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<blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 7267298" data-attributes="member: 996">Yes, exactly.&nbsp; In 3e, the game assumes certain capabilities as you level, including ready access to spells via consumables like potions even if you aren't a caster, magic weapons, special materials, etc, etc...&nbsp; 4e assumed enhancement bonuses on specific types of items to keep you on the 'treadmill.'&nbsp; 4e also added 'Inherent' bonuses that took the place of those enhancement bonuses if you didn't want to use items, at all, or wanted them to be far less common and not cycle so rapidly as the game assumed, and I'm sure I recall 3.5 having something similar.&nbsp; Moreso in 3.x, where item creation actually traded a little exp for a 50% savings in gold, and items, though toned down to mostly duplicating spells, were still wildly powerful - and balance was generally loser.&nbsp; In 4e items weren't so disruptive, nor was their absence if you used inherent bonuses to make up the 'maths' expectations, but the criticism was that items weren't a source of excitement anymore.&nbsp; 5e returns to the 1e/2e paradigm - items are potentially game-breaking and character-redefining - but it doesn't go as far in assuming them (lack of a magic weapon could doom a 1e PC vs the wrong monster, not so much in 5e, for instance).&nbsp; In theory, 5e 'works' without items, and 'breaks' with them, thus making them exciting, but not necessary.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Tony Vargas, post: 7267298, member: 996"] Yes, exactly. In 3e, the game assumes certain capabilities as you level, including ready access to spells via consumables like potions even if you aren't a caster, magic weapons, special materials, etc, etc... 4e assumed enhancement bonuses on specific types of items to keep you on the 'treadmill.' 4e also added 'Inherent' bonuses that took the place of those enhancement bonuses if you didn't want to use items, at all, or wanted them to be far less common and not cycle so rapidly as the game assumed, and I'm sure I recall 3.5 having something similar. Moreso in 3.x, where item creation actually traded a little exp for a 50% savings in gold, and items, though toned down to mostly duplicating spells, were still wildly powerful - and balance was generally loser. In 4e items weren't so disruptive, nor was their absence if you used inherent bonuses to make up the 'maths' expectations, but the criticism was that items weren't a source of excitement anymore. 5e returns to the 1e/2e paradigm - items are potentially game-breaking and character-redefining - but it doesn't go as far in assuming them (lack of a magic weapon could doom a 1e PC vs the wrong monster, not so much in 5e, for instance). In theory, 5e 'works' without items, and 'breaks' with them, thus making them exciting, but not necessary. [/QUOTE]

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