History Main / SetBonus

* In ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'', simply wearing one of the two Silver Slippers (Ruby in the movie) is enough to give the wearer near complete invulnerability to magical attack and physical harm. Having both gives the wearer wish granting abilities close to a 3 or 4 on the SuperWeight scale.

* The Meta-Nanites from ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'', one lets you control [[PlayingWithFire tempe]][[AnIcePerson rature]], one lets you control [[ShockAndAwe energy]], one lets you control [[GravityMaster Gravity]], one lets you control [[TimeMaster Time]], and the last one [[EvilKnockoff imitates]] [[ShapeshifterWeapon Rex's powerset]]. Each one is at least a class 3 on the super weight scale but linked through Rex they are at least a class 5 if not class 7.
* The Elements of Harmony from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', individually they are just jewelry but together they can perform feats such as [[WorldHealingWave world healing waves]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', the Eye of Odin, the Phoenix Gate, and the Grimoire Acanorum are also known as the Three Keys of Power. Each is already a powerful artifact. Bringing all three together unlocks vast magical power. The spell responsible for the Gargoyles' MagicPants was cast by a mage who possessed the Three Keys of Power at the behest of Caesar Augustus since he found the nudity of awakening Gargoyles distasteful. In the actual animated series the Archmage's EvilPlan was to obtain the Eye of Odin and the Phoenix Gate (he already had the Grimoire) to gain ultimate power. By the end of the animated series [[spoiler:all three are lost forever. The Grimoire (which the Archmage ate to absorb it) destroys itself and the Archmage from within after he could no control its power due to losing the Eye. Odin reclaims his missing Eye. Goliath hurls the Phoenix Gate into the timestream to prevent anyone from using it again.]] In the comics [[spoiler:the Gate is broken and releases the actual Phoenix that was imprisoned inside it. Later comics reveal that a new set of artifacts has supposedly appeared as the new Three Keys to Power, though they have not been revealed.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' season 1 has the bad guys looking for 12 magical talismans in order to release the demon Shendu from imprisonment. Each talisman has its own power, and several of them work well together:
** Jade is fond of pointing out the Rooster's [[MindOverMatter Levitation]] and the Rabbit's {{Super Speed}} combine to create {{flight}}.
** The Horse's {{Healing|Factor}} and the Dog's {{Immortality|Inducer}} might seem redundant at first, but having only the latter doesn't stop you from feeling pain.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', the Eye of Odin, the Phoenix Gate, and the Grimoire Acanorum are also known as the Three Keys of Power. Each is already a powerful artifact. Bringing all three together unlocks vast magical power. The spell responsible for the Gargoyles' MagicPants was cast by a mage who possessed the Three Keys of Power at the behest of Caesar Augustus since he found the nudity of awakening Gargoyles distasteful. In the actual animated series the Archmage's EvilPlan was to obtain the Eye of Odin and the Phoenix Gate (he already had the Grimoire) to gain ultimate power. By the end of the animated series [[spoiler:all three are lost forever. The Grimoire (which the Archmage ate to absorb it) destroys itself and the Archmage from within after he could no control its power due to losing the Eye. Odin reclaims his missing Eye. Goliath hurls the Phoenix Gate into the timestream to prevent anyone from using it again.]] In the comics [[spoiler:the Gate is broken and releases the actual Phoenix that was imprisoned inside it.]]

%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1640304746077125000

!!Examples:

[[folder:Film]]

* In ''{{LightNovel/Slayers}}'', Lina has four magical amplifiers (that she bought off of Xellos) that work better in tandem than separately.

* Quite a few games have a scoring mechanism where a value of a set of cards increases faster than the number of cards. For instance, the point value of a set of Palace Guards in ''Guillotine'' or a set of unique artifacts in ''Stone Age'' equals the ''square'' (1, 4, 9, etc) of the number collected.

** If all five Exodia cards are in the graveyard, the player can use "Contract with Exodia" to special summon "Exodia Necross", an invincible zombie that gets stronger every turn. The only way to get rid of it is to remove one of the Exodia cards from the graveyard.

** Kyle Rayner (pictured) learns the [[AllYourPowersCombined benefits]] and the [[SuperPowerMeltdown downsides]] of using a ring of every color in the ComicBook/{{New 52}}. He later learns how to invoke this with a single ring, which leads to becoming a [[SuperMode White Lantern]].

* The "objects" in ''Series/TheLostRoom'' can be lethal on their own, but when one person has more than one they tend to become obscenely powerful. One particular combination of objects can potentially create a localized rip in space-time.

