Chronologist
2012-05-18, 09:25 PM
I'm trying to either find or create a system which allows a normal character to gain "boons", essentially permanent or semipermanent benefits that mimic the effects of magical equipment, without actually having to carry around a dozen magical trinkets.
Using item creation guidelines, the simplest method would be to consider the benefits as if they were slotless, thus doubling their effective cost. So, gaining a tattoo that gives you the ability to use Cure Light Wounds 50 times at caster level 1, before the tattoo fades away, would effectively cost 1500 gp, instead of 750 (the normal price for a level 1 wand).
This would essentially halve the number of consumable item benefits and permanent item benefits the character possessed. Of course, with the exponential nature of most passive items, that really means having equipment that's essentially one (or at most two) steps below what other characters should have.
Another option would be for characters to gain something akin to the benefits from possessing a Legacy Weapon, trading material wealth for perhaps two or three Menu choices at each level instead of one. This would remove consumable items from what the character could gain access to, but would ensure fairly balanced benefits.
I'm hoping to implement this system in a current game, one in which the Barbarian chooses to forgo all equipment save for a Mithral greatsword (so 1 set of Menu options for the sword, and one or two menus as passive abilities for himself), and a Psychic character who reaps fallen souls and trades them to devils in a pseudo-Faustean pact sort of deal (all menu options would be passive for this character).
Using item creation guidelines, the simplest method would be to consider the benefits as if they were slotless, thus doubling their effective cost. So, gaining a tattoo that gives you the ability to use Cure Light Wounds 50 times at caster level 1, before the tattoo fades away, would effectively cost 1500 gp, instead of 750 (the normal price for a level 1 wand).
This would essentially halve the number of consumable item benefits and permanent item benefits the character possessed. Of course, with the exponential nature of most passive items, that really means having equipment that's essentially one (or at most two) steps below what other characters should have.
Another option would be for characters to gain something akin to the benefits from possessing a Legacy Weapon, trading material wealth for perhaps two or three Menu choices at each level instead of one. This would remove consumable items from what the character could gain access to, but would ensure fairly balanced benefits.
I'm hoping to implement this system in a current game, one in which the Barbarian chooses to forgo all equipment save for a Mithral greatsword (so 1 set of Menu options for the sword, and one or two menus as passive abilities for himself), and a Psychic character who reaps fallen souls and trades them to devils in a pseudo-Faustean pact sort of deal (all menu options would be passive for this character).