Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dr.Cornelius 04-14-07, 04:40 AM	OK- I am getting back into LG and just checked out LGCS 597. It looks like there is substantial new open access, but it is fairly diffcult to determine what has been added. I am considering using the Long Axe from Complete Adventurer as a less-cheesy alternative to the Spiked Chain. Opinions on the best new open access feats, spells and items?
Cynric 04-14-07, 08:05 AM	The Basic stat booster. I have a fighter who is level 8 and he has only ever seen a belt +4 on one AR and that was at a higher apl than he played at. That simple opening up has in my opinion has limited the power curve of casters a bit, puts a fighter inline with them really as I can get the stat booster to my primary stat when I need it.
Mommy was an Orc 04-14-07, 09:02 AM	The Basic stat booster. I have a fighter who is level 8 and he has only ever seen a belt +4 on one AR and that was at a higher apl than he played at. That simple opening up has in my opinion has limited the power curve of casters a bit, puts a fighter inline with them really as I can get the stat booster to my primary stat when I need it. I think that's ultimately going to boost the power of casters and gishes, actually. As an example, my monk/sorcerer has crafted 2 +2 stat items, a Vest of Resistance +1, and a Pearl of Power(good way of storing cash while waiting for the next upgrade - hands it out to the arcane caster of the group to cast Mage Armor on her) At some point, she's going to plunk down about 10400 gold and craft herself a +4 Belt of Strength, probably around 8th level. Now just think about what you'd do with that 5600 gold... ------- Anyway, interesting open access: Unseen Seer, Lyric Thaumaturge from Complete Mage Daring Outlaw/Swift Hunter feats in Complete Scoundrel - really open up Scout and Swashbuckler. All the various Fighter feats in PHB - Melee Weapon Mastery, Combat Acrobat, etc...
Dr.Cornelius 04-14-07, 01:01 PM	Great suggestions. What about the more obscure feats/spells/items? For example, IRRC there was a feat that allowed a character to delay the effects of a potion for an extended period - this seems like a very powerful ability that effectively gives you an extra action in combat. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of the feat. I believe there was another feat that was essentially improved Iron Will for Barbarians - use a Rage to gain a bonus equal to Strength modifier to Will saves. I am sure there are other strong feats and spells on the new open list, I just don't have the bandwidth (or all the books!) to track them down without a few hints.
Mommy was an Orc 04-14-07, 02:32 PM	For example, IRRC there was a feat that allowed a character to delay the effects of a potion for an extended period - this seems like a very powerful ability that effectively gives you an extra action in combat. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of the feat. Delay Potion from Complete Mage. If I ever end up retraining out Improved Grapple from my Monk, I'll see if I can get that instead(she has both Stunning Fist and Improved Grapple and access to 50 gp potions of Enlarge Person...)
Synecdoche 04-14-07, 07:03 PM	My thoughts on the possibly useful weapons/armor that are now open: Weapons, Martial: Cutlass (Stormwrack)- Essentially a short sword that does slashing (instead of piercing damage) and with +2 bonus against being disarmed. Blunt, Dragonsbreath, Serpentstongue, Swiftwing Arrows (Races of the Wild)- Gives archer types more options. Mid-to-low level archers should start picking them up to supplement regular arrows. Weapons, Exotic: Elven thinblade or courtblade (Races of the Wild)- Finessable weapon with one step more damage than equivalent martial weapons. Thinblade probably not optimal (+1 average damage for cost of a feat), but good for flavor. Courtblade is more optimal, as its a rare example of a finessable 2-handed weapon. Rapier quickblade (Complete Adventurer)- Rapier with +2 to disarm. Possibly useful for swashbuckler types that use disarm, but maintain a full or nearly full BAB. Longaxe (Complete Adventurer)- A greataxe that can be used at reach if you are power-attacking. As compared to glaive, does one step additional damage. More importantly, can be treated as greataxe for purposes of weapon focus, specialization, etc. A good choice for barbarian types that have invested in greataxe but want a reach weapon for when they are standing behind more heavily armored fighters. Dwarven Pike (Races of Stone)- A glaive with one step additional damage. Greatbow (Races of the Wiled)- Move up to 1d10 damage instead of 1d8 longbow. Possibly worthwhile since it is so hard for archers to increase damage. Harpoon (Stormwrack)- Perhaps for barbarian types to harpoon an enemy and drag 'em closer. Great flavor. Armor, Heavy: Stoneplate (Races of Stone)- Useful only for druids. Allows them to wear armor with +6 bonus Heavy Plate (Races of Stone)- +9 bonus, but +0 max dex. Useful for melee types with no Dex that would otherwise wear full plate. Armor, Exotic: Battle Plate, Mountain Plate (Races of Stone)- Essentially, allows a character to squeak out another +1 armor bonus (as compared to full plate and heavy plate) at the cost of a feat. Probably not worth it for most, but might be useful for low-Dex dwarves seeking to boost their AC. -BMM
boolean 04-15-07, 12:00 AM	Heavy Plate (Races of Stone)- +9 bonus, but +0 max dex. Useful for melee types with no Dex that would otherwise wear full plate. Also useful for characters with 12-14 dex and a general purpose mithral favor.