* In one episode of ''Series/WhiteCollar'', a thief was collecting a set of jade elephants that became much more valuable when all of them were sold together. Neal tried to lure her in by offering to team up so they could sell the full set and split the profits.

* The ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' board game ''Master Trainer'' gives you a bonus if you collect Pokémon from the same evolutionary line. If you have two of them, the highest evolution gets a +3 attack bonus, and if you have 3, the highest gets a +5. The game leaves it up to house rules what to do if you get more of the Eeveelutions than just Eevee and an evolved form, since it's the only set in the game with more than 3 members and no defined "highest" evolution[[note]]the game was produced in Gen I, and the Eevee family was the only "branched evolution" in the franchise at the time[[/note]].
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'':
** The most ubiquitous example is the "Urzatron" lands: Urza's Mine, Urza's Tower, and Urza's Power Plant. They give one mana each normally, but if you control all three, you get a total of seven mana from them.
** ''Visions'' had Feral Shadow, Breathstealer, and Urborg Panther. Sacrifice all three of them to bring Spirit of the Night into play directly from your deck.
** Having Helm, Shield, and Sword of Kaldra all in play (each a strong card in their own right) and you can put a 4/4 legendary token creature (aptly named Kaldra) into play and attach all three of them to it for a much lower cost than attaching individually.
** A storyline example appears in the ''Weatherlight'' Saga. The Legacy was Urza's ultimate weapon against Yawgmoth. Described as thought given purpose, the Legacy was a collection of artifacts and beings that was constantly changing and evolving, even incorporating artifacts that Urza didn't intend into its design. In card form, the [[https://magiccards.info/query?q=%21Legacy+Weapon Legacy Weapon]] is a single artifact card that can remove any permanent from the game. One of the artwork variants displays all of the artifacts that made up the Legacy. Nearly all of the component artifacts have cards of their own, too.
* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'':
** The five Exodia cards are worthless on their own. Get all five in your hand, and you automatically win the game. [[note]]They have to be in your hand; somehow managing to get all five onto the field, while an impressive feat, does nothing.[[/note]]
** There are dozens of archetypes that entire decks can be built around (Six Samurai, Laval, Ice Barrier, Evol, Archfiends...)
** If all five Exodia cards are in the graveyard, the player can use "Contract with Exodia" to special summon "Exodia Necross", an invincible zombie that gets stronger every turn. The only way to get rid of it is to remove one of the Exodia cards from the graveyard.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
** Fourth Edition has the Adventurer's Vault 2, which offers a few item sets. Most are the typical matched armor and/or weapon sets that gain additional bonuses when a character has more pieces of the set equipped. There are also a few 'group' sets which have similar bonuses for each member of the adventuring party using them.
** 3.5 introduced non-artifact set items in the Magic Item Compendium, though the original D&D set items are probably the Regalia of Might, printed in Eldritch Wizardry in 1976. 3 alignment specific sets consisting each of a Rod, an Orb and a Crown. All three were powerful artifacts in their own right, and made stronger when brought together. The Hand and Eye of Vecna probably also count.
** Also originating in Eldritch Wizardry, and possibly D&D's UrExample, is the Rod of Seven Parts. In its backstory, it was originally the Rod of Law, wielded by the Wind Dukes of Aaqa against the [[EldritchAbomination Queen of Chaos]], and shattered in the climactic battle of the first war of [[OrderVersusChaos Law vs Chaos]], banishing the Queen's lover [[TheDragon Mishka the Wolf-Spider]], [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Prince of Demons]] and decimating both armies, forcing a stalemate. Each part had a separate power, groups of parts added more and greater powers, and nearly unparalleled abilities were available to a wielder who united all the parts. Since it was impossible to completely repair it, though, using the unified powers carried a chance of re-shattering the Rod and re-scattering its parts (with the side effect of CriticalExistenceFailure for the overly ambitious invoker). The words used to activate its parts were given as "Ruat," "Caelum," "Fiat," "Justitia," "Ecce," "Lex," and "Rex." The EasterEgg being that, as a Latin phrase, those words translate as "Though heaven fall, let justice be done. Behold! Law is king!"
* Quite a few games have a scoring mechanism where a value of a set of cards increases faster than the number of cards. For instance, the point value of a set of Palace Guards in ''Guillotine'' or a set of unique artifacts in ''Stone Age'' equals the ''square'' (1, 4, 9, etc) of the number collected.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Citadels}}'', having all five types of districts in your city will give you bonus points in the final count.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Jaipur}}'', one of your actions is selling a number of matching goods. If you sell at least three goods at once, you gain a bonus token, with its value depending on how much you sold.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Item (particularly, armor) sets in ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' and ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' give you set bonuses if you wear some or all of them at once.
