Cielingcat at [unixtime wrote:1174156518[/unixtime]]Why do we even need to require Masterwork items? Couldn't we just give them these bonuses, and save their item slots for interesting things like Rings of Power or The Goggles (which do nothing)?
My initial thought on requiring masterwork items was that I didn't like the flavor of a high level fighter with a rusty steak knife having that be a more powerful weapon than Excalibur. But I get your point and it definitely needs polishing. Especially so I don't have people getting masterwork pants for the armor bonus, and monks getting masterwork manicures and pedicures for their attacks.
So I'm on the fence.
I'm likely to rescind my requirement of masterwork for armors, but not for weapons and simply count Improved Unarmed Strike as having masterwork natural weapons for the purpose of a character's innate weapon enhancement bonus... so suck it Ki Strike! I feel no need to give enhancement bonuses to the natural weapons of critters.
dbb wrote:If we just got rid of all items -- and why stop there? spells and feats have the same problems -- that grant naked numerical bonuses, I am inclined to think the game would be much improved for the exercise.
I don't like the notion of getting rid of all items, since many items are often cool and make players happy. I do like the notion of getting rid of spells that just grant +'s. Though many spells may grant bonuses by virtue of their effects (say like Enlarge Person).
Even moreso, I like the notion of trimming down the number of possible bonus types to cut down on the shitty mechanic that encourages (requires) gathering little bonuses from every tree to get a fat bonus to cock slap your enemies with.
I could totally get rid of luck, inherent, profane, sacred, insight, competence, resistance, and enhancement by bundling all of those up and calling it a generic "magic" bonus. Also I'd bundle natural armor into armor bonus- more on that later.
That would leave me with Magic, Attribute, Size, Deflection, Dodge, Armor (natural/armor), Shield, Cover, Circumstance and Racial.
(and unnamed)Shield and Armor bonuses are actually already separated to some extent, so making the distinction complete is really just a clarification of terms.
I'll need more work on bundling natural armor and normal armor. I don't like the notion that a critter with +21 natural armor can slap on some full plate for another +8. If something is penetrating the +21 of his skanky solar hide, then it ought to be tearing through the +8 as well. Sure, there ought be some sort of bonus for having additional armor, but simply stacking both seems redonkulous to me- so I'll find middle ground somewhere.
[edits-typoes, separated Shield and Armor bonuses per Draco's wise suggestion, and added explanation]