Can anyone tell me what or where the guidelines are for what magic items are appropriate for what level of character?
For example, at what level is it appropriate to get +2 (total enhancement bonus, including properties) weapons? +3?
How about for armor?
+2 stat item boosts?
+4 stat boosts?
Thanks in advance
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 16, 2010 Top 4
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Can anyone tell me what or where the guidelines are for what magic items are appropriate for what level of character?
WotC's Magic Item Compendium had excellent guidelines for just such a thing. Otherwise, the old stand-by of no item costing more than half a character's starting wealth is what my group used to use.
Can anyone tell me what or where the guidelines are for what magic items are appropriate for what level of character?WotC's Magic Item Compendium had excellent guidelines for just such a thing. Otherwise, the old stand-by of no item costing more than half a character's starting wealth is what my group used to use.
That would mean no +1 weapons until 4th level. Wow.
4th level magic item price limit would be 5,400gp/2 = 2,700gp.
That would mean no +1 weapons until 4th level. Wow.
4th level magic item price limit would be 5,400gp/2 = 2,700gp.
True, but if the cash were spent evenly you would be using masterwork items as well as having some potions and alchemical items. If you are using the Magic Item Compendium or the like then you likely have some other misc. magic items as well (Healing belt is the first magic item bought in the group that I run, for example).
Sean Mahoney
4th level for a +1 weapon strikes me as spot on. DR over magic starts showing up at CR 2 (Grick) and 3 (Gargoyle). If you were expected to have magic weapons at those CRs, it would make the DR mostly meaningless. As it stands, you have enough "adventuring time" in those CR ranges to realize how nasty Damage Reduction is, then you go and spend a lot of your money on a weapon to get by it.
4th level for a +1 weapon strikes me as spot on. DR over magic starts showing up at CR 2 (Grick) and 3 (Gargoyle). If you were expected to have magic weapons at those CRs, it would make the DR mostly meaningless. As it stands, you have enough "adventuring time" in those CR ranges to realize how nasty Damage Reduction is, then you go and spend a lot of your money on a weapon to get by it.
Agreed. Not to mention incorporeals.
DR and incorporealness might not be totally negated if only one person in the party has a magic item, leaving everyone else to struggle through those early-level obstacles; but I think it's better to wait. Dropping that +1 sword right of the bat doesn't just circumvent a lot of the challenge presented in the game via incorporeal opponents and those with DR. It also negates a lot of the usefulness of spells like magic weapon. The spell's simple +1 to attack and damage isn't steller even at 1st level. But the ability to damage extraordinary foes is. Also, force effects (primarily or exclusively magic missile in the core books) allow the party to overcome those opponents.
So it's not like the PCs can't win without a magical crutch to whack people with. Indeed, waiting to give them that magic (perhaps even as late as 5th level) seems to preserve (what I interpret as) the intended balance of the game through the low levels, and (I feel) encourages players to think about other spells and combat options than straight damage and augmentations thereto.
Well, I don't think there are hard and fast rules, because not everyone has the same needs.
There are guidelines like "no item should be worth more than half your total wealth" and so on.
I like the guideline that you should split up your wealth: Roughly 1/4 should to to weapons, 1/4 to armour, 1/4 to boosts, and 1/4 to whatever you think needs it most.
What exactly makes sense depends on what you actually need: A wizard (who only really needs int to be high) certainly can spend a stat booster than a monk who needs dex, con and wis. The wizard also needs no magic sword, so he can use that money for stuff like pearls of power or int boosters.
The wizard also needs no magic sword, so he can use that money for stuff like pearls of power or int boosters.
A wizard's "weapons" will most likely be wands for the first 5-7 levels (wand of acid splash for 375 gp, wand of color spray or ray of enfeeblement for 750 gp, etc.). Even in the middle levels, wands of some 2nd-4th level spells are useful (acid arrow, bear's endurance/bull's strength/cat's grace/fox's cunning, knock, scorching ray, summon swarm, fly, haste, heroism, ray of exhaustion, black tentacles, enervation, etc.). Considering that wands are relatively inexpensive compared to pearls of power (spell level x spell level x 1,000 gp to recall one spell) and headbands of intellect (bonus x bonus x 1,000 gp), they tend to be worth it until you start hitting 9th-12th level, about the same time that staffs become affordable.