D&D 5E (2024) Indirectly Buffing Rogues, Rangers, Monks Via Magic Items?

[Zardnaar]

So the main issue of these classes is falling odds in damage while not really having any big unique advantages or gaining the

Monks the best but still isnt hitting as hard.
1 rare item can drop tier 1.

Tier two more come along with very rares.

So generally I dont use vicious weapons. They're rare, no attunement +2d6 damage.

Also adding BG3 items.

If youre a thief scrolls of true strike and a wand of magic missiles into fire or lightning. Poisons, grenades etc tier 1.

BG3 items.

The graceful cloth. Robes +2 dexterity, +1 to hit.

Gloves that deal an extra +1d4 radiant, frost, or fire damage with a spell attached (lvl 3 guiding bolt, burning hands, ice knife).


Basically if you pick a "weak" class youre getting your ites dropped a bit earlier and theyre a bit better.

Thoughts?

 

[Tigris]

What hinders other, better, classes from just taking the items from these classes? Why should the melee Ranger get a good sword, and not the fighter with more attacks and better survivability?



Sure its not always possible (like fist fighter monk, or no fighter/paladin/barbarian which uses the same type of weapons), but overall in general, it would be a waste to give the worse class the better weapon in a party.

 

[Steampunkette]

Not a bad idea to help your players along.

For best results: Design magic items that interact with those classes in the way the player has been using them. That way the buff feels more meaningful and distinct.

Is your monk using a lot of movement to get around the battlefield to use interesting environmental tactics? Make it easier by giving them a jumping magic item that scales with their monk speed boosts for height and gives some kind of minor boost to their ki-use.

If the Ranger is staying long range, give them a quickshot quiver which gives them an extra ranged attack as a bonus action any time they take the attack action to make ranged attacks.

Alternatively, house-rule some class features to raise the oomph.

 

[Tigris]

Not a bad idea to help your players along.

For best results: Design magic items that interact with those classes in the way the player has been using them. That way the buff feels more meaningful and distinct.

Is your monk using a lot of movement to get around the battlefield to use interesting environmental tactics? Make it easier by giving them a jumping magic item that scales with their monk speed boosts for height and gives some kind of minor boost to their ki-use.

This kind of "monk specific" stuff is exactly why monks and other classes are weak, because they get "funny things" rather than strong ones.

Also, especially since GMs often are not the best gamedesigners, there is a huge risk that player, or the other players feel annoyed by getting homebrewed items.


Its a lot better to ask the player (anonymiously) if they feel some character is too weak, and then ask the players of the weak characters for which items they want.

 

[Steampunkette]

This kind of "monk specific" stuff is exactly why monks and other classes are weak, because they get "funny things" rather than strong ones.

Monks are weak because most of the power-scaling post level 7 is built around magic item use and those magic items make it harder for monks to use them due to class design restrictions. Flametongues and the like are great if you get a bunch of attacks in a round... but Monks can't benefit from them as much as a Fighter can.

Meanwhile you hand out a hand-wrap that makes your unarmed strikes do 2d6 more damage and a flurrying monk is a monster.

Which is, of course, why there's no core rules item that gives out 2d6 extra damage on every unarmed strike.

Also, especially since GMs often are not the best gamedesigners, there is a huge risk that player, or the other players feel annoyed by getting homebrewed items.

I mean there's a big risk of the player being annoyed at being given extra magic items, too. Especially if there's attunement involved and they have to make a choice between items they consider important to their build.

However, there's game designers on these boards that DMs can ask to eyeball items. And players, too. So it's less of a danger in -that- regard.

Its a lot better to ask the player (anonymiously) if they feel some character is too weak, and then ask the players of the weak characters for which items they want.

... How does the DM ask the player anonymously if they feel their character is weak..?

Or do you mean poll the players at the -table- to see who the weak link is and then buff that PC?

Sure. That is certainly a way to do things. Dunno if it's "Better" than specifically aiming for the shortcomings of given classes, but it's an option.

Especially since asking anonymously becomes pretty moot pretty quickly when that character starts getting more or better magic items.

 

[Zardnaar]

What hinders other, better, classes from just taking the items from these classes? Why should the melee Ranger get a good sword, and not the fighter with more attacks and better survivability?



Sure its not always possible (like fist fighter monk, or no fighter/paladin/barbarian which uses the same type of weapons), but overall in general, it would be a waste to give the worse class the better weapon in a party.

Different types of weapon. Also if DM funnels thr best items towards the best classes it blows the gap out even mire.

A vicious halberd would be bonkers for a Barbarian. If s monk was in same party say level 5.......

Barbarian won't use monk gloves.

The Graceful Cloth - bg3.wiki

The Graceful Cloth is a rare piece of Clothing which gives its wearer +2 Dexterity and the Cat's Grace condition. It also boosts their Dexterity Saving Throws and jump distance.

bg3.wiki

Snow-Dusted Monastery Gloves - bg3.wiki

Snow-Dusted Monastery Gloves are a rare pair of Gloves that add an additional 1d4 Cold damage to the wearer's unarmed atacks. They also grant the ability to cast Ice Knife as a 3rd level spell once per Long Rest.

bg3.wiki

Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo - bg3.wiki

The Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo are a rare pair of Boots that add the wearer's Wisdom modifier to their Unarmed Strike damage.

bg3.wiki

 

[THEMNGMNT]

This is basically what I do in every campaign and system. I watch to see which characters are dominant and which are not. The ones that are struggling get magic items to bring them up to parity. The other characters...don't.