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Doc Roc
2009-08-20, 12:37 PM
I'm curious, basically, what each person's single favorite item is in 3.5. It should be something a player character could conceivably get a hold of, so no artifacts unless they're one of the few minor artifacts with an actual price-point associated with them. If you opt to list a homebrew item, I'd appreciate it if you'd also cite a link, and then list a item from the traditional canon of 3.0\3.5. Focus is on items that give good bang-per-buck.

Here's an example, to get you an idea of the format

Name: Greater Glyph Seal
Source: Magic Item Compendium
Function: Stores spells, any spells, of any level higher than fourth. Intended as a trap, ends up getting used as cheap rings of spell-storing that can hold personal range spells thanks to the wording of the entry. Still sees use in its intended function as well, which is pretty awesome. While contested, it is generally accepted.
Price: ~4k

Eloel
2009-08-20, 12:39 PM
Wildling Clasp
MIC
Lets you keep your items when wildshaped.
3k iirc

PId6
2009-08-20, 12:46 PM
Never leave home without:

Name: Healing Belt
Source: Magic Item Compendium
Function: Very very cheap healing.
Price: 750 gp.

quick_comment
2009-08-20, 12:51 PM
Spellblade weapon enhancement
Source: PGtF

Makes you immune to a single targeted spell. And you can send the spell back on your turn. And best of all, its a straight +6000, instead of the usual quadratic scaling.

sofawall
2009-08-20, 12:53 PM
Runestaff
Magic Item Compendium
So, so useful for sorcerers.
Price Varies.

ColdSepp
2009-08-20, 12:54 PM
Because Actions are precious, precious things:

Name: Belt of Battle
Source: Magic Item Compendium
Function: Initiative Bonus, Extra Actions
Price: 12,000

Fax Celestis
2009-08-20, 12:55 PM
Name: Wand Bracer
Source: Dungeonscape
Function: Five wands that you can access at any given time at the expense of a swift action. Very very potent if you fill it with situational-but-powerful "Batman-esque" wands. I tend to fill mine with armor lock, cure light wounds, entice gift, grease, and either benign transposition or flame blade.
Price: 300 gp

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-08-20, 12:59 PM
Name: Vest of the Archmagi
Source: MIC
Function: +5 AC, +4 to saves, recover up to 3 cast spells per day (of any level). Very handy, plus the flavor is nice too ("This vest is so powerful it must be legend, but if it did exist, its stats would be something like this...") Honestly, there are more useful items, but it's the fluff that gets me every time.
Price: 120,000-ish

Epinephrine
2009-08-20, 12:59 PM
Ooh, that's tough.

On the ultra cheap, everyone should have it end would be Anklets of Translocation: 1,400gp buys you a swift action 10' teleport 2/day ends grapples, gets you free of flanking, lets you get off a full attack, bypasses all sorts of obstacles, etc.

The Mindarmour enhancement is another one: +3,000gp (not an armour bonus!) for an immediate action +5 (untyped, IIRC!) to will saves, 3/day. Failed will saves take characters right out of combat. What character wouldn't want this?

The Rose Dragon
2009-08-20, 01:00 PM
Name: Ring of Sustenance
Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
Function: It allows you to function without food, water and with less sleep.
Price: 2,500 gp.

Kylarra
2009-08-20, 01:02 PM
Anklet of Translocation
Source: MiC
Cost: 1.4k
2/day teleport up to 10' as a swift action

lol ninjas. :(

umm


Restful Armor Enchantment
Source: Dungeonscape
Allows sleeping in armor without becoming fatigued.
cost: 500gp

Pika...
2009-08-20, 01:02 PM
A wagon (PHB) pulled by a Rhino (A&EG).

Can anyone say kitchen sink? :smallbiggrin:



p.s. I even made a scale model of the dang thing and ahve used it for years.

Curmudgeon
2009-08-20, 01:03 PM
Name: Heward's Handy Haversack
Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
Function: Holds a lot, with convenient access.
Price: 2,000 gp

msully4321
2009-08-20, 01:04 PM
Second for Healing Belt. Every party I've every played in has ended up getting one for every member.

9mm
2009-08-20, 01:08 PM
well, most of my favorites have already been mentioned but...

Name: Stormfire Ring
Source: Magic Item Compendium
Function: Ferie Fire for 5 rounds that deals 1d6 electricy damage usable 5/day
Price: 4k

quite useful to combine with the "see the unseen" skill trick to deal with invisible oppenents when you don't have acess to "see invisiblity"

Also

Name: Wand Chamber
Source: dungenscape
Function: Mount wand in weapon, able to use it while holding said weapon without penalty
price: +300 to weapon's cost

Gnorman
2009-08-20, 01:10 PM
Admiral's Bicorne, from Stormwrack.

It's the coolest hat ever.

Doc Roc
2009-08-20, 01:15 PM
Name: Ring of Spellbattle
Source: Complete Mage, I believe
Function: Lets you switch the target of any spell, not just single target or ray spells. How do we know? It lacks the language that other target switching effects have
Price: 12-14k gp.

Draz74
2009-08-20, 01:16 PM
I tend to fill mine with armor lock, cure light wounds, entice gift, grease, and either benign transposition or flame blade.
Price: 300 gp

Nice. I'd never thought before about how handy Entice Gift could be in a wand. Benign Transposition is incredible.

