Bracers of Scimitary?


Advice


Just had one of my players ask me to allow a custom magic item, essentially Bracers of Archery but for scimitars instead of bows. I told him I'd think about it, but can anyone see any obvious (or less than obvious) reasons not to allow it? Thanks!


Derek Vande Brake wrote:
Just had one of my players ask me to allow a custom magic item, essentially Bracers of Archery but for scimitars instead of bows. I told him I'd think about it, but can anyone see any obvious (or less than obvious) reasons not to allow it? Thanks!

Well, you can only wield one bow at a time. You can dual wield scimitars. So instead of getting the benefits with a single weapon, you get it with two.


Paizo has generally recommended to not allow players to buy feats with cash, as feats are far more valuable.


I'd be wary of allowing it. I see it from two perspectives:

1) Scimitars aren't that great, and they're certainly not gamebreaking. Any class trying to use them to great ability is only going to get two benefits: proficiency and pseudo Weapon Focus, which is roughly two feats. However, any build worth using them with probably already HAS proficiency with them (or something mechanically similar like the rapier or longsword) so it's not a huge deal. Essentially, it's a +1 to attack.

2) Archery sucks if you're not investing heavily in it, so it's somewhat of a different beast. Melee, however, is pretty great all on its own if you've got the stats to back it up. Offering the benefit of 1-2 feats for a bracer slot and a sum of gold likely has more bang for a melee person than a archery person.

Those are just my thoughts, though.


Good points, thank you.


A cracked pale grism Ioun stone cost 4000 and gives +1 to ALL attack rolls. Just made a bracers that works for all weapons and cost around the same.


Allow him to have Bracers of Symmetry which give him +2 to attack and damage but only when he's using two identical weapons (ie. 2x Masterwork Scimitars or 2x +2 Daggers of Flaming). He'd only get the bonus when he declares using both weapons to attack using TWF.

Alternatively, he can get the bonus even if he's making a normal full-attack using weapons in alternating hands for his iteratives, but he has to balance use of the weapons. If he makes 1 attack with the right weapon and 1 attack with the left weapon, he's fine, but if he tries to make 1 attack with the right weapon then 2 attacks with the left weapon, the second left-hand attack suffers -2 penalty instead of +2 bonus. If he begins a full-attack but aborts after the first strike, he takes a -2 hit to AC until his next turn.


What is the class and playstyle of the character/PC ?

Maybe he wants very high attack bonuses for some reason? (the bonus would stack with other bonuses)


Eridan wrote:

What is the class and playstyle of the character/PC ?

Maybe he wants very high attack bonuses for some reason? (the bonus would stack with other bonuses)

That's what I am wondering, also. I have to think Dervish Dance has something to do with this.

Is he a rogue or bard or some other 3/4BAB class that isn't particularly strong in combat to begin with? Probably not going to be a problem.

Is he a Barbarian or Magus who can already do great damage and wants to offset some minor penalty to do even greater damage? I'd be much more hesitant. (Hmmm, a Dervish Dancing urban barbarian, that could be interesting. Dervish dancing alchemist with three arms and two scimitars could be fun, too. :P)


I would allow it in my game.

I actually allowed a similar custom item to be made that applied to pistols for the gunslinger in my game. I don't feel that those bonuses are really significant enough to be a problem. Besides, in skilled hands, bows are probably the most deadly weapon in the game, so if it's acceptable for them, is it really be terrible for anything else?


I would urge you to consider allowing the bracers but to make the bonus something that doesn't stack with at least a few common buffs - say, make it a morale bonus. Also, explain that bracers would replace magical gloves, so that prevents him from combining it with dex gloves (which should curb some Dervish Dancer abuse, if that happened to be on the cards).

Keep in mind that a scimitar as an offhand weapon has severe penalties, since it's not a light weapon. Your player may not be aware of that.


Makarion wrote:

I would urge you to consider allowing the bracers but to make the bonus something that doesn't stack with at least a few common buffs - say, make it a morale bonus. Also, explain that bracers would replace magical gloves, so that prevents him from combining it with dex gloves (which should curb some Dervish Dancer abuse, if that happened to be on the cards).

Keep in mind that a scimitar as an offhand weapon has severe penalties, since it's not a light weapon. Your player may not be aware of that.

Isn't the dex item in pathfinder a belt?


Quote:
Isn't the dex item in pathfinder a belt?

Yes it is. But there are no rules preventing it being made for another item slot. You could even make Goggles of Dexterity, if the DM allows. They would cost the same as the belt.

(Unlike 3.5, Pathfinder doesn't have body slot affinities.)


The character is a rogue, and he's less worried about attack than damage. He does in fact want to take Dervish Dance. I believe that limits him to 1 scimitar. One of the reasons he is complaining about damage is because a) I gave the players 15 point buy instead of 20, because they are so experienced at optimizing, and b) he optimized his character for stealth (so I kind of see it as he wants to have his cake and eat it too - optimize for one area then complain the GM needs to balance when you are weak in others). He planning to go Shadowdancer later.


*I like that Scimitary and Symmetry can sound the same! Good show!

*The idea of having them take up the gloves slot seems more thematic than bracers.

*If the Ioun stone is 4k, make the gloves/bracers/nosering cheaper and apply it only to scimitars, or leave it at that price and still limit it to scimitars, just because.

OR

* Along the lines of scimitar symmetry, and only if duel wielding is the required mode, make tge item give a bonus only to negate the offhand penalty - making the attacks equal, and thus increasing the ahem scimitar symmetry.

Nice idea, lots of cool design approaches. Cool thread.

Grand Lodge

Opalescent White Pyramid Ioun Stone, grants proficiency with one weapon. 10,000 gp.


If you give him a custom item, will you be ready to do the same for the rest of the party?
If so, fine. If not you should ask the party what they think about it. Favouritism is bad.

Or just show him the item BBT mentioned.

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