# Looking for Strength +2 Buff!



## Ashtal (Jun 10, 2002)

EEP!  I need help! 

I'm looking for a magic item that grants a bonus to Strength of the +2 variety, but it can't be a Gauntlet!  I've found items for nearly every other Stat (Int, Cha, Wis, Dex) that all go +2 (4,000 gp), +4 (16,000 gp) and +6 (32,000 gp) - except for Strength!  There's the Giant Belt, but that only goes +4 & +6 (IIRC).

Are there any +2's out there that I'm missing?!?!?

(The reason no Gauntlets is that I'm picking up a +2 Gloves of Dex .... I can have more than one Stat Buff item, right??)


Ashtal - HELP!


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## Artoomis (Jun 10, 2002)

Sorry - you've got it right.  Of course, there's no specific rules reason the Belt can't be made to be +2, it's just not the standard item.  You can't get it "off the rack;" it needs to be cutsom-made for you.


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## Dr. Zoom (Jun 10, 2002)

AFAIK, gauntlets of ogre power and the belt of giant's strength are the two core items that increase your strength.  The reason is probably because both of these items were quite popular in 1st and 2nd edition D&D.

If you want a belt of giant's strength that also gives a +2 to strength like the rest of the buffing items, I see no problem there.  The costs and prereq's should be the same as with the gauntlets.


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## Ashtal (Jun 10, 2002)

*nodnods*

I'm trying to make up this Bard and unfortunately she ended up with a negative in Strength.  I'd like to at least eliminate the negative, but I think now I'll have to wait until tonight to complete the character, so I can talk about the item purchasing (he said here's 'X' gp, max cap on an item is 10,000 gp for our 9th level characters). 

He'll probably okay it, but I don't want to go ahead with that assumption.  I'll just list out the various alternatives. 

Thank you, folks!  I just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy with regards to the +2/+4/+6 dichotomy.

Yes, we're twinking the hell out of these characters.  It's RttToEE for gosh sakes!!


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## RogueJK (Jun 10, 2002)

The other posters are right.

You don't necessarily have to have Gauntlets of Ogre Power.  You can have Boots of Ogre Power, an Amulet of Ogre Power, Belt of Ogre Power, a Vest of Ogre Power, etc.  You aren't limited to the item slot that they assign it in the DMG.

As long as it still takes up an item slot, and it has exactly the same power as the Gauntlets that they give as an example, another type of item will still cost the same.

So get your friendly mage or shopkeeper to make you a Belt of Ogre Power, or any other Item of Ogre Power that you want.

*Any* stat buffing item will cost 4k gp for +2, 16k for +4, and 36k for +6, no matter what type of item it is.


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## Thanee (Jun 10, 2002)

Yup, the items listed in the DMG are only common versions.

You can create virtually anything, that would grant you a +2 bonus to strength, within common sense, of course. A belt of strength +2 for example or bracers of strength +2.

There are, however, other listed items (if you insist that it must appear in printed form and don't use custom items), that grant strength bonuses besides the gauntlets of ogre power and the belt of giant strength.

One that I can come up with is an armour upgrade from Magic of Faerûn, which can be added to any armour (does not increase the effective enhancement bonus and therefore costs twice as much - 8000 gp for a +2 - because it doesn't use up any item slots). Page 137 MoF.

Bye
Thanee


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## Sigma (Jun 10, 2002)

Dr. Zoom said:
			
		

> *AFAIK, gauntlets of ogre power and the belt of giant's strength are the two core items that increase your strength.  The reason is probably because both of these items were quite popular in 1st and 2nd edition D&D.
> *




Also, the Hammer of Thunderbolts allows (and requires that) the two items stack.


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## RogueJK (Jun 10, 2002)

[Edit] Nevermind. [/Edit]


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## Jeremy (Jun 10, 2002)

The other +2 to stat items are ioun stones and there is one for strength as well.  That'll give you a "slotless" bonus to strength.


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## Ashtal (Jun 10, 2002)

OOOooOoOoo, I hadn't even thought about changing the base item!!    That could make this even better!!

*prays to the Great DM Gods to make her DM in a happy, accomodating mood!*


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## HeavyG (Jun 11, 2002)

You could also buy a wand of bull's strength.


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## hong (Jun 11, 2002)

Ashtal, you effin' munchkin.

With that out of the way  I don't see anything particularly wrong with creating an item that works just like the gauntlets of ogre power, but use a different item slot. All the regular stat-boosting items in the DMG are pretty generic anyway, in terms of their prereqs and market price. In fact, IIRC there's a module that has one of the NPCs using a stat-boosting item that switches around the slots.


