the most helpful magic items every character should have


Advice

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In my book the rules for falling stuff dosent look that dangerous. The highest you Can get is 20d6 for a collosal object falling longer than 150" it need a touch attack to hit and range inc. is 20 ft.
And reflex DC 15 for half.
Fun and flavorfull but by the time you Can move a collosal rock in to position to drop it more than 30 ft. Doing 10d6 with reflex 15 for Half is no longer worth a standart action.


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AmyGames wrote:

OH

Btw
For a mere 53000gp, you can have an intelligent item cast cite critical on you every round
At will
For ever
Even while you sleep.....

If you are playing with yourr self. That kind of magic is still on the GM departement.


I know
Honestly I don't play in PFS, but it's good to know these things
I don't plan on joining the society until I know everything I need to

I just really like intelligent items

EDIT whoops
Your right it should say PFS
Fixing it now
On a tablet so typing is a bit off for me


AmyGames wrote:

I know

Honestly I don't play in PDFs, but it's good to know these things
I don't plan on joining the society until I know everything I need to

I just really like intelligent items

Sorry if i came out like a jerk there. But taking the magic item creation for rules is just up so often and folks looking for advice is ill served by buying in to that mind set. IMOP.

Edit: i assume PDFs is PFS. If not please correct me:)


@FuelDrop
Consider what stands here:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/feath er-token/tree-token
and here:
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-density-d_40.html

It would be around 212,000 lbs or 106 tons. Yikes. This thing weighs more than a tank.


I think in my game a tree tolken would need to be put on the ground to work. But i cant seem to make my book say it.


Feather Token Boats are useful in the right spot.

Ring of Sustenance, this is mandatory for magic item crafters and nice for everybody.

Handy Haversack, this is the gold standard for extra dimensional spaces.

Spring Loaded Wrist Sheath, insert wand here.

Grooming Kit, Shaving Kit, Extra Clothes: If I need to explain why not having these things makes everyone think you are a filthy murderhobo just do yourself the favor and spend the 35 silver.


Here are some good lower level items that I have found useful:

Ioun Stones - even the cracked ones, are a good way to give some nice little buffs.

Aegis of Recovery - lower necklace that gives you an extra save as well as a critical heal if you go negative HP (does crumble at that point)

Alchemist fire, tanglefoot bags and thunderstones

Stat increasing belts and headbands for your ability score of choice

Amulet of Mighty fists for those natural attacking based classes


AmyGames wrote:

armor and weapons for wizards

weapons:
defending
guardian
hell even limning is useful when only you have a see invis up
menacing isn't the worst out there either

Add dueling and spell storing to that. One for a bonus to initiative and the second so you can actually coupe de gras that monster you just slept/held/etc.


I'm not sure how common it is among the general population of players, but Mithral Bucklers and pretty standard on Sorcerers, Witches and Wizards where I come from (Mage Armor lasts all day, Shield takes a standard action in battle.) I include rods and wands and staves as weapons, so that would be what some casters use instead of traditional magic weapons.

Scarab Sages

Actually, the problem with mithral bucklers is that they can't have a shield spike on them (like they did in 3.5).

What you want is a mithral small shield with a +1 shield spike of dueling. This gives you +1 AC (which you can enchant higher if you want), and +4 Initiative.


A small shield would be horrible for us because of table variation. The characters are usually kitted out the same way, buckler strapped to forearm with a metamagic rod in that hand and the other hand empty. Then they can either use the rod and lose the AC or cast normally and keep it. If they tried to hold a small shield and a metamagic rod in the same hand they would be told they had to drop the shield to use the rod, since the description of small shield says you can't use a weapon and the description of buckler says you can at a penalty. We don't like dropping our shields, so if we want a dueling weapon bonus we just get a magic spiked gauntlet or something.


