The Gaming Den

Alternative Item Bonus Progression

Rather than Tome +1 per 3 levels bonuses to 8 things, this is a progression of bonuses that PCs "should" get based on items as they level. The idea is for the progression to be based on and compatible with 3.5 WBL bonuses from items. This is purely the numbers bonuses, you probably also still get 8 Tome item effects, or spend money on some other 3.5 effects, but this replaces the bonuses items give.

You can either have people naturally pick up these bonuses, or you can have them only get them if they have items equipped. Like all such progressions, it probably accidentally favors people who attack with natural weapons or TWFing since it's not going to create a distinction between costs for multiple weapons or the extra cost of applying the bonus to all your natural weapons.

Magic Weapons are still masterwork, and still hit incorporeal things 50% of the time and pen DR magic even when they aren't giving you a bonus.

This is mostly just to figure out what the bonuses you could reasonably be expected to have are, more than a specific recommendation that you have these bonuses.

Level:	Ability Scores:	Resistance	Attacks	Armor	Shield	Deflection	Natural Armor
1:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3:	-	+1		+1	-	-	-
4:	-	+1	+1	+1	+1	-	-
5:	+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	-	-
6:	+2/+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	-	-
7:	+2/+2	+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	-
8:	+2/+2/+2	+2	+2	+2	+1	+1	+1
9:	+2/+2/+2	+2	+2	+2	+2	+1	+1
10:	+4/+2/+2/+2	+3	+2	+2	+2	+1	+1
11:	+4/+2/+2/+2	+4	+3	+3	+3	+1	+1
12:	+4/+4/+2/+2	+4	+3	+3	+3	+2	+2
13:	+4/+4/+2/+2	+5	+4	+4	+4	+2	+2
14:	+6/+4/+2/+2	+5	+5	+5	+4	+2	+2
15:	+6/+6/+4/+2	+5	+5	+5	+5	+2	+2
16:	+8/+6/+4/+4/+2/+2	+5	+5	+5	+5	+4	+4
17:	+8/+6/+6/+6/+4/+4	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5
18:	+8/+6/+6/+6/+6/+6	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5
19:	+8/+8/+6/+6/+6/+6	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5
20:	+10/+8/+6/+6/+6/+6	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5

Alternative Item Bonus Progression

Standardized numbers.

Level:	Ability Scores:	Resistance	Attacks	Armor	Shield	Deflection	Natural Armor
1:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3:	-	+1	+1	+1	+1	-	-
4:	+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	-	-
5:	+2/+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	-	-
6:	+2/+2	+2	+2	+2	+2	-	-
7:	+2/+2	+2	+2	+2	+2	+1	+1
8:	+2/+2/+2	+3	+3	+3	+3	+1	+1
9:	+4/+2/+2	+3	+3	+3	+3	+1	+1
10:	+4/+2/+2/+2	+3	+3	+3	+3	+1	+1
11:	+4/+4/+2/+2	+4	+4	+4	+4	+1	+1
12:	+4/+4/+2/+2	+4	+4	+4	+4	+2	+2
13:	+6/+4/+2/+2	+4	+4	+4	+4	+2	+2
14:	+6/+4/+2/+2	+5	+5	+5	+5	+2	+2
15:	+6/+6/+4/+2	+5	+5	+5	+5	+3	+3
16:	+6/+6/+4/+4/+2/+2	+5	+5	+5	+5	+4	+4
17:	+8/+6/+6/+6/+4/+4	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5
18:	+8/+6/+6/+6/+6/+6	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5
19:	+8/+8/+6/+6/+6/+6	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5
20:	+10/+8/+6/+6/+6/+6	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5

I've used a similar approach for years involving just doling out the bonuses to naked characters by level rather than by item. I think my chart is based loosely on Tome bonuses, which makes them larger than the ones on your table.

How did you determine what to increase when? I notice a sharp jump in attack from 12th-14th from +3 to +5.

Mostly because weapon uses the x2 formula, so it was too expensive for an increase from 2-3 compared to cheaper increases in armor AC/resistance/stats.

Gotcha. So you used WBL on a level-by-level basis to see what was the most you could afford? I feel my bonuses are too generous, and might move to something like this.

RobbyPants wrote:Gotcha. So you used WBL on a level-by-level basis to see what was the most you could afford? I feel my bonuses are too generous, and might move to something like this.

I think I remember Frank saying, and I think I mostly agree with him, that the money is too little early on, and too much later on.

In my head, I imagine a system where you get 8 magic items that provide no numerical bonus, but do give you abilities, and then you also sort of automatically and/or as you get the items get the bonuses in a chart like this.

But I'd want to change the chart somewhat, so that the bonuses come earlier somewhat, and probably more uniform across weapon vs AC, and then follow that up with figuring out exactly what I want for DC bonuses (I feel those should exist in item for providing approximately the bonus of resistance to saves in 3.5 since otherwise no one and nothing ever fails a save, but it never quite feels right in any implementation).

But that's the general idea.

Alternative Item Bonus Progression

Corrected numbers.

Level:	Ability Scores:	Resistance	Attacks	Armor	Shield	Deflection	Natural Armor
1:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3:	-	+1	+1	+1	+1	-	-
4:	+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	-	-
5:	+2/+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	-	-
6:	+2/+2	+2	+2	+2	+2	-	-
7:	+2/+2	+2	+2	+2	+2	+1	+1
8:	+2/+2/+2	+3	+3	+3	+3	+1	+1
9:	+4/+2/+2	+3	+3	+3	+3	+1	+1
10:	+4/+2/+2/+2	+3	+3	+3	+3	+1	+1
11:	+4/+4/+2/+2	+4	+4	+4	+4	+1	+1
12:	+4/+4/+2/+2	+4	+4	+4	+4	+2	+2
13:	+6/+4/+2/+2	+4	+4	+4	+4	+2	+2
14:	+6/+4/+2/+2	+5	+5	+5	+5	+2	+2
15:	+6/+6/+4/+2	+5	+5	+5	+5	+3	+3
16:	+6/+6/+4/+4/+2/+2	+5	+5	+5	+5	+4	+4
17:	+8/+6/+6/+6/+4/+4	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5
18:	+8/+6/+6/+6/+6/+6	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5
19:	+8/+8/+6/+6/+6/+6	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5
20:	+10/+8/+6/+6/+6/+6	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5	+5