Why CLW instead of CLV?

And Grease from a wand only has a 1 round duration. :smallfrown: I'm still debating whether it's worthwhile anyway.

Other favorites of mine in the Wand Bracer include Silent Image, Heroics (at higher levels), Prestidigitation (at lower levels), Protection from Evil.

Also: Raptor Arrow (MIC)
Sure, it's not useful to as wide a variety of characters as a Handy Haversack or Healing Belt. But still ... spend 6000 gp and a feat to add +2 to attack, +9 (average) to damage on an Archer? With the bonus that you never run out of ammo? Classy.

Signmaker
2009-08-20, 01:18 PM
Lesse. Tide knows full well what my new favorite 3.0 item is, but as for 3.5...

Name: Circlet of Persuasion
Source: DMG
Function: +3 to Cha-based checks
Price: 4500

PId6
2009-08-20, 01:20 PM
Name: Dust of Sneezing and Choking
Source: DMG
Function: Stun area of targets for 5d4 rounds no save, and possible Con damage. Totally cheesetastic.
Price: 2,400 gp.

Pika...
2009-08-20, 01:21 PM
And Grease from a wand only has a 1 round duration. :smallfrown: I'm still debating whether it's worthwhile anyway.



You can have it crafted at a higher caster level.

Doc Roc
2009-08-20, 01:22 PM
You can have it crafted at a higher caster level.

Gold isn't cheap. ;)

Fax Celestis
2009-08-20, 01:23 PM
Why CLW instead of CLV?CLW is on the bard list, CLV is not. If I don't have to make a UMD check, all the better.


And Grease from a wand only has a 1 round duration. :smallfrown: I'm still debating whether it's worthwhile anyway.If I get it, I generally get it at CL 3 (spell level 1 * caster level 3 * 750 = 2250gp). Even if I don't, it's still an area-effect "hey y'all, fall down".


Other favorites of mine in the Wand Bracer include Silent Image, Heroics (at higher levels), Prestidigitation (at lower levels), Protection from Evil.Yeah. I also like slotting in aquatic escape or winged watcher (both from CScn): swift-action rounds/level polymorph spells into little creatures with unique movement speeds means that if I'm really screwed, I can pop one of those and swim/fly away.

Glimbur
2009-08-20, 01:24 PM
Name: Boots of Levitation
Source: DMG
Function: See name.
Price: 7,500 gold.

It's a lot cheaper than real flight, and the unlimited uses/day mean you can use them for all sorts of weird puzzle solving. Maybe I just like interesting but limited magic items more than straight stat boosts or more applicable abilities.

AstralFire
2009-08-20, 01:26 PM
Apparatus of the Crab.

I pick magic items for cool; I don't like my characters being dependent on their +5 whatever of awesome in order to deliver results.

Cyrano
2009-08-20, 01:27 PM
Gold isn't cheap. ;)

Actually, it's a measly 1 gp per piece.

Fax Celestis
2009-08-20, 01:28 PM
Actually, it's a measly 1 gp per piece.

No Costco discount for buying in bulk? :smallfrown:

Yukitsu
2009-08-20, 01:34 PM
Name: Necklace of adaptation
Source: DMG
Function: Bubble of perfectly clean air.
cost: 9000GP.

I use the flavour text of this one to my advantage too. When under water, you only need one necklace of adaptation, so long as people are willing to stick there faces a few millemeters from yours.

Saintjebus
2009-08-20, 01:42 PM
Name: Ring of Sustenance
Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
Function: It allows you to function without food, water and with less sleep.
Price: 2,500 gp.


This, x100. Every single one of my martial characters has gotten ahold of one of these.

Pika...
2009-08-20, 01:44 PM
Name: Necklace of adaptation
Source: DMG
Function: Bubble of perfectly clean air.
cost: 9000GP.

I use the flavour text of this one to my advantage too. When under water, you only need one necklace of adaptation, so long as people are willing to stick there faces a few millemeters from yours.

Good for stealing a kiss from the Elf Paladin?

Yukitsu
2009-08-20, 01:45 PM
Good for stealing a kiss from the Elf Paladin?

I was the elf paladin...

Signmaker
2009-08-20, 01:45 PM
I was the elf paladin...

There went my drink.

Pika...
2009-08-20, 02:09 PM
I was the elf paladin...


http://smilies.xibase.com/rofl2.gif

Master_Rahl22
2009-08-20, 02:11 PM
Grrr, I got pwned in a PVP tournament by an Elf Cleric with Magic domain for Invisibility, the bow he was proficient with, and Boots of Levitation. He just hovered out of my reach and was a better archer than my Dwarf Barbarian.

Er, back to the topic. Hmm...

Name: Boots of Striding and Springing
Source: DMG
Function: They help you stride and spring. Note that it's an effective +9 to Jump checks due to the speed boost. I tend to really like speedy, dextrouse, tumbling melee types, so these are a staple.
Cost: 5500gp

tarbrush
2009-08-20, 02:17 PM
Soulfired armour.

It breaks my normal rule of "No BoED evar!", but it's incredibly handy, and honestly negative levels are just such a hassle, quite apart from the no save business.

erikun
2009-08-20, 02:22 PM
Name: Heward's Handy Haversack
Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
Function: Holds a lot, with convenient access.
Price: 2,000 gp
This. Basically every single character I've made has had one. You can't argue much with having any item in your inventory on-hand at all times.

