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So, my PFS Gnome Investigator just jumped to 6th level after applying a GM chronicle and an AP chronicle. He's got around 12,000 gold, and I'm looking for ideas about interesting magic items I could purchase. He's mostly a skill character, not a huge damage dealer in combat, but I like fun things that give him something to do in combat. Flavorful items are a plus. I'm thinking if things that would normally be a little too expensive or odd for most characters.
Some that I'm looking at are:
Grim Lantern - a renewable CL5 burning hands in the shape of a skull? Yes.
Migrus Locker - full of flavor, though it requires some creativity to be worth the price.
Any other ideas? They don't have to have the creep factor of these two.
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Sorry, took me a while to get back to my character sheet.
I'm in the process of leveling him 2 levels, so some of this may not be final, but I think he's going to end up close to this:
Gnome Investigator 5/Sleepless Detective 1
Osirion Faction
STR 8
DEX 14
CON 12
INT 19 (He's got a boon for an extra +1 to any stat, so his point buy doesn't add up as expected)
WIS 12
CHA 12
HP: 44 AC: 17 Touch: 13 Flatfooted: 15
Fort: +2 Ref: +5 Will: +5
Feats: 1) Weapon Finesse, 3) Alertness, 5) Breadth of Experience (Not necessarily final choice)
Traits: Pragmatic Activator (Use Int instead of Cha for UMD)
Tireless Logic: 1/day roll twice on an Int Skill Check
Alternate Racial Traits:
Darkvision 60'
Fell Magic: +1 DC Necromancy, 1/day Bleed, Chill Touch, Detect Poison, and Touch of Fatigue
Gift of Tongues: +1 Bluff/+1 Diplomacy, Extra Language per rank in Linguistics
Skills: Acrobatics +6, Bluff +10*, Craft: Alchemy +14(+18 when crafting), Diplomacy +11(+15 gather information)*, Disable Device +11*, Disguise +5*, Heal +5*, Intimidate +5*, Know: All +10* (Know Local +11), Linguistics +10*, Perception +21(+23 traps)*, Sense Motive +15*, Sleight of Hand +6*, Spellcraft +8*, Stealth +10, Use Magic Device +13
*Can use Inspiration with this skill for free.
Inspiration: 6/Day, Knowledge Skills, Spellcraft, and Linguistics for free provided trained
Investigator Talents:
Expanded Inspiration: Use Inspiration on Diplomacy, Heal, Perception, Profession, and Sense Motive for free provided trained
Underworld Inspiration: Use Inspiration on Bluff, Disable Device, Disguise, Intimidate, and Sleight of Hand for free provided trained
Studied Combat: +2 Studied Strike: +1d6 (It looks as though when the Advanced Class Guide is published, Studied Combat will also give a +2 to damage, and Studied Strike will be able to be activated as a Move action instead of a standard).
Alchemy: +4 when crafting
Trap Sense, Trapfinding, Poison Lore, Poison Resistance +4, Swift Alchemy
From Sleepless Detective:
Canny Sleuth: Add Int bonus to Perception and Sense Motive, and to Diplomacy for Gather Information.
Sneak Attack: 1d6
Forensic Thaumaturgy: Detect Magic at Will plus some extra stuff about the strength of the aura.
Items of note: Eyes of the Eagle, 2x 1st Level Boro Beads, Wand of Magic Missiles, Potions of Heroism and Fly (To use with Alchemical Allocution), Mithral Chain Shirt
He's loosely based on some combination of Columbo and Harry Dresden in Gnome form and from Tian-Xia.
He's skipped so many levels between AP credit and GM credit, I know there are some basic items I'll want to buy, but he's essentially able to do what he was built to do... make out of combat skill checks. In combat, he mostly uses touch attacks (Chill Touch from Fell Magic, Elemental Touch extract) Or he combines one of the above with Stone Fist to make his unarmed attacks lethal. He does carry a Mwk Rapier, but rarely has need to use it. The Wand of Magic Missiles has a better chance to work than he does to hit anything, and it does more damage than the Rapier (1d4+1 instead of 1d4-1). Failing all of that, Aid Another.
He has more gold than I thought: 19,916
He has 25 Fame, so he can buy items up to 8,000 gold each.
He has access to the Migrus Locker from a chronicle sheet.
I'm leaning toward buying the Grim Lantern. Hanging around Pathfinders, it'll likely always be charged, and it gives him another option in combat that doesn't require a to-hit roll. Though at 6th level with a DC 11 reflex for half, it won't do that much damage.
Really, I'm just looking for fun and interesting items that might never be considered by most characters. Since he doesn't have a page long list of must have items like most of my characters, and he can pretty much do what I made him to do already. I'm curious what's out there that I might have missed.
With 8 STR, small, and a 20 lb magic item you need a Handy Haversack (or similar) so badly.
The Grim Lantern looks like it would not be useful often. 5d4 /2 is about 6 hp damage; Aid Another would probably be a better use of your standard action. A Stormlure is only 1/day & a similar cost but it's something actually worth using.
