How to replace WBL with special abilities?

[Nicos]

I am DMing a campaing with four 10th level Pcs. They have standar WBL but I would like (for plot reasons) to not give they much more treasure.

At the same time,I do not want to make the encounters easier to balance the lack of treasure and I do not want the character to feel weak.

So, how do I compensate the lack of treasure giving the cs special abilities?

I am thinking for example to give the paladin something like a permanet extra 5ft of reach, or the sorcerer the capability to free maximize an spell once a day.

what people think about this idea? what abilities would be fun and balanced?

[KutuluKultist]

Well, you need to get their stats up.
At 10th, probably +4 to one, +2 to another ability score. +2 to all saves, +3-4 to AC and +2 to hit/damage. A metamagic rod is easily turned into an ability, so just allow the sorcerer to pick one of a level you set.

If you to give them some treasure, consider dropping the rule that magic weapons need a +1 enhancement bonus to have any special abilities and just let them have flaming swords that do +1d6 fire damage without the enhancement bonus.

If you don't want them to have useables, consider giving some typical spells as spell-like abilities, healing spells in particular. If the party has no wizard and no scrolls, wands or potions, they lack a lot of utility options, which might be what you want, but you should be aware that they'll probably not have the right spell for the occasion in many cases.

[Vestrial]

I like that idea a lot. I really dislike the christmas-tree effect, and this is a good way to work around that. I tend to give one or two cool items that grow with the character, but having the character actually gain abilities is a cool idea.

I would tie the abilities into the storyline as much as possible. For instance, at the end of a long undead storyline, the first player to touch and/or destroy the dingus of undeath gains the ghost touch property, so any weapon they wield is from then on considered ghost touch.

That sort of thing can really be done with any property in the game. You can also give feats/spells/class abilities as rewards or side-effects from completing important milestones.

[Nicos]

Vestrial wrote:

I would tie the abilities into the storyline as much as possible. For instance, at the end of a long undead storyline, the first player to touch and/or destroy the dingus of undeath gains the ghost touch property, so any weapon they wield is from then on considered ghost touch.

That sort of thing can really be done with any property in the game. You can also give feats/spells/class abilities as rewards or side-effects from completing important milestones.

Your example of the gosth touch property sounds simple enough, it would cost aginst the wbl as if the character upgraded his weapon by +1.

[Nicos]

That campaing died fast but I want to revive this idea for another campaing of mine based in the final fantasy of super nes.

How would you price for example

- Permanent Extra 5ft of reach (or at least useable a couple of turn per day) stackeablewith lunge?

- Free use of a metamagic feat, on the fly, a couple of times per day?

- At will given the flaming/shocking/whatever property to any melee weapon?

- The ability to use a melee weapon to send a strike to the air and hit at distance, lets say once every 1d4+1 of rounds?

any other sugerence?

[Arkady Zelenka]

I'm doing exactly this in my other campaign, except I'm using #30 Manual of Improvement and allowing my players to gain abilities through scrolls and such. One of my players just acquired the use of sneak attack and another found a scroll that let him use MoMS fuse style. Didn't unbalance anything and actually fit with the storyline.

[Talonhawke]

Nico have you checked out the house rules document Kirth Gerson put together kirthfinder?

It might help you out and the info on it is in the house rules area.

[Pinky's Brain]

Nicos wrote:

what people think about this idea? what abilities would be fun and balanced?

Just give the bonuses from the big 6 out for free ... the rest is gravy.

[Pinky's Brain]

Nicos wrote:

- Permanent Extra 5ft of reach (or at least useable a couple of turn per day) stackeablewith lunge?

20K, this is a mid game ability.

Quote:

Free use of a metamagic feat, on the fly, a couple of times per day?

75K this is a mid to high game ability ... and you better give melee a belt of battle type ability which allows them to make a second full attack in a round or you're just proving once again that only casters get nice things.

Quote:

At will given the flaming/shocking/whatever property to any melee weapon?

10K, this is a lowish level ability (assuming it can only give +1 abilities).

Quote:

The ability to use a melee weapon to send a strike to the air and hit at distance, lets say once every 1d4+1 of rounds?

1K, this is a low level ability which becomes useless at higher levels.