Beyond that, I seem to recall there being a Pouch of Everlasting Provisions in some book. I can't seem to recall where, though.

Bayar
2009-08-20, 02:23 PM
Name: Blast Disks
Source: MIC
Function:
3757. I will not use donkeys with blast disks in the saddle bags as a medieval [Self Scrubbed due to religious and political conotation]
Cost: 900 GP

And:

Name: Airship
Source: ECS
Function: It is a freaking airship ! Powered by an elemental ! How awesome is that ?
Cost: 92000 GP (good thing for the artificier :biggrin: that can build one for about 34500 GP)

FMArthur
2009-08-20, 02:27 PM
Name: +1 Warning (+1), Parrying (+2) shuriken
Source: PHB, MIC
Function: +1 insight bonus on AC and saves, +5 insight bonus on initiative
Price: 640gp

Shuriken, being treated as ammunition for the purpose of masterworking and magical enhancement, are preposterously cheap to enhance. You could get a shuriken with a +10 worth of enhancements for a mere 4000gp. Since magic ammunition is destroyed when used to attack, I wouldn't bother going that far. This particular shuriken gives you two useful passive effects as long as you are holding it, and you don't ever have to use it. It's stupid, but it is unambiguously stated in the PHB that shuriken work that way.

Fax Celestis
2009-08-20, 02:31 PM
Beyond that, I seem to recall there being a Pouch of Everlasting Provisions in some book. I can't seem to recall where, though.

Everlasting rations are in Heroes of Battle.

Doc Roc
2009-08-20, 08:12 PM
There's also that darn gruel-spoon.

raitalin
2009-08-20, 08:45 PM
Sovereign Glue 2600 ~6 uses (get it in seperate bottles to avoid the whole "oil of slipperiness" thing)

Sticks anything to anything permanently. An infinite number of uses for the ruthlessly clever. Why, just recently I used invisibility and a Slight of Hand check to stick myself to a Beholder. Good Times.

Kulture
2009-08-20, 09:23 PM
Rod of surprises.
6000gp
it's the following +1 weapons
Spear, shortspear, longspear, kama, scythe, javelin, shortsword and quarterstaff.
it's also usable as a 60ft pole(!) which can support 800lbs without bending.
it is additionally capable of casting magic mouth, with any 25 word recording, whenever certain conditions are met.
You can have a dictaphone set up to activate on a clap.

when you think that it's 2k for a +1 weapon.
You're getting 8 for the price of 3, plus all the other uses.

It's also a clockpunk cane to boot.

Scarlet Tropix
2009-08-20, 09:33 PM
Name: Immovable Rod
Source: DMG
Price: 5000 GP
Just because I enjoy thinking up Welch-like uses for the thing. Seriously, it's an immovable object.

erikun
2009-08-20, 09:37 PM
I'd love to see someone set an Immovable Rod against a charge, though. :smallbiggrin:

Zeta Kai
2009-08-20, 09:37 PM
As far as published items go, they never did top themselves when they created Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#marvelousPigments). Sure, they can be used to break the economy & the game itself, but they are just too much fun. Plus, they kick-start a player's lateral thinking & creativity like no other item part of the game.

PaladinBoy
2009-08-20, 09:45 PM
Aw, I wanted to be the first one to bring up an ECS airship. Oh well.

Let's see:

Crown of High Dominion
Source: Can't remember if it was Dragonmarked, Magic of Eberron, or one of the other Eberron sourcebooks.
Function: Only works with a character with the Greater Dragonmark (Mark of Storm) feat. For those that do, having a maximized 48-hour duration on a control weather ability usable 1/day means that the weather for a 6 mile radius (also increased by this item) is yours to command more or less forever.
Price:12,000 gp

Gralamin
2009-08-20, 10:24 PM
As far as published items go, they never did top themselves when they created Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#marvelousPigments). Sure, they can be used to break the economy & the game itself, but they are just too much fun. Plus, they kick-start a player's lateral thinking & creativity like no other item part of the game.

Defiantly the Pigments. Best Item ever. Unfortunately, creativity is a poor option in 3.5, so I rarely can play around with them.

Yukitsu
2009-08-21, 12:17 AM
http://smilies.xibase.com/rofl2.gif

Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction to that situation. :smalltongue:

Animefunkmaster
2009-08-21, 12:25 AM
Well some obvious choices: Hat of Disguise, Belt of Healing, Sudden Stunning Weapon enhancement, Eggshell grenades. However my top pick is Steadfast boots from MIC.

Cost: Cheap, 1500 gp.
Effect: +4 to resist bullrush, trip, overrun. As long as you have a two handed weapon you are CONSTANTLY READIED AGAINST A CHARGE.

Enemy charges you and you not only get a free attack as though you readied, but double damage at a price that makes the Hat of Disguise look unreasonable.

Edit: Speaking of wands.

A Wand of Fist of Stone (CA fyi) costs 750 gp and you don't need a higher caster level for this one. It is a minute long +6 enhancement bonus to str AND gives you a slam attack that deals 1d6 +str or 1d6 +1.5 str if you make no other attacks OR you can use it as a secondary natural attack in a full round. Great for a low level boost to a rogue or anyone with umd. Has a variety of uses.