jstorrie 04-15-07, 12:22 AM	Vest of Resistance.
boogahwoof 04-15-07, 12:23 AM	I do believe channeled rage is the feat you were refering to you have to be a half orc, be able to rage, what it allows you to do is as a immediate action spend 1 rage per day to gain your str bonus to a will save. races of destiny page 150
_metz_ 04-15-07, 09:47 AM	my monk/sorcerer has crafted 2 +2 stat items, a Vest of Resistance +1, and a Pearl of Power(good way of storing cash while waiting for the next upgrade - hands it out to the arcane caster of the group to cast Mage Armor on her) I thought you had to be caster level 17th to craft pearls of power? Am I missing something? Quote: "Strong transmutation; CL 17th; Craft Wondrous Item, creator must be able to cast spells of the spell level to be recalled; Price 1,000 gp (1st), 4,000 gp (2nd), 9,000 gp (3rd), 16,000 gp (4th), 25,000 gp (5th), 36,000 gp (6th), 49,000 gp (7th), 64,000 gp (8th), 81,000 gp (9th), or 70,000 gp (two spells)." Am I worng here? cos I would love to be, my Cleric 6 has Craft Wondrous Item and would LOVE to start crafting pearls...
Mommy was an Orc 04-15-07, 11:26 AM	I thought you had to be caster level 17th to craft pearls of power? Am I missing something? Quote: "Strong transmutation; CL 17th; Craft Wondrous Item, creator must be able to cast spells of the spell level to be recalled; Price 1,000 gp (1st), 4,000 gp (2nd), 9,000 gp (3rd), 16,000 gp (4th), 25,000 gp (5th), 36,000 gp (6th), 49,000 gp (7th), 64,000 gp (8th), 81,000 gp (9th), or 70,000 gp (two spells)." Am I worng here? cos I would love to be, my Cleric 6 has Craft Wondrous Item and would LOVE to start crafting pearls... Unless it specifically says you need a particular caster level for something, the CL Xs are just for show. As an example, if it says 'creator’s caster level must be at least three times the cloak’s bonus' for cloak of resistance, then it applies. From the Dispel Confusion: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lgif/20070213a Q: Is caster level (CL) a prerequisite for magic item creation (MIC)? A: No, generally. The LGCS does not have a ruling on this issue, so you consult the core rules (the DMG errata, in this case), which say that CL is only a prerequisite if specifically stated so by the magic item, such as for cloak of resistance.
SirApropos 04-15-07, 11:29 AM	In the old LGCS they had removed the 17th caster level requirement and I think you just had to be able to cast spells of that level to craft the pearls. In the new LGCS they have removed caster levels all together for all magic items. But you still need to be able to cast spells of that level to craft pearls I think. Read the new LGCS for more complete info. You still need access to craft them of course.
_metz_ 04-15-07, 09:29 PM	Thats fantastic, thanks guys, now for some craftin'!!!
Timlagor 04-18-07, 01:23 PM	Vests of Resistance are open too Heward's Handy Haversack and Boccob's Blessed Book are great for all Wizards ;) Great Scimitar (Sandstorm) is nice for Uncanny Blow (my Centaur was going to use it already)
Rerednaw 04-18-07, 03:39 PM	Vests of Resistance are open too Heward's Handy Haversack and Boccob's Blessed Book are great for all Wizards ;) Great Scimitar (Sandstorm) is nice for Uncanny Blow (my Centaur was going to use it already) The trade-off is :weep: losing access to Pearls of Power. I gained access to HHH and BB (AR) the day before 597 came out. So I didn't gain anything item-wise that my wizard was looking for. Hopefully he'll gain POP1 access. He's only 7th after all.
