Stat and skill increasing items

[Ricochet]

Well, I've banned all stat and skill-increasing items from the game. Actually I did this a few years ago, but now a couple of new players are joining the game, new to 3.5 and the first thing they bought when generating characters were these kinds of items, because they are just that good. I decided to invest a bit and see if everyone else has problems with these items or not.

I figured, "I spend 8 levels getting a +2 bonus to a stat, and then I can buy it for 2000 gp?"

Same with skills, I mean a Cloak of Elvenkind costs 2500 gp and gives +10 to a skill, that's just wrong in my opinion! Granted, I like low-power, but comparing these items to many other things in the DMG just makes them stand out even more.

Anyway, I was curious how many had banned these items, increased their price, or played with them as is?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

The current game I play in is pretty much a by-the-book beer-and-pretzels game. Heavy on the combat, light on the RP. So far, stat-increasing items haven't been a problem. There's only one such item in our 9th-level party--a Periapt of Wisdom +2. Two more characters have such items on order, a Cloak of Charisma +2 and Gloves of Dexterity +4.

For their cost, there are plenty of other items that are also very useful for the smart adventurer. Adding to your AC through various items. Increasing weapon enchantment. Pearls of Power. Potions of Invisibility. etc. etc.

It honestly doesn't seem like a problem to us.

 

[Thanee]

I kinda agree with the skill boosts, which are still rather cheap (BTW, it's +5 for the cloak, not +10), but the ability boosts have been no problem at all.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Darkness]

I figured, "I spend 8 levels getting a +2 bonus to a stat, and then I can buy it for 2000 gp?"

4,000 gp, actually.

And that's not a good way to look at it.

For one, stat-increasing spells are only spell level 2.

Further, there are a lot of items that give you powers you can't get at any level. (Except through spells, obviously.) Do you want to ban all these too? If so, there wouldn't be much left...

 

[Fingol]

Haven't found it a problem in our games.

Sure stat increase items are 'cost effective' but once your players have identified the next most cost effective item in your collective minds are you going take that out too?

The tinkering might also unbalance the game.

 

[Hjorimir]

I limite stat, skill, and resistance items items to rings (which I have always felt lacked something special to distinguish them from miscellaneous items anyway). Thist gives the characters a couple of slots for these while making them a bit more special and rare within the context of my campaign.

 

[Sejs]

Did you take out the stat and skill increasing spells as well?

 

[Ricochet]

We don't ban the spells, as they have a duration of roughly one combat or one specific situation, but the gloves etc. work all day long. Skill-boosting spells we have removed like Glibness etc.

I should say that the entire group felt this way, it's not like I am making all the rules of the game, the player's feel as I do. The thing about stats in particular, is the many things they affect. If you buy a +2 sword, it's attack and damage, but if you buy a +2 str item it's also good for attack and damage (albeit only +1), but also skill checks, encumbrance, break doors, grapple etc. and for half the price! Someone said I shouldn't think of it this way, and I was wondering why not?

But I see I am in the minority, and that was the purpose of the thread, so thank you all for the input.

 

[billd91]

I don't see much point in banning the items. The stats in 3.5 (and 3e) are open ended and so adding another couple points isn't reallly a big deal. You just get an additional bonus to whatever the stat modifies.
As far as it seeming fair that 8 levels of character improvement being equaled by an outlay of 4000 gp or the luck of finding it in a treasure hoard, I don't see that as being a problem either. Again, it's just another couple of points and modifiers that happen to come from two different sources... on of which stops working in anti-magic fields and can be taken away while the other cannot.

 

[nopantsyet]

I've moved away from categorical exclusion and towards contextual inclusion. I don't think there's any core material that is banned outright. However, things exist only where it makes sense for them to exist. The PCs in my current campaign are level 4-5, and they've got some skill boost items. None of them are direct from the DMG, though. They are all limited in uses per day, but only to make them affordable, not to impose an in-game restriction.

But at the end of the day, it's whatever allows the group to have the most fun. If the group feels those items/spells remove some of the fun of the game, then you should remove them.