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With 8 STR, small, and a 20 lb magic item you need a Handy Haversack (or similar) so badly.
The Grim Lantern looks like it would not be useful often. 5d4 /2 is about 6 hp damage; Aid Another would probably be a better use of your standard action. A Stormlure is only 1/day & a similar cost but it's something actually worth using.
The Stormlure looks interesting. I'll keep it in mind. For dealing damage, a Wand of Scorching Ray or something similar is a possibility at some point as well. He's also got access to a partial wand of Ic Spears.
The Grim Lantern is about 6 points of damage, but potentially to multiple opponents. It's still not exactly impressive, but it's a little better than him just attacking with his rapier. Plus he gets to point a fire breathing skull at people. Aid Another is definitely something he'll be doing a lot, though it would be better for a Halfling Investigator built around it (Helpful trait, and the Effortless Aid Investigator Talent to Aid Another as a move or a swift action (with Inspiration).
And, yes, if he ever gets the Migrus Locker, he'll buy a Handy Haversack first. That's likely on the purchase list anyway.
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Ok, you've convinced me the Grim Lantern isn't worth it, no matter how cool. It's too bad it's priced as high as it is. It would have been more useful at lower levels, but can't be purchased in PFS until it's no longer worth owning.
I'd be better off preparing a Fire Breath Extract. 4D6, then 2D6, then 1D6 with a DC based on my Int.
The Migrus Locker is still under consideration, though it might have to wait another few scenarios.
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Well, for an investigator I would think some Gloves of Reconnaissance would be fitting. Especially useful when trying to avoid ambushes. However, less useful if you're always in the wilderness.
Hat of Disguise can often be very useful and I think it'd be fitting for a skill based character. Although if you're a gnome, I suppose there'd be less things for you to mimic. If you just want a wardrobe change, some Sleeves of Many Garments. These can be useful for occasions besides just looking like the locals mind you.
No matter the build, I will always suggest the Traveler's Any-Tool as they're basically the magical swiss army knife.
Restless Lockpicks could be potentially fitting for an investigator. A bit pricey, but you could set the lock picks underway and check the area for whatever, or prepare to defend yourself if need be.
If custom items are allowed, although I'm assuming they're not, something as simple as a magnifying glass that gives bonuses to perception or survival could be fitting.
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All good suggestions. I wasn't aware of the Restless Lockpicks. That's a nice item to avoid damage when setting off traps, since unlike a Rogue, he won't ever have Evasion.
As another example of the type of items I'm thinking of, there's the Origami Swarm It's a flavorful item with a useful, if situational, ability. I've already done this one, though, with my ninja. She made use of it by dropping the swarm onto a group of soldiers that were trying to bash in a door. The resulting swarm kept them distracted for a few rounds.
Ok, for now I'm leaning toward the following purchases, to shore up the character a little, while saving money for the Migrus Locker.
5,000 Admixture Vial
8,000 Deliquescent Gloves
1,000 +1 to Armor
The other 5,916 gold would go towards expendables and something else interesting, if I can come up with something unique enough.
The Deliquescent Gloves are an interesting one that I've never seen used before and give him an "always on" touch attack that will stack with his other touch attack effects. They would take up the same slot as the Gloves of Reconnaissance. Those have tended to be scenario breaking in PFS (and in general), so I think I'll stay away for now.
There's also the Quarterstaff of the Entwined Serpents out of Inner Sea Gods. I wish it wasn't a Quarterstaff, or that PFS would let me reflavor it as a cane.
An Amulet of Mighty Fists might eventually be in order, and maybe the Brawling armor enhancement.
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The Poisoner Gloves are an interesting thought. I hadn't considered the full round buff tactic. I don't currently have the Infusion talent/discovery, though, so I'd have to rework the build. I was also looking at the alchemist formula that let's you deliver a potion or extract as a touch attack. I was having trouble finding things worth using it with, though. Inflict potions, maybe, but to get any real damage out of them, it would be expensive. Enlarge Person potions would let me enlarge someone as a standard, which could be useful and could work with the gloves as well.
There's also the Sipping Jacket. Unfortunately, there are a few RAW issues with it that make it less useful. RAW on the item, you can't use it with a potion unless the duration is measured in rounds (not minutes). So that greatly limits the usefulness. It would still be good for putting a potion of Haste into, though at 750 gold it's a lot to spend every scenario. The other issue with it is that, unlike the Poisoner Gloves, the jacket doesn't say it works with Infusions or Extracts. If I could put an extract of Haste into it, that would make it worth it.
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Here's another one. Bones of Founder Raccona. It's got interesting flavor and creates an instant plot device for the character. I'm guessing that plot device might have something to do with that Adventure Path, though. Thematically, it fits my Oracle of Bones better. Mechanically, not stacking with other sources of temporary hit points rules it out for both characters, because they both will make use of False Life and Aid frequently.
All of the recommendations everyone has come up with have been good mechanically. I'm hoping for something that's good mechanically, but also has an interesting/unique flavor to it. The Grim Lantern has great flavor, but falls short mechanically, for example.