Reska 04-18-07, 04:52 PM	In the old LGCS they had removed the 17th caster level requirement and I think you just had to be able to cast spells of that level to craft the pearls. In the new LGCS they have removed caster levels all together for all magic items. But you still need to be able to cast spells of that level to craft pearls I think. Read the new LGCS for more complete info. You still need access to craft them of course. Actually, while correct in effort, wrong in execution. It wasn't the LGCS that removed it. That's RAW. The DMG eratta stated that there wasn't a caster level requirement, but previous LGCS stated that it was. Now the new LGCS goes with the DMG eratta. Now you follow the rules for the item in question. THe caster level on there is for spells effecting the item itself...say...dispell magic. If you try to Dispell a PoP, you need to break a 17th caster level to do it.
LachlarlanIII 04-18-07, 05:04 PM	Actually, while correct in effort, wrong in execution. It wasn't the LGCS that removed it. That's RAW. The DMG eratta stated that there wasn't a caster level requirement, but previous LGCS stated that it was. Now the new LGCS goes with the DMG eratta. Now you follow the rules for the item in question. THe caster level on there is for spells effecting the item itself...say...dispell magic. If you try to Dispell a PoP, you need to break a 17th caster level to do it. So, can I craft a Headband +2 at 5th level or what?
Reska 04-18-07, 05:09 PM	So, can I craft a Headband +2 at 5th level or what? You can craft a headband +6 at 3rd level.....
LachlarlanIII 04-18-07, 05:13 PM	You can craft a headband +6 at 3rd level..... Thanks, I thought CWI was one of the 5th level item creation feats.
Reska 04-18-07, 05:27 PM	My PHB says 3rd for CWI...which is when I took the feat.
LachlarlanIII 04-18-07, 05:40 PM	My PHB says 3rd for CWI...which is when I took the feat. You're correct. I was making a statement that I thought it was 5th level. Probably because that's when I took it with my wizard. :)
GreatSiron 04-18-07, 08:12 PM	You're correct. I was making a statement that I thought it was 5th level. Probably because that's when I took it with my wizard. :) Yeah I'm pretty sure that's when most wizards take it, because the only other viable things are metamagic and the feat from CM that allows you to spontaneously cast one spell a day. (Which I took at 5th, taking CWI at 6th)
Mommy was an Orc 04-18-07, 10:39 PM	Yeah I'm pretty sure that's when most wizards take it, because the only other viable things are metamagic and the feat from CM that allows you to spontaneously cast one spell a day. (Which I took at 5th, taking CWI at 6th) That really should not be as true anymore - taking CWI at 3rd is very advantageous - you're going to be crafting that 1st +2 stat item instead of paying 4K for it around 3rd/4th...same goes for Vest of Resistance +1 and Pearls if you get access. Saves a lot of cash.
Reska 04-19-07, 12:00 AM	That really should be as true anymore - taking CWI at 3rd is very advantageous - you're going to be crafting that 1st +2 stat item instead of paying 4K for it around 3rd/4th...same goes for Vest of Resistance +1 and Pearls if you get access. Saves a lot of cash. Absolutely...unless you're stuck in Red Hand (and not able to take the year 8 TU's), but it just means I get to save up cash for when I do craft!
Dr.Cornelius 04-19-07, 03:19 AM	Unhijacking the thread... Played in a party with Divine Ward (PH2) for the first time last weekend. DW enables a Cleric to cast touch spells as short range which gives the Cleric a lot of flexibility to keep up with fast fighters and stay out of harms way. I think Divine Ward is going to be a standard feat for most healing Clerics.
cycloptic_squirrel 04-19-07, 08:01 AM	Heavy plate's already been mentioned, but the hide shield from Sandstorm's pretty nice. A +3 shield bonus with only -1 to all attacks. It's like tower shield lite except you don't need proficiency. Colored metal is a nice touch, but I shudder to think what I might come across. PC combat rules or not, the first Rainbow Brite I run across is getting a noogie. Or a complement on taste. Depends on which character I'm playing I guess. :P
Jay_Ibero_911 04-19-07, 11:20 AM	My mounted druid just hit 12th and took exotic shield proficiency with the rider's shield from races of stone...now my rhino gets a +3 shield bonus to AC...and the rider's shield is conveniently made of wood by default.
