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Price (Item Level): 4,000gp (8th)
Body Slot: Hands
Caster Level: 6th
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) transmutation
Activation: (Swift) command
Weight: 1/2 lb.
Made of velvety, cream colored leather, and emblazoned with a circular symbol of three interwoven braids on each palm, these gloves are deceptively fragile-looking.
Light and form-fitting, these gloves are preferred by fighters who wish to conceal their true intentions. Gloves of adaptive combat have 3 charges, which are renewed each day at dawn. Spending 1 or more charges upon activation of the gloves grants the wearer a temporary enhancement bonus to their strength. Depending on the charges spent, the wearer will either gain a substantial bonus to their strength for a short period of time, or they’ll earn a small bonus to their strength for a long period of time. More detail can be found below.
- 1 charge: +6 enhancement bonus to strength for 1 round.
- 2 charges: +4 enhancement bonus to strength for 1 minute.
- 3 charges: +2 enhancement bonus to strength for 12 hours.
Cost to Create: 2,000gp, 160XP, 4 days.
The obvious analogue here is guantlets of ogre power, which grant the same +2 bonus constantly. The author has decided to cut the amount of time per day the item is active in half, and has accordingly decided to cut the price in half as well.
I'm not sure I agree with the logic. Magic item costing involves more "art" than just about any other mechanical part of D&D, and judgment must play a role. Limiting the effect to 12 hours is at best a minor limitation, because most adventuring activity of most parties on most days will fall within a predictable 12-hour period. Of course, if the party gets ambushed while they sleep or something, the fighter won't have his bonus, but this is the case far less than half of the time.
Accordingly, I might have priced the gloves at 3000 gp. But given how inexpensive the item is I don't want to hold it against it.
I think we should keep this item.
You guys want to keep it, I'll hit the button. But I am lukewarm at best. I think we have rejected a few better "bubble" items than this one.
Frankly, this one isnt even honorable mention in my book. But I do agree with Erik it is a good low level item. I like the necromantic gloves and the elemental mecha better.
I don't like it: It's (for all real purposes) strictly better than Guantlets of Ogre Power. And the fluff confuses me. How does this thing conceal intentions at all? Or adapt, really. If the abilities were different, it'd adapt, but it's just differing levels of the same power.
And Erik, I think you misread it: It costs the same as Ogre Power, not less.
Don't like it. One of the keystones of sympathetic magic is that stuff should look like what they do. Good D&D flavor text supports this. Guantlets of Rusting are big, crusty, rusted gauntlets. Darkskulls are repellant things that produce repellant results.
This thing looks all lacey and delicate but is associated with a Str bonus for no other reason than SUPRISE! I would much better approve of something that does what it looks like and really matches the effect with a cool look--or if it does suprise me that there's at least clues to its actual function in it's appearance.
For me, this is like creating boots that give you bonuses to spot. It just doesn't feel right.
That said, I like the idea of a charged Str nitro boost for fighters and barbarians--but I would probably have it be something big and gnarly looking with a skull on it.
This thing looks all lacey and delicate but is associated with a Str bonus for no other reason than SUPRISE! I would much better approve of something that does what it looks like and really matches the effect with a cool look--or if it does suprise me that there's at least clues to its actual function in it's appearance.
I disagree. It can create great table moments. A halfing with these lacy, delicate gloves challenges the strongest character in a party to an arm wrestling contest. Right, it causes "suprise" but I think it can add a lot to an encounter.
Why would any player choose to use the +2 bonus for 12 hours? The only situations I can think of when that would be more useful than the other two choices would be if the wearer had to swim, climb, or jump for a long time (which admittedly might happen once in a while, but not that often). If these were my gloves, I'd much more often use the +6 bonus for a round (to help with those momentary strength checks or get a good attack bonus one round) or the +4 bonus (to get a decent attack bonus for a whole combat).
You can get one +4 use and one +6 use per day, or one +2 use per day. It seems odd to me that the least useful function costs the most charges even though it does last longer.
Eh, maybe it's just because I often play in almost non-combat groups, but a +4 in one combat seems more useful to me than a +2 in all combats.
Since you get a recharge at dawn, does that mean the effects wear off at dawn? So if you really want to get the most out of your +2 you have to decide 12 hours before dawn?
Yeah, I wonder if this item should cost more, or have a higher caster level to create, than gauntlets of ogre power? Maybe not ... they are possibly more versatile but not necessarily "better".
How is it not better? If you use the +2 ability you get the same bonus as the gauntlets, all day. Even being ambushed at night wouldn't matter much. If you don't sleep in armor, why would you sleep with gauntlets on?
It certainly should be more expensive than Gauntlets of Ogre Power. It does the same thing, or more. Period.
Unless you happen to have a LOT of night encounters, it is Gauntlets of Ogre Power. OR, that day where you have only one encounter, it's better. There are no ifs, ands or buts here.
That said, it is a wonderful contrast to the Gauntlets and I do like the item.
How is it not better? If you use the +2 ability you get the same bonus as the gauntlets, all day. Even being ambushed at night wouldn't matter much. If you don't sleep in armor, why would you sleep with gauntlets on?
Mainly I was trying to be diplomatic. Although I was thinking of the being ambushed at night factor, but you make a good point about sleeping in armour.
However, if you decide to use the +2 bonus all day, you do not get the other uses (making it mechanically identical to ogre power, except that it only lasts 12 rather than 24 hours). There is versatility to the other functions, but you need to forgoe the all day bonus to use them.
