Role of attribute magic items?

[Nerdynick]

Something that's been plaguing me about magic items in 5e is the static number of the stat bonus items. Headband of intellect, gauntlets of ogres strength, etc. they all set your attribute to 19 or some other static number. Who is supposed to want these items? The ones that who need those attributes are going to have a higher bonus than the item grants anyways. Are the items intended to round out the weaknesses of characters who don't rely on those attributes? Just wondering.

[Ouranos]

The 19's aren't particularly powerful, true. But using point buy they can still very much be useful to any strength character early in the game as intended. And since you CAN'T raise an ability above 20, anything providing a 23 or higher (Belt of Giant strength, anything but Hill) WILL bring their bonus above what is possible without said item.

[RickAllison]

I see them as being most useful when it comes to skills. Take the Headband of Intellect; the Wizard/Arcane Trickster/Eldritch Knight might be better off with their Int, but what about the Knowledge Cleric? He could be getting as much as a +5 relative to what he had for those Int skills. A Swashbuckler probably isn't rocking a high Int because he has to divide his between Con, Dex, and Cha. The headband lets him have a high Investigation modifier which could double it.

The Gauntlets of Ogre Power are even better, as Strength is good for everyone. Every point (including the odd one) gives 15 pounds of carrying capacity, meaning more useful items can be taken.

The Amulet of Health... It's 19 Con, someone is going to appreciate a health boost.

[smcmike]

If you get Gauntlets while your strength is 16, it's worth considering just using your ASI's elsewhere. Feats are more fun anyway.

[JellyPooga]

Who is supposed to want these items?

Um, anyone who wants a high [stat]? :smallconfused:

Very few Fighters have 20 Str from level 1, or Wizards 20 Intelligence. Only if you roll stats and were lucky enough to roll an 18 and you choose a Race with a +2 bonus to that stat will you start with 20. More commonly, no-one will have a 20 until level 4 at the very least, more likely level 8 and even then you're forgoing taking Feats (if they're being used) in order to get your 20 [stat]. Depending on your Class and Build, getting that 20 isn't always that important compared to say, War Caster, Sharpshooter or Great Weapon Master.

I don't expect to see 20 in a stat for most characters until around the level 12-16 mark. Fighters and Rogues, with their additional ASI's, might get there a bit sooner. Until then the "19 [stat]" items remain relevant, powerful even, for any character who wants or needs a high ability score and that's not even mentioning MAD Classes like Paladins and Monks who can't often "afford" to get to 20 in all of their relevant abilities at all, let alone quickly.

[Giant2005]

Gauntlets of Ogre Strength are really great for Arcane Casters. If they get their hands on them, all they have to do is pick up BB or GFB and they become completely serviceable in melee. It gives them a valid combat option that they weren't even considering prior to their lucky find.

[Markoff Chainey]

I totally agree with JellyPooga, it is ideal for some chars and builds, especially when they are MAD or MC.

Those items should not exist because they influence the game in a bad way. They make 1) a char heavily dependend on an item, 2) to make the best use for these items is to build your char around them 3) they are incredibly powerful without any drawback 4) they are "illogical" within the game world. - Those added together are for me at least what I name "bad design".

As a DM you can just live with it and let one char gain a massive advantage over the others or destroy the item and destroy the character... both options are bad when it comes to fun at the table.

As a DM that wants to keep them, I would want to keep them is ask and answer the question why that item grants the wearer that bonus... how can it even do that, what kind of magic would be required?

And that leads me at least to a few possible directions... (for better design)
- the item is possessed and the wearer is more intelligent / flamboyant... because he can access the intellect / charisma... of another being that can also influence the wearer
- the item grants a bonus via some "higher power" - and will not do so when it is abused / has limited uses per day / only for specific tasks

[Nerdynick]

I don't mean to imply that the items are useless, they just don't seem useful to me for a character depended on that stat. Either the character won't need the item for their build or they will. If the latter, then they're dependent on the GM giving them the item, if the former then there are probably other more appealing magic items for that item slot. They seem to fall in a niche that means their items of convenience rather than ones that are desirable.