Hariman 04-23-07, 01:30 PM	Unseen Seer and Spellwarp Sniper are both excellent for Arcane Trickster Wannabes. Faster entry, comparable abilities and Unseen Seer can get you into AT faster. Boccob's Blessed Book and Heward's Handy Haversack access are both very good.
SteveMND 04-24-07, 11:17 AM	Opinions on the best new open access feats, spells and items? I definately think all the new weapons that have been opened up is a great thing. For years previously, nobody could really do much with anything aside from the weapons in the PHB, since there was no guarantee you'd find one (or if you did, that you'd be able to find another should the first be destroyed somehow). We're seeing a lot more new builds now with these added weapons, which is good.
Timlagor 04-24-07, 12:46 PM	Whoops: somehow thought we were only talking about items. Weapon Mastery is great. Combat Focus &co look cool -not sure how powerful they are with the requirements, very nice for Monks and Cleric Tanks I suppose. Metamagic Focus is gorgeous for specialists. Divine Ward looks nice (not seen it in use yet) Healers are a welcome addition (suspending judgement on how powerful they are in their job but with the extra spelllist they may well have managed to get better than Clerics at healing)
Mommy was an Orc 04-24-07, 01:02 PM	Combat Focus &co look cool -not sure how powerful they are with the requirements, very nice for Monks and Cleric Tanks I suppose. It is possible to get a 6 BAB Fighter build to have Combat Defense and Elusive Target at 6th level. At which point, let the fun begin...tumble up to a flank, then move through it normally. Dodge buddy takes his AoO, hits his partner, you then get to make a trip attack against him. You then immediately switch your dodge buddy to the other guy, he takes his AoO, hits his possibly prone partner, you then get to make a trip attack. As it is still your action, you then move to an appropriate spot and hit whoever is prone...
Timlagor 04-24-07, 02:54 PM	You don't get to decide which one takes the AoO first but it's still a nice idea.
Mommy was an Orc 04-24-07, 03:15 PM	You don't get to decide which one takes the AoO first but it's still a nice idea. That's true - but as the primary target of this would be mindless, neither do they :)
Vamroc 04-24-07, 04:33 PM	I would say crafting has been affected the most. It's insane whenever you gain access to a weapon with a special abitilty you can craft any weapon with that ability. I'm just bumed since I plan on doing RHOD and I have only 35 TU's left. I have to wait till 01/01/08 to craft my Starmetal Greatsword with BANE: Outsider, Evil and Mage Bane. I will be a fourth level Spell Sword with Channel Spell by the time RHOD finishes. Orb of Force at 11 D6 spell channeled to a weapon that potentialy deals 7d6 plus strength with no save and no SR. Oh yeah and I'm an honorary Blader to boot so thats another plus 8 damage. I just used Orb of Force as an example in theory I could use any spell.
jstorrie 04-24-07, 09:03 PM	Yuck. Don't put a bane on your main weapon, Vamroc. Bane is for backup weapons or for ammunition.
Japangirl 04-24-07, 11:26 PM	Yuck. Don't put a bane on your main weapon, Vamroc. Bane is for backup weapons or for ammunition. That entirely depends. I know an archer with a +1 Sacred, Holy, Bane (Evil Outsider) bow as his main weapon because what he does is kill evil outsiders. He doesn't want that bane on a secondary weapon, he wants to do an extra 6d6 damage per arrow against evil outsiders. If you want to spend a lot of money on a main weapon, by all means do so. Extraneous banes, on the other hand, should go on secondary or tertiary weapons. For example, if you aren't focused on killing elementals, Bane (elemental) is a waste on your main weapon and should go on a secondary.
jstorrie 04-24-07, 11:34 PM	That archer could do just as well with a +1 Holy Bow and a quiver of +1 Sacred, Bane (Evil Outsider) Arrows, and save a lot of money in the process.
Japangirl 04-25-07, 12:09 AM	That archer could do just as well with a +1 Holy Bow and a quiver of +1 Sacred, Bane (Evil Outsider) Arrows, and save a lot of money in the process. Not really. Buying +3 arrows adds up really fast when you shoot five a round . . . besides, he needs to be able to do it in silver, cold iron, and potentially blunt arrows as well. No reason to get all those enchanted, just enchant the bow and then pick your special material of choice.