Is it worth investing to enhance the shield? Requires a +3 enhancement to provide the same armor bonus as a shield spell. Roughly 10k to have +4 AC all the time. Not bad when you're pushing higher levels, but seems pretty steep until 10th level and even then that 10k could be more useful elsewhere.

I don't even think I'd consider it until I had the 1000 to spare to get the Mithral shield to avoid the ACP and spell failure chance.

I do like the idea though along with the dueling gauntlet. Skin it all as an arm piece like the arm of valor from 2nd ed. That was my item crush back in the day.


The strategy of enhancing the shield is usually much more cost effective if someone has Craft Magic Arms and Armor. It will eventually be worth the money to get it +5 anyway (armor and shield enhancement bonuses are the most cost effective AC in the game) but with the feat it only costs 1,500 for the shield (damn you Ultimate Equipment for raising the price) and 4,500 for a +3 enhancement bonus for a +4 all day shield bonus at the cost of someone taking a feat, 6,000 gold, and 9 days of downtime (5 if you are good enough to rush.)

All equipment choices are more meaningful the less time and money you have to work with. In games with tight WBL or time control the crafting feats need to be carefully weighed against the feats used to take them.


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When it's +4 to +5 it's better minus the blocking of magic missile for sure. Just getting that initial 6k investment is still a fair price. Add in craft feats and all items are cheaper for the crafter. 2k more and that's a +4 intelligence headband for the crafter which nets more advantage.

I'm just trying to gauge when it would be a worthwhile investment.


I suppose it comes down to individual preference on when what magic items become cost effective. I personally like upgradeable things, so while the shield will cost 1,500 gold for a +1, this will never have to be sold. It also depends on how much crafters are given a free reign. In our group combining two items that take up the same slot is an of course don't even bother asking, while creating a custom item not listed anywhere is an of course not, don't even bother asking, I'm not looking through the rules to make sure you aren't being sly. So for us finding a cool item that fits in a big six slot is cool, because we can add the big six item we need to it at 150% cost and never give up the cool thing. I can see how this could be abused and why it isn't allowed in organized play however.


thorin001 wrote:

Pearl of Power.

Even if you are not a caster you can help casters cast on you. Mage armor for the no/low armor types, an extra CLW from the Cleric or Druid, Endure Elements, or any number of other useful spells. Or you can loan it to the caster so he can go boom an the BBEG one more time. Maguses can never hae too many Shocking Grasps.

Unless their running through WotR where they are next to pointless :-(


FuelDrop wrote:
DM Under The Bridge wrote:
FuelDrop wrote:

Hey, the same feather token can be used by someone with fly to drop 60 foot trees on people.

Not sure what the damage on having a large tree hit you at terminal velocity is, but I'm pretty sure it's big.

The rules for the damage of heavy things being dropped on you is scary. Not so much if you have evasion, but otherwise it can be a lot of damage.

If I recall we calculated that a centaur falling on someone or curb stomping them (with weight not an attack) was above 2d6 damage. May have been higher, centaurs are very heavy.

d6 per 100 pounds isn't it?

how much does a tree weigh?

I'm not sure how much a cubic foot of wood weighs, but I'd say at least 20lbs at least. Find the volume of a 5ft wide 60ft tall cylinder? 1180~ cubic feat. So this tree might weight something like 20,000 lbs.


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Thanks for all the responses, everyone - great advice and entertaining commentary!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy a Feather Token: Tree .....


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Damage for falling objects is 6d6 for a Huge object, 8d6 for a colossal (which is WAY too small imo). A huge creature weighs anywhere from 2-16 tons, but you might convince a DM to use colossal rules for a tree since it's very close (I used conservative estimates on 20lbs per cube).

All in all, not as impressive as it could be, but still powerful. You can use fly and invisibility spells to drop trees on people for no reflex saves at full damage (and it doesn't even drop invis), they get a DC 15 reflex save if they see it coming - or you can make a ranged touch attack and forgo the save.


Oak has a density of .75 g/cm^3, which is why it floats, being less dense than water.