Wand of Acid splash: the cheapest (375 gp) ranged touch attack you can buy for your ranged sneak attacker.

JonestheSpy
2009-08-21, 12:39 AM
Okay, my all-time fave just cause it's so different than yr standard bonus-giving, spell replicating old thing:

Boots of Gravity
Source: the otherwise almost completely uselss Planar Handbook

Effect: Gravity is whatever direction your feet are pointing, changeable once per round as a free action, so you can jump from angle to angle. Anything you carry - including people - is also effected, but falls normally if you drop it.

Priceless

Doc Roc
2009-08-21, 02:43 AM
Planar Handbook is one of my fave 3.5 books... :(

Jack_Banzai
2009-08-21, 03:19 AM
Apparatus of Kwalish, DMG. My single favorite magical item.

Does it do a ton of damage? No.

Does it move very quickly? Hardly.

Does it cost a ton of money? YES. I don't remember how much it cost in 3.5. I think it was 90,000 gp.

Is it useful? Not really. You can cram two guys into it. It moves and attacks like a lobster with one guy piloting, and it can go underwater, but who cares.

So why is it the greatest magical item? Simple. Style. Nothing is more awesome than having a gnome illusionist piloting it wearing his steampunk goggles and screaming about how he can't see where he's going while his halfling bard co-pilot is standing up in the hatch firing a wand in each hand at the stupefied enemies of the party. Sure, they could do the same thing on foot, and probably move faster too. But you cannot deny the sheer nobility of two tiny guys arguing loudly while lumbering around the battlefield in a clanking, rusty metal lobster clumsily trying to grab and tear with its terrible foreclaws.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx20070612_tacticstips_items3.jpg

Myrmex
2009-08-21, 03:41 AM
Name: Heward's Handy Haversack
Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
Function: Holds a lot, with convenient access.
Price: 2,000 gp

The best part is getting to take stuff out quickly!

(Also my favorite item)

[edit]
Actually, no, I'd say you already covered the best part (holds a lot). I just wanted to emphasize the convenient access.

AslanCross
2009-08-21, 04:05 AM
Name: Heward's Handy Haversack
Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
Function: Holds a lot, with convenient access.
Price: 2,000 gp

This might be a third from me. I sometimes call it a "Triple H." :P

Saph
2009-08-21, 04:14 AM
Name: Gloves of the Starry Sky
Source: Magic Item Compendium (Magic Item Sets section)
Function: Various
Price: 1,100 gp

One of my favourite items for spellcasters. First, by spending a spell slot, it lets you spontaneously cast Magic Missile 3/day at your CL with a neat visual effect. Second, it gives you a permanent turn-on turn-off light effect. Finally, when combo-d with the other pieces of the Raiment of the Four (some of which do pretty nice things) it gives you energy resistance. All for only 1,100 gp.

For a wizard, it gives you a bit of spontaneous casting. For a sorcerer, it's like a free extra spell known. For a druid, it gives you access to the never-miss force damage that you don't naturally get. Basically, pretty much every spellcaster I play ends up with one of these. Best of all, it's cheap, so you can afford one as early as level 3/4. Very fun item.

- Saph

Eldan
2009-08-21, 04:15 AM
Well, my characters tend to have two signature items:

Feather Token: Tree
Source: DMG
Function: Drop to ground, create huge tree. What's not to like? For bonus points, fill a bag with about twenty and fly over an enemy. More bonus points when done through a chimney into a small room.
Price: 400 GP

Hat of Disguise
Source: DMG
Function: Not only can you change your clothes whenever you want, it also changes your face!
Price: 1800 GP.

Kobold-Bard
2009-08-21, 04:37 AM
Gold isn't cheap. ;)

Although if you take Craft (Coin Minting) you can get it for 1/3 it's cost.

A personal favourite of mine (because others already took the Handy Haversack and Tree token)

Gauntlets of Ghost Fighting
Source: MIC (Wraith's Woe Set)
Function: You ignore Ghosty thing's 50% miss chance (meaning all you magical weapons and your spells are Ghost Touch) and you deal an extra 1d6 against incorporeal targets. Buy one set each and form the D&D Ghosbusters.
Cost:4000gp

Darwin
2009-08-21, 05:01 AM
I'll have to put seconds on Anklet of Translocation, it's saved my butt on so many occasions and I wouldn't go down a dungeon without one now.

I can't believe no one's mentioned the portable hole yet.

Name: Portable Hole
Source: DMG
Function: A cloth circle that when fully folded out has a 6 feet diameter. It opens up to an extradimensional space that can be used as a trap, for storage and countless other sorts shenanigans. A much lighter Bag of Holding for those with STR as their dump stat.
Cost: 20,000gp

Saph
2009-08-21, 05:05 AM
I'll have to put seconds on Anklet of Translocation, it's saved my butt on so many occasions (forcecage, grapple, walls) and I wouldn't go down a dungeon without one now.

Anklet of Translocation requires LoS and LoE. Great for grapples, not so good against forcecages and walls of stone.

It's still an excellent item for its price, but if you want true teleportation you have to spring for something more expensive.

