Here we go (some ideas from LordGriffin's thread, Eberron (for the marks), etc.)
These rules should be implemented when a DM tries to stay away from “The Big Six” magic items, and wishes to grant only very rare access to magic items.
The Big Six: magic weapons and amulet of mighty fists, magic armors and bracers, attribute-enhancing items, rings of protection, amulets of natural armor, cloaks of resistance.
Gestalt has been mentioned, as well as "equivalent gold", to "buy" items. But I, as LordGriffion, would like my PCs free of "clutter", as much as possible, and feel like heroes who d'on't need to loot the 1000 +1 weapons to find "Ye Olde Magicke Shoppe" to exchange them for a "Belt of Uberness".
I've looked at the WBL to guide my system. It seems to fit reasonably, yet it is slower at higher levels. Of course, item creation feats are removed.
So here is my proposition, to be reviewed according to your good constructive comments:
Defensive Training
Every character level, a character gains a +1 bonus to defense. The bonus can be applied as an armor enhancement bonus to AC, a deflection bonus to AC, a natural armor bonus to AC or a resistance bonus to one of the three saving throws. The choice is made every time a bonus is received and cannot be changed. The armor bonus must always be higher or equal to the other two bonuses but cannot exceed any of them by more than +3. For example, you can have +4 armor, +4 deflection, +1 natural armor, +1 fortitude, +2 reflex, +0 will, but your next bonus must then go to your will save before you could raise your armor bonus, though you could raise all other, except deflection.
Armor bonuses can be imbued with special abilities, like Fortification. The decision can be changed every time a new enhancement bonus to armor is gained.
Physical and Mental Training
Starting at level 7, and every three character level after, one of your attributes receives an enhancement bonus of +2. Three attributes must be raised to the same level before an attribute can be raised further. For example, three attributes must have been raised to +2 before one of them can be raised to +4.
Martial Training
Starting at BAB +4, a character receives an enhancement bonus to hit and damage made with a weapon or a natural weapon of +1. This bonus goes up by +1 for every three points of BAB he has above +4 (so +7, +11, +14, +17, +20). A character can apply this bonus to more than one weapon, used simultaneously, albeit the bonus is reduced by one for all attacks.
Mystical Training
A character can also use his martial training bonuses to imbue his weapon, as a ten minutes meditation, with special abilities like flaming. These bonuses can be applied to two different weapons, with a +1 cost, or all his natural attacks, with a +2 cost. The character can only change what special abilities he can imbue every time he changes level. For example, a 7th level fighter can imbue a weapon with the Holy enhancement (equivalent to +2). Upon reaching level 8, he can now modifie this enhancement to Ghost Touch and Keen, or apply Flaming to a weapon Frost to two weapons to be used simultaneously. The character cannot give the enhancement to someone else’s weapons. These bonuses do not stack with the likes of Magic weapon, Greater magic weapon, Magic fang or Greater magic fang.
Esoterical Training
Every day, a full spellcaster can recollect a number of spells, which levels add up to half his caster level. For example, an 11th level cleric can recollect up to five levels of spells: one 1st, one 2nd and one 3rd, or a single 5th level spell, etc.
The spells recollected have a minimum casting time of ten minutes.
Spell Storing
Spellcasters can imbue special items to store their magic. Items must be wielded for the magic to be restored, as a standard action, or more if the casting time was longer. A caster can have spells of levels adding up to his caster level stored at any one time. Putting spells into items takes one hour of preparation per spell level and expends the spell on the caster list. Only the spellcaster can use the item.
Vast Knowledge
Spellcasters know one extra spell per spell level they can cast. For the wizard, it is spells he can add to his spellbook. For the bard or the sorcerer, it is spells known.
Skill Training
Skill training is only available to character who have levels in classes other than full spellcaster or full BAB classes. For each five levels, they can select a skill as their focus. They receive an enhacement bonus of +5 to that skill.
Marks
Characters can use feats to gain spell-like abilities. Those feats grant special marks that scale with the level of the character.
Least marks give access to a spell of level 1 or less, twice per day. For every four levels beyond the first, the character gets another use of the spell.
DR/Magic
This requirement is replaced by DR/Mithril. Mithril still is equivalent to silver regarding DR, but not the other way around.
Incorporeal opponents
Normaly, magic weapon had a 50 % chance reduction of their bonuses, while ghost touch weapons were doing full damage. Silver and Mithril give the same advantage than
Regards,
DW
Sorry, I missed the link for LordGriffin's thread. There it is.
Hmmm...
Happy New Year!?!
DW