1180 cubic feet is 33,413,879 cm^3, or 25,060,409.25 grams. This is equivalent to 25,060.409 kilograms or 55,248.7 pounds.

Of course, this assumes that it occupies a solid cylinder.


Wow, so - definitely 8d6 damage.

God it feels like that's still way too low. A tree that size would basically wreck a house if it got dropped on it, let alone make a person go serious amounts of splat.

The Exchange

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Yeah, well, some of these guys can survive multiple tyrannosaur bites. Don't tell me that doesn't sound like a fatal condition to you.

As far as 'the most helpful magic items every character should have,' well, I've always been fond of the humble potion of cure light wounds myself. If self-medicating is wrong, I don't wanna be right. ;)


Casting silence on a tanglefoot bag or using a potion/oil of silence on a tanglefoot bag and throwing it at casters. Sticky silence they struggle to escape.

Don't try to survive Tyrannosaurus bites. You jump right in his mouth and throw a feather token tree down his throat.


CommandoDude wrote:

Wow, so - definitely 8d6 damage.

God it feels like that's still way too low. A tree that size would basically wreck a house if it got dropped on it, let alone make a person go serious amounts of splat.

Well it can easily kill a level 2 in one hit, guaranteed to kill a level 1, possibly a lev 3 if you roll well. Without evasion it really can hurt.

Other ways I have used it, the players are defeating a huge giant. The giant opts to fall on them in a last ditch effort.


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Not sure it was added, but I tend to cite this one a lot.

Wayfinder + Clear Spindle Ioun Stone. Caveat: If the DM allows wayfinder power to kick in automatically.

What does it do? Well. First off, you don't need to eat or drink anything ever. Useful for not needing to carry around rations or waterskins. Also useful for not ingesting poisons. Well, at least when not forced to consume anything.

But the bigger, better thing it does is give you permanent immunity to mind control effects cast from evil creatures (and non-evil creatures if you have a nice DM). This includes Charm, Suggestion and most importantly Dominate Person.

The wayfinder doesn't use a slot (at least not from what I see) so all you have to do is keep it in your possession.

Shadow Lodge

Cape of the Mountebank is nice to have, for the DDoor power. Especially helpful to Martials [with limited mobility].

Hat of Disguise is pretty nice to have on you, but is situational.

The Cap of the Free Thinker is amazing,

Ring of Freedom of Movement is invaluable to a spellcaster and near that for a martial,

and the Ring of Retribution+Ring of Evasion combo, especially if the GM allows you to get 2 in 1, is great. Wait for the spellcaster to cast a spell, then disrupt by exploding. And you probably take no damage due to the low save DC. It might anger some allies though.

Liberty's Edge

CommandoDude wrote:

Any melee character should have a Keen weapon. You increase your chances for crits from 1/20->1/10->1/5->1/4

1/4 chance to crit is pretty powerful, but even going from 20 to 20-19 is huge - especially on x4 weapons or with crit feats (and you save yourself from having to spend a feat on Improved Critical!)

keen is good, but doesn't automatically confirm criticals with Bless Weapon like the feat does.

Scarab Sages

Gregory Connolly wrote:
. We don't like dropping our shields, so if we want a dueling weapon bonus we just get a magic spiked gauntlet or something.

You are right. This is a better option.

[Quote = "Khrysaor"] When it's +4 to +5 it's better minus the blocking of magic missile for sure. Just getting that initial 6k investment is still a fair price. Add in craft feats and all items are cheaper for the crafter. 2k more and that's a +4 intelligence headband for the crafter which nets more advantage.

I'm just trying to gauge when it would be a worthwhile investment.

Frankly I wouldn't bother enhancing it above a +1. The real benefit is all the other cool stuff you can put on there. Then cast a shield spell when you want protection from magic missile.

In fact, I think I'll start a thread on this topic: Armor, weapon and shields for Wizards - how to do it right.

