ASI. Though it's amusing that they are both Very Rare and can be damaged or taken away and still require attunement. I think I'll introduce one to my current game soon to see how the players react- will they find it useful even with all the caveats, or will they try to offload it for something else?

Ok, my experiment started with this session, where they found a "flawed" blue rhomboid Ioun Stone- it provides +2 Strength, but it can only be attuned to a few more times before it burns out and becomes a dull grey stone (thus reducing it's sale price).

It got snapped up quickly despite it's disadvantages (the party is only level 5, so nobody has maximum Strength yet), with the Paladin claiming the prize.

I'm not sure exactly when or why to have an enemy try to destroy/steal the thing though. I know it's always been this way, but it seems like an odd choice to make in combat: "Hm, I could kill this guy and take his loot or I could try to snag his magic floating rock and...run away?".

 

[Zardnaar]

I am exactly the opposite I couldn't stand the stuff from the 3E era that gave you a +2 or a +4 to strength. I think that 8 Strength Rogue grabbing that belt of Giant Strength is what the fun is all about.

Unlike Zadnar though, as DM I don't let my PC pick magic items. I only let them buy scrolls and potions generally (except for some rare occasions) and generally don't give them enough down time in a campaign to make any items.

When the party finds something like that usually it is going to the PC with a low stat who will get the most use out of it. I've had two 8 strength Rangers rocking strength items. One picked up a Belt of Giant Strength around level 14, she was mostly a caster, using spells, scrolls and other magic items, but it was nice to use when she was in melee (usually with a dragon tooth dagger). I mean it gave her a boost over her 16 Dexterity, but she was already attacking with Dexterity.

A second Ranger I am currently still playing at 19th level is in a game where we found a TON of magic items and the means to have our bastions make massive quantities of potions. The Rogue got the Guantlets of Ogre Power but the Druid made a bunch of potions of Hill Giant Strength and for a while my PC was rocking an awesome intelligent magic greatsword. She would start combat by swigging the potion before using the Greatsword. After a while she ended attunement on the greatsword in favor of some spell type items (Staff of Frost, Wand of Fear, Staff of Swarming Insects, Staff of Striking, Staff of Withering, Ring of Protection), so she actually doesn't use the potions that much any more. She is mostly a caster and changes attunement during short rests a lot when one thing is out of charges.

I don't let them pick per se. If someone joins a higher level game they can ask for stuff subject to my veto.

I'll shut down certain combos or certain items. Normally I would say no the a belt but it's +1 or 2 to hit and damage over what they cam normally do.

Its near the end of the campaign. A couple of players have legendaries iirc the rest nice rare/very rare.