Drakevarg
2009-08-21, 05:07 AM
Sure, I'm shooting low, but:

Name: Ghost Touch Bastard Sword
Source: DMG
Function: I don't care if you don't technically have a body... I STILL stab you. And, going by the flavor text, I can apparently stab you through a closed reinforced steel door, too.
Cost: 2335gp

Why bastard sword, specifically? Because that's what I wield, of course.

Starscream
2009-08-21, 05:12 AM
Sovereign Glue 2600 ~6 uses (get it in seperate bottles to avoid the whole "oil of slipperiness" thing)

My favorite as well. For ages I've had an idea for a necromancer who gives his mindless zombie and skeleton minions tubes of this stuff.

When the fight starts they are ordered to spread it on themselves and then initiate a grapple.

Come to think of it, that would be really fun to do with level draining monsters like wights. Wonder if you could talk one of them into it...

Darwin
2009-08-21, 05:13 AM
Anklet of Translocation requires LoS and LoE. Great for grapples, not so good against forcecages and walls of stone.

It's still an excellent item for its price, but if you want true teleportation you have to spring for something more expensive.

I'll have to correct myself there, I wrote before I thought, we're a bit more lenient on line of effect rules in our group :smalltongue:. But walls definitely block line of effect per RAW and RAI, but it's still a great tool to bring yourself out of sticky situations.

Forcecage specifically states that all spells can pass through the bars, we ruled that the Anklets worked, I can't say whetever we're right or wrong though.

Saph
2009-08-21, 05:25 AM
I'll have to correct myself there, I wrote before I thought, we're a bit more lenient on line of effect rules in our group :smalltongue:. But walls definitely block line of effect per RAW and RAI, but it's still a great tool to bring yourself out of sticky situations.

Forcecage specifically states that all spells can pass through the bars, we ruled that the Anklets worked, I can't say whetever we're right or wrong though.

Oh, it works on the barred cage version, just not the solid one (which is the more dangerous).

The upgraded version of the Anklets are the Boots of Big Stepping, a few pages on in the MiC - they cost 6k, but work three times a day and teleport you 60 feet as if with a greater teleport. That'll handle forcecages, walls, solid fogs etc. with no problem. They boost your caster level for teleportation spells, too.

Darwin
2009-08-21, 07:30 AM
Oh, it works on the barred cage version, just not the solid one (which is the more dangerous).

I was (semi-)right for once *happy dance*

The Boots of Big Stepping are a great piece as well, and although they lack the sexy swift action activation of the anklets the are definitely worth it.

Talking about footwear another pair of boots worth talking about are the Boots of Speed.

Name: Boots of Speed
Source: DMG
Function: Free action activation that lets you gain the benefit of the haste spell for 10 rounds a day. The duration of the haste effect need not be consecutive rounds.
Cost: 12,000gp

What makes these boots especially neat is that not only do they let you fill other enchantments on your weapons in place of speed, they also grant the other benefits of haste (+1 att, +1 dodge AC, +1 reflex and 30 ft. speed increment).

sofawall
2009-08-21, 01:57 PM
Name: Gloves of the Starry Sky
Source: Magic Item Compendium (Magic Item Sets section)
Function: Various
Price: 1,100 gp

One of my favourite items for spellcasters. First, by spending a spell slot, it lets you spontaneously cast Magic Missile 3/day at your CL with a neat visual effect. Second, it gives you a permanent turn-on turn-off light effect. Finally, when combo-d with the other pieces of the Raiment of the Four (some of which do pretty nice things) it gives you energy resistance. All for only 1,100 gp.

For a wizard, it gives you a bit of spontaneous casting. For a sorcerer, it's like a free extra spell known. For a druid, it gives you access to the never-miss force damage that you don't naturally get. Basically, pretty much every spellcaster I play ends up with one of these. Best of all, it's cheap, so you can afford one as early as level 3/4. Very fun item.

- Saph

Clap on, clap off?

Glimbur
2009-08-21, 08:24 PM
Sure, I'm shooting low, but:

Name: Ghost Touch Bastard Sword
Source: DMG
Function: I don't care if you don't technically have a body... I STILL stab you. And, going by the flavor text, I can apparently stab you through a closed reinforced steel door, too.
Cost: 2335gp

Why bastard sword, specifically? Because that's what I wield, of course.

That would be about 8K, you have to make the weapon +1 before you can do anything else to it. Yes, you can stab through a steel door... if you're a ghost.

Doc Roc
2009-08-21, 08:28 PM
Ghost touch is really strange, given the dichotomy between flavor, function, and purpose.

Deepblue706
2009-08-21, 08:33 PM
Deck of Many Things (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/artifacts.htm#deckofManyThings).

Fun for the whole family!
Warning: May result in transportation of soul to another planet and/or plane of existence.

Jalor
2009-08-21, 08:51 PM
Belt of Battle. Specifically, several. Full-attacking twice in every single encounter has gotten dice and books thrown at me. :smalltongue:

wykydtron
2009-08-21, 09:07 PM
Robe of Many Useful Items
SOurce: DMG
Funtion: Quite possibly my favorite magic item. Being able to pull a rowboat, a donkey, and steel door and a window out of your pocketless coat is quite possibly the greatest thing you could do with a robe.
Price: ~ 7'000

Yahzi
2009-08-21, 09:19 PM
I can't believe no one has mentioned:

Lyre of Building
Source: DMG
Effect: proves that Core is just broken, broken, broken.

