My group has a level 17 two-handed archetype fighter who asked me what was the best way for him to pick up some DR. It's a pretty high powered game (well over WBL, everyone has cohorts, custom magic items are completely available, etc.) and we are really working to make our characters as powerful as possible.
My first thought for him was "custom magic item of renewable Stoneskin". According to the Magic Item Creation guidelines, it comes to like 109k. So I had two questions.
First: Is there a better type of DR out there that he could get? DR 10/adamantine is great, but it can be bypassed (+4 weapons or adamantine weapons). Either a higher DR value, or an equal DR value but being DR/-.
Second: Is there a cheaper way to get a similar DR value? 109k, while not super significant for a 17th level character, is still over 25% of his wealth. Is there a way to get DR 10/(something obscure) for cheaper?
He specifically mentioned not wanting adamantine armor. He has a good set of armor that he wants to keep (mostly roleplay reasons, I think) but that he doesn't mine augmenting with new abilities.
We use PFRPG, APG, UC, UM, GMG and all the Bestiaries (if there is anything useful in them). Thanks for your help!
My advice is not to focus on reducing damage through DR, but to reduce it by not getting hit. Do that through high Defense/Mobility or battlefield control.
He already has a Cloak of Displacement, Minor (always on 20% miss was deemed better than limited use 50%) and he often gets other boosts from the casters. Just curious if there was a way to reduce the damage he takes when he inevitably gets hit.
Well as far as the stoneskin thing goes, that is going to be way to expensive to be remotely possible the way I am calculating it. Can you post your math on how you arrived at the 109k number?
4 (spell level) * 7 (caster level) * 2000 (continuous use) * 1.5 (duration modifier) + 100 * 250 (material component cost) = price
(4*7*2000*1.5) + (100*250) = price
84,000 + 25,000 = price
109,000 = price
Since the effect is continuously renewed, the "until it has absorbed X damage" part doesn't really matter. Basically it does one of two things (both of which seem RAW); either it renews the effect every round on his turn, or it renews itself every time the duration ends or it is expended. Either way, he basically would have DR 10/adamantine for forever.
Well as far as the stoneskin thing goes, that is going to be way to expensive to be remotely possible the way I am calculating it. Can you post your math on how you arrived at the 109k number?
He priced it as a continuous item. Spell level x caster level x 2000, miltiply that by 1.5 because the spell is 10min/level. Plus the expensive material component (250gp)x100. All that adds up to 109,000gp.
But that is wrong. If it was continueous, it would stop functioning once 70 points of damage had been done. Making it continoues doesn't remove the spell ending when it has absorbed enough damage. You want a command word activted item.
Spell level 4 x caster level 7 x 1800gp = 50,400
100x the 250gp material component = 25,000
Total = 75,400gp
The item would stop functioning after absorbing 70 points of damage, but you can reactivate it as a standard action.
Oh ok I see what I did, I hit a wrong button at some point. Well I would still price it higher than that, but not by a lot. As far as getting DR goes I don't really see a better way of doing it.
Continuous Righteous Might at CL 15 would cost more but give much much more benefits, and the DR provided would only be overcome by +5 weapons or whatever alignment opposite the crafter (good or evil). Or he could Wish for a template, you stated there are wizards in the party. The Resolute template is nice if he is lawful, with Dr10/chaotic