** ''Diablo III'' has a special ring whose sole purpose is to reduce the number of items needed to activate the different bonuses for a set, allowing players to mix and match sets.
* ''VideoGame/{{Dislyte}}'': Equipping all items part of a Relic Set (4 for a 4-Piece/UNA set, 2 for a 2-Piece/MUI set) on an Esper will grant them a bonus depending on the Relic Set in question. For example, ''War Machine'' increases the attack stat by 30% while ''Wind Walker'' will increase speed by 25%.
* Armor in ''Franchise/DragonAge'' gives additional bonuses if it forms a matching set.
** Certain weapon combos do the same, such as Maric's Sword and Cailan's Shield. Most fall into that sword-and-board type, but the expansion ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' offers up a sword and dagger set bonus for dual wielders.
** Certain rings also provide additional benefits when paired together.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' has an armor set for Hawke to be collected for every chapter of the game, and one in both DLC campaigns. The final act 3 set is Hawke's iconic Champion Armor.
* ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' has a lot of these. Many equipment items have a property that, if you have three (or, in some cases, four) items with the same property equipped, you get a bonus effect.
* In ''VideoGame/HyperLightDrifter'' this is {{Inverted}}. Finding the corpse of a fallen warrior rewards the Drifter with the whole set of equipment at once: their [[AllEncompassingMantle cloak]], [[LaserBlade sword]] and [[RobotBuddy drone]]. All give the same beneficial effect, but it does not stack, so it is better to mix items from three different sets.
* ''VideoGame/MagicRampage'': Using items with the same magic-type incur damage bonuses.
* ''[[VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}} Onmyōji]]'': Equipping a ''[[{{Mon}} shikigami]]'' with two similar ''mitama'' gives a great boost in a certain stats, while four of the same type gives special effect unique to each type.
* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' uses this a lot. There are certain sets of clothing that boost the amount of experience you gain in skills. Wearing the entire set will raise the boost above just the sum of its parts. Additionally, certain armour sets will grant boosts to your combat stats, or grant access to special attacks, but only if every piece is worn.
* The Seven Chaos Emeralds in nearly all ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' games; which are usually valuable to the player only when they are all collected. Originally, [[PlotCoupon collecting them]] unlocked the GoodEnding, and in later games the TrueFinalBoss. They became very notable during the end of the classic era, when collecting all seven bestowed a SuperMode on Sonic or an ally during actual gameplay (''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'' had the Super Emeralds -- collecting all of ''those'' induced an even greater Super Mode). Individually, they rarely serve as anything more important than a PlotCoupon, maybe they might even allow for CutscenePowerToTheMax, but in terms of functional gameplay, nada. The exception is Chaos Control, a teleportation technique that requires possession of at least one Chaos Emerald, though [[GameplayAndStorySegregation this rule isn't consistently followed in gameplay]].
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** The ''Zelda'' series in general has the three parts of the Triforce. They are three magical artifacts which were created by the 3 Goddesses themselves. Each fragment supposedly contains the essence of the goddess that created it: Power, Wisdom and Courage. When all three parts are combined, it forms a completed Triforce which will grant the wish of the first person to touch it. However, if that person has an unequal balance of Power, Wisdom or Courage, they will only receive the essence they value most (Ganondorf treasured Power, so that's all he got). The other two parts will then seek out champions which most exemplify the other two traits (Zelda has Wisdom and Link has Courage) to defend itself. It's only when all of the champions have been defeated (or willingly surrender their Triforce piece) that the complete Triforce will reappear and the wish can finally be granted.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': The Fused Shadows. Individually, each fragment holds a dark power that can warp the mind of whoever comes in contact with them. However, it is only when the four are combined that their true power can be called forth.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'':
*** Certain sets of armor provide set bonus effects when you wear all parts; for instance, the Stealth set will boost your maximum running speed at night, while armor that gives resistance to a certain type of damage (such as heat, fire, or cold) will give full immunity to it instead. Most need you to upgrade them twice from the Great Fairies beforehand.
*** Combining multiple food types with the same buff will yield a stronger result than using multiple items of the same type. For example, a dish made with multiple ingredients with the "mighty" prefix, which boosts attack power, will give a larger attack boost than a dish made with only one.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Vindictus}}'', each armor suit has a couple of stats that increase incrementally as you put on more pieces, on top of the bonus the pieces themselves give you. This is why you will rarely see a Vindictus player wearing [[RainbowPimpGear mix-and-match armor]].