This item takes any attempt to create a medieval society and crushes it like a bug.

Doc Roc
2009-08-21, 09:23 PM
I considered mentioning it, but I felt I should stick to just two items. :)

It combos with Marvelous Pigments, by the way. :)

Drakevarg
2009-08-21, 09:25 PM
Siege weapons obsolete and spralling urban complexes built by a single bard? Aye, that'd kill medieval society in a hurry.

Doc Roc
2009-08-21, 09:43 PM
My first post on 339 was a buildomancer. Didn't need sleep or food, so he just played continuously, then built hommunculi that also played continuously. You can grey-goo the whole damn world this way.

kjones
2009-08-21, 09:44 PM
It would be really fun to have a BBEG who was a bardic urban planner gone mad, devoted to covering the world with urban sprawl.

Doc Roc
2009-08-21, 09:50 PM
I have him statted out if you'd like to use him.

WeeFreeMen
2009-08-21, 10:02 PM
Quick Silver Boots
2,000 gp (?PC?)
2/Day: Gain a full movement at your full speed, and since your running SO FAST you gain 20% concealment (basically, 2 move actions for closing the gap, and concealment for Precision Damage!)

All my rouges / Scouts / Barbarians have this!
(Because a barbarians club requires the ut-most precision :smallbiggrin: )

Xenogears
2009-08-21, 10:14 PM
It would be really fun to have a BBEG who was a bardic urban planner gone mad, devoted to covering the world with urban sprawl.

Make 90% of the quest being A) figuring out his plan and B) trying to stop him from becoming a construct (have him use some complicated ritual with an artifact involved) in order to cease to need to sleep so he can play forever. If they fail in A and B then give them one final chance of an ultimate showdown with the final construct boss at his new evil castle at the center of an ever-spreading empty town. For lulz call him Braniac and the Fortress is New Colu.

Fax Celestis
2009-08-21, 10:31 PM
Make 90% of the quest being A) figuring out his plan and B) trying to stop him from becoming a construct (have him use some complicated ritual with an artifact involved) in order to cease to need to sleep so he can play forever. If they fail in A and B then give them one final chance of an ultimate showdown with the final construct boss at his new evil castle at the center of an ever-spreading empty town. For lulz call him Braniac and the Fortress is New Colu.

Renegade Mastermaker PrC turns you into a warforged.

T.G. Oskar
2009-08-21, 10:33 PM
I'd say:

Ghost Shrouds
Source: Original from Libris Mortis, also in Magic Item Compendium
Cost: 5000 gp (MIC)
Effect: as Ring of Protection, plus anything you touch gains the Ghost Touch effect. It's on the Body slot, so it probably doesn't stack with armor, but if you don't need armor, you might as well save your rings for something more important, right?

(Daern's) Instant Fortress
Source: DMG
Cost: 55000 gp
Effect: relatively safe place to stay, with several uses. Doesn't beat Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, but it's still useful: 20 ft x 20 ft x 30 ft, door cannot be opened except for those who know the password, adamantine walls... Nothing spectacular, but it's still good to have.

Boots of Agile Leaping
Source: MIC
Cost: 600 gp
Effect: Dirt cheap boots, allow you to use Jump with Dex instead of Strength, but the benefit is to recover from prone as a swift action, and without attacks of opportunity to boot. Good to recover quickly, and it can be added to virtually any kind of boots for a measly amount of 900 gp extra, so it's almost a steal.

Rod of Viscid Globs
Source: MIC
Cost: 2000 gp
Effect: it's only 3/day, but throwing the equivalent of tanglefoot bags at 100 ft. isn't anything to chafe at. Only those with Freedom of Movement shouldn't fear, but what are the chances of a monster having that.

Xenogears
2009-08-21, 10:40 PM
Renegade Mastermaker PrC turns you into a warforged.

Would be great but just how do you stop an enemy from levelling without killing them? The reason I suggested the macguffin + ritual was so that the heroes could take efforts to stop them without directly confronting them.

Although that class sounds interesting. what book is it in?

Edit: An entire adventure around kill-stealing from this one villain in order to prevent him from levelling high enough to become a construct and terraform the world would be interesting.

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-08-21, 11:46 PM
I think that would be an awesome campaign to lose. Because then your DM puts you in the same world a thousand years later, an infinite labarynth filled with people eking out a living in the secured rooms while monsters roam the outer corridors. And the BBEG is still playing...somewhere.

Xenogears
2009-08-22, 02:06 AM
You could always do the Samurai Jack route and have the characters get sucked 1000 years in the future to stop the evil bard tyrant that is now the uncontested god of this new techno-world. From his hidden fortress in the catacombs of the sprawling cityscape he still sits strumming his lyre and growing his world.... forever.

