quote:

---

Originally posted by Corim Danex

I know that you can make magic items for ability increases. There are plenty of examples in DMG of things like Gloves of Dexterity +2. Various examples typically have +2 bonus on item costing 4000 gp. How much would it cost to make a +1 bonus for something in the correct slot (strength works with belt slot)?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by CarrionCrawler

Generally, I wouldn't do that unless it balanced out an odd score.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LCS

quote:

---

Originally posted by CarrionCrawler

Generally, I wouldn't do that unless it balanced out an odd score.

---

Actually, that's the specific reason why these types of items provide an even numbered bonus to ability scores. That way they are balanced regardless of whether the character has an even or odd value for the ability score.

It's part of the design of the game, and generally all items and spells which provide temporary ability score increases should do so in a multiple of 2.

The 4,000 gp cost of a pair of Gauntlets of Ogre Power isn't really for providing a +2 to the ability score, but rather for providing a +1 to activities associated with that ability score, so there isn't really any way to cut it in half to decrease the price of an item.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by jacksonm

I personally like giving out +1 stat items or similarily depowered magic items for my players at low levels. They can be a good, but not great reward that don't seem too out of place on low level PCs.

1000 gp seems about right, perhaps a bit more.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wayne

Here's the secret: gauntlets of the mama's boy ogre (i.e., +1 to Strength) aren't appreciably worse than normal gauntlets of ogre power.

Consider: if you have a Strength of 14, why bother wearing the weaker item? If you have a strength of 15, you get almost exactly the same benefit from wearing the weaker item as you get from wearing the stronger item (i.e., +1 on attacks, damage, Strength checks, and Strength-based skills). If the weaker item is cheaper, anybody who would wear it is effectively getting the stronger item for much less money.

Another way to look at it: Let's say your price this weaker item at 1000 gp, as someone suggested. The normal stronger item is 4000 gp. The only difference between them, in practical usage, is going to be +1 Strength worth of carrying capacity, yet the price difference between them is 3000 gp. Is 3000 gp of the price of gauntlets of ogre power due to the +1 Strength-for-carrying?

If you're going to do this, the break should be minimal. I'd charge 3500 gp, myself.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by EldritchSoul

i'll ditto LCS and wayne on this one. it's not appreciably different than +2, unless it's an item someone isn't going to use. BTW, for feat purposes, I as a DM never let temporary modifiers count towards feat pre-requisites. in my world, stat-boosting magical items just LOVE to be stolen by rogues.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LCS
It's part of the design of the game, and generally all items and spells which provide temporary ability score increases should do so in a multiple of 2.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wayne

quote:

---

Originally posted by LCS
It's part of the design of the game, and generally all items and spells which provide temporary ability score increases should do so in a multiple of 2.

---

One exception, IMO, is the 3.5 version of bull's strength (and similar spells). IMO, they should have changed the modifier from +4 to +5.

(1) The spells were significantly weakened in the change from 3.0 to 3.5, and they could have mitigated that by making the modifier +5 instead of +4.

(2) It gives another marginally useful reason to have an odd stat, like feat prerequisites do.

(3) Even for people with even stats, the +2 modifier is good enough that it'll still see some use.

(4) It keeps the spell potentially slightly useful even if people have +4 stat-boost items.

There are occasionally good reasons to have odd-numbered stat-boosters. The trick is that the item or spell in question needs to be useful for odd and even stats (although obviously more so for the latter), and there really shouldn't be much of a cost break because the mod is odd.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by IanB
Insight bonuses from books/wishes still allow odd stats, which I think is sufficient to allow enough customization to the really dedicated PC.

---

quote:

---

I think the stat-boosters are still reasonably strong spells - spells losing utility as you advance in level isn't very unusual; see color spray and sleep.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wayne

quote:

---

Originally posted by IanB
Insight bonuses from books/wishes still allow odd stats, which I think is sufficient to allow enough customization to the really dedicated PC.

---

Inherent bonuses. But I'm not sure of your point. My point is that having the stat-boost spells give an odd bonus gives one more minor reason for players not to stress about getting all of their stats to even numbers.

quote:

---

I think the stat-boosters are still reasonably strong spells - spells losing utility as you advance in level isn't very unusual; see color spray and sleep.

---

Again, I'm not getting your point. I agree that they're fairly good spells -- my dwarven cleric uses bull's strength often. I simply think the benefits of making them +5 outweigh any drawbacks, and don't make the spells too powerful.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Grim

I think Merric and I disagree on the meaning of significant. I can tell at a glance if it would be a +2 or a +3 bonus. Practise, I guess. 3.0 wasn't THAT long ago.

---