Hi all,
Let me start off by saying, although I know 3.5 fairly well, pathfinder is not really my strong suit (which is why I am asking for help. ^_^).
So, here are the details of the campaign:
8th level, 20 point buy, 10,500 gp + one item worth 20,000gp (long story), Tiefling (fluff reasons), Conjuration (teleportation) specialist.
I already have the basics of the character built for the most part (I went through the two wizard guides and made decisions based on them), but I am always open to suggestions.
The something else is the main reason I am posting this however. My GM has decided a couple of important things:
1) No rings of sustenance or bags of holding (or handy haversacks, portable holes, etc..).
2) The characters are required to have food/drink for eating.
3) Encumbrance is being enforced.
With these things in mind, I'm somewhat at a loss of how to deal with loot, food/drink, etc...
Normally strength is a dump stat for wizards, however since I can't have extradimensional space to hold items, nor can I have an item that makes it so I don't need to eat, I'm unsure how to get around raising my strength. I was considering having a pack animal, but it seems... unwizard-like. Any suggestions on this one are most appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Testymctester
Muleback Cords
Or even just an extended Ant Haul spell. 1st level, 2nd with extend unless you use a metamagic rod (worth considering).
Extend rod lesser. 3K, you can use it on Ant Haul, Mage Armor and Floating Disk at the start of the day and they will last untill tomorrow.
Ant Haul can help you carry anything you strictly need and Floating Disk is really usefull for piling loot or other crap, even tho it slows you down a bit.
Paulicus has a point but there are other ways too.
First and most simply, buy a horse and ride it. A warhorse isn't a pack animal but it should be able to carry more than just you.
The shrink item spell is fun and useful for such things too.
A broom of flying or a flying carpet comes in under 20K & carries plenty. Wizardly as can be, too.
Floating disk (formerly Tenser's) still exists and carries the most of all.
Well you're a wizard, you can cast spells like Secret Chest.
Thanks for the quick replies everyone. ^_^
TL;DR: Ant haul/Muleback cords don't provide enough, too low level for Secret Chest, Fluff reasons against broom of flying/flying carpet, Floating disk seems good. Not enough money for create food item.
While the ant haul spell might have been good, I was planning on having strength fairly low (either 7 or 8). Even multiplied by three it's still not much (70-80lbs). (Also, we have a tank in the group with both muleback cords and ant haul item, as well as high strength. He constantly just picks up boulders and walks around with them for fun).
Secret Chest sounds pretty cool (and makes sense fluff wise), however I don't have the ability to cast it yet (need to be 9th level). Will consider it once I reach that level however.
Although I really like the broom of flying/flying carpet idea, my last character had it (he died for other reasons), so I'll probably avoid getting it for that reason.
I like shrink item and might use if it I know there's going to be something large to carry, but most of the time we get piles of silver (the GM says we can't hold more then 200 coins at a time...).
The extended floating disk (using a rod) seems like the best option for now. At 8th level, mage armor and floating disk last for 8 hours. Extended will make it 16 hours, and then 8 hours of rest.
About the create food item, unfortunately a wand of create food/water is 11,250gp. Thus I can't afford it. Is there another option? I suppose I can put excess food on the floating disk, but I'd prefer something a bit more magical in nature.
Also, in case it makes a difference, this is an evil campaign, so feel free to throw in evil ideas if there are any. (I was considering purchasing a slave, but they are a hassle to move around with me).
Also remember that although I'm a Teleportation specialist, I don't actually have access to the teleport spells yet (next level...).
Also as a weird question: the GM said that normally a character can only carry two hundred coins around. Is this a normal rule or a house rule?
As a side question: Do muleback cords and ant haul stack? If so, how?
The coin thing sounds like an odd house rule. Maybe they're talking about how many you could scoop up in your hands or something?
Creating food items include a sustaining spoon or a bronze skinning knife.
I think that while ant haul and muleback cords technically stack, the effects are so obviously duplicates that it wouldn't be a good idea to rely on it.
Seems a lot there to drive you into a corner. half of your options have been knocked on the head by character building rules, the other by house rules.
Have you thought about dumping wisdom instead of strength?
So the coin thing sounds like a house rule. It's kind of annoying, but it's there so not much I can do about it.
The sustaining spoon seems like just what I need. Especially since it doesn't say I can't combine it with a Prestidigitation to make the gruel taste good. (Magic power go!).
As from dumping wisdom instead of strength, my real complaint is that the only reason I'd be raising strength is because of the house rules. Wisdom actually serves a purpose (will saves, perception checks, etc..). If there is a magical solution to the problem, I'd rather choose that over raising strength.
So the spoon definitely solves the food problem (I'm going to assume it also solves the water problem since it says it provides EVERYTHING needed to sustain a humanoid). So all that's left is the carrying capacity.
After reading up a little bit more, I've thought of a couple of options.
