DMs: Do you use the Inherent bonuses option?

[Tony Vargas]

Do you use inherent bonsuses in your campaign, so that PCs don't 'need' the standard-issue set of three level-apropriate enhancement items (weapon/implement, kneck slot, armor)?

How do you find doing so changes the game? Any problems?

 

[davethegame]

Haven't yet, plan to in epic tier in two levels and for my next campaign (Dark Sun.)

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

The same - I'm currently running using the standard rules, intend to use inherent bonuses if /when I run again.

 

[BobTheNob]

We are moving to DSUN soon as well, and when we do we are going no magical equipment (except legendary/story linked stuff) with inherent bonus's and boons.

Boons is such a nice complement to inherent bonus's.

 

[fba827]

before it was released for 4e, i had considered something very similar as a house rule given the lessened magic item distribution, but didn't use it because i was asked to minize house rules to make character builder use a little easier.

now that it is released and players can easily check the box in character builder, i do plan to use it for the next campaign i run.

 

[Lancelot]

Haven't yet, but will in my next campaign.

I was never a 2e Dark Sun fan. Planescape? Bought and played everything. Ravenloft? Bought and played most things. But Dark Sun always looked a bit too wacky for me. Bug-men and chitin armor and half-dwarves. Never bought any of it; never played any of it.

4e Dark Sun, though, has got me really inspired. The campaign setting book is good, and the creature catalogue is even better. My next campaign will be Dark Sun, and we'll be using the inherent bonuses.

Interestingly, I did something similar to inherent bonuses with the second 4e campaign I ran. We did a replay of the class Dragonlance series (every module: DL1 through DL14). If you've played the modules, you probably know they're very story-driven (yeah, perhaps too much so). There aren't many magic items and phat loots. So, I decided that each PC would begin play at Level 1 with two "legacy items". Sturm's sword and his armor, for example.

Instead of Sturm hunting down a choice new sword to nab off a fallen foe's body, his own ancestral blade would automatically "level up" at the end of each module (usually, every 2-3 PC levels). It might start as a +1 sword, then become a +1 vengeful sword, then a +2 sword, and so forth. Mechanically, it worked very similar to inherent bonuses, but it gave an added incentive to keep hold of your personal items.

It seemed to work well, which is why I have no fear of adopting the new inherent bonuses system. But I still think I'd reserve for "special" campaigns (like Dragonlance or Dark Sun). I'll continue to use the standard "phat loots" treasure system for traditional campaigns.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

I haven't used it yet, but I believe the next 4E game I run will include them.

 

[Mengu]

Haven't used it yet, will pseudo use it in my next campaign (I'll give the magic upgrades free at the appropriate levels without worrying about the actual finding of items, this keeps feats like dual implement spellcaster and healer's implement compatible, not to mention masterwork armor). Will also probably do some heavy handed house ruling on items in general. Not liking the current directions.

 

[P1NBACK]

Using it now in my Dark Sun campaign and love it. I like not having to worry about making sure the PCs have the "right" magic equipment. I think it's a burden off their shoulders too. It's become a game about the story and challenges presented instead of a game about the hunt for items that we need.

 

[Lord Ernie]

Not using it right now, but considering we are about to reach Paragon, I'm considering polling my players about this and starting to use it if it seems popular with them. Plus, my campaign might be moving away from the urban gameplay I'm running it in now, so new magic items will not be so easily and consistently available; this is a nice way to make that work without shoehorning in more powerful items.

Personally, I like the idea of the character having inherent power. The way enhancement bonuses work and with the importance of attack bonuses in 4E, using a lower enhancement bonus weapon - whether in a 'you lose all your weapons' scenario, or when comparing, say, a flaming +2 to a plain magic +3 - significantly reduces your effectiveness in combat - unless of course, the property is character-centric (flaming weapon on certain fire-based builds).