I'm a fairly new player to pathfinder and D&D as a whole, but I'm picking it up pretty well. One aspect that confounds me though is equipment selection, particurily magical items. In the current campaign I'm playing in that has never been a problem as frankly the DM has been pretty stingy with the loot. But recently we've come into a surprising lump sum (~28k gp per player) with the prospect of a trek through a desert followed by a dungeon crawl to reclaim a campaign maguffin (magic tentacle).
I play a lvl 8 paladin 6/cavilier 2, having picked the weapon divine bond with a fairly even spread on my stats (all 12 save for str [14], con [14] and cha [16]). The feats I've picked have served me reasonably well (endurance, diehard, mounted combat, power attack and leadership) and my skills are geared towards social interactions (diplomacy, sense motive, small bluff, small amount of perform), animal care (riding, handling) or generic usefulness (perception, swim, basic knowledges etc).
I have a lot of the mundane equipment (tent, blankets, light rations etc) and I've got a good set of full plate and a heavy shield
I'm really looking for advice on what kinda of equipment, especially of the magical nature, that would be useful to buy. My personal thoughts were of some kinda of magical armour to accompany my current +1 longsword (my only magical item).
has been pretty stingy with the loot. But recently we've come into a surprising lump sum (~28k gp per player) with the prospect of a trek through a desert followed by a dungeon crawl to reclaim a campaign maguffin (magic tentacle).
I play a lvl 8 paladin 6/cavilier 2,
I'm really looking for advice on what kinda of equipment, especially of the magical nature, that would be useful to buy. My personal thoughts were of some kinda of magical armour to accompany my current +1 longsword (my only magical item).
An item to boost your Charisma for starters - a Headband of Alluring Charisma +2 rings in at 4000gp. Then magical armor - I'd recommend Mithril Full Plate +1 (11500gp, but definitely worth it), a Large Mithril Shield +1 (2020gp), a Cloak of Resistance +1 (1000gp, more saves are better even for super-save paladins), Ring of Protection +1 (2000gp), Ring of Sustenance (2500gp, you're going into a desert, so being able to ignore need for food and water is huge, and you need less sleep too!).
That's 23020gp spent. I'd probably spend the last money on a +1 Morning Star, in case you have to deal with things that have DR/bludgeoning. Oh, and a 1st level Wand of Cure Light Wounds.
Very good recommendations. I'd combine Sustenance with the Protection effect, it doesn't cost extra, and it leaves a ring slot open for you.
If you are going to be fighting undead or evil outsiders, you might want to grab an Augment Stone from the MIC to reinforce your weapons. YOur goal as a Paladin is to get your hands on a Sun Sword or Holy Avenger, of course.
==Aelryinth
An item to boost your Charisma for starters - a Headband of Alluring Charisma +2 rings in at 4000gp. Then magical armor - I'd recommend Mithril Full Plate +1 (11500gp, but definitely worth it), a Large Mithril Shield +1 (2020gp), a Cloak of Resistance +1 (1000gp, more saves are better even for super-save paladins), Ring of Protection +1 (2000gp), Ring of Sustenance (2500gp, you're going into a desert, so being able to ignore need for food and water is huge, and you need less sleep too!).
That's 23020gp spent. I'd probably spend the last money on a +1 Morning Star, in case you have to deal with things that have DR/bludgeoning. Oh, and a 1st level Wand of Cure Light Wounds.
That is about the best advice I have ever seen. No snide remarks or condescending comments and common sense for the quest. Thanks.
Thanks alot Helic and Aelryinth for your sound advice.
Not sure about the augment stone as I don't know what will be in said dungeon.
The mithril armour is definetely a good idea as with endurance, I can sleep in my armour with no penalty (I think) which is useful.
Thanks again for your advice.
EDIT: To Varthanna, the GM is far more forgiving on the paladin code than I am. :D
Very good recommendations. I'd combine Sustenance with the Protection effect, it doesn't cost extra, and it leaves a ring slot open for you.
Why wouldn't it cost extra?
Multiple Different Abilities: Abilities such as an attack roll bonus or saving throw bonus and a spell-like function are not similar, and their values are simply added together to determine the cost. For items that take up a space on a character's body, each additional power not only has no discount but instead has a 50% increase in price.
Note that this is a generic rule that comes before the specific rules for each type of magic item. This is again re-iterated in the last section on the page:
Adding New Abilities
Sometimes, lack of funds or time make it impossible for a magic item crafter to create the desired item from scratch. Fortunately, it is possible to enhance or build upon an existing magic item....
If the item is one that occupies a specific place on a character's body, the cost of adding any additional ability to that item increases by 50%. For example, if a character adds the power to confer invisibility to her ring of protection +2, the cost of adding this ability is the same as for creating a ring of invisibility multiplied by 1.5.
By this formula, a Ring of Sustenance and Protection +1 would cost 5,500 GP (or 5,750 if you do it the other way), whereas two separate rings would only cost 4,500. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I think it's probably worth the extra 1,000. I'm just saying that there is an additional cost to it.
That is about the best advice I have ever seen. No snide remarks or condescending comments and common sense for the quest. Thanks.
