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View Full Version : (3.5) Magic Item Crafting Feats



AtwasAwamps
2010-07-01, 08:59 PM
I have a free feat on the bard I'm building and I'm trying to figure out what might be best to take...Craft Wondrous Item or Craft Magic Arms and Armor.

The game is extremely "low-wealth"...I'm not allowed to use WBL to customize my characters items at the start of the game (and I'm not getting any leeway from the DM on this...I mentioned wanting a Crystal Echoblade and he told me I could quest for it. I asked him if he honestly wanted my level 10 character to go on a quest for a +1 longsword and he shrugged at me. ::twitch::).

I have been told that after he rolls my items, I could potentialy sell what he gives me and use that money to craft. What I'd like to know is if, as a bard, I should go for Wondrous Items or Arms and Armor. This is a melee bard, using DFI and Snowflake Wardance to a decent amount of damage and keep the party buffed.

Thoughts? Opinions? I'm leaning towards Wondrous Items...

PId6
2010-07-01, 09:08 PM
Wondrous Items. There aren't any weapons/armors you actually need, while there are all kinds of nice wondrous items that you can craft. Consider two levels of Chameleon for the floating feat that'll let you craft whatever you want.

See if you can take the Mercantile Background feat from PGtF as well. It lets you sell items at 75% rather than 50%, which seems highly useful in your situation.

TheOOB
2010-07-01, 09:08 PM
Craft wondrous items is the most useful feats in the game, however if your DM is not giving you proper magical items for your level, you'll need craft magical arms and armor. Characters are expected to have certain magical modifiers to their rolls at certain levels, and without those they find themselves unable to hit their foes.

Ranos
2010-07-01, 09:09 PM
Low-wealth, huh ? That sounds like it's gonna be quite a headache. I say, don't bother, give up on the idea of having magic items and make a character powerful enough to still function. If you take crafting feats, the GM will do everything in his power to make sure you never have enough gold to do anything with them.

If you still want the crafting feats, the only way you're ever gonna see any crafting done is with a way to make money that does not rely on GM intervention at all. There are a few, but some GM will just ignore the rules and screw you over anyway because they can. If he's one of those, just give up.

PId6
2010-07-01, 09:11 PM
Characters are expected to have certain magical modifiers to their rolls at certain levels, and without those they find themselves unable to hit their foes.
That's not nearly as necessary for bards than it is for mundane warrior-types, especially when he has bardic music and spellcasting to make up for any losses.

Wondrous Items is much more necessary for things like Badge of Valor, Vest of Legends, and Cloak of Charisma.

mabriss lethe
2010-07-02, 12:38 AM
-craft wondrous item-
Then abuse the magic trap rules.

Hague
2010-07-02, 01:22 AM
I like Craft Contingent Spell. Lets you auto-heal when you reach a certain HP level, etc. You could craft a contingent spell to apply whenever you sing a particular song (even if it's not a particular bardic ability, just any given song)

It's expensive though, single-use and CL+SL*100 gp. However, if you stick the Revivify spell on all your allies, they get a free life, so to speak.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-07-02, 01:40 AM
Characters are expected to have certain magical modifiers to their rolls at certain levels, and without those they find themselves unable to hit their foes.

A good DM can take that into account and adjust challenges accordingly

Math_Mage
2010-07-02, 01:52 AM
I take it this isn't the other good DM in your group, then. *sigh*

Between those two, Craft Wondrous Item is much more useful. However, this depends on you having time to craft; if not, both feats are pretty useless. The Mercantile Background feat that PId6 mentions is also useful...if the DM's okay with regional feats, and if you can manage to phrase the request without sounding like you're trying to bypass the 'no customization' restriction or abuse the permission to craft.

Jolee
2010-07-02, 02:37 AM
This is really similar to my group, except we play a few levels lower so I'm not really experienced with magic weapons (unless they've got the special ability to attract PKs powered by the DM). As a bard you probable want to go with wondrous items since you get the aforementioned charisma bonuses, though you may want to select weapons and armors if you've got a bunch of fighty types. Don't overlook scribe scroll, I've personally found it to be a blessing when a campaign leaves me strapped for cash since you tend to depend on spells a whole lot more. Though you'd probably be better of dipping something to get it.

Optimator
2010-07-02, 02:45 AM
The thing to keep in mind for crafting magic items as a Bard is the limited number of spells known. It would be tricky, but not impossible, to make a majority of the items you would want. Also, the items you could make may end up being redundant since their effect is potentially similar to one of the few spells you know.

The remedy is, luckily, getting other casters to donate their time and craft the item with you, providing the spell(s) required. Hopefully someone in your group can expand the range of items you could craft.

Morithias
2010-07-02, 03:39 AM
Use the create device feat from the Ravenloft Legacy of blood. Seeing how it's low wealth you REALLY want to avoid dispel magic and the like. Create device lets you make mundane version of magic items. You have to spend a tiny bit extra for the power source, but being able to say "I keep all of my stuff" when the DM's big bad uses disjunction is WELL worth the headache.

Ranos
2010-07-02, 03:34 PM
Use the create device feat from the Ravenloft Legacy of blood. Seeing how it's low wealth you REALLY want to avoid dispel magic and the like. Create device lets you make mundane version of magic items. You have to spend a tiny bit extra for the power source, but being able to say "I keep all of my stuff" when the DM's big bad uses disjunction is WELL worth the headache.

Holy ****. My chameleon needed something to stay useful in an antimagic-protected stronghold. This is perfect.