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## Kae'Yoss (Jun 11, 2002)

We use Items that take alternate slots in our game, but they are from a special shop in Silverymoon (or any other greater city, Silverymoon's just the nearest bit city in our campaign) and cost a little extra: the +2 Versions go at 4500 instead of 4000. 

And of course, there are Ioun Stones or Armors with enhancement bonuses to Strength. The Ioun Stones are available for 8000 GM and have a +2 enhance bonus, armors can have up to +4 (for 32000 price increase). 

What race is the Bard, anyway?


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## reapersaurus (Jun 12, 2002)

get some cheap boosts of Mule Pollen...     (MoF)
20 gp's for a +2 to STR...    *dangling a carrot*


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## BMF (Jun 12, 2002)

> OOOooOoOoo, I hadn't even thought about changing the base item!! That could make this even better!!




 Welcome to 3e.


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## Ashtal (Jun 12, 2002)

*giggles*

Oh, I freely admit I've munchkined out my Bard, with the blessings of the party and the GM.  While I loved my Wizard and Druid, they had taken too many level hits, and were getting creamed in every battle.  

The Bard, with her carefully selected items and totally legit-rolled initial stats, is VERY competent for a 9th level character and built entirely around making sure her Bard abilities have the most punch as possible as well as picking up the missing Rogue skills now that our thief has been retired (he turned to stone game before last, and my flailing Wiz & Druid dragged him back to town, sending my Bard and another PC in their places).  I also sacrificed two feats in Archery to get Precise Shot and picked up the Bracers of Archery so I can still be effective in the back row, singing my lungs out.

Honestly - I really get a charge out of feeling competent.  If it feels like my character can never connect a blow, contribute to the party, make the spell fly, over the course of an evening, I start to feel very discouraged.  And while my new Bard may be twinky, she doen't always make her rolls.  She does a damn good job at what she's designed to do and it feels good.   Monday's game session was great - went fast, we went through a lot of dungeon, and almost all the players are finally clicking with their characters.  The DM was happy, too!


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## Jeremy (Jun 12, 2002)

Ah the wonderful feeling of accomplishment when a well designed character fits a niche and is useful.

Wonderful feeling to help out, work together, and each be successful at your appointed task, no?

Like an elite special forces team, each has their area of expertise and when they all work together they are an efficient strike team that is able to get in, accomplish their objectives, and get out with a minimum of wasted movement.


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## Pielorinho (Jun 12, 2002)

I agree that a wand of bull's strength could be a great idea.  

Cons:
-slightly more expensive (4500 gp vs. 4000 gp)
-finite uses
-must be activated, making it less useful if you're not expecting a fight.

Pros:
-At least half the time, it'll be significantly better than the gauntlet.  If you have an odd-number strength score, it'll be significantly better 75% of the time.
-You can distribute the bonus amongst your party members -- especially nice for tough fights that you know about ahead of time.
-The three-hour duration will probably be all you'll need for a single foray into the dungeon.
-It doesn't take up an item slot.

One final alternative you could consider:  purchase a 2nd-level pearl of power for your friendly local cleric, which she'll use for casting bull's strength on you every morning.  Same cost as the gauntlets, infinite uses, probably imparts a better bonus than the gauntlets would, has a better duration than the wand (assuming your cleric is higher than third level), and is flexible in usage.  Disadvantages:  it's still not always on, meaning that it won't be useful if you're ambushed; and you don't have as much flexibility in using "charges" as you would have with a wand.

Daniel


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## dcollins (Jun 12, 2002)

As usual, I'll chime in and point out that changing the form of a magic item isn't free under the Core Rules.

- The "New Item" rules are intended for use by DMs, not players (DMG p. 243).
- Inventing a "new item" is supposed to be "in the same way that PC spellcaster can research a new spell" (DMG p. 178).
- Researching a new spell costs "1,000 gp per week and takes one week per level of the spell" (DMG p. 42).


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## Ashtal (Jun 12, 2002)

Well, it was 'free' as far as my GM was concerned. 

As for the race - sorry for not answering earlier - I twinked out and chose Elf, for the Spot, Listen and Search bonuses, as well as the whole Secret Door and +2 to Dex.


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## Omegium (Jun 12, 2002)

Isn't there a +2 strength Ioun stone in the core rules?
It will cost you a bit more but it doesn't spend a slot.


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## Ashtal (Jun 12, 2002)

The cost was near to the DM imposed maximum on how much I could spend on one item. 

He ended up letting me get the +2 Cha Cape, but as an Amulet.  Now, she's perfect.  All her bases covered.


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