Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Acrid 02-27-07, 11:16 AM	I am playing in a lvl 21 gestalt game my character is lvl 21 spellthief//lvl6 beguiler/lvl 10 unseen seer/lvl 5 shadowcraftmage i am at a loss for items for this character, any ideas? we get 900k gold
Prator_the_Legendary 03-02-07, 09:10 PM	At a loss for items? If you can't find ANYTHING in the Epic Level Handbook that appeals to you, then I'm sure you can generate a custom-made item with the rules in there for you to buy. And if you're still at a loss for ideas, then there's no helping you.
Balthanon 03-15-07, 09:18 PM	Start with the basics and then move on-- that means things like deflection, natural armor, and enhancement bonuses to armor; resistance bonuses to saves; enhancement and inherent bonuses to ability scores; weapons; etc... Basically, fill up your non-epic quota before you even crack open the magic items section in the Epic Level Handbook.
bluemage55 03-15-07, 11:15 PM	Some bare basics from the SRD: Weapon - +5 adamantine vicious psychokinetic ghost touch [two-handed weapon] of collision (203,000 gp + weapon cost, heavy hitting weapon) Armor - +5 robe of heavy fortification (100,000 gp, immunity to criticals, enhancment bonus ups CL so that it is harder to dispel) Shield - +5 animated light mithral shield of gleaming (101,009 gp, +6 shield bonus to AC, frees up both hands, grants concealment) Headband Slot - Headband of Intellect +6 (36,000 gp, +6 Int) Goggle Slot - Third Eye Conceal (120,000 gp, constant mind blank) Amulet Slot - Necklace of Adaptation (9,000 gp, protects you from suffocation and gases/vapors) Cloak Slot - Wings of Flying (54,000 gp, 60 ft. flying) Bracers Slot - Bracers of Armor +10 (100,000 gp, +10 armor bonus to AC) Glove Slot - Gloves of Dexterity +6 (36,000 gp, +6 Dex) Vestment Slot - Vest of Escape (5,200 gp, +4 Open Lock, +6 Escape Artist) Belt Slot - Monk's Belt (13,000 gp, up to +5 Wisdom bonus to AC, +1 bonus to AC, 5th level monk unarmed strike damage) Ring Slot - Ring of Freedom of Movement (40,000 gp, constant freedom of movement) Ring Slot - Ring of Protection +5 (50,000 gp, +5 deflection bonus to AC) Boots Slot - Boots of Speed (12,000 gp, 10 rounds of haste/day) Unslotted: Orange Prism Ioun Stone (30,000 gp, +1 caster level) Incandescent Blue Sphere Ioun Stone (8,000 gp, +2 Wis) Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone (5,000 gp, +1 insight to AC) Dark Blue Rhomboid Ioun Stone (10,000 gp, Alertness) Pale Green Prism Ioun Stone (30,000 gp, +1 competence bonus to various rolls) Stone of Good Luck (20,000 gp, +1 luck bonus to saves, ability checks, and skill checks) Pale Blue Rhomboid Ioun Stone (8,000 gp, +2 Str) Pink Rhomboid Ioun Stone (8,000 gp, +2 Con) Pink and Green Sphere Ioun Stone (8,000 gp, +2 Cha) Pearly White Spindle Ioun Stone (20,000 gp, regenrate 1 hp/hour) You can't afford all of this, so choose which unslotted items to keep according to your own preference. I've ordered them from what I consider the most important ones to the least. As you aquire wealth, purchase the rest of them, and then save up for an epic weapon.
rob_douglas 03-16-07, 11:46 AM	You realize there is no reason to make the Robe +5, since it is a +5 enhancement bonus to the armor bonus of a robe, which is +0, so it makes the robe grant a +5 armor bonus, which is superseded by the bracers of armor +10. (Have I mentioned how much I hate that wearing a robe and bracers is better protection than a big piece of metal?!?! ;) Let's not go there...) I would take a Vest of Resistance +5 over the Vest of Escape - since you have the Ring of Freedom of Movement. For my items, not from the SRD: Belt of Physical Excellence (+6 to STR, DEX, CON): 144,000 Headband of Mental Excellence (+6 to INT, WIS, CHA): 144,000 (And no, the Belt of Excellence from Miniatures handbook is not priced correctly - it is priced as a staff, as if you only gain +6 to once stat at a time - not all at once. It should also cost extra for non-affinity for the mental stats - so in total, more like 387,000). ROB
Balthanon 03-16-07, 12:39 PM	Belt Slot - Monk's Belt (13,000 gp, up to +5 Wisdom bonus to AC, +1 bonus to AC, 5th level monk unarmed strike damage) The cap on wisdom isn't actually part of the SRD. Monk's get their full Wisdom to AC from level 1 on. (I tend to only allow the +1 bonus to AC and unarmed strike damage when I use the item, but I think it was ruled in the FAQ awhile back that you can actually get the Wisdom bonus to AC as well.) I actually noticed you cap the Paladin's bonus to charisma the same way in your revision, so I assume that is what you are referring to. (Something I don't think is something the designer's intended, since they only use the level cap on some prestige class Ability Score to Save/AC abilities, not all of them.)