The secret chest will be what I'll probably mainly use once I hit ninth level, so I just need something for now.
The ant haul/muleback cords are cool, but it feels like blatantly exploiting the rules to combine them, and seperately my strength just won't be high enough to get real use of out them (plus the muleback cords use the precious shoulder slot and I was planning on saving the belt slot for a belt of physical might (dex/con)).
I could use the floating disk, the main problem with that being it's fairly obvious and clunky, although still a viable option otherwise.
I do have a familiar. I was originally planning on it being an Imp for fluff reasons (and because imps are amazing), however I also was not really planning on bringing it into battle (GM request to make combat go faster... long story). So I could get a familiar that focuses on carrying stuff for me. Are there any good ones or should I just stick with the familiar?
While on the subject, the GM has allowed me to take crafting feats. I was wondering if there's anything that will help me improve crafting (leadership isn't an option).
The valet familiar archetype helps with crafting, a mauler archetyped familiar could carry a modest amount of stuff for you (up to 14 str or so). Neither is compatible with an imp or other improved familiar (they don't get 'speak with animals of its kind') or with each other.
Edit: the mauler familiar gets a higher strength, I'd forgotten the level-based bonus. Make that 17 str for any of several types, 18 for a fox. Once you include the tiny-small polymorph change it has the highest I think.
Why not buy a mount? A riding Bison is only 50g or 75g war trained and has a whopping 27 STR, that combined with it's 5 hit die and +10 to ht it's going to be impossible to bring that sucker down for a few levels. Food on the other hand, druid/shaman in the party for Goodberries? Rogue w/ UMD and a Wand of Goodberry?
Hmm... so familiar archetypes aren't going to work. Improved familiar is too good to give up. (Plus, I really like my Imp Consular).
As for why no mounts, it's mostly because of the sessions we've had up until this point. We had one session on the road, several sessions inside a city, one session traversing a swamp and several sessions inside a dungeon. While mounts are definitely good in some campaigns, this does not seem like it's going to be one of them.
A flying creature of some sort might work to carry stuff, but it would have to be medium sized or smaller (there are lots of doors), be easy to find (nothing really far out there like a dinosaur or mythological beast) and be able to protect itself in some way (not necessarily to kill in combat, but if it was attacked it would need either hit points, the ability to dodge, etc..)
Oh, and in case anyone was curious, I was planning on using my 20,000 gp item to get a Ring of Invisibility. If there's a better option, let me know (also, unfortunately I can't use the 20,000gp to craft my own item, nor can I take any "left over" money that I don't use of it. It's a single item of value 20,000gp or less with any excess money going to waste).
The Companion Book Black Markets added two additional spells to the secret chest line. Secret Coffer, a third level spell that will hide a container that holds no more than one cubic foot of goods on the ethereal plane for no more than fourteen days. It also added Secret Vault, an either level spell that will store a container that can hold up to ten cubic feet of goods on the ethereal plane for up to three hundred and sixty days.
The secret coffer may be what you are looking for, store your food there and your loot in the secret chest once you hit nine.
The secret coffer actually works quite well. 505 gp for two weeks of adventuring isn't that bad either.
I think I'm going to put coins into the coffer (seems more appropriate), use the spoon for food (modifying flavor with prestidigitation) and use the secret chest when I hit level 9.
Thanks for the help all. ^_^
There are a few good options for a 20,000gp item.
As a Tiefling perhaps a Staff of Fire? Give you offensive and control options on hand for longer adventuring days.
This Item has been reprinted several times. But from 3.5 version the Staff of the Master (necromancy) is very good. IDK if your DM keeps track of each printing and might be able to slip this by him. The orginal was 15,200gp. The Pathfinder reprinting of it took it up to 30,000gp.
A Flying Chest Could solve 3 Problems.
1. No need to waste a 5th level spell.
2. Can keep YOU flying without a need for Fly/Overland Flight to be cast. (yes you can ride it)
3. It is not a extrademenisonal Bagging means. (Should stay within your DMs rules)
A ring of Invisibility is nice as you mentioned. But I find DMs eventually start giving enemies way of find you. (Scent, Blindsight/sense, See invisibility) That once the DM starts to do that then this item is a waste of 20k gold. I use the ring only when I take a Arcane Bond which almost always is a ring and then I craft it for 10k. I feel that price is more acceptable than 20k.
A headband of Vast Int +4 is 16,000gp but is a necessary Item. If you have craft wondrous item then craft your Big ticket items.
I will echo a Lesser rod of Extend spell. The rod will go a long way. I also enjoy Lesser Empower rods for Fireballs, Lightning Bolts, and other 3rd level blast spells.
A lesser Rod of Dazing Spell is pretty nice for Crowd Control while still Killing things. Turns Fireball into a monstrous spell.
Hope some of those suggestions helped.
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