Please come bring your ideas!


PSusac wrote:
Gregory Connolly wrote:
. We don't like dropping our shields, so if we want a dueling weapon bonus we just get a magic spiked gauntlet or something.

You are right. This is a better option.

Khrysaor wrote:

When it's +4 to +5 it's better minus the blocking of magic missile for sure. Just getting that initial 6k investment is still a fair price. Add in craft feats and all items are cheaper for the crafter. 2k more and that's a +4 intelligence headband for the crafter which nets more advantage.

I'm just trying to gauge when it would be a worthwhile investment.

Frankly I wouldn't bother enhancing it above a +1. The real benefit is all the other cool stuff you can put on there. Then cast a shield spell when you want protection from magic missile.

In fact, I think I'll start a thread on this topic: Armor, weapon and shields for Wizards - how to do it right.

Please come bring your ideas!

It's still a matter of value for when you should be getting this item. There's other things a wizard could better use that money for.


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Khrysaor wrote:
It's still a matter of value for when you should be getting this item. There's other things a wizard could better use that money for.

That is definitely a concern for a certain playstyle. In other playstyles the players have less control over what can be had when.

I usually find myself playing under GMs who have a hard time giving up the GM as Gold Giver role that is a relic of the twentieth century. I understand that there was a systemic shift between 2nd and 3rd edition that gave players much more control over their characters possessions. Many of my friends look at that as a bad thing, I can explain the benefits, but the counterargument I run into is "don't care, tradition, I like it better the old way" and that isn't something you can reason with.

So given that some people want to know whether or not to raise AC (specifically a shield bonus) or invest in other defenses. I would say that in published material AC helps much more than in homebrew. I find outliers negated in home games for ease of adventure design at a startling rate. I also try to remember that in theory Displacement + Mirror Image can give opponents a 94% miss chance, but in practice it only amounts to 47.5% because they hit you on a 2 and close their eyes.


Gregory Connolly wrote:
Khrysaor wrote:
It's still a matter of value for when you should be getting this item. There's other things a wizard could better use that money for.

That is definitely a concern for a certain playstyle. In other playstyles the players have less control over what can be had when.

I usually find myself playing under GMs who have a hard time giving up the GM as Gold Giver role that is a relic of the twentieth century. I understand that there was a systemic shift between 2nd and 3rd edition that gave players much more control over their characters possessions. Many of my friends look at that as a bad thing, I can explain the benefits, but the counterargument I run into is "don't care, tradition, I like it better the old way" and that isn't something you can reason with.

So given that some people want to know whether or not to raise AC (specifically a shield bonus) or invest in other defenses. I would say that in published material AC helps much more than in homebrew. I find outliers negated in home games for ease of adventure design at a startling rate. I also try to remember that in theory Displacement + Mirror Image can give opponents a 94% miss chance, but in practice it only amounts to 47.5% because they hit you on a 2 and close their eyes.

The same argument holds true for getting a Mithral shield just as it does for any other possession. So you're just as likely to find that +4 headband as you are the +4 shield.

I play published material almost exclusively with a few occasions at my table of people making their own campaigns. We have busy schedules and don't have the time to invest in creating story arcs and encounters. In every AP I've played there's ample time to buy the items that you want along with finding items that are useful which are written into the actual AP.

Closing your eyes only negates mirror image reducing the miss to 50% along with penalizing the attacker with the blind condition. Coupled with displacement the miss chance is still 75% and the attacker is still blind.

I told you before I'm actually a fan of this idea. I think it can be a useful tactic and there's plenty of secondary enchantments to increase its function. I'm just trying to see where it would fit into any play style that provides a benefit worthwhile to the wizard.

If the shield is 1500 GP that means you won't have one until level 4 or 5 at the earliest. It's still not a useful item compared to the shield spell that's lasting 5 minutes at this point. You could also use that 1500 GP for a lesser rod of extend spell that would up the shield to 10 minutes possibly lasting an entire dungeon. The rod also will work with the 3rd level spells you should have at this point.

