Inconsistent pricing between DMG & MIC

[frankthedm]

Yeah, near the end Wotc was making supplements for a game with a completely different power level than what was set by the core rulebooks. But if the players are using most of the other splatbooks and are fighting the pumped up & under CR'ed critters of MM4 and MM5, it might not be so bad.

 

[Deset Gled]

Examples? I'm not one to just agree with a baseless opinion.

The examples in the OP and the ones in the article already show it pretty clearly to me. But going off the top of my head, the Healing Belt would be one a good example. It's patently better than any minor healing item in the core rules. It's literally the same cost and affect as a Cure Serious Wounds potion, except usable once-a-day instead of once-an-ever.

But really, the articles spell out that power creep is the intention of the MIC. In the first article, Andy searched for and clearly identified the top six "most cost effective items in the game", and in the second article explains that every item every item in the MIC "had to compete with the top tiers of items". Think about that. The goal was not to create items that were useful. Average wasn't good enough. The only way an item made it into the MIC is if it was the best.

Compared to the 250+ items in the core rules, each item in the MIC is designed to be better than 98% of them. If that's not power creep, I don't know what is.

 

[Greenfield]

As a small note, the Healing Belt is closer to a Cure Moderate or even a Cure Light than a Cure Serious.

Remember that, while it can give multiple dice of healing, no caster level add on gets counted. It's straight dice only.

On the other hand, while it appears to be a slotted item (Belt slot), the fact is you can wear any other belt you like, then switch this one in when you need some out-of-combat healing. I guess I'd call it "semi slotted".

Plus it's a skill item: Wearing one adds +5 to your Healing skill.

 

[billd91]

But really, the articles spell out that power creep is the intention of the MIC. In the first article, Andy searched for and clearly identified the top six "most cost effective items in the game", and in the second article explains that every item every item in the MIC "had to compete with the top tiers of items". Think about that. The goal was not to create items that were useful. Average wasn't good enough. The only way an item made it into the MIC is if it was the best.

Compared to the 250+ items in the core rules, each item in the MIC is designed to be better than 98% of them. If that's not power creep, I don't know what is.

I don't think I would define that as power creep in reality. Granted, I think that you would tend to see a character with more useful items for less money... but only if that character never invested any of his wealth in the Big 6 items, where the primary, consistent power upgrades are as far as most magic items are concerned. For the most part, getting a PC to invest in something other than the Big 6 is an exercise in diffusing their power away from consistent, continual, and rising bonuses and into the realm of widening utility. That's why this isn't much of a power creep and more of a utility broadening and I think that's a fairer trade.

 

[MarkB]

On the other hand, while it appears to be a slotted item (Belt slot), the fact is you can wear any other belt you like, then switch this one in when you need some out-of-combat healing. I guess I'd call it "semi slotted".

We have a long-standing house rule that for any slotted item of this type, you need to have been wearing it continually at least since the start of the day in order to benefit from its daily effect.

 

[Greenfield]

Hmm. We have PCs who own several Healing Belts and swap them out when the current one runs out of charges.

Each to his own, I guess.

 

[Nezkrul]

How dare that fighter buy a healing item he can use without wasting money! Shame on him! Power Creep? lol; wizard/druid/cleric/sorcerer are still gods while the fighter gets 3 hits of 2d8 healing a day

 

[Greenfield]

Yes, making more powerful items available at a given level (i.e. within the budget of a character of any given level) is power creep. There's a table in the DMG with budget guidelines for PCs by level, for both cash and gear. More magic at the same price means more power at any given level.

Now, is a Healing Belt going to even up the power level between Fighters and Wizards? Of course not. It powers them both up equally. In fact, it probably powers the Wizard up more, since it represents the ability to heal a bigger percentage of his or her hit points, and isn't competing with a Girdle of Giant Strength for slot space.

But then, real power creep won't be class specific, it will be across the board. In our games even the Cleric has a Healing Belt. For +5 to the Healing check, and an extra shot of healing magic, 750 gp is a bargain for any class.

As it is, by stated intent and by example, the MIC is a power up for any class and just about any build. And that's power creep.

 

[Nezkrul]

its game evolution, response to many MANY people who played the game and asked for content beneficial to everyone, not just spell casters... casters are action starved - spending a turn using a new magic item better have the same results or better as one of their spells or it may not be worth the action - but when the fighter does his job and has no feasible targets, healing himself quickly and efficiently is a good choice. Besides, its a supplement that you can Rule 0 up, down, left, right, sideways, and backwards. If you think something is too powerful, don't use it. Many of the options in that book give people options they never had before, and that isn't power creep, it's evolution of the game.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

But really, the articles spell out that power creep is the intention of the MIC. In the first article, Andy searched for and clearly identified the top six "most cost effective items in the game", and in the second article explains that every item every item in the MIC "had to compete with the top tiers of items". Think about that. The goal was not to create items that were useful. Average wasn't good enough. The only way an item made it into the MIC is if it was the best.

Compared to the 250+ items in the core rules, each item in the MIC is designed to be better than 98% of them. If that's not power creep, I don't know what is.

Except that what they are doing is boosting the value of the items that are rarely used because they were a bad deal compared to the big six items. It's not power creep when you boost things people aren't using.