* In ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', many "Gatito" brand pins only function in battle if the player can collect all the pins in a set. The "Darklit Planets" set (comprising six pins) is an exception as each ''can'' be used individually, but they power up significantly if the player has all six. [[GuideDangIt Which is no easy task]], [[BraggingRightsReward and involves beating the]] BonusBoss [[HarderThanHard on the highest difficulty]].
%%* ''[[Website/GaiaOnline zOMG]]'': ring sets.
* ''KingdomsOfCamelot'' on Facebook has a full set bonus now that the last of the four Guardians has been released. Only one Guardian can be active at a time, but unlocking all four gives the player a bonus, likely either resources or items for use in-game.
* This is the idea of set bonuses for the Invention Origin Enhancements in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes''. A character can only have one of each part of the set in a single power and with each piece added another stat bonus is unlocked. These bonuses are special in that they affect all powers on that character and each bonus can be stacked up to five times as it is possible to use most sets in multiple powers. It is also possible to use more two or three partial sets in the same power in order to create all sorts of set bonus mixes (though usually the best bonuses require having most or all pieces of one set.)
** Further on in the game, as more and more sets became available, partial sets became the norm rather than the exception: using two or three sets which maximized as many stats as possible (and, preferably, gave the ever-coveted +Recharge Rate or +Defense).
* A minor example, but in the second ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' Expansion, Hordes of the Underdark, if you can find and equip all of Lord Nasher's lost equipment, they each become far more powerful.
* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' features multiple sets of armor made out of various different materials. If you wear a complete set of armor made out of a single type of material (all iron armor, all [[MeteoricIron meteor]] armor, all {{mythril}} armor, etc.), then you get a set bonus. The mid-to-late game armors generally have some very nice set bonuses on them, such as extra melee power, more mana, or increased movement speed. Even in the early game, it's generally better to wear a complete set of armor made from one material (i.e. a full set of copper armor is better than if you had two pieces of copper armor and one piece of iron). With the introduction of hardmode and its new materials, each set of armor made from those materials has three different headpieces you can pick from, each of which will improve your skills with either melee combat, ranged weapons, or magic.
* In ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'': ''[[ExpansionPack Wrath of the Lamb]]'', acquiring 3 out of 4 specific cat-related items[[note]]these being Guppy's Tail, Guppy's Head, Guppy's Paw and Dead Cat.[[/note]] in a single playthrough will [[spoiler:transform Isaac into his deceased cat, Guppy]]. Not only it makes you look [[LethalJokeCharacter hilarious]] / [[BadassAdorable adorable]], but it grants you [[spoiler:the abilities to [[IBelieveICanFly fly]] and [[MookMaker spawn blue flies]] whenever you hit enemies]]. Needless to say, it is an incredibly nifty bonus.
** In the remake, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, and its expansions (Afterbirth and Afterbirth+), there are more of these introduced, on top of the returning Guppy transformation (Whose pool of items has been expanded a bit with Guppy's Collar and Guppy's Hair Ball), although the most unique of these has to be Super Bum, which doesn't transform Isaac himself, but rather has the Bum Friend, Dark Bum and Key Bum perform a FusionDance. This particular transformation doubles the rewards for each Bum. You can find a full list of transformations in Rebirth and its expansions [[https://bindingofisaacrebirth.gamepedia.com/Transformations here.]]
* ''VideoGame/EnterTheGungeon'' uses a downplayed version with Synergy bonuses. Most items in the game gain a bonus effect if you're also holding an item that triggers the Synergy bonus, although many of them only work for one item and not the other. Some of these bring even mediocre guns into GameBreaker territory. [[spoiler:And The Gunslinger's starting item automatically gives every gun all its Synergy bonuses.]]
* In ''VideoGame/TitanQuest'' you can find certain items that, just like in Diablo, can form a set and give you bonuses if you wear more and more of them. They can be both blue (rare) and on Epic and Legendary, Purple (mythic). Plus, certain item sets works better on certain classes. Last but not least, thanks to the Caravans from the Expansion is possible to pass parts of these sets to other player. In short, is easier to collect all the sets and give them to the most suitable character.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Drakensang}}'', as part of the plot you have to collect all the parts of the Fire Armor (which is, helm, gloves, boots, greaves, armor, shield and InfinityPlusOneSword. The last one depends on the main character's WeaponOfChoice).
