Two questions: skill items / DR and sneak

[aurance]

Funny, I was just about to link to dcollins's article...

Anyway, the default assumption should be that there are only those magic items listed in the DMG in existence, and add in new items one at a time after carefully weighing their effects. Item creation rules are just guidance to that goal, not a legalistic procedure. No player should feel that he's entitled to create a certain item just because it's possible under the item creation formulas.

 

[Trainz]

Not to nitpick,

Oh but please do, that's why I created the thread in the first place.

but you need to house-rule it in. There are no +30 skill items in any rulebook.

Is that a fact. You'd think they would have given some basic guideline on limiting +skill items. By the book, nothing prevents someone from creating a +100 item, except comon sense. Damn.

I feel like I'm back to square one...

That having been said, enjoy your game.

Thanks !

 

[dcollins]

By the book, nothing prevents someone from creating a +100 item, except comon sense. Damn.

I respectfully disagree. By the book, nothing actually allows players to create anything except what's already in the magic item lists.

 

[Krafen]

The ELH says any item granting an enhancement bonus to a skill greater than +30 is considered an epic item.

 

[Pax]

Yes, Krafen, but with the change to +skill items in the revision, it's logical to cut that down to +10 - the largest bonus available from any DMG item.

dcollins: well, if the GM allows X supplement (magic of faerun, the Draconomicon, etc), then the magic items in those books become available to craft, too. ^_^

Also, it's not true that there are no items which give a +30 bonus to one or more skills; the ELH has at least one - the Rod of the Path, which (3.0 terms) gives a +30 to Wilderness Lore and Intuit Direction (---> Survival, for 3.5). So there are a few such items, but the only example I know of off-hand is already an Epic item to begin with.

 

[iceifur]

Yes, Krafen, but with the change to +skill items in the revision, it's logical to cut that down to +10 - the largest bonus available from any DMG item.

Doesn't the Greater Shadow armor special quality (and similar Greater abilities) in the DMG grant a +15 to a skill?

--B--

 

[DreamChaser]

Doesn't the Greater Shadow armor special quality (and similar Greater abilities) in the DMG grant a +15 to a skill?

--B--

Yes, and you'll notice that they have a CL requirement (which is another debate, I know) of 15th. Since the +5 shadow has a CL of 5th, and +10 shadow has a CL of 10th, this strongly implies that a crafter must have a level equal to the skill bonus (or at least a skill rank equal to the skill bonus) in order to craft a skill bonus item.

Either way, with this example, you'd be talking a 27th or 30th level caster.

DC

 

[DreamChaser]

A quick check through the DMG showed me that the other skill boost items don't support my interpretation. It might still be a decent house rule though.

DC

 

[iceifur]

Agreed. It's time people realized that skill bonuses are effectively added levels (albeit with a limited focus).

--B--

 

[Trainz]

Yes, Krafen, but with the change to +skill items in the revision, it's logical to cut that down to +10 - the largest bonus available from any DMG item.

dcollins: well, if the GM allows X supplement (magic of faerun, the Draconomicon, etc), then the magic items in those books become available to craft, too. ^_^

Also, it's not true that there are no items which give a +30 bonus to one or more skills; the ELH has at least one - the Rod of the Path, which (3.0 terms) gives a +30 to Wilderness Lore and Intuit Direction (---> Survival, for 3.5). So there are a few such items, but the only example I know of off-hand is already an Epic item to begin with.

The Mantle of Great Stealth in the ELH also gives a +30 to 2 skills (among other powers).

From the SRD (about epic items):

In general, an item with even one of these characteristics is an epic magic item. [...] -Grants an enhancement bonus on a skill check greater than +30.

So 3.5 does imply that a non-epic magic item can give up to +30 to a skill... fascinating.

What I'm thinking, is that an epic rogue/invisible blade's attacks with such an item (+30) that boosts Bluff is pretty much guaranteed that all his attacks are sneak attacks (at level 21, with his take 10 ability, that gives the target about a DC 65 sense motive to avoid the sneak. CR 21 critters don't have such a sense motive skill).

Nasty.