Doing away with stat boosting items

[awayfarer]

I just posted this up on my game's campaign forum. I'm curious what others think.

The PC's in my game are starting to grow up. They're all level 4, they've gotten their first stat boost not long ago and are starting to pick up a few magic items.

I've been doing some thinking and have decided that frankly, I don't want to feel that I "have" to keep dropping in stat boosters. Items like Gauntlets of Ogre Strength, Periapts of Wisdom and the like are frankly boring and I don't like the idea that I have to keep handing out specific loot to keep the group competitive.

The point buy for this campaign is pretty generous; 25 points, all stats start at 10 prior to racial mods, first 6 bumps are 1 point, next two cost two, next two cost three. What I'm thinking of doing is ditching the "+2(or more) to 'X' stat" items and just giving them an extra stat boost at even-numbered levels. So instead of +1 at levels 2,4,6,8 and so forth instead of every fourth level.

One last thing I should mention is that this campaign will end in the 10-12 level range. What do you think, would this point buy combined with the extra stat boosts be enough to get rid of the + items entirely?

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I haven't done any number crunching but my gut says yes, they will be fine.
If a character pumps all 6 ability score points into one stat he'll get +6 by level 12. Thats the say as +2 from leveling up and +4 from an item.
Their secondary abilities won't get as much of a boost but if I understand how you did your point buy they'll be alright.

You could probably get away with the standard +1 every 4 levels. Now if you were advancing much past level 12, it might be a different story, though I've ran low magic item campaigns beyond that point.

 

[HellHound]

I hate the stat boosters myself, so I think it's great.

 

[Darklone]

I did it similarly to what you plan... but still allowed some small stat boosters, usually customtailored by the players themselves to cover one weak spot of a specific PC.

Worked fine.

Just watch out for classes that need only one stat... like druids. Everyone else is fine.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I've done something similar for quite some time now, with ability scores and with saves (to also remove the 'necessity' for saving throw boosters.)

It works a treat.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

One last thing I should mention is that this campaign will end in the 10-12 level range. What do you think, would this point buy combined with the extra stat boosts be enough to get rid of the + items entirely?

No, for better or for worse, character ability scores are supposed to scale with level. In effect, you're cranking their power at low levels but they'll dwindle by higher levels... although possibly just to regular effectiveness.

Ability score boosters are boring, but they're virtually a necessity in 3.x. If you're going to change a very basic rule like that, you're going to end up impacting (and changing) a lot more rules than just the number of points available in point buy.

 

[Doug McCrae]

That should work. Whether the stats are inherent or come from items doesn't matter provided they are high enough.

I find the stat boosters boring too but was planning on adopting a different solution next campaign. No magic item purchase. Items provided by DM are interesting mechanically providing not only boosts but other benefits. For example a Belt of One Mighty Blow (from MIC) with +4 strength attached.

 

[Rechan]

Giving them a +1 every second level, and ending the game at 10-12, it should be relatively fine.

 

[shilsen]

Are you changing the available spells, specifically the "Bull's Strength"-type ones? If not, then a character at 8th level could have 4 stat boosts in Str and stack a Bull's Strength on top of that (or Divine Power, if a cleric), and the same for other spells and stats.

Personally, rather than the +1 stat boost every 2 levels, I'd retain the regular +1 every 4 levels and give them a +2 enhancement bonus to one stat at 2nd and 6th (with the restriction that they have to be applied to different stats) and let one of the two enhanced stats rise to +4 at 10th lvl. That makes it effectively the same as having a few stat-boosting items, but you get the mechanical effects without having to put them in the game.

 

[Treebore]

If I was to run 3E again stat boosting items and spells would be one of the first things to go.