Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Maleous 09-05-04, 11:49 PM	Hi, I'm playing an 8th level gnomish druid with the Natural spell and Augment summoning. I primarily play him as a caster, but he still gets involved in melee. Also uses Wildshape as a defensive tactic to boost ref saves and HP. I'm trying to decide between CWI or Improved Initiative. Improved Initiative will let me get off those Wall of Thorns, Spike stones and waterballs, before the enemy closes, also it lets me hit first... CWI can give me Better amulet of wisdom, Better cloak of resistance (however it can't be used in wildshape ) Amulet of mighty fists (to give to animal companion) torc of animal Speech (to give to a party member for comunication) Ioun stones (strength and con bonuses in wilshape) Currently he's got 5000 and is saving for wild Armour (15000), so it'll be a fair while before he even uses the feat. Empower is planned for 12th level, so if he wants to delay it it'll have to be taken at 15th. This is a living greyhawk character so Time spent crafting is time spent not adventuring and hence you lose gold and XP, the CWI feat is useful because you can make items you otherwise wouldn't be able to find. How do people think the saved money stacks up against a +4 init modifier?
UMiskatonic 09-06-04, 12:13 AM	In living Greyhawk, Craft Feats are ALWAYS worth it. ALWAYS! Here's why. In a home game, you adventure with people who do the things you do, and get the experience you do. If you 'spend' experience, and they don't, you fall behind. In LG, you can always find people of your level to play with. The APL system guarantees it. So, you slow your advancement to get more gear. That means you will be well-equipped when compared to the average LG character. That's a huge advantage. On the downside, the people you started with will be playing APL 10, while you still play APL 8. So what? THere are always people to fill tables, thousands of people play LG. LG also requires versatility, unless you always play with the same 5 friends. You may be the cleric one day, and those pearls of power you made might be the thing that saves the day. Or you might be short a rogue, and the group wants you to wildshape and scout ahead. That wilding clasp attached to your boots of elevenkind are a big help. So, the gear is more useful than normal in that sense as well. Besides, you could always make yourself gloves of Dexterity, and help your initiative modifier that way.
SolitudeSeraph 09-06-04, 12:22 AM	What other feats do you have? I'm sure there are tons of better options for you to take than Craft Wondrous Item or Improved Initiative..
Blade2718 09-06-04, 01:02 AM	How do you have Augment Summoning without Spell Focus: Conjuration?
Qaetar 09-06-04, 01:06 AM	Probably by using the 1st, 3rd and 6th level Feats for SF(Conj), Augment Sum., and Nat. Spell. (Qaetar)
Blade2718 09-06-04, 03:27 AM	1, 2, 3....uh, yup, counting's great. :D
Battousai 09-06-04, 04:43 AM	If you want to take a PrC later, plan your feat acquisition now.
Maleous 09-06-04, 05:02 AM	Thanks all, @Miscatonic, Good point, I hadn't wanted to slow my progression down, but I suppose it's worth having a slower progression if it makes the character more durable/versatile @ Blade, yup three feats are SF(conj) Augment Summoning and Natural spell, the character was made in 3.0 when hps where unchanged by WS. If I'd have made him in 3.5 he would have been human for the feat or elf for seeker of the misty Isle(see below). @Battousai, The only Prc that I see as being worthwhile is Contemplative, and even then only one level is necessary to pick up the extra domain. The use of domains are for getting cool 9th level spells like Mord's Disjunction, Time Stop or Miracle. However I only need to take this class at 17th level to get cool 9th level spells, and lets face it, shapchange is good enough. The best method of getting contemplative wouldbe to go seeker of the misty isle first, and pick up travel ontop of the contemplative domain. Unfortunatly the charachter isn't an elf, and even given a death, I'd probabl choose a raise dead to avoid the chances of coming back as something unplayable (In Living Grayhawk, if you come back as a non-PHB race you're removed from the campaign.) The second (and only that I know of) method of getting contemplative wiohtut losing caster levels is Divine Oracle. The feat is a pain, but if i take it at 15th then I can be Divine Oracle at 16th and and Cotemplative at 17th. All this is really beside the point as Living Greyhawk has a level cap of 16. Past that and you can only play specials. But otherwise, no, no Prc that I know of advances Wildshape, Animal Companion and spells as fast as druid does. Recap, so far one person has recommended CWI.
Battousai 09-06-04, 06:03 AM	There is the lion of Talisid in BoED which advances wild shape , animal companion and spellcasting.
Maleous 09-07-04, 04:45 AM	What are the prereqs and benefits? for lion of talasid? BoED is not a source for LivingGreyhawk so I doubt it will matter. So far: 1 recommendation for CWI 0 for Imp Init. Anyone Else with recommendations?
Endarire 09-07-04, 04:02 PM	First, what's CWI? -EE
nullex 09-07-04, 04:07 PM	Craft Wondrous Item. Yeah, it took me a bit to break that code too. :)
RabidWeasel 09-07-04, 07:47 PM	I'd have to go with CWI. The sheer volume of different equipment you'll make over your adventuring career will far outweigh the benefit of improved initiative.
Endarire 09-07-04, 09:25 PM	If you intend to use Craft Wonderous often, take it; otherwise, leave it to others. -EE
olothfaern 09-08-04, 04:43 AM	...Wilding Clasps in Living Greyhawk? if so, Craft Wonderous Item is a no-brainer, Wilding Clasps are in Masters of the Wild and they allow you to use the equipement that would normally meld into your form when you change shape...
Maleous 09-08-04, 07:18 AM	Wilding clasps are in living greyhawk but they can only be attached to cloaks, robes and amulets. Amulets and cloaks morph anyway. So basically Wilding clasps are useless in Living Greyhawk. Thanks for the suggestion though.