^_^
The mithril armour is definetely a good idea as with endurance, I can sleep in my armour with no penalty (I think) which is useful.
I didn't even think of that, but I think you're right. It technically is medium armor for everything but Armor Proficiency.
Oh, and a Handy Haversack. Get one of those.
The mithril armour is definetely a good idea as with endurance, I can sleep in my armour with no penalty (I think) which is useful.
Unless you have a Dex score high enough to use it (or you think you will in the future), I wouldn't bother with mithral armour; I'd rather use the 9,000 gp to upgrade the sword from +1 to +1 merciful (or evil outsider bane, or something like that).
Actually, I'd recommend spending 16,000 gp on a +1 holy sword and use the remaining 12,000 on a belt of Str +2 (4k), cloak or resistance +2 (4k), +1 full plate (2.65k), and a +1 heavy shield (1.2k).
The mithril armour is definetely a good idea as with endurance, I can sleep in my armour with no penalty (I think) which is useful.Unless you have a Dex score high enough to use it (or you think you will in the future), I wouldn't bother with mithral armour; I'd rather use the 9,000 gp to upgrade the sword from +1 to +1 merciful (or evil outsider bane, or something like that).
Given his STR is only 14, I'd still recommend the Mithril armor to save on weight, though a +2 belt of strength is a viable alternative (if you can, get both). Having the weapon divine bond mitigates some of the need to buy better magical weapons.
Given his STR is only 14, I'd still recommend the Mithril armor to save on weight, though a +2 belt of strength is a viable alternative (if you can, get both).
Medium encumbrance for a character with 14 Str is 116 lbs, and medium encumbrance for a character with 16 Str is 153 lbs. So he'd certainly be better off having armor that weighs 25 lbs more and increasing his carrying capacity by 37 lbs.
Having the weapon divine bond mitigates some of the need to buy better magical weapons.
Actually, I'm changing my mind -- I would suggest he upgrade to a +3 longsword (which he can change to a +3 holy sword with his divine bond ability). That would allow him to bypass DR/silver or iron.
I would not recomend going for lots of little weapons. Perhaps a light weapon for if you are grappled and a bow for ranged attacks, but not multiple sets of weapons. You got the divine bond weapon, so if you need DR/bludgeoning you can always pick up a rock or stick and make it magical.
Contrary to my normal recomendation, I would stay away from consumable magic items. I love them, but by the sounds of the campaign you wont have the ability to replace them easily. When people can't replace something, they hold on to it for far too long and don't use it when they really should. I have watched potions of haste found at lvl 3 stay arround until lvl 13 because of this. Better to get something you know you can use than something that will just sit there.
I think Str is a higher priority than charisma, but you should pick up a +2 or +4 in both.
I'm not sure if Mithral Fullplate is worth the extra cost, unless your dex is high enough to make use of it.
Given his STR is only 14, I'd still recommend the Mithril armor to save on weight, though a +2 belt of strength is a viable alternative (if you can, get both).Medium encumbrance for a character with 14 Str is 116 lbs, and medium encumbrance for a character with 16 Str is 153 lbs. So he'd certainly be better off having armor that weighs 25 lbs more and increasing his carrying capacity by 37 lbs.
Don't forget the 3 points less Armor Check Penalty, which is a big deal. He's a Cavalier as well, so does he want -6 on Ride checks, or -3? Not to mention Climb/Stealth/Swim checks. And while the Max Dex bonus isn't much good to him with DEX12, with regular plate ANY buff to DEX is pointless - not so with the Mithril Plate.
Not to mention his horse has to carry him plus his armor to boot. Keeping your mount in the light load category is a good thing. A heavy horse should be STR20 (16+4 from advanced template), letting it carry 133 x 3 (large quadruped) = 399 lbs (light load). With camping gear, barding and supplies added atop what the PC and his gear weighs, 25lbs can make a difference (ten or more miles a day, for starters)!
Don't forget the 3 points less Armor Check Penalty, which is a big deal. He's a Cavalier as well, so does he want -6 on Ride checks, or -3?
"A cavalier does not take an armor check penalty on Ride checks while riding his mount." -- Advanced Player's Guide playtest
Not to mention his horse has to carry him plus his armor to boot.
Well, presumably his horse is already carrying him around while wearing full plate armor, isn't it?
I'm not saying there are no benefits from having mithral plate mail, I'm just saying I don't think there are 9,000 gp worth of benefits (compared to the other stuff he could buy with that money).
Honestly, I tend to go for the cheapest upgrades first. Helic's recommendations are spot on...if you expect to be getting a lot more money in the future.
But if 28k is all you're going to have for a good long while,
Good point, but, if you don't expect more money down the pipe, it's your only chance to get the mithril goodness.
Oh, and masterwork full plate, by itself, is 1650gp, which with the other masterwork costs, eats up at least 2000gp (i.e. one the items you suggest).
Don't forget the 3 points less Armor Check Penalty, which is a big deal. He's a Cavalier as well, so does he want -6 on Ride checks, or -3?"A cavalier does not take an armor check penalty on Ride checks while riding his mount." -- Advanced Player's Guide playtest
Ah, didn't know that. Well, there's still all the other Dex/Str based skills to worry about.
