Stat Booster Angst

[Plane Sailing]

The only thing I dislike about stat boosting items, is that I feel like something that changes your mind or body like that should be a big deal...

Like when Belkar receives an Owls Wisdom... ... and loses it

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=58

 

[Plane Sailing]

You know, I rather miss the days of extended doubly empowered buff spells from 3.0e... Nobody bothered about stat enhancer magic items in those days

Was it really that bad?

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Like when Belkar receives an Owls Wisdom... ... and loses it

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=58

exactly!

I had a character in a game once who had made some very bad and even evil choices in her youth because she honestly felt she had no other options to stay alive. She had the classic "dumb smart person" build of a high int and cha but low wis. I had decided that if she ever got a owls wisdom type boost, she would have a small scale nervous breakdown as she suddenly could see that there were ways she could have saved herself without becoming a murderer, and that all her justifications for her actions were hollow. It wouldn;t be the end of the character, but it would have led to a major shift in her personality as she felt the need to seek redemption rather than feeling that the things she did in her past were only the fault of her family and culture.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Thanks for all the responses! I don't feel any different about stat boosters, but now I understand why a lot of folks don't like them.

 

[diaglo]

I agree, they are both pretty dumb and boring.

qfmft

 

[blargney the second]

I think they're fine. Players are going to want to increase their strength because it's useful. I'd much rather an always-on strength bonus that's built right into the sheet than having to actually calculate the stats during game time once Bull's Strength has been cast on them.
-blarg

 

[Aust Diamondew]

The only reason I dislike stat boosting items, and this is just me personally, is because I hate doing math. And especially in games with dead magic zones, or where the DM is addicted to anti-magic zones, it means I have to track my non-magic stats, saves, skill checks, attack rolls, damage rolls, blah blah blah.

Which is why when I DM standard magic games I avoid having animagic zones like the plague. I don't think ability score boosting items are too much worse than other items in this department.


Also if you think they're too strong just increase cost by 1.5 times or 2 times. Might not be a bad idea.

 

[Treebore]

I've been a lot happier ever since I house ruled that stat boosting spells only work/target on objects. IE for enchanting magic items only.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

You know, I rather miss the days of extended doubly empowered buff spells from 3.0e... Nobody bothered about stat enhancer magic items in those days

Was it really that bad?

No, it rocked. I friggin hate tracking durations. 4th edition needs buffs that are always on, with a strict limit to how many are on.

People gripe about what happens when you get hit with a modies disjunction, or enter an anti magic zone. Seriously, that grinds EVERYTHING to a halt anyways, its kind of like complaining about a hangnail when your hand is immersed in acid. The more obvious problem is game stopping effects like anti magic zones and mordie's DJ.