Last purchase(s) for a soon to fully retire pfs Wizard

[Ulfen Death Squad]

Hello everyone,

In a little over a month, I will be playing my level 14 Human Universalist Wizard in one of the 12 - 15 scenarios that will bump him to level 15 and will most likely be his final farewell into retirment as a VC (I have the boon). He has just over 31,000 gold and I am not entirely sure what to spend it on. I am hoping I may get some help from you guys and gals.

Here is the major info:

STR 12
DEX 20 (14 + 6 from Belt)
Con 14
INT 27 (21 + 6 from Heaband)
WIS 12
CHA 7

AC 18, F-F 13, Touch 17

CMB +8, CMD 25

Fort 11, Ref 16, Will 15

Initiative: +11

Traits
Reactionary, Focused Mind

Feats
Spell Focus: Conjuration, Evocation, Necromancy, Transmutation
Augment Summoning
Improved Iniative
Lightning Reflexes
Maximized Spell, Heightened Spell Metamagic Feats
Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration
(Level 15 Feats are undecided as of now)

Notable Gear
Dark Leaf Explorer's Outfit
Bonded Item - Ring
Ring of Evasion
Ring of Protection +2
Hand of Glory
Belt of Dexterity +6
Headband of Vast Intelligence +6 (Fly Linguistics, Spellcraft)
Lesser Extend Metamagic Rod
Cloak of Resistance +5
Bracers of Armor +1
Gloves of Recon (Keeping due to it having proven useful two or so times)
Sandals of Quick Reconaissance
Pearls of Power Levels 1, 2, and 3 (1 of each)
3750 GP of Diamond Dust (Some for Stone Skin and the rest for healing purposes)
Bag of Holding
Acrimony Vail
Goggles on Night

With all of this being said, I do play him as a Universalist that focuses on Evocation spells with some Necromancy harming spells and other damage dealing spells. When needed, he will summon creatures through Summon Monster spells. Unless the spell is from a player companion book, I may already have enough spells with just over 100 to choose from in 4 spell books.

I do know that consumables like healing potions will need to purchased.

Any helpful info will be met with gratitude.

[keerawa]

I would absolutely recommend First Aid gloves, for two emergency Breath of Life casts on party members.

Perhaps a Four Leaf Clover for those clutch saves.
A Lesser Persistent rod can be very helpful.
A Numerology Cylinder is a nice boost when facing creatures with SR.
I don't see any ioun stones yet - see if any look useful and check the resonant power if placed in a wayfinder.
I see you have a Hand of Glory and only two rings listed, so you could try a ring of invisibility. Yes, lots of things have true sight, etc, at this level, but not everything.
A pre-constructed spellbook with a nice preparation ritual might be worth a few thousand gold to you at this point. Sadly, book of harms isn't PFS legal.

If you're interested in more of a single big splurge, I love the Necromancer’s Athame or Annihilation Spectacles for a wizard.
You could also look into a staff,
an orange prism ioun stone for +1 caster level
Gloves of the Commanding Conjurer.

[Mekkis]

If you can find an extra couple of gold, a Lesser Metamagic Quicken Rod will be your best friend. Being able to use those low-level spell slots without sacrificing action economy is a massive boon.

[Philippe Lam]

Adding the constitution to the belt, even if it means coughing up 50,000 on it alone. Or any item raising AC would be an alternate valid approach since the 20 dex after items (so amulet of natural armor +2, dusty rose ioun stone and/or ring of force shield).

[roll4initiative]

A Mnemonic Vestment? A player at my table was talking about one the other day.

[Ferious Thune]

Mnemonic Vestment is only useful for spontaneous casters.

[Jeff Morse]

That book to give you another plus to Int and Newt bead, and throw big party

[whew]

stone of good luck (luckstone)

[shaventalz]

Seconding first aid gloves or a four-leaf clover. Also the Bead of Newt Prevention.

How about a cracked pale green prism ioun stone? 4k for +1 on your saves.

If you didn't want to sell stuff to get 50k and add Con+6 to your belt, think about a pink rhomboid ioun stone. 8k for +2 Con, and if slotted into a wayfinder gives +1 Reflex (helping that Ring of Evasion activate.)

Depending on what spells you use and what their dice cap is, an orange prism ioun stone might help. 30k for +1 caster level (or, if in a wayfinder, 0-4 caster levels.)

Do you have any interesting/unique items on that PC's chronicles?

Do you have some means of constant flight? Ways to see invisible enemies? I'd assume so, but it's worth asking.

What do you do when out of combat?

keerawa wrote:

A Numerology Cylinder is a nice boost when facing creatures with SR.

If you're interested in more of a single big splurge, I love the Necromancer’s Athame or Annihilation Spectacles for a wizard.

The numerology cylinder is not PFS legal.

The necromancer's atheme and annihiliation spectacles only work for specialist wizards, and this one is apparently a Universalist.

[Ulfen Death Squad]

I have purchased the Pink Rhomboid Ioun Stone.

Any neck slot item will take away from his using the hand of glory, which gives him a third ring slot which he uses for the ring of evasion. After his bonded item (ring), the ring of protection, and the ring of evasion, no other rings really compare.

Outside of combat, he is really just a knowledge guy and back up on perception with a +15. He does know plenty of languages with 24 languages and a +25 linguistics. He can attempt to aid in diplomacy with a +7.

He does have fly and overland flight in his spellbooks and has a +22 fly skill.

In terms of what is listed on his chronicle sheets, there is a Staff of Illusion but that is 82,000 GP.

Due to a specific scenario, he can use Chain Lightning, Greater Dispel Magic, or Greater Invisibility as a SLA once with his level as the CL and Intelligence when determining the DC.