Well, presumably his horse is already carrying him around while wearing full plate armor, isn't it?
Yes, but is it at light load? A group of horses traveling at 50ft/round, or 35ft per round is a BIG difference in the overland movement department.
This really depends on the group, though. Doesn't matter much if he's the only mounted character.
I'm not saying there are no benefits from having mithral plate mail, I'm just saying I don't think there are 9,000 gp worth of benefits (compared to the other stuff he could buy with that money).
Sure, you could get a couple more pluses here and there by going with just regular old masterwork full plate. But you'll never need to upgrade from Mithril Full Plate either. He could probably get all those other, cheaper items incrementally over time - but right now he's sitting on a big whack of gold that may never show up again. Buy it while you have the chance!
Very good recommendations. I'd combine Sustenance with the Protection effect, it doesn't cost extra, and it leaves a ring slot open for you.Why wouldn't it cost extra?
Multiple Different Abilities: Abilities such as an attack roll bonus or saving throw bonus and a spell-like function are not similar, and their values are simply added together to determine the cost. For items that take up a space on a character's body, each additional power not only has no discount but instead has a 50% increase in price.Note that this is a generic rule that comes before the specific rules for each type of magic item. This is again re-iterated in the last section on the page:
By this formula, a Ring of Sustenance and Protection +1 would cost 5,500 GP (or 5,750 if you do it the other way), whereas two separate rings would only cost 4,500. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I think it's probably worth the extra 1,000. I'm just saying that there is an additional cost to it.Adding New Abilities
Sometimes, lack of funds or time make it impossible for a magic item crafter to create the desired item from scratch. Fortunately, it is possible to enhance or build upon an existing magic item....
If the item is one that occupies a specific place on a character's body, the cost of adding any additional ability to that item increases by 50%. For example, if a character adds the power to confer invisibility to her ring of protection +2, the cost of adding this ability is the same as for creating a ring of invisibility multiplied by 1.5.
Pathfinder is based on 3.5. One of the rules that came out of the magic item compendium (the MIC) in addition to the Augment Gems I mentioned, is that rote + bonuses don't cost extra when added onto items (basically, your standard enhancement, deflection, resistance bonuses).
It basically allows people to get the bonuses they 'must' have as they level, and allow them tack on minor, useful abilities.
NO +1 holy sword, better off getting a weapon +3. With a 14 Str, he needs all the help hitting things he can get.
==Aelryinth
Not entirely on-topic, but if it's not too late, you may want to consider swapping your STR and CHA. A 16 STR will help you in every fight, all the time. A 16 CHA will help you in only some of your fights, some of the time.
It's worth noting that in those fights when you can use your CHA for smiting, your total attack and damage mod is the same regardless of whether you have 16 STR and 14 CHA or the other way around. But when you are not smiting, your total attack and damage is better with the higher STR.
Back to equipment, the higher STR lets you wear heavier armor without becoming encumbered as easily.
Also, for 4k GP you can get +2 to your STR, further increasing yoru combat effectiveness and your carrying capacity, well worth it I would say.
So:
+2 STR 4k
+2 CHA 4k
+1 cloak 1k
+1 ring 2k
+2 sword 8k
+1 full plate 1k (you already have the armor, so just 1k to enchant it)
+1 shield 1k
Total cost: just over 21,000 GP. You have almost 7k left for tools, such as wands of cure x wounds, potions, scrolls, haversacks, bags of holding, everfull mugs (not Core, but mighty handy to have!), etc. Or to drop 3k on +2 full plate instead. OR maybe a +1 backup or ranged weapon.
Thanks alot to everyone for their advice, I think i have got a pretty good handle on what to pick now; going for most of the accessory item that Helic mentioned but dropping the mithral and getting a +2 sword instead, as well as the stat boosting items.
Pathfinder is based on 3.5. One of the rules that came out of the magic item compendium (the MIC) in addition to the Augment Gems I mentioned, is that rote + bonuses don't cost extra when added onto items (basically, your standard enhancement, deflection, resistance bonuses).
Close. Pathfinder is based on the 3.5 SRD, as per the OGL. Any rules amended or added by other WotC products might be compatible but are not part of 'Official' Pathfinder. In fact the rules printed in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook explicitly negate the change in the Magic Item Compendium. This is backed up by the fact that items printed in the book itself that would fall under this rule (such as multiple stat-boosters like a Belt of Physical Perfection) use the Pathfinder and pre-MIC method to determine the cost.
Thanks alot to everyone for their advice, I think i have got a pretty good handle on what to pick now; going for most of the accessory item that Helic mentioned but dropping the mithral and getting a +2 sword instead, as well as the stat boosting items.
If your referee is using the Magic Item Compendium, I cannot stress strongly enough that you should get a combined, Belt of Healing and Belt of Battle. For the prices they are absolutely phenominal and since it seems like your ref is stingy on treasure if you can get them before heading to the desert, do it.
If you have to drop a weapon or AC + by one to afford them it wouldn't be a mistake.