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Low magic item campaign

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
prestonjohn
May 26, 2013 11:06:03 Okay I will finally be playing D&D again after several years. Will be playing 3.5 edition with my brother and several friends. Now when I played oh so long ago I was in the same group but different DM. He ran the game with nobody being able to buy magic items(all the shops in Waterdeep were mysteriously closed). You only got magic items that you found. So this time have a different DM in the same group. Unfortunatly this DM is going to be the same. So I need some advise for planning my character out with almost no magic items expected like a normal game that I read about on these threads. My character is:
human
1st level wizard with plans to gain a level of monk and then go into enlightened fist
stats:
str 13
con 13
dex 15
int 18
wis 11
cha 9

going to get the carmindine monk feat to take care of wisdom score

#2
draco1119
May 26, 2013 12:20:29 My serious advice: play an artificer and make your own magic items - not just for you, but for your whole party.
#3
prestonjohn
May 26, 2013 13:01:26 LOL! I should but I have a feeling that would not fly too well. So a little more info on my character. Transmuter with the idea of enhancement spells for character and party and battle field control. Want to rely more on class features and spells more to where I will not need magic items as much.He does plan on using magic items that grow as the characters develop in levels.
#4
Tempest_Stormwind
May 26, 2013 13:24:59 Monks are among the most equipment*dependent* classes in the game, while wizards don't need anything beyond a book, ink, and a pouch of reagents (all mundane items). Why on earth would you opt for monk in this situation?

Now, the usual battery of questions:
What books are allowed?
What level are you starting at? (Assuming 1st) And what level do you expect to reach?
What point buy are you using? (I.e. can you shuffle those scores around?)
Have your teammates chosen characters yet?

We can't help unless we know this.
#5
StevenO
May 26, 2013 13:31:10 A low magic item campaign? Unless you're at the lowest levels play a spellcaster and you can ruin everything else. It's the non-casters that really suffer in a low magic environment.

I also hope your DM is very good at "winging" things. The CR/EL system is already suspect at times but if you throw out a PC's expected equipment at higher levels a PC (especially a non-caster) should have almost no chance at what should be an "appropriate" challenge based on CR.

#6
prestonjohn
May 26, 2013 13:50:30 All books except psionic(they have something against psionics)
1st level what we will reach is unknown most often the game runs to 12 or 13th level
stats listed at top of thread no point system dice roll
teamates are palidan, cleric, rogue, 2 fighters, and another mage who also wants to be a rogue

I like monk and using magic to simulate certain crazy martial arts. I plan on going into enlightened fist when its time.
I also like that the monk could in a low magic game stand out more by not needing magic items as much
#7
draco1119
May 26, 2013 14:21:10 You missed what Tempest said: Monks NEED magic items. Pretty much every melee and/or ranged damage dealer does. Out of that whole group, the ones most likely to survive are the cleric, and MAYBE the wizard (who wants to go rogue). If you really just want to depend on class features & spells, go straight Druid. Your companion will be as effective in melee as the fighters, and you'll be more than that. Use things like Animal Growth and Magic Fang on yourself (and your companion) and spam Summon Nature's Ally.
#8
prestonjohn
May 26, 2013 14:34:14 Would it be better if I went wizard?swordsage unarmed variant?
#9
draco1119
May 26, 2013 14:48:34 Swordsage... Maybe. Wizard - you've already got one. Or are you talking about combining the two instead of monk/wizard? If you do that, go Jade Phoenix Mage instead of Enlightened Fist. Take 5 levels of Wizard first, though - that lets you start off with 2nd level maneuvers at Swordsage 1 (character level 6).
#10
prestonjohn
May 26, 2013 14:58:38 Yes I am talking about combining the two. And thank you all for the assist. I do understand about the idea of the druid but I was wanting a way to optimize the mage/martial artist idea and trying not to rely on magic items. It is more for rp than for trying to find a way to dominate the game
The idea for the character is that he is a servant of Denier and is out adventuring to discover ways to improve human performance through training and finding texts about martial art styles and using magic to help in that way as way. I prefer arcane over divine because (in my mind) it is more reliance on oneself than someone else wether divine or otherwise. And now that I think about it the swordsage would be better than monk for that concept