Mainly I was trying to be diplomatic. Although I was thinking of the being ambushed at night factor, but you make a good point about sleeping in armour.
However, if you decide to use the +2 bonus all day, you do not get the other uses (making it mechanically identical to ogre power, except that it only lasts 12 rather than 24 hours). There is versatility to the other functions, but you need to forgoe the all day bonus to use them.
Right, but it's strictly better in the sense that it's the same item, plus versatility. Especially because it's only a swift action to activate. If it was a standard action, it could at least penalize you for waiting to see what the first fight was.
It gets bonus points for the XPH reference from me, but over all, kind of blah.
I was actually wondering why that was in. Psionics are SRD, so the reference was unnecessary. And as a psionic item, it wouldn't be a Wondrous Item. It'd be a Universal item.
Thank you everyone for the great critiques, comments, and suggestions! Please keep them coming. :)
Just to confirm some assumptions: yes, this item was designed to rival the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, while not [intentionally] stepping on its toes. I wanted the gloves to present an option to the low-level player interested in upgrading their gear. Obviously, once the player could afford a Belt of Giant Strength, this item would become obsolete, but such is the life of low-level magical items. :)
The price is identical to the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, since I felt they were equally as powerful. Of course, "power" is relative to the situation. In games where combat is consistent (perhaps a dungeon crawl), I would imagine the constant +2 from the GoOP would be much more beneficial than a situational enhancement. But, if you're playing in a game where combat isn't always lurking around the next corner, these gloves might become more beneficial.
The overall intention was for flexibility in play styles, since one game may be RP-heavy (maybe just one fight, if you're lucky!), and another could see you spending a solid block of game time fighting. In the end, if in your play style you like taking risks, with a possibly higher reward, then go with these gloves. Otherwise, if you're more about consistency, then the GoOP are probably for you.
Going back to a previous comment about the visual appeal of the gloves -- it came down to a stylistic decision for me. Big black gloves with a skull on it definitely scream "melee", but the people I imagined using gloves like these were more interested in tactics over brute force. As such, I figured the ideal candidate wanted to be discreet about their combat prowess. So I decided to make them appear delicate and flimsy. It's in the same vain as calling a 6'8", 350lb. brute "Tiny". :)
Thank you for all of the comments, and thank you to the judges for deeming my entry worthy enough!
Ooh. Brutal. Daniele is lucky you weren't in on the first judging round! :)I'm finding it hard to get excited about this one. The problem is that enhancement bonuses aren't sexy - you can get them anywhere. It's about as interesting and useful as a wand of bull's strength.
And I forgot to add "...but it's still better than my attempt!", and that's why mine's languishing in the losers list getting picked to pieces. ;)
This item is dull, dull, dull.
It mimics not only the MIC format, but many of the least interesting items in the MIC. It honestly feels like an unimaginative copycat of items in the MIC, just wioth Str instead of (say) healing. It's price is clearly wrong, it's description is actually a hinderence to it being used by the people most likely to want it, and it has nothing but dull bonuses. I am shocked it's here.
A fun versin of the same idea would give bonuses to all weapon attacks and damage in one round, say +2, +4 or +6. Then it could be cheaper (and thus of more use to lowe-level fighters), make more of a difference when it did kick in, and make sense for foppish dex-based fitghers who are more *likey* to want to wear it.
As it is, just blah. I am actiuvely dissappointed
I agree with Byers. When I read the name of this item I thought 'this should be cool, I really like that name', but the name has nothing to do with what the gloves do. To me an innapropriate cool name is worse than a boring name that tells you what it does.
An interesting modification of gauntlets of ogre power, though I have to admit I winced a little that an enhancement bonus item was considered more original than those of us who committed the 'cardinal sins'.
That said, if it was priced a little better I could imagine this item would see actual use in a game. Honestly if I read this in a book and hadn't been competing against it the only problem I would have had with it would be the name.
Congrats! An interesting item idea at the least. It performs in a new and innovative way, which I like; something different.
I'm quite surprised to find another Contender from Sarasota, much less another entrant. Spend much time at the Dark Side?
As I said, congrats and good fortune in Round 2.
Thanks, and the same wishes to you!
Small world, isn't it? I've stopped by Dark Side once or twice, but only to look around. I'm still new to Sarasota, moving here back in July for work.
Contact me off list if you are looking for a game or any such, I currently have an opening if you are interested.Congrats! An interesting item idea at the least. It performs in a new and innovative way, which I like; something different.
I'm quite surprised to find another Contender from Sarasota, much less another entrant. Spend much time at the Dark Side?
As I said, congrats and good fortune in Round 2.
Thanks, and the same wishes to you!
Small world, isn't it? I've stopped by Dark Side once or twice, but only to look around. I'm still new to Sarasota, moving here back in July for work.
Yeah, this one seems to me too much like the general MIC formula of "take a normal magic item and give it three variations and then call it a day." And the relation of the description is weak.
Interesting. I hate that approach in the MIC but the same alarm didn't goo off for me here. I tend to play a lot of fighters, so this appealed to me as a relatively diverse low-level fighter item that would add a lot of fun to combats.
I like this one. I think 3E Gauntlets of Ogre Power lack the . . . well *OGRE POWER* of the old 1st edition ones - and lack the flavor as well. I think this is an excellent example of how stat enhancing items should be handled.
I do however, strongly agree with Grimcleaver about the sympathetic nature of magic. What next? Fishing waders of Dexterity? ;^}
- DM