* Certain armor in ''VideoGame/{{Torchlight}}'' does this. It actually tells you a) that it's in a set, b) the name of the set, and c) what bonuses you'll get for getting more pieces.
* Expansion packs to ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic III'' introduced these, as certain sets of items when equipped result in [[GameBreaker absurdly powerful]] bonuses. In fact, two of the campaigns in Shadow of Death revolve around [[MacGuffinDeliveryService gathering those]]... for the BigBad. Another campaign revolves around ''splitting'' one. The campaign that ties all of the stories together revolves around the heroes' efforts to reunite the divided set to counter the ones owned by the BigBad.
** The initial concept of the 'combination artifacts' was introduced in the expansion to Heroes ''II''. The main difference -- and why it counts as less this trope than the Heroes III ones -- was that the combination was ''irreversible'' (in terms of gameplay, if not the story). Of course, storywise it is still a sword, an armor and a helmet, it just takes up a single inventory slot instead of three and grants the powers of all three artifacts (and an additional bonus).
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has an armor set for each class for each tier or season for both [[PlayerVersusPlayer PVP]] and PVE. That's a lot of sets.
** There are also sets you can craft, and sets that can get dropped. There are also sets of 2 items, 3 items, 4 items, etc... including one set that's nothing but two one-handed weapons.
** Used to be played straight with ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'''s item sets which grant increasing bonuses the more items from a given set are equipped. Downplayed nowadays so that people would actually have a choice of equipment; a typical set has 5 parts with bonuses awarded for 2 and 4 matching items, while before the Burning Crusade expansion sets had 8 parts and all were required to get the best bonus.
* Having three matching viviosaurs of a set on your team in ''VideoGame/FossilFighters'' is necessary for using their team attacks. What makes a set varies, but it can be things like similar styles, diets, or elements.
* In ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'', you get bonus points for your HRA score by collecting pieces of furniture sets, themes, and series.
* ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'' Also used the set equipment variant, usually giving the character a lesser weight penalty.
* In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'', depending on their version, the player gets an item that lets them capture either Kyogre or Groudon. Regardless of which one they caught, however, Oak's reaction is to state that he thinks of the pair as a set, and wonders if you can capture the other one. However, [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo you can only capture one of the pair in each version]] -- and [[GuideDangIt the next event won't be triggered by any]] ''[[GuideDangIt normal]]'' [[GuideDangIt Groudon/Kyogre]] -- you ''specifically'' need one who was lured in and caught by the exclusive HG/SS item.
** There's also Plusle and Minun (and in later games, a handful of other Electric-types), who get a stat boost when they're paired together in a Double Battle.
* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankSizeMatters'' has armor pieces that can be discovered while playing through the levels. Collecting and equipping a matching set confers an additional bonus, such as adding acid or fire to your melee attacks. There are also certain other armor groups that are combinations of armor pieces from different sets, so it also averts this trope. In fact, the best armor combo, [[http://ratchet.wikia.com/wiki/Stalker_Armor Stalker Armor]], is an aversion, since it's made from the Wildfire Helmet, Chameleon Body Armor and Boots, and Sludge Mk. 9 Gloves, and grants ''96%'' damage reduction.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' - collecting a special set of equipment for Pierre turns him from JokeCharacter to LethalJokeCharacter.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII'' and ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' uses this during the Style Contests in Litorud. Matching certain weapons, armor and accessories together (like [[PlayboyBunny Bunny Ears, Bunny Suit, Fishnet Stockings, and a Silver Tray]], all-Zenithian gear or the Boxer Shorts and Pot Lid and nothing else) gives you bonus points for coordination.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' has two different kinds of set bonuses. The first and by far the most common type requires that all pieces of a particular set be equipped in order to get the effect, which for the most part isn't worth it, though the Usukane Haramaki set is fantastically powerful for Monks and Puppetmasters, and the full Perle Hauberk set is good for Dragoons and Dark Knights. The second type, used only in Campaign armour, allows for a partial bonus if two or more pieces of the set are equipped. Unfortunately, Campaign armour is so underpowered that even this doesn't make it useful. RainbowPimpGear still rules the day for the majority of jobs. This has changed in later addons, as armor from Ambuscade, for example, also have the cumulative bonuses for each piece of armor after the first and are rather powerful pieces.
* ''VideoGame/TheLordOfTheRingsOnline'' has sets of armor, sets of jewlery, and sets that are a mix of both. However, some class-specific armor sets have a bonus for all six pieces, such as a 10% chance of instantly cooling down an ability .
* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriorsGundam'' gives stat bonuses for equipping parts made by the same inventor, and special skills for equipping multiples of the same part type.
* You get a one-time bonus in ''VideoGame/RiseOfNations'''s Conquer-The-Entire-World campaign for controlling a complete continent.
* Outfits in ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' often have extra effects. For example, the [=eXtreme=] Cold-Weather Gear gives you a big boost to cold resistance, while the Clockwork Apparatus causes you to gain a beneficial effect instead of taking damage if you fumble a basic attack. To get the outfit bonus, you must be wearing every piece of the outfit. This also brings with it a change in your avatar.
* In ''VideoGame/BillyVsSNAKEMAN'', some teams of allies have extra bonuses on top of individual ally bonuses. Wearing all three pieces of a cosplay set during [[UnexpectedGameplayChange BillyCon]] gives you that set's "combo", a fourth cosplay piece for all intents and purposes.
* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' has every set of armor only provide bonus skills and resistances when the full 5-piece set is worn--or at least combined with equipment that gives similar skills. Later installments change this up by requiring only a few pieces from a set, but not all.
* In ''VideoGame/{{AdventureQuest}}'', mastercraft items have a set bonus--for example, the Golden set having you heal half the damage you deal on a special attack. These are usually synched with the abilities of the items in the set. For example, the Golden set was meant for durability, hence the healing, Another notable example would be the Awe set, which gives you the ability to stun your target on an attack, which when combined with it's other StoneWall properties, would give you more chances to turn on [[OneHitKO Power Word Die]] which had a 1% chance. Most others just enhance one of the set's items with higher rates or an added effect.
* ''VideoGame/{{Flyff}}'' had the green items (which were not green, but had their name in green). Usually people would only wear green items because their bonuses and the amount of time you could use them was far greater than the normal items. Of course they were also really expensive.
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' used these, with one for every class but TheEngineer. They were quite blatant RevenueEnhancingDevices, being difficult to [[ItemCrafting craft in game]] and being offered in a bundle for a discount. The second wave of sets didn't require the themed hat to get the bonus, so they are more feasible to collect without spending real money. As of the July 10, 2013 update, however, the original eight sets no longer affect gameplay, changing this from set bonus to a CosmeticAward which leave [[CallingCard specialized markers]] whenever you get a kill while using them.
** This was parodied by the "Dual-Purpose Fruit" set, of which one component is actually a long existing item, as the effect is "Reduces the chance of hunger by 13%". [[MetaphoricallyTrue 0 is in fact equal to 87% of 0.]]
** An unusual version that's just barely not a CosmeticAward: the promotional items from ''VideoGame/AlienIsolation'' include a set of items for the Pyro which, together, make his primary weapon ''specifically'' more damaging to Scout's wearing the other item set (a Xenomorph costume) at the cost of taking more melee damage from them. This basically lets people with each set cosplay at [[Film/{{Alien}} Ripley and the Alien]] without affecting anyone else.
* ''Franchise/MegaMan''
** ''VideoGame/MegaManX'''s armor system in ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'' allows him to interchange parts between the two armors, Icarus and Hermes. However, if he instead equips a complete set, a special ability of that armor will be available for use: Icarus comes with the series' trademark [[SmartBomb Giga Attack]], while Hermes has the [[HourOfPower X-Drive]], increasing the capabilities of the Hermes armor further.
** The Junk Armor in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero4'' comes in three pieces: head, body and legs. Only when Zero equips all three parts should the armor's ability be in effect: [[GlassCannon doubling his attack power while halving his defense]].
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** In-universe, it is implied that [[OurDwarvesAreDifferent Dwemer/Dwarven]] armor works like this, or at least used to work like this. The Dwemer were an [[SchizoTech extremely technologically advanced]] race of {{Naytheist}}s, whose many creations include MechaMooks of all shapes and sizes (right up to full blown {{Humongous Mecha}}s). According to some theories, what modern people know as "Dwemer armor" is actually the mechanical exoskeleton of their most advanced "animunculi". A humanoid wearer can be encased within, where it seals and basically becomes a sort of PowerArmor. However, since their [[RiddleForTheAges disappearance]], whatever their intended purpose, modern peoples wear the pieces as quality heavy armor. (A quest-reward perk in ''Skyrim'' is meant to provide such a bonus in-game, but [[GoodBadBugs actually just gives you a permanent armor bonus whatever you're wearing]].)