To me this tactic doesn't seem efficient in its viability until you get to around level 10 or maybe a bit less if you're an item crafter.


Zenith blog has a list of specific items matched to specific classes (think Druid Vestments, Admixture Vial, Headband of Havoc and such) linked here. Because one class's treasure is another class's dross, and now the gigantic number of items available makes it harder to wade thru.


I find so much of the game is action economy and so little of the game is gold economy that casting the spell Shield in almost never worth the action it takes. That said I have to agree with Khrsyaor that most wizards have better things to spend their money on than AC.


I love the bag of holding, ioun torch, snapleaf, robe of infinite twine and wands of cure light wounds.

Liberty's Edge

I don't think I have ever owned a bag of holding. I don't think there is anything preventing you from owning one and a handy Haversack, but I think I have always gone for the second.

Most classes have items that improve their class features. I don't think I have seen one for the Oracle or summoner.

I would love to use an immovable rod as a warhammer shaft and call it Mjolnir.


If I'm not playing a super martial character, but one that needs to be kinda close range, I carry an immovable rod for creatures with swallow whole


Two immovable rods and you can climb anywhere.


Smite Makes Right wrote:


Most classes have items that improve their class features. I don't think I have seen one for the Oracle or summoner.

Ring of Revelation and Soothsayer’s Raiment for Oracle.


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Here's our list from Living Greyhawk days. Clearly, it's easier to get a ring of featherfalling or boots of the cat with enough prestige, and we use the Bestiary now. Whatever.

"Now, one could make an argument for having just about any low level scroll on hand (Purify Food and Drink, for example), but this list is pretty much what should keep you ALIVE (and to another degree, effective) when you really get into a pinch.

The basic package is below. Some portions of it can be altered for people who can reliably UMD scrolls. And if you can wildshape into a porpoise, you naturally don't have as much need for the potion of waterbreathing.

1. Antitoxin
2. Potion of lesser restoration (only one round to activate!)
3. Potion of cure light wounds (so absolutely anyone can heal you if you go down)
4. Potion of waterbreathing
5. Potion of remove blindness/deafness
Note that it is important for the above to be POTIONS, and not scrolls, for various reasons. If you're blinded or underwater, that +30 UMD ain't gonna help you activate a scroll.

6. Potion/scroll of fly
7. Potion/scroll of see invisibility
8. Silversheen
9. Oil/scroll of magic weapon
10. Oil/scroll of bless weapon
11. Holy symbol (wood or silver) OR small steel mirror (see "Repelling a Vampire," MM 253)
On top of the Core-access stuff up there, perhaps the most important survival item that requires access is obviously:

12. Ring of Featherfalling

It's not comprehensive, but I think with this equipment under one's belt, survivability increases considerably. And it may all look pretty pricey as a package, but all in all, it's still "Cheaper Than A Raise Dead."


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True story, I had a player at one of my tables tell me "I read my scroll of cure blindness", thinking he would fix up his character mid-battle.

I just stared at him. "You can't do that"

"Why not?"

"Blind people can't read."

"What do you mean?"

"It's true. Don't take my word for it, ask anybody"

"But I bought this scroll exactly for this reason"

"So hand it to someone who can see"

"But I'm the only cleric"

"Maybe the potion was worth the extra gold"


For later game items you might want to look up the "Ring of Decoy"

Scarab Sages

Anonymous Visitor 163 576 wrote:


"Maybe the potion was worth the extra gold"

Awesome.

I would add Potion of Gaseous form to that list - it gets you out of:

Drowning in your armor (bubble to the surface)
Crushing room traps, rolling boulder traps etc.
Falling to your death (if the airship is going down and you have time to react)
Getting cut off and behind enemy lines

and so on.

Definitely "standard equipment" for all my characters.

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