John Campbell
2009-08-22, 08:23 AM
Decanter of Endless Water
Source: DMG
Cost: 9,000 gp
Effect: What does it do? What doesn't it do? Fight fires! Flood dungeons! Break up riots! Water your crops! Salt your enemy's fields! Provide indoor plumbing! Spin water wheels! Locate the invisible! Propel levitating halflings! Short out lightning para-elementals! Power hydraulic cannons! Scour away hillsides! Find hidden openings! Give the half-orc a much-needed bath! Trap and slaughter vampires! Rust iron! All this and more!... and you can still get a drink of water.

charl
2009-08-22, 08:27 AM
Heward's handy haversack. Not because it's the best item in the game (far from it) but because every character I play end up getting one if possible. It is very useful after all. Who wouldn't like a backpack that is larger on the inside than the outside? =)

dragonfan6490
2009-08-22, 10:52 AM
Name: Vest of the Archmagi
Source: MIC
Function: +5 AC, +4 to saves, recover up to 3 cast spells per day (of any level). Very handy, plus the flavor is nice too ("This vest is so powerful it must be legend, but if it did exist, its stats would be something like this...") Honestly, there are more useful items, but it's the fluff that gets me every time.
Price: 120,000-ish

Those stats are incorrect, it gives a +8 bonus to AC, +5 to all saves, allows you to expend a spell slot and recover 5 times the level of the spell in HP, recover cast spells and costs 200000 GP.

dragonfan6490
2009-08-22, 11:02 AM
Feather Token: Tree
Source: DMG
Function: Drop to ground, create huge tree. What's not to like? For bonus points, fill a bag with about twenty and fly over an enemy. More bonus points when done through a chimney into a small room.
Price: 400 GP

Seconded, most useful item in the DMG. My players took out a dragon with a handful of these.

AppleChips
2009-08-22, 11:12 AM
I'm disappointed nobody has mentioned Ring Gates! I mean, they may not do that much, but their flavor is great. Instant food delivery, or dropping really heavy things on the enemy. My favorite is putting one over a pit of lava, and sticking the other over you're enemies head.

woodenbandman
2009-08-22, 11:26 AM
I'll also go with the Lyre of building. I had one of those in a war campaign. **** was awesome. So awesome that I'm going to get another one for another war campaign. Except I'm going to add on the effect of Sympathetic Vibrations, to level cities.

Zaq
2009-08-22, 01:34 PM
Ring of Blinking

DMG, 27,000

Sure, it's got its drawbacks (the miss chance can be a pain, I won't lie), but for getting your butt through scrapes, making yourself an unappealing target, and having another source of sneak attack potential, well, I find it's worth the gold.

That, and you can use it to poke your head through doors and see what's on the other side. Not foolproof by any means, but not bad either.

Doc Roc
2009-08-22, 01:54 PM
Ring gates are tremendously useful, in my experience.

Kol Korran
2009-08-22, 02:23 PM
well, i'm not sure how much these are appreciated by players, but i like them as a DM giving out treasure:

rod of wonder
DMG, 12000.
i just love this rod, though i always modify the pecifc effects to more interestig stuff. i then give players the opportunity to leanr how to tilt the outcome into a more favorable one, but this usually takes into account silly actions and what not. i mostly use it for the unpredictable factor, and the laughs.

oh, and the characters can't easely find someone who's willing to buy it.

Deck of illusions
DMG, 8100
again an item that i tinker with to change the actual cards. my players usually LOVE these (one was notorious for having special custom cards made for him). they have found many usefulls ways to use these items.
then again my adventures usually focus on achievig a goal different then just "kill the main bad guy".

anyway, those are my two cp.
Kol.

hotel_papa
2009-08-22, 02:50 PM
Since my favorite, the Belt of Battle, has gotten almost all the love it deserves, I'm going to go with the runner-up:

Belt of Ultimate Athleticism
MIC 3700gp
Grants you skill mastery of jump, tumble, balance, tumble, swim, tumble, climb and freaking tumble for less than the cost of +2 Armor, and allows you to take 20 on one of these skill checks once per day. This opens the door to "DC what? Yeah, I don't even have to roll." way earlier than 10th level rogue or prestige classes, and makes a fun gift for friends with cursed dice.

Draz74
2009-08-23, 12:01 AM
I'd say:

Ghost Shrouds
It's on the Body slot, so it probably doesn't stack with armor, but if you don't need armor, you might as well save your rings for something more important, right?
Meh. Compared to your other nominations, it's not very good.


(Daern's) Instant Fortress
Nothing spectacular, but it's still good to have.
It's a handy and reasonable item if you use it as intended, possibly slightly broken if you abuse it.

10d10 damage to everything in a 20x20 area, usable at will (every other round), reflex for half? That's a pretty powerful effect at middle levels. I'm always afraid of this item appearing in a campagin lest the characters should use it more for this than as a building.


Boots of Agile Leaping
Yes, this one is indeed ridiculously awesome. Though at least to get its more powerful effect (standing from prone), the character has to invest 5 ranks in Balance. So not every character will want the item.


Rod of Viscid Globs
Source: MIC
Cost: 2000 gp
Effect: it's only 3/day, but throwing the equivalent of tanglefoot bags at 100 ft. isn't anything to chafe at. Only those with Freedom of Movement shouldn't fear, but what are the chances of a monster having that.
Agreed.

Geddoe
2009-08-23, 12:28 AM
Healing belt is a real resource saver.

I do miss the 3.0 Boots of Striding and Springing though.

CockroachTeaParty
2009-08-23, 01:59 AM
There was an issue of Dragon Magazine that had a really cool item. It was a magic coin, and all it did was land favorably for its owner. If the owner called the face, it would always land on that face, and if someone else called the face, it would land on the opposite side.