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 prestonjohn May 26, 2013 11:06:03	Okay I will finally be playing D&D again after several years. Will be playing 3.5 edition with my brother and several friends. Now when I played oh so long ago I was in the same group but different DM. He ran the game with nobody being able to buy magic items(all the shops in Waterdeep were mysteriously closed). You only got magic items that you found. So this time have a different DM in the same group. Unfortunatly this DM is going to be the same. So I need some advise for planning my character out with almost no magic items expected like a normal game that I read about on these threads. My character is: human 1st level wizard with plans to gain a level of monk and then go into enlightened fist stats: str 13 con 13 dex 15 int 18 wis 11 cha 9 going to get the carmindine monk feat to take care of wisdom score
#2 draco1119 May 26, 2013 12:20:29	My serious advice: play an artificer and make your own magic items - not just for you, but for your whole party.
#3 prestonjohn May 26, 2013 13:01:26	LOL! I should but I have a feeling that would not fly too well. So a little more info on my character. Transmuter with the idea of enhancement spells for character and party and battle field control. Want to rely more on class features and spells more to where I will not need magic items as much.He does plan on using magic items that grow as the characters develop in levels.
#4 Tempest_Stormwind May 26, 2013 13:24:59	Monks are among the most equipmentdependent classes in the game, while wizards don't need anything beyond a book, ink, and a pouch of reagents (all mundane items). Why on earth would you opt for monk in this situation? Now, the usual battery of questions: What books are allowed? What level are you starting at? (Assuming 1st) And what level do you expect to reach? What point buy are you using? (I.e. can you shuffle those scores around?) Have your teammates chosen characters yet? We can't help unless we know this.
#5 StevenO May 26, 2013 13:31:10	A low magic item campaign? Unless you're at the lowest levels play a spellcaster and you can ruin everything else. It's the non-casters that really suffer in a low magic environment. I also hope your DM is very good at "winging" things. The CR/EL system is already suspect at times but if you throw out a PC's expected equipment at higher levels a PC (especially a non-caster) should have almost no chance at what should be an "appropriate" challenge based on CR.
#6 prestonjohn May 26, 2013 13:50:30	All books except psionic(they have something against psionics) 1st level what we will reach is unknown most often the game runs to 12 or 13th level stats listed at top of thread no point system dice roll teamates are palidan, cleric, rogue, 2 fighters, and another mage who also wants to be a rogue I like monk and using magic to simulate certain crazy martial arts. I plan on going into enlightened fist when its time. I also like that the monk could in a low magic game stand out more by not needing magic items as much
#7 draco1119 May 26, 2013 14:21:10	You missed what Tempest said: Monks NEED magic items. Pretty much every melee and/or ranged damage dealer does. Out of that whole group, the ones most likely to survive are the cleric, and MAYBE the wizard (who wants to go rogue). If you really just want to depend on class features & spells, go straight Druid. Your companion will be as effective in melee as the fighters, and you'll be more than that. Use things like Animal Growth and Magic Fang on yourself (and your companion) and spam Summon Nature's Ally.
#8 prestonjohn May 26, 2013 14:34:14	Would it be better if I went wizard?swordsage unarmed variant?
#9 draco1119 May 26, 2013 14:48:34	Swordsage... Maybe. Wizard - you've already got one. Or are you talking about combining the two instead of monk/wizard? If you do that, go Jade Phoenix Mage instead of Enlightened Fist. Take 5 levels of Wizard first, though - that lets you start off with 2nd level maneuvers at Swordsage 1 (character level 6).
#10 prestonjohn May 26, 2013 14:58:38	Yes I am talking about combining the two. And thank you all for the assist. I do understand about the idea of the druid but I was wanting a way to optimize the mage/martial artist idea and trying not to rely on magic items. It is more for rp than for trying to find a way to dominate the game The idea for the character is that he is a servant of Denier and is out adventuring to discover ways to improve human performance through training and finding texts about martial art styles and using magic to help in that way as way. I prefer arcane over divine because (in my mind) it is more reliance on oneself than someone else wether divine or otherwise. And now that I think about it the swordsage would be better than monk for that concept