Body Slot Affinities for Magic Items

[Phelix-Mu]

Alright, so this is mostly a call for opinions from other DMs and, to a lesser extent, players.

Magic item body slot affinities always struck me as little more than fluff for the game, unfairly limiting people to certain item combinations, making other concepts much more expensive, requiring more compound items, and generally confusing the issue. Magic can do just about anything. You want glasses that make your muscles stronger? You will probably need to custom make/order them, but if you do so, why should the DM stop you just since some chart said that it didn't make much sense (not usually a good bar for measuring elements of a fantasy game)?

Comments/reactions/feedback, etc. Was there some bigger justification for these affinities that I missed? Thanks.

[Yuukale]

IMHO as long as you respect the pricing and do not try to create things such as perma true-strike items, there's no problem with strength-enhancing goggles or earrings or whatever fancies you.

But I must admit that it is quite strange to think of items like these. Then again, it's also an awesome surprise element when it comes to DMing to experienced players.
If they don't see a fighter using a belt or gloves, but a ring instead, they might come to believe that his gigantic strength is due to some spell or even natural. May not mean much in combat but certainly adds to the narrative.

[Diarmuid]

But the problem with your scenario is that fighter is likely still wearing some kind of belt to keep his pants up, and something on his hands.

Unless they're using a Detect Magic and spend the required rounds mid combat (while he's beating the snot out of them), they're not going to really notice that he doesnt have a magical belt that's blessing him with might strength.

The idea of the affinities is simply one of logic and thinking that magic, when left to its own devices, will follow logic. Enhancing certain types of items has either been around so long that the magic has established currents that are easier to flow with than against, or there are just simply unexplained ties with certain areas of the body with enchantments making them easier to establish than others.

If you're saying that bars and charts shouldnt be used to run the games, then you probably should try a more rules light system then D&D.

[Phelix-Mu]

The idea of the affinities is simply one of logic and thinking that magic, when left to its own devices, will follow logic. Enhancing certain types of items has either been around so long that the magic has established currents that are easier to flow with than against, or there are just simply unexplained ties with certain areas of the body with enchantments making them easier to establish than others.

If you're saying that bars and charts shouldnt be used to run the games, then you probably should try a more rules light system then D&D.

Well, I was mostly just sounding out how many people view this as a chart vital to balance regarding magic item function. I've pretty much house ruled it in the past.

Your justification for the existence of the chart seems entirely fluff-based. What if there is a culture where ear-adornments play a vital role in determining social status (like elves, for instance) and are commonly enchanted? Maybe magical earrings are common, and maybe big, freakish facial piercings are a way to show you are tough and strong (sounds like a cool theme for some primitive cultures). This seems as fluff-based as the PHB bias toward weapon names from European history, a part of the game that exists, but which doesn't need to be maintained in order to uphold the mechanics of the game.

Obviously, RAW adherence can be clutch in some instances, but this seems to be the least relevant instance, IMHO.

[Stegyre]

I have generally not seen much "logic" to body slot affinities. Bracelets = allies? Gloves = quickness? Some, maybe: head for mental improvement; eye lenses for vision; boots for movement. but a lot of it is arbitrary.

I suspect the basic motivation is the same as the body slots themselves: to have some limitation on the number of magic items (or effects) a character may actually use at any one time.

If I were GMing, I would not hold to them. YMMV.

[BowStreetRunner]

I've never seen the 50% markup to be too extreme for items that have an ability not customary for a particular body slot affinity. But if you think it is too much, just decrease the markup to 25% or 10% or eliminate it entirely.

[herrhauptmann]

They might seem arbitrary, but a lot of the affinities are pretty much relics from the first editions of D&D.
Some of those affinities were probably taken from literature or mythology.
ex: Belt of giant strength. Mythological Thor had a belt that he tightened when he needed to be stronger.
ex: Boots of big stepping. I remember an old fair tale, might've been published by Grimm, of a pair of boots that let you run several leagues in a few steps, even though it left you as tired as if you'd actually run all that distance.

[Roog]

Magic item body slot affinities always struck me as little more than fluff for the game, unfairly limiting people to certain item combinations, making other concepts much more expensive, requiring more compound items, and generally confusing the issue.
The MiC rules for common effects remove the awkwardness and cost issues.


Was there some bigger justification for these affinities that I missed? Thanks.

Having limitations makes the world more comprehensible.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

MIC p234, you can add most of the plain bonuses to existing items for the same price as a standalone item of that same bonus. They made it so you don't have to pick between stats or special abilities, you can get the special ability item and add the stats onto it.

[Phelix-Mu]

Wow, that is an entirely different level of flexibility than I was contemplating. Hmmm, I shall have to think about that. I do like to encourage the crafting of custom items, and to encourage characters to take time/money to scale up the items they had, since having that shield that you got from the orc chieftain and adding stuff to it is great flavor, adds depth and personality to a character's gear.

Thanks for the tip; I hadn't read a lot of the stuff in the back of MIC, it seems.

Not sure this totally eliminates the problem, either, since it still seems to suggest that there are acceptable item slots for certain magical enchantments.