Equipping a 4th level Monk

[SuperSheep]

In anticipation for part 2, I've been creating 4th level characters and equipping them as per rules.

Currently there isn't a good 3rd level permanent item for monks to take. The options are:

* bracers of missile deflections (interferes with bracers of armor)
* armor or armor rune (unusable)
* staves (cannot invest)
* doubling rings (unnecessary with unarmed attacks/mighty fists)

So a 4th level monk doesn't have a good 3rd-level item and so maybe they could use an additional two 2nd-level items, but the problem persists. The options are:

* an expert shield or armor (non-proficient)
* bracers of armor (good pick)
* brooch of shielding (uncommon item so not necessarily available)
* expert handwraps (good pick)
* hand of the mage (available)
* hat of disguise (available)

So if instead of one 3rd and two 2nd, you take four 2nd-level items there are exactly four to take making for a fairly boring build. And if you're idea doesn't mesh with having a hand of the mage or a hat of disguise then you're out of luck.

Classes that have at least proficiency with armor or weapons are much easier to equip. Even casters have the option of bracers of armor + a staff which is a good selection. But monks are very awkward unless they take the monastic weaponry feat, which is very limiting in terms of what builds are viable while still being balanced.

[Draco18s]

Oh trust me, all classes have an issue.

My 4th level divine sorcerer took a Staff of Healing and Bracers of Armor (I'll probably never take an attack) and....

...uh...

...hmmm...

Two...1st level wands I guess?

[SuperSheep]

Wands still require the spell on your spell list. Monks either need to take Religion with their low number of skills AND take the Magic Item trickery feat. That's not great.

[NorthernDruid]

Yeah, item levels don't really do it for me.

They seem fine for Starfinder, I can kinda buy the abstraction there but...

Start with X amount of Y lvl items + misc spendable wealth is a nice idea but it ends up running into these kinds of issues and isn't really any better than giving x amount of money, spend no more than 40% on your biggest item.

Especially since the old method doesn't require the item list to be balanced around all classes having meaningful (or at least useable) options for all starting items at all levels.

[Draco18s]

SuperSheep wrote:

Wands still require the spell on your spell list. Monks either need to take Religion with their low number of skills AND take the Magic Item trickery feat. That's not great.

Oh I know. I'd have grabbed a wand of magic missile if it was on my spell list. Heck, if that spell was on my spell list I'd have taken it.

I didn't mean to suggest that a monk should take wands, just that I had the same problem with a sorcerer and ended up with two wands because "I can't find anything better."

[Bardarok]

Expert Tools are all lvl 2 so maybe an expert Climbing kit or something. It's not great though. If they were trained in any weapons you could probably justify a siler or cold iron backup weapon but no dice there.