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', the Heavy Armor and Light Armor perk trees each have a perk that provides a large boost to your Armor Rating for wearing four pieces of Heavy or Light Armor respectively, as well as a second perk that provides ''another'' large boost if those four pieces make up a matching set. In the ''Dragonborn'' [=DLC=], the enchantments on each piece of the Deathbrand armor set become stronger if you wear the other pieces of the set. The enchantments on the scimitars Bloodscythe and Soulrender become stronger if they are wielded together. This also complements the Deathbrand set nicely, since the Deathbrand Gauntlets increase damage done by dual wielding weapons.
** ''Videogame/TheElderScrollsOnline'''s endgame equipment is all about getting the best sets for your role. Although most of them give bonus stats if some of their pieces are worn together, having all of them usually grants a unique effect, like a chance to summon a floating sword to do damage for you or turning your UnnecessaryCombatRoll into an actual RollingAttack.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' gave bonuses depending on who was in your party, usually if they were part of a team like ComicBook/TheAvengers or the ComicBook/FantasticFour. Or if you group up people with similar traits, like the "[[YouFightLikeACow Please Stop Talking!]]" group.
* ''VideoGame/FortuneStreet'' is similar in nature to ''Monopoly''. Collecting all of the same color command tiles results in a 50% increase in all of the tiles in that color's value. It also showed up in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' has a minigame called Command Board.
* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' has a number of item sets that follow this trope. All but one consist of three items (from September 2012 onward. Before there had been a four-item set), with the exception consisting of two items (several ''list'' four items, but this is because Romulan Singularity Cores and Warpcores are mutually exclusive and can only be used on specific ships, so any core-including set has to have both as alternatives). Generally one power is added when two items are combined, and a second when three are combined (some sets also grant an additional power at that point if used on the right ship).
* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' has the Alucar'''t''' items (not to be confused with the powerful Alucar'''d''' items that you start the game with and [[ATasteOfPower quickly have stolen from you]]): the Alucart Sword, Shield, and Mail. On their own, they have pitiful stats and no special properties. Equip them all at once and they grant you +30 [[LuckStat LCK]], greatly increasing the chances of critical hits and [[RareDrop rare drop]]s.
* ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' has runes, which gives set bonuses when you apply them to your current armor. They come as minor runes (two bonuses if two are applied to your armor), major runes (four bonuses if four are applied to your armor) and superior runes (six bonuses if six are applied to your armor). Unlike most SetBonus examples however, you can just get one set bonus with only one rune. You will still need a full set to get all of the bonuses, however.
* In the ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' series, items have a specific "set" number, which determines if the item will be a common, a rare, or a legendary (lowest numbers=legendary). Equipping two or more items with the same number boosts the effectiveness of those items, with the boost getting progressively larger the more items match.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Elsword}}'', there are a few different types of sets. Upgraded equipment (with a purple name) and Secret Dungeon equipment (with a tan/"gold" name), most costumes (save for the earlier sets), and some accessories all receive set bonuses dependent on how many pieces you wear, usually a decent stat bonus but also some specialty effects, such as reduced damage from certain enemies or even an extra level to certain skills.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Toukiden}}'', equipping a matched suit of armour (usually items sharing a name) will grant passive bonuses, such as extra health or elemental damage resistance. In addition, equipping Mitama[[note]]Sprits of people devoured by the Oni, and later liberated[[/note]] that were related to one another in life (say, spouses, siblings, or even just people from the same era) will grant bonuses.
* In ''Videogame/{{Hand of Fate}}'', the Skeleton King Ring and Dragon Ring grant effects if and only if all other items from their respective sets are equipped.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' games have a long history of this, particularly [[VideoGame/UltimaVIIPartII Serpent Isle]] which could be completed only by assembling the full Serpent Armor.
* In ''VideoGame/TwentyXX'', you get a special ability for acquiring the four Core Augments of a given set: Dracopent (primary weapon DPS) makes all your attacks charged by default, Armatort (durability) makes you immune to damage caused by a lot of stage hazards, Owlhawk (power DPS) gives all of your powers special bonus effects (Fireshield gets double the number of fireballs, for example), and Oxjack (mobility) gives you a triple air dash.
