| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
So I just found this web page that describes a way of replacing certain magic items (read the "Big Six" plus skill items) with innate bonuses.
Level...Points...Max Bonus...Max Bonus (Skills)
01..........00...........+0...............+00
02..........00...........+0...............+00
03..........01...........+1...............+05
04..........02...........+1...............+05
05..........04...........+1...............+05
06..........06...........+2...............+05
07..........08...........+2...............+05
08..........10...........+2...............+05
09..........12...........+3...............+05
10..........15...........+3...............+05
11..........18...........+3...............+10
12..........21...........+4...............+10
13..........24...........+4...............+10
14..........28...........+4...............+10
15..........32...........+5...............+10
16..........36...........+5...............+10
17..........40...........+5...............+10
18..........45...........+6*.............+10
19..........50...........+6*.............+10
20..........55...........+6*.............+10
*Only for attribute bonuses.
Points can be spent on the following bonuses, at the given rates:
Weapon enhancement bonus: 2 points per +1 bonus
Armor enhancement bonus to AC: 1 point per +1 bonus
Shield enhancement bonus to AC: 1 point per +1 bonus
Natural armor enhancement bonus to AC: 2 points per +1 bonus
Deflection bonus to AC: 2 points per +1 bonus
Resistance bonus to saves: 1 point per +1 bonus
Enhancement bonus to one attribute (taken separately): 2 points per +2 bonus
Competence bonus to one skill (taken separately): 2 points per +5 bonus
Note that these costs are a simple linear scale, unlike the quadratic scaling costs for magic items in the DMG. The costs are mostly in line with the pre-existing relative costs between categories: for example, a +1 weapon costs twice as much as +1 armour. Skills are more expensive than in the DMG, which is a deliberate decision reflecting the belief that skill boosters are too cheaply priced.
A cap of +1 per 3 levels (rounded down) applies to all bonuses, except for skill competence bonuses. Skill bonuses are limited to +5 at levels 1-10, and +10 from 11th level onwards. Only attribute bonuses may exceed +5. Attribute bonuses must be taken in lots of +2, just as with magic items.
These bonuses can be thought of as "innate", in the sense that they are a part of the character, not their equipment. Thus they don't take up item slots, cost gold or experience to enchant, and apply continuously. The exceptions are weapons, shields and armour: for these, if you do not have an item of the appropriate type, you do not receive the bonus.
Armor enhancement bonus is split into the following categories: none/light, and medium/heavy. When you buy an armor enhancement bonus, decide which category the bonus will apply to. You gain the bonus whenever you wear armour falling into that category. For example, if you're a rogue, you might buy 2 points of armor enhancement bonus for the none/light category; as long as you wear light armour of any kind or no armour, you receive a +2 bonus to AC. A character without armour is treated as having a base armor bonus of +0.
Shield enhancement bonus is split into the following categories: none/buckler/light, and heavy/tower. You gain the bonus whenever you use a shield of the correct category. For "none/buckler/light", you also gain the bonus if you are not using a shield, but have at least one free hand (e.g. you are [neither] wielding a weapon in your off-hand, [nor] using a weapon two-handed). A character without a shield is treated as having a base shield bonus of +0. (Monks can use this to gain a shield bonus to AC stacking with their Wisdom and class bonuses, as can other classes with similar abilities.)
Weapon enhancement bonus is split into melee and ranged categories. You gain the bonus whenever you use a weapon of the correct type. Thrown weapons use whichever bonus applies to how the weapon is actually being used. Thus if you use a throwing axe in melee, it gains the benefit of any melee weapon bonus you have, and if you throw it at an enemy, it uses your ranged weapon bonus.
Innate bonuses don't stack with bonuses of the same type obtained from actual magic items or other effects.
I really like this, with a few caveats:
1. Is it really necessary to have separate set of bonuses for melee and ranged weapons? I don't think so, but what about you guys?
2. Bracers of armor can go up to +8, but with this you can only get up to +5. Though this could be alleviated by gaining a shield bonus, so I guess it's fine as is (just have to change bracers of armor's maximum effective bonus).
3. Should skill bonuses be available at all? The amount of points listed above doesn't seem to really have room for skill bonuses. Maybe shift the whole table down one level (er... up one row?) and make 20th level have 60 or 61 max points (this could also allow for more ability score bonuses)?
4. If one were to implement this system, what would be the best way to adjust actual WBL? 3/4? 2/3? 1/2? NPC WBL?
Anyway, what do you guys think of this?
I have a system that sets out to do something similar, though it operates very differently (with big six bonuses being 'boons' that are chosen in a fashion similar to feats with increasingly potent ones having level requirements).
In regards to your questions:
1. I think so, in general if someone enchants both a bow and a sword in the game by RAW their bonuses will be lower because they cant afford the maximum bonus for 2 weapons at the same time. At least if you want to try to maintain the same kind of balance the regular game has its necessary, and for me at least it doesnt go far enough. I have weapon bonuses apply to a single type of weapon, like longswords, or shortbows ala the weapon focus feat.
2. Bracers of armor arent a big six item, and while monks love bracers of armor, they arent strictly necessary for them to do their jobs (they get widsom to ac and a scaling bonus that keeps them competative so long as their mad issues are solved). So I dont see a problem with the +8 cap. Its ok for bracers of armor to turn up in a game that uses this system in my opinion if its wanted.
3. I kept skill items in my game. Again they arent big six items, and they can be very flavorful. I dont for instance want elven cloaks to not be a part of my pathfinder world. I want to get rid of cloaks of resistance so people actually use elven cloaks again.
4. Up to about level 3, no change except no big six items. From level 4 on, about 40-60%wbl (will depend on the characters and what they choose, so its really an eyeball it sort of situation)
I agree with Kolokotroni, it's a good idea to divide up the weapon bonuses.
Bracers of Armor aren't a big deal. Most of the time, the cost difference between +5 bracers and +8 bracers would be better spent elsewhere.
As for wealth by level, you can calculate it. Grab a few stock characters, maybe from the back of an AP, and use the chart to get them what they need.
Then figure out what those bonuses would cost, if you bought it all with gold.
Subtract the amount spent from the WBL chart, and that's your new WBL amount.
Thanks for your input guys, you make good points. I'll probably just eliminate the skill bonuses (and therefore keep skill items, like cloaks of elvenkind, in the game) and eyeball wealth by level.
I'm in team flavor skills, so as long as the deflection bonuses are available to everyone, the only bracers should be "of archery", ect.
Monks who take the weaponless path, have their limbs count as weapons for this as well.