[smcmike]

Those items should not exist because they influence the game in a bad way. They make 1) a char heavily dependend on an item, 2) to make the best use for these items is to build your char around them 3) they are incredibly powerful without any drawback 4) they are "illogical" within the game world. - Those added together are for me at least what I name "bad design".

I disagree. Unless characters are purposefully dumping stats at creation in the hopes of acquiring one of these items - an 8-Str barbarian, say - there really isn't much of an issue, and if they are doing this, the DM is complicit, for good or ill. If you don't build your character around them, they aren't incredibly powerful, and not everything needs a drawback.

What is "illogical" about them? The magical item that makes the hero incredibly strong is a classic trope.

[LordFluffy]

I was playing a dex-based Fighter/archer. He wrecked face with a bow, but his strength was only 12. I was playing him in LMoP, got the Gauntlets of Ogre power which worked out well with a nifty axe he'd ended up with and was the only one in the party who could really use it.

Suddenly making up for a minor deficiency is pretty awesome.

[KorvinStarmast]

I was playing a dex-based Fighter/archer. He wrecked face with a bow, but his strength was only 12. I was playing him in LMoP, got the Gauntlets of Ogre power which worked out well with a nifty axe he'd ended up with and was the only one in the party who could really use it.

Suddenly making up for a minor deficiency is pretty awesome.

And now his grapple becomes a skill to be reckoned with.

[tieren]

As has been mentioned, even if it is your primary stat and you are going to get that stat to 20 eventually, it doesn't mean its 20 when you find the item.

I think having magic items you can grow out of is a good thing, it makes loot more interesting, than just saying "my attunement slots are full I'm not interested"

[kaoskonfety]

Looking them over I'm seeing DM tools. My current player group is NOT optimized - beefy physical stat moon druid, very smart bard, con focused monk.

Against run of the mill "hard" encounters they often struggle just due to the math (and the fact that they are all utter scrubs, mis-using their abilities all over the place).

With these I can lightly prop up build 'errors' so if the strength 14/ dex 10 fighter takes linguist and highly skilled (for the knowledge skills) because they are well traveled and college educated they can still take on heavy armors and bigger fights without me needing to re-scale things.

[RulesJD]

Something that's been plaguing me about magic items in 5e is the static number of the stat bonus items. Headband of intellect, gauntlets of ogres strength, etc. they all set your attribute to 19 or some other static number. Who is supposed to want these items? The ones that who need those attributes are going to have a higher bonus than the item grants anyways. Are the items intended to round out the weaknesses of characters who don't rely on those attributes? Just wondering.

1/2 and 1/4 Casters, they are essential for.

Paladins, Arcane Tricksters, Eldritch Knights, Melee Clerics, etc.

It lets you put your ASI/Feats into other stats, and possibly wear armor you couldn't wear otherwise because of the 15 Str requirement for Plate. Paladins can pump Charisma earlier, Arcane Tricksters don't need to worry about pumping Int for higher save DCs, etc.

*essential meaning for those looking to min/max. Obviously not essential to play very well with only 14/16 in the casting/str stat.

[CNagy]

Also remember that, whatever optimization experts might say to the contrary, a 20 main stat is not required basically at any time in play. The prevailing wisdom tends to be that you max out your attack stat by level 8 or 12, but I've DMed and played in plenty of high level games where players left stats at 16 (or more usually 18). So I'd say there is usually at least one player in any given game I've played in who could make use of Gauntlets or a Headband even though optimal character building suggests that no one should need them for their important stats outside of lower level play.

Using them for secondary/dump stats is fine, especially in a low magic campaigns (because they require attunement, which basically makes them not worth it when they have to compete against better treasure). Speaking of treasure, they make incredibly useful gifts and trades--gauntlets that are no longer useful to you can get you quite a bit of favor with the captain of the guard, or that amulet of health might be a particularly effective gift to an aging and infirm leader.