Tolero asked me what my wish was, here is my response.

[Cowdenicus]

If I had but one wish what would I like to see? “If I had one wish I would like to see a complete change to the enhancement system.” While I like the system itself, the enhancements need to be completely revamped. You have situations where certain races specialize in as many as 5 weapons (dwarves) and some races that specialize in none (humans). That is something that needs to change. This has been a work in progress, but I guess this is as good a time as any to at least give a rough draft of it to the community to look at.

With that being said, a couple of caveats, I believe that the enhancements truly need to be moved away from a race based system for the most part, and move to a more based on feats system, with some class enhancements. The stat boosts are generally fine except the discrepancy of when humans get to choose their second stat increase, and I still believe the second increase should still only cost 2 AP because of the fact that it is only a +1 to a stat (and you cannot choose the same stat.) Dwarven Toughness and Armor Mastery would be out, in favor of that going feat related.

Class based enhancements should be few in my opinion. Fighter Armor Mastery, Turning for clerics and pallies, things of that nature that just kind of make sense.

To the lists:

Acrobatic- +2 to tumble and Jump
Acrobatic 1 increases the bonus to +3 (1 AP)
Acrobatic 2 increases the bonus to +4 (2 AP)

The following feats would work exactly as Acrobatic does above: Acrobatic, Alertness, Athletic, Negotiator, Nimble Fingers, Self Sufficient, and Stealthy.

Bullheaded- +1 to will save, +2 to intimidate
Bullheaded 1 increases intimidate (skill) to a +3 bonus (1 AP)
Bullheaded 2 increases the Will Save to +2 (save) (2 AP)

The following feats would work exactly as Bullheaded does above: Bullheaded, Discipline, and Snake Blood.

Cleave- (no explanation needed)
Cleave 1 reduces reuse timer of this skill by 10% (1 AP)
Cleave 2 reduces reuse timer of this skill by 25% (2 AP)

The following feats would work exactly as Cleave does above: Cleave, Great Cleave, Whirlwind Attack.

Combat Casting - +4 to concentration when damaged in combat.
Combat Casting 1 increases concentration to +6 (2 AP)

Dodge- +1 dodge bonus to AC
Dodge 1- increases bonus to +2 (2 AP)
Dodge 2- Increases bonus to +4 (4 AP)

Greater 2 Handed Fighting
Greater 2 Handed Fighting 1 -Increases base damage on a critical by 1 (2 AP)

Greater 2 Weapon Fighting
Greater 2 Weapon Fighting 1 – Increases base damage on a critical by 1 (2 AP)

Greater Weapon Focus: (type)- +1 to attack
Greater Weapon Focus: (type)-1 Increases bonus to attack to +2 (1 AP)

Greater Weapon Specialization (type)- +2 to damage.
Greater Weapon Specialization (type)-1 Increases damage to attacks to +4 (2 AP)

Improved Feint-
Improved Feint 1- Darkness envelops your enemy for 1 “additional” round allowing sneak attacks (2 AP)
Improved Feint 2- Your sneak attacks bypass Damage Reduction of your enemies for 1 round. (4 AP)
Improved Feint 3- You may sneak attack enemies that you would not normally be able to sneak attack against including constructs and undead but the ordeal leaves you winded for 5 rounds (30 seconds). (6 AP)

Improved Shield Bash.
Improved Shield Bash 1- You have offended the enemy you are fighting greatly with the use of such a move and as such your threat generated for the next round is doubled. (2 AP)

Improved Shield Mastery
Improved Shield Mastery 1- Your expert use of shields allows you a 15% bonus in DR while shield blocking and increases your maximum Dex bonus with a shield by 1 (2 AP)
Improved Shield Mastery 2- Your expert use of shields allows you a 25% bonus in DR while shield blocking and increases your maximum Dex bonus with a shield by 2 (4 AP)
Improved Shield Mastery 3- Your expert use of shields allows you a 33% bonus in DR while shield blocking and increases your maximum Dex bonus with a shield by 3 (6 AP)
Perfect Block- You are unrivaled with the use of a shield and as such when you shield block you only take half damage, but your focus is so great on the blocking with the shield it leaves you unable to attack for 3 seconds afterwards. (6 AP)

[Cowdenicus]

Improved 2 Handed Fighting-
Improved 2 Handed Fighting 1- damage rolls are increased by 2 (2 AP)

Improved 2 Weapon Fighting-
Improved 2 Weapon Fighting 1- damage rolls are increased by 2 (2 AP)

Iron Will- +2 to will saves
Iron Will 1: Increases saves bonus to +3 (1 AP)
Iron Will 2: Increases saves bonus to +4 (2 AP)

The following feats would work exactly as Iron Will does above: Iron Will and Lightning Reflexes.