At this point, any bonus to his AC or CMD is a mute point. There is little need to up his ranged attack bonus due to true strike, which of course he knows he has to cast the round before hand.

He has only enough gold for maybe 1 lvl 4 pearl of power or 1 or 2 lower level ones.

Main concern right now may be on consumables since he may not have the gold for other high ticket items and some other upgrades or available items may be a mute point.

Current wealth: 23,196 GP 2 SP

[Ferious Thune]

Is his bonded item also a magic ring? You know that the Ring of Evasion could also be your bonded item, and you’d even have paid half price for it. Or if there’s another magic ring you want, you can upgrade your bonded item into it for half cost (crafting). You still need the fame for the full price, and you need to be high enough level to theoretically craft it. Other than that, it’s something you should take advantage of. Either by swapping your bonded item to one of the existing rings so you can use something different in your neck slot, or to save money on buying another ring.

EDIT: FAQ on upgrading a bonded item.

[Ferious Thune]

Glancing through rings, you could turn your bonded ring into a Ring of Freedom of Movement for 15,000 gold. That might be my best suggestion.

[Silbeg]

Confused....

Ring of Freedom of Movement is 40000gp... so wouldn’t that cost 20k?

[Ferious Thune]

Sorry. It was late and I saw a 3 instead of a 4. 20,000 is correct.

A Ring of Invisibility would be a cheaper option. 10,000 with the arcane bond discount.

[shaventalz]

Ferious Thune wrote:

Sorry. It was late and I saw a 3 instead of a 4. 20,000 is correct.

A Ring of Invisibility would be a cheaper option. 10,000 with the arcane bond discount.

Yes, but also less useful. With the FAQ that limits its duration, you're looking at spending your first standard action in combat to become invisible until you attack. At that point, you might as well get a spring-loaded wrist sheath and a wand of Invisibility - it would be cheaper. Plus, true seeing or other counters to invisibility get more common by those levels.

Freedom of Movement, however, never goes out of style for a squishy.

[Ferious Thune]

Less useful, yes. It is half the cost, so that’s expected. In any situation where you’re expecting combat, reactivating every 3 minutes isn’t a big deal. It’s not relatively more often than reactivating light every 10 minutes. Activating the ring before stepping into a new room is certainly feasible.

[Philippe Lam]

Ring of Invisibility and the Freedom of Movement one have equal usefulness per number of encountered situations, just that not the same ones. Personally, I'd prefer being targeted less, so ring of invisbility, because I can always wear a couple of talismans of FoM on the neck even if they don't last long, and budget-wise that would leave enough for a couple of more items

I would buff the AC then as much as possible, if either way the attempt at evasion doesn't work (bracers, ring, amulet or something else)

[Gary Bush]

I don't beleive the bonus to con from a belt stacks with a bonus from a stone because both are enhancement bonuses.

[Belafon]

Gary Bush wrote:

I don't beleive the bonus to con from a belt stacks with a bonus from a stone because both are enhancement bonuses.

You are correct, but I believe that was suggested as an either/or, not stacking. (54,000 to upgrade +6 Dex belt to +6 Dex/+6 Con belt or 8000 for +2 Con ioun stone.)

[Lucien Aquinas]

Ooooh, 14th level wizard? We should swap notes!

one thing that I bought very early on was something called a blessed book. It acts as a 1,000 page spell book or formula book that is waterproof and has a lock on it. It also weighs only a pound and it costs nothing to scribe a spell in a blessed book. I am a librarian for the dark archive so I've been spending my later adventuring levels requisitioning scrolls from the archive and then scribing them for free. It's also a great way to consolidate multiple spell books into one book.

one item that I don't have yet but I am saving up for is robes of the archmagi. With the robes you never have to cast mage armor, it gives you spell resistance, and a +4 resistance bonus to saves meaning you can use your shoulder slot or something else. It also helps with caster level checks to overcome enemy spell resistance. They are pretty handy and to be honest I wonder why you didn't pick them up yourself sooner? If you are a venture captain then I assume you did a pretty big job for The decemverate? Those sorts of jobs usually pay a lot of money.

As spellcasters our biggest weakness is being tied down. I have found that a ring of freedom of movement best deals with that problem. Being able to avoid grappling opponents or enemy spell casters who cast Black tentacles can be a lifesaver.

Since you use evocations a rod of selective metamagic might be a good investment. I personally use it whenever I have to cast fireball and my allies and my enemies are woven amongst each other.

Personally I don't feel that chasing armor class is the way to go as an arcane caster. We simply aren't going to be as skilled about not getting hit as a fighter or a paladin. I have found that the best way to deal with that is simply not be there. Now for me that is really easy since I am an arcanist and if my enemies get too close to me I can just teleport 120 ft away and then walk another 25 feet for good measure. I also have Yrishi as my familiar and I rely on her to make me invisible when I need it. if you do not have a pipe Fox as a familiar then the Ring of invisibility might be the way to go.

Of course I think there is one thing that all of us are forgetting: you are about to retire.should you really be spending your money on more adventuring gear or should you invest it or spend it on items to enjoy your retirement with? Do you own a wizard's tower? Maybe you would like to buy a mansion? Or perhaps invest in a business. Think of things that you may want for your civilian life. there is not much point in purchasing additional adventuring gear if you aren't going to adventure anymore.

[Gary Bush]

There is enough content to play all the way to 20th level.

So one may have a need for the extra gear.

[Ulfen Death Squad]

Than you all for your info. It was all helpful. I ended up purchasing a few items and then consumables for the adventure. I also realized I did not have the material component required for a few other spells.

In terms of retirement, he will be spending his Venture Captain days in his wizard tower in Hagreach (Land of the Linorm Kings) with his friend and fellow V.C., Hijiliack.