how to handle items with skill bonus

[TabulaRasa]

It seems that some classes benefits greatly from the listed items from the official books.
And other classes don’t get anything.
The +10 items cost only 2000.- ex. Clocks/boots of elvenkind. They are almost standard equipment for a Rogue level 5+
Why not have ring of concentration +10 for the cleric, or ring of spellcraft +10 for the wiz/sor? Etc.

But if you allow items with bonus to all skills the whole point with skill checks it undermined.

What skills will you not allow bonus items for in your campaign?

/Tabula

 

[Ricochet]

I wont disallow any bonus type, but the cost for these are rediculously low, and I would add some serious coin to the costs.

 

[shilsen]

I'm not planning to diallow any bonus type, but I do rule that a character cannot use an item giving bonuses to an exclusive skill if it is not available to the character. So no using an item giving +10 to Decipher Script if you're not a Bard or Rogue.

Many, if not most, people on these boards agree that the costs are too low for skill-boosting events. I am bumping the prices up to: Bonus squared x 50 gp. So a cloak of elvenkind (+10) will cost 5,000 gp, and a Ring of Jumping (+30) will cost 45,000 gp.

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

a Ring of Jumping (+30) will cost 45,000 gp.

Whoa. That's a lot of moola.

 

[Someone]

and a Ring of Jumping (+30) will cost 45,000 gp.

Do you realize that winged boots cost 12000 gp?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I'm not planning to diallow any bonus type, but I do rule that a character cannot use an item giving bonuses to an exclusive skill if it is not available to the character. So no using an item giving +10 to Decipher Script if you're not a Bard or Rogue.

The +10 to Decipher Script is usable by Bards and Rogues only, anyway. The item gives a bonus, but doesn't give you ranks. And Decipher Script cannot be used untrained....

 

[shilsen]

Do you realize that winged boots cost 12000 gp?

Yup. The 45k for a Ring of Jumping was an intentionally over the top example (I'm nutty that way ). I just don't want PCs to walk around with items that give huge bonuses to skills (without forking out a lot of cash for them), since it shortchanges characters that have actually bought the skills ranks. And if it means overpricing a couple of items, I can live with that.

 

[Coredump]

I think this is an area where the WoTC's goal of consistency may have not worked. (I am, however, a *BIG* fan of the overall effect of their attempt and making the rules consistent)

But not all skills are created equal, and I think that not all +10 items should cost the same.

Or perhaps there is another way... (thinking while typing.)
Make the cost of enchanting the same for all skills, but make the qualities of the items different.
ie. lets say that you find jump to be an okay skill, but concentration to be a very powerful skill.
Well, to get +10 costs the same for either. But for a ring of jumping, you can use any ring, but for Concentration, it must be imbued with a hair from a beholder, or quenched in the brain of a mind flayer, or somesuch.

This would make it much harder for them to create these items, would make them more rare, and being more rare, would in effect, increase their cost.

.

 

[demon_jr]

i am not sure where i have read it, but there is a table in either the DMG or Tome and Blood, which has a benchmark list of spells in regards to power and level.

this may take some work, but perhaps a benchmark list of skills could be made in terms of power and usefulness, in regards to your particular campaign. this benchmark list of skills could possible help you in factoring the costs of items that add bonuses to skills.

 

[Archer]

Ring of jumping is priced at 2k for a reason. Not all skills are created equal. It wouldn't matter if it gave +100 to jump, its still only worth 2k.