Luck of Heroes- +1 to all saves
Luck of Heroes 1: increase bonus to +2 (2 AP)
Luck of Heroes 2: increase bonus to +3 (4 AP)

Mithral Fluidity-
Mithral Fluidity 1: Increases Dex bonus by 1 (2 AP)
Mithral Fluidity 2: Increases Dex bonus by 2 (4 AP)

Point Blank Shot:
Point blank shot 1: Increases damage by +1 (1 AP)
Point Blank Shot 2: Increases attack by 1 and damage by 1 (2 AP)

Power Attack:
This should work as it does now with the bonus that WF get to it…

Power Critical: +4 to confirm critical.
Power Critical 1: Your bonus becomes a stackable seeker bonus for the affects on damage (3 AP)
Power Critical 2: Your bonus becomes a +8 bonus (6 AP)

Rapid Shot-
Rapid Shot 1: You gain a 10% stackable Alacrity bonus to ranged attacks (2 AP)
Rapid Shot 2: You gain a 20% stackable Alacrity bonus to ranged attacks (4 AP)

Skill Focus:
Skill Focus 1: Your bonus to skill is doubled at a significant cost (6 AP)

2 Weapon Blocking:
For every cumulative AP spent on this your DR goes up by 1 while blocking.
2 Weapon Defense:
2 weapon Defense 1: Your AC is increased by 2 when wielding 2 weapons. (1 AP)
2 Weapon Defense 2: Your AC is increased by 3 when wielding 2 weapons. (2 AP)
2 Weapon Defense 3: Your AC is increased by 4 when wielding 2 weapons. (3 AP)
2 Weapon Defense 4: Your AC is increased by 5 when wielding 2 weapons. (4 AP)

Weapon Focus: (type) +1 to attack
Weapon Focus 1: +2 to attack (2 AP)
Weapon Focus 2: +3 to attack (4 AP)

Weapon Specialization (type): +2 to damage
Weapon Spec 1: +3 to Damage (2 AP)
Weapon Spec 2 +4 to Damage (4 AP)


For Meta magic Feats I honestly believe they should stay the same save one thing, if a class has the Meta magic feat, they should have access to the enhancements that improve it. As such I have left the Meta magic feats off of the list.

As long as the Energy lines remain on Casters and Clerics, Bards, Rangers and Pallies I see no reason to change Mental Toughness or Improved Mental Toughness.

Toughness is not listed in here because the current system I believe is entirely overpowered for toughness and as such it is my earnest belief it needs to be nerfed back down to what it was, then the enhancement opened up upon taking the feat, it also needs to be removed from the Dwarven race entirely.

The following feats were not included because of a lack of a suitable enhancement: All weapon proficiencies, all armor proficiencies, all warforged body feats, extra turning, Improved critical as expanding critical ranges save on raid gear at this point would be overpowered unless done as a PrC at significant cost, ManyShot, Mobility, Precision, Resist Poison, Shield Mastery, Spring Attack, 2 handed fighting, 2 weapon fighting, Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus.

That leaves exactly 2 caster type feats in the game. Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration. I would leave the feats exactly the same and put 2 tiers of enhancements in for both feats, that increases them by 1 for a price of 2 and 4 AP respectively.

Well if you have gone this far, you have read what I thought, what do you think?

[Kromize]

So, I see all this stuff, and I think....Where are the enhancements for sword 'n board? Buncha haters.

[Cowdenicus]

So, I see all this stuff, and I think....Where are the enhancements for sword 'n board? Buncha haters.

Improved Shield Bash, Improved Shield Mastery, and I would argue that Weapon focus and weapon specialization (including greater) is where I would look, yeah some of them help non sword and boarders but the shield mastery and shield bash i thought were tasty.

[Kromize]

I don't ever shield bash, and rarely block with my shield tho. I use it for the ac boost. (: hrmph... What about a shield mastery that add's bonus ac and damage reduction, like a constant shield block. Anyone who uses a shield should be able to learn to block, and fight at the same time...

[Yaga_Nub]

I was reading a bit about 4.0 and it seems that they like having racial enhancements to differentiate the races. I do agree though that most enhancements should be based on the feats not a race.

[Vhlad]

Considering it costs 2, 4, 6 to raise your max dex AC by 1, 2, 3 with current enhancements... I think the AC enhancements you suggested are overpowered, since they yield a greater bonus for less AP, and don't even require a high dex. We also have the flanking bonus to hit +1 enhancement line, which costs 2, 4, 6 to raise your to-hit bonus by 1, 2, 3 while flanking, which is substantially worse than your feat based to-hit suggestions.