* Guns in ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' and ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel'' work like this. All guns consist of a body which determines the manufacturer of the gun as a whole, and several other parts which affect its stats. These parts each have their own manufacturer as well. For example, a pistol with a Bandit barrel gets a boost to damage but its accuracy is lower. However, if the manufacturer of a part matches the manufacturer of the body, the gun gets an additional bonus. For example, a pistol with matching barrel gets a boost to damage, which means a Bandit pistol with a Bandit barrel gets its damage boosted twice over. This ends up being the bane of [[MinMaxing min-maxers]] who want the best possible equipment for their character, since its not enough to farm a boss over and over until they finally give you their rare drop, you have to farm multiple copies of that rare drop until you get one with as many matching parts as possible.
** The Commander Lilith DLC of 2 introduces the Effervescent gear rarity, several of which have bonuses when used together in certain locations. For example: the Hard Carry relic, the Easy Mode shield and the Peak Opener rifle all have effects that only activate when equipped while in the [[PeninsulaOfPowerLeveling Digistruct Peak]] map.
* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey''has a number of Legendary tiered armor sets that have a special bonus activate when worn together. Notably, each armor set is divided among members of the various branches of the AncientConspiracy you're fighting, so taking out an entire branch is required to complete the set(which helpfully upgrades all parts of the set to the current level as well).
* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'' has a number of custom armor sets called Witcher Gear you can obtain. While each set is designed around amplifying different types of damage (Cat empathizes light attacks, Bear empathizes heavy attacks, etc), there are stat bonuses for having 3 and 6 pieces of a given armor set equipped.
* In ''VideoGame/DotaUnderlords'', having multiple heroes that belong to the same alliance will trigger some kind of special bonus. For example, Assassins gain a chance to perform a CriticalHit, and Primordials spawn an Eidolon when they die. In most cases, the more different heroes you have, the stronger the bonus.
* ''VideoGame/GrimDawn'': Epic and Legendary items can form sets similar to the Diablo model. Some sets grant new skills for having the full set, such as the Oathbreaker set giving a chance to shoot a fireball in place of a normal attack.
* If you wear all the pieces of a costume in ''VideoGame/HungrySharkWorld'', then you'll get a strong bonus that's often related to the costume's theme. For example, if you wear all the parts of the bunny outfit - it'll cause your pets to grow to large size. Individual parts of the bunny outfit will give your shark a bonus to bite damage.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', using two warp whistles at once (that is, using a warp whistle while already in the Warp Zone) takes you directly to World 8, the final world.
* In ''VideoGame/MonsterBoyAndTheCursedKingdom'' every single piece of equipment belongs to a set, with a special bonus provided if you're wearing the fully upgraded complete set. Ironically doing this can actually render the intended [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One equipment]] second class, as another set has a far more useful stat ability.
* Artifacts in ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' tend to come in sets of five. Equipping two of the same set grants you one bonus while four of the same set garners a second bonus.
* ''[[VideoGame/MagicalVacation Magical Starsign]]'' features several sets that grant special skills once the full ensemble is equipped i.e the Cat set greatly increments agility, the Winged set allows the wearing to always act first in battle, and the Cash set increases money won from battles by 30%.
* ''{{VideoGame/Valheim}}'': Different armor sets have different effects, like the Root et increasing bow skill but slowing you down, the Fenris set increasing move speed and unarmed damage, the Troll set making you sneakier, etc.
* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'' has some mods come in sets. Set mods give a bonus whose efficiency is multiplied by the number of mods in the set you currently have equipped, encouraging you to equip more of that set's mods.
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* In ''Anime/TransformersArmada'', there are three sets of Mini-cons that fuse together to form the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Star Saber]], the [[ArmorOfInvincibility Skyboom Shield]], and the [[{{BFG}} Requiem Blaster]].
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': In the {{anime}} {{filler}} Gotei 13 Invasion arc, seven lieutenants and the filler heroine, Nozomi, are fighting one reigai captain, but don't have enough power to defeat him. Nozomi uses her shikai to absorb all seven lieutenants' zanpakutou powers to combine it with her own into a single attack. The captain is promptly one-shotted. The anime never offers any explanation for how this fusion magically turned "not enough power" into "more than enough power".
* In ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'', each of the ingredients in Acacia's Full Course apparently has amazing effects. Eating all of them together also grants the power to use Gourmet Cells at peak efficiency.

* ''{{VideoGame/Valheim}}'': Different armor sets hae different effects, like the Root et increasing bow skill but slowing you down, the Fenris set increasing move speed and unarmed damage, the Troll set making you sneakier, etc.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Darken}}'', the [[ArtifactOfDoom Regalia of Evil]] is comprised of a thorn crown, sword and gauntlet. By themselves, they have relatively minor effects. Get all three, and [[spoiler: they fuse with the wielder, who gets exponentially more powerful]].