Balthanon 03-16-07, 12:42 PM	Belt of Physical Excellence (+6 to STR, DEX, CON): 144,000 Headband of Mental Excellence (+6 to INT, WIS, CHA): 144,000 ROB Actually, it is probably cheaper now to go with adding the stats to other items-- they have official rules for it in the back of the Magic Item Compendium. So long as you apply them to right slot, you only pay the standard 36,000 for +6 and the same applies to the other standard bonuses like resistance to saves and deflection to AC.
bluemage55 03-16-07, 12:43 PM	You realize there is no reason to make the Robe +5, since it is a +5 enhancement bonus to the armor bonus of a robe, which is +0, so it makes the robe grant a +5 armor bonus, which is superseded by the bracers of armor +10. I listed a higher CL as the reason for it. I typically consider heavy fortification to be an important part of a character's defense, and the CL reduces painfully inconvenient dispellings.
rob_douglas 03-16-07, 06:11 PM	@Bluemage: I see. Just Fortification would get you a CL of 13 (limited wish). Upping to +5 gives you a CL of 15. Not much against epic dispellings, but ok. @Balthanon: I haven't seen the new Compendium, but if it makes it cheaper to have multiple effects on a single item, then I think it is...mistaken - or the authors were high when they did that. They certainly weren't thinking about the kinds of things that Epic characters could then afford to add on. I will comment further when I see the book. ROB
bluemage55 03-16-07, 07:54 PM	@Bluemage: I see. Just Fortification would get you a CL of 13 (limited wish). Upping to +5 gives you a CL of 15. Not much against epic dispellings, but ok. Hmm, for whatever reason, I thought the CL was 4 points for every point of enhancement obnus. I supppose gleaming and quickness would be better.
Balthanon 03-16-07, 08:03 PM	@Balthanon: I haven't seen the new Compendium, but if it makes it cheaper to have multiple effects on a single item, then I think it is...mistaken - or the authors were high when they did that. They certainly weren't thinking about the kinds of things that Epic characters could then afford to add on. I will comment further when I see the book. ROB Actually, I tend to agree somewhat with the thought behind the change, though it definitely increases the potential wealth of characters. (Though it is probably true that Epic wasn't a major consideration given the generally low cost/power level of the items in the Magic Item Compendium.) The change to adding multiple effects on an item is solely for a few specific and very common effects. If you saw the design and development article on the subject, they mentioned the "big six (or whatever the actual number was)" items. The basic thought is that there are some items that players really just can't do without in some form or another-- ability score enhancements, resistance to saves, natural armor enhancement, armor bonus, etc... And these affects are generally only granted by one item that fills up a specific body slot. The end result of this is that any magic item which uses one of those that are taken up by the "big six" is generally ignored, no matter how interesting it is, because the player just can't afford to sacrifice that item. By making it possible to layer those affects onto other magic items, you open up the opportunity for items that might otherwise lose out to the more standard items. A cloak that lets you cast a couple of low level spells once or twice per day probably isn't going to win over any converts when compared to a cloak of charisma +4 or a cloak of resistance +3. (And as an aside, this is unfortunately typical of the vast majority of items in the Magic Item Compendium.) If you are able to add that +4 to Charisma to the low level spell cloak though, then it might actually see the light of day. In general though, the rules/guidelines otherwise remain the same-- a freedom of movement effect added to a monk's belt, for instance, would multiply the lower effect by 1.5.
bluemage55 03-16-07, 08:06 PM	In general though, the rules/guidelines otherwise remain the same-- a freedom of movement effect added to a monk's belt, for instance, would multiply the lower effect by 1.5. x2 probably, since freedom of movement belongs in the boots slot.
Balthanon 03-16-07, 08:09 PM	x2 probably, since freedom of movement belongs in the boots slot. Yes-- was just pulling the first two examples I thought of out. (Though freedom of movement could probably be classified a couple of ways-- albeit not as physical improvement.)
rob_douglas 03-19-07, 04:19 PM	I just got the Compendium - interesting stuff. We should start a new thread to talk about the Item Level stuff in the new Compendium. It is nice that they at least thought to mention Epic Level. But by the rules they have, a PC at level 30 still can't have a +6 weapon. As for the slot cost changes - I see the point about combining effects. I will go read the Design document when I get a chance. I just don't see why they changed the cost. Except to make it easier to calculate the jumps. In the example they give, the cost should be an additional 2000 for the Dex +2, since the Dex bonus is the 2nd effect. But then when you go to Dex +4, the Striding and Springing becomes the 2nd effect, and should cost another 750 - because you already paid 2000 of the total 2750 additional it would cost to have Boots of Striding and Springing and Dex +4. I see that it could get complicated, especially as it depends on the value of the base item and when the enhancement bonus costs more - but I would warn any DM using this system to only allow one "common effect" to be added for the cheaper price. I still stand by my prices for the Items above granting 3 +6s. Heck, since the Belt is not on the affinity list for Dex now, I might even argue that it costs another 18K for the Belt. Head still works for mental abilities. On another note - that means the Bracers of Relentless Might are now not priced correctly in the ELH - since Bracers slot is no longer allowed for CON. I have to go reprice my party's Bracers of Health.... ROB
Acrid 03-27-07, 11:42 AM	although this has gotten a little off topic it has given me some interestign ideas. but i did completely change my character around, he is still a debuffer but now swordsage17/masterofnine5//paladin 5/fighter 2/ ruby knight vindicator 7/ sorcerer 8 so essentially he uses a swift action to cast writh strike, and either debuffs with shadow hand strikes, or hits as many times as possible through other maneuvers, then uses RKV to recycle maneuvers with sacrificing turn attempts atm i am going for no weapona nd jsut punching. any new ideas?