But I agree with the basis of your idea. They just have to do it without marginalizing the current enhancements (otherwise they're not really creating new options; just replacing old ones). Back when the enhancement system was changed (module 3.3; march 2007), it was advertised as something done to help diversify the builds. 1 year later, we have gained 33.333% more AP (from 48 at lvl 12 to 64 at lvl 16) and did not see anything close to that kind of increase in enhancement options. So now a lot of people have exactly the same enhancements. I would love to be overloaded with enhancements, so the choices are tough, and the builds are truly more diverse, and also to reduce how often a class/build might have to choose silly enhancements to pump up their AP requirements for the ones they want.

Sword and board love:

Shield Defense:
Shield Defense 1: Your AC is increased by 1 when wielding a shield. (2 AP)
Shield Defense 2: Your AC is increased by 2 when wielding a shield. (4 AP)

Problem is that there is already a shield AC enhancement, which increases max dex for a shield by 1, 2, 3 for the cost of 2, 4, 6 AP. Basically the same AC increase for the same cost, but one requires dex. Maybe make shield defense require shield bash or actual proficiency in tower shield (or something) to even it out?

[Cowdenicus]

Considering it costs 2, 4, 6 to raise your max dex AC by 1, 2, 3 with current enhancements... I think the AC enhancements you suggested are overpowered, since they yield a greater bonus for less AP, and don't even require a high dex. We also have the flanking bonus to hit +1 enhancement line, which costs 2, 4, 6 to raise your to-hit bonus by 1, 2, 3 while flanking, which is substantially worse than your feat based to-hit suggestions.

But I agree with the basis of your idea. They just have to do it without marginalizing the current enhancements (otherwise they're not really creating new options; just replacing old ones). Back when the enhancement system was changed (module 3.3; march 2007), it was advertised as something done to help diversify the builds. 1 year later, we have gained 33.333% more AP (from 48 at lvl 12 to 64 at lvl 16) and did not see anything close to that kind of increase in enhancement options. So now a lot of people have exactly the same enhancements. I would love to be overloaded with enhancements, so the choices are tough, and the builds are truly more diverse, and also to reduce how often a class/build might have to choose silly enhancements to pump up their AP requirements for the ones they want.

It is always easier on my conscience for me to make them overpowered and have Mystic Theurge come in and nerf them.

I am Lawful Evil like that.

[rimble]

With that being said, a couple of caveats, I believe that the enhancements truly need to be moved away from a race based system for the most part, and move to a more based on feats system, with some class enhancements. The stat boosts are generally fine

There's absolutely no reason a Fighter should be more inclined to be Strength based versus Dexterity based. Or a Rogue Dexterity focused over Intelligence focus. We're suffering at the hands of what the Enhancement developer thinks we should be.

Perhaps ability point Enhancements can somehow be related to how you spend your Level Up ability points. Somehow basing them off of that choice would create a system that allows you to focus where you want, rather than restricting you to a place you don't want to be. In the most simple case, perhaps after you spend your Level 4 Ability Point, the Enhancement tree for that ability becomes available to you. Perhaps multiple trees will open if you spend your Level Up points on different abilities.

[VonBek]

Well if you have gone this far, you have read what I thought, what do you think?

Good ideas. I like the principle that enhancements would build on feats chosen, in addition to, or rather than Class choice. Perhaps some enhancements would be available sooner, where class merits. Anyone could take toughness, but perhaps melee centric classes get the enhancement benes sooner. (Like fighters getting the Repair enhancements before some others.)

I'd want some caution regarding scaling back racial enhancements. They help keep builds individualized as some character development resides with them. (Though, I never quite understood why Dwarves benefit from racial toughness, but WF do not. That always seemed counter intuitive. At least it never bothered me enough to sign a petition.)

If Turbine ever looks to overhaul the enhancement system (again) this would be a good thread for them to see.

[Shaamis]

If the enhancement system gets re-vamped, I would rather it be used to facilitate prestige classes, than these outlandish stat bumps, and outrageous spell enhancements.

The powers of prestige classes would fill the vacuum left with the lack of stat/spell/skill enhancements, and DDO can get a little closer to PnP.

[Cowdenicus]

If the enhancement system gets re-vamped, I would rather it be used to facilitate prestige classes, than these outlandish stat bumps, and outrageous spell enhancements.

The powers of prestige classes would fill the vacuum left with the lack of stat/spell/skill enhancements, and DDO can get a little closer to PnP.

Dont you have a barrel of ale to be passed out next to, wee dwarf...

[Shaamis]

Dont you have a barrel of ale to be passed out next to, wee dwarf...

Shaamis is in semi-retirement, practicing the dispensing of his vast wisdom, and when the time is right (May of this year) Shaamis will emerge as a Drunken-style fighting monk, complete with barrel of booze strapped to his back!

Shaamis "Kegtapper" BloodAxe will be back!

[Dimicron]

I like all these ideas, though I have to say that if it came down to a choice between these upgrades to the enhancements or druids, I would vote druids without even having to think about it