I could see a rogue or scoundrel really getting some good use out of it. Better hit it with Nystul's Magic Aura before taking it to an important sporting event, though...

I'm a big fan of Heward's Handy Haversack (I call it the 'triple H sack'). There's some really cool stuff in the MIC I missed though. Thanks everyone for pointing them out! Runestaves in particular are pretty sweet.

T.G. Oskar
2009-08-23, 04:11 AM
I'm a big fan of Heward's Handy Haversack (I call it the 'triple H sack'). There's some really cool stuff in the MIC I missed though. Thanks everyone for pointing them out! Runestaves in particular are pretty sweet.

Oh gosh no...

Makes me thing of Triple H, and how he can store more than just boogers in his nose...and claim them right on track.

Which means...does he store his hammer in his nose with extraplanar storage space?

Doc Roc
2009-08-23, 10:51 AM
Item: Heward's Bedroll
Source: Complete mage
Function: Swap or restore spells far faster.
3K

Pharaoh's Fist
2009-08-23, 10:52 AM
Decanter of Endless Water

Yahzi
2009-08-23, 12:57 PM
IIt combos with Marvelous Pigments, by the way.
But those get used up. The Lyre never, ever stops...



an infinite labarynth filled with people eking out a living in the secured rooms while monsters roam the outer corridors
Now that's brilliant. :smallsmile:


Decanter of Endless Water
It's not quite that cool. When you look at the amount of water that irrigation requires, the poor decanter can't keep up. Mostly what it does is allow armies to move without having to camp at a water source every night. Of course, no DM ever enforced such a restriction in the first place, so it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. :smallbiggrin:


Now, as a DM my favorite item is the Deck of Many Things, because it can TPK a party more effectively than a dozen Titans. :smallbiggrin:

John Campbell
2009-08-23, 01:48 PM
It's not quite that cool. When you look at the amount of water that irrigation requires, the poor decanter can't keep up. Mostly what it does is allow armies to move without having to camp at a water source every night. Of course, no DM ever enforced such a restriction in the first place, so it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. :smallbiggrin:
Five gallons per second is nothing to scoff at, not at the scale you're looking at with muscle-powered farming. Now, if you're farming ten thousand acres with a combine harvester, then, yeah, you're going to need more than a few decanters.

That's only one of its many, many uses, though. Its big advantage is that, unlike all these boring items that just give you some mechanical bonus or another, the decanter of endless water has a real effect that may not have an immediately obvious game use, but can, with a little creativity, be adapted to all sorts of purposes. Its single most useful feature, IMAO, is that it breaks thermodynamics in ways that can be easily harnessed with medievaloid technology.


Now, as a DM my favorite item is the Deck of Many Things, because it can TPK a party more effectively than a dozen Titans. :smallbiggrin:
I played in one game where we all got so bored that we ended up playing draw poker with a deck of many things. The game (neither the poker game nor the role-playing game) didn't make it past the first round of betting, and the winning hand wasn't the best poker hand, but the one where the holder was still alive.

Cespenar
2009-08-23, 03:32 PM
Hey, why hasn't no one mentioned Bag of Tricks yet?

zerombr
2009-08-23, 07:08 PM
I'd love to see someone set an Immovable Rod against a charge, though. :smallbiggrin:

I've done that!

I had a modified sword sheath slot on the back of my shield, and a readied action to activate it, resulting in one GM who had no idea what would happen...

rty275@comcast.
2009-08-24, 02:28 AM
ring gates + leadership giving you a group of low level psions with telekinetic thrust + vat of lava = lava gun = WIN

Myrmex
2009-08-24, 06:07 AM
I'm disappointed nobody has mentioned Ring Gates! I mean, they may not do that much, but their flavor is great. Instant food delivery, or dropping really heavy things on the enemy. My favorite is putting one over a pit of lava, and sticking the other over you're enemies head.

They also make long distance relationships more tolerable.

rskriver
2009-09-09, 03:36 AM
Item: Travel Cloak
Source: Magic of Faerun
Function: Endure Elements (Cold) always, Keep you dry, 3/day trail rations enough to feed yourself, self refilling pot with either fresh cold water or hot sugared tea whatever you prefer at the time, and 1/day becomes a tent.

Cost: 1200gp

All my characters get this item, and always grins at the other players when they are wet, cold and hungry while traveling. Hot tea anyone? :smallbiggrin:

Temet Nosce
2009-09-09, 03:50 AM
Hrm... I generally carry a lot of items, so this is rather hard to decide. However, I have to admit even with all the magic available there's one item that really stands out for me, above and beyond all the others. What is it? Well...

Marbles
A&EG: Page 24
Forced balance check, don't you love it? Against FBs, it's the perfect item and against everyone else... well, they'd best hope they put some ranks into balance.
2 SP, cheap and effective

Fishy
2009-09-09, 04:18 AM
Re: Lyre of Building Grey Goo campaign:

You're looking for Green Star Adept. Turns you into a construct, but you have to eat fallen meteorites to do it.

"Lately, every time someone sees a shooting star, a city springs up somewhere in the wilderness for no reason we can tell. Get to it."

It takes a while for the PCs to work out what's going on, and then they have to watch the stars and race the BBEG to the crater.