best way to spend loot?

[Pisha]

So I'm playing a stabby-rogue in a long-running D&D 3.5 epic campaign. We're pretty sure we're about to go into the Big, Final Battle, the one that the story's been building up to since the beginning. (dum dum dum...) At the end of our last adventure, our GM presented us with a Monty Haul treasure hoard, which would be nice, except that he's not exactly given to kindness, so... I'm pretty sure this is his way of saying "Load up, cuz it's about to get real."

So I need some suggestions on how best to cheese up. I'm looking for stuff to help with invisibility (and related things) and movement (cuz if I can get close enough to something to take a full attack action when they don't know I'm there, I can rival the spellcasters for sheer damage dealt... but at epic levels, half the stuff we fight can see invisible and moves fast), and resistance (will saves are my weak spot, and my GM knows this.)

Can I get some help please? I've been poring over the Magic Item Compendium, but I'm not a power gamer and frankly at this point my head is starting to swim from the numbers. Either something to help with the above, or else just something useful and surprising :) (And no, we don't know yet precisely what we're going to be fighting.)

[hoff]

You are lucky that I also play as a rogue and I'm a book nerd.

For movement what you want is a belt of battle (magic item compendium page 73). With it you can take one extra move action per round 3 times per day OR one extra full-round action once per day.
This item was so good (and so cheap) that once I found it two of my team mates also got one. But it really shines on rogues because of all the positioning required.

Really if you have a decent wizard and face multiple invisible enemies it might be wroth to timestop and cast true-seeing on everyone (if he somehow can't dispel it). There are other ways to deal with invisible enemies, but those are only handled by spellcasters. You should ask them to prepare some counter-strategy. After all if only you can see the invisible enemies it's not going to be very useful (ie no flanker for you). Also don't forget about darkness spell (for the love of god have someone with the Daylight spell prepared). Option 2: Lots of true seeing scrolls on a player that have an empty hand (+belt of battle to cast it twice in one round), if you are not dual-wielding rogue and have use magic device (which you should) you can do it.

If your DM allows weapon crystals get one that allows you to sneak attack undead (greater true death crystal page 66, also grants ghost-touch to the weapon) and another for constructs.

For saves: Ring of Nine Lives (page 126), very expensive but VERY useful. Once per day if you fail a save you can instead treat it as a sucess. Consume charges when activated, but since this is your "final battle" it doesn't seem to be a problem. Also you are immune to death by up to 9 attacks but no instant death protection.
The fact that is once a day is not a big problem because it is used only if you fail the save. You roll first if you roll true, good, if not use the ring.
I'm not sure on the rules but if you can use 2 of the same ring get 2 of these. Heck if your gm allows 10 rings on your hands get 10 of these. If you can, sell all your equipment get more 10 for your toes too.
Also smart (ie evil) GMs will try to steal your rings and/or cut your fingers (golum style), mix your real magic rings with 8 non magic ones. If possible get replicas that look the same so the enemy can't know which one is the real deal. It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.

Shroud of Scales: DR 5/magic and immune to dragon presence. If you are sure you are facing a dragon this is great, if not the DR is still useful with the ring of nine lives (if the attack deals 24 damage your DR saves you from using a charge). Expensive. This is good to get earlier in the campaign, you are bound to find a dragon somewhere sometime.

Also boosting your saves the old way: +6 Wis girdle and the Cloak of Resistance +5 to all saves (page 253 Dungeon Master Book), this should give you a total of +8 to will saves. EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER should have a +5 Cloak of Resistance, seriously. Also Mask of Mental Armor (page 115) +3 against mind-affecting effects.


Your team mates are probably all going to get their +5 flaming, eletric, vorpal swords. Trust me those are not that useful and the price gets exponentially higher the more bonus you have on it. If you have a +5 dagger to get flaming on it would add 22000 gold to its price while adding only 1d6 fire damage per attack and as a rogue you are probably tired of adding d6s together.
Getting lots of little trinkets is far better investment of your gold. The Magic Compendium have a description of slots for magic items, there is no reason (besides lazyness) to not have at least one cheap item in each of them. This is twice true for rogues since most of your damage comes from the sneak attack.


I haven't reached epic levels in any of my campaigns so I don't really know what stops working at epic levels and how much money you can have. All items listed here are pretty cheap and your average level 15 can get them easily (not all of them though).

[rayne_dragon]

I really wanted to be able to answer, in all seriousness, "Booze and Wenches!"

On a more serious note, sometimes having the ability to create an anti-magic field can be useful, especially if you know the big battle is likely to involve casters. Also, given that the DM is loading you up with treasure, they might be planning on stripping you of your gear for the final fight, so maybe try to find as many ways to get spell effects and enhancements on your character themself rather than on items. Or at least invest in some sneaky hiding spaces to conceal various important magic items.

[hoff]

Or at least invest in some sneaky hiding spaces to conceal various important magic items.

See? It's not paranoia if it's not just me.

[The Rabbler]

you could also have a high level caster of some sort cast contingencies on you. It'd be expensive, but it could save you from the one thing that could possibly stop you (any of the will-save-or-lose spells).

on another note, what level are you and just how much gold are we talking? If you have enough, a starmantle cloak (I think) from the BoED is one of the best defensive items in the game.

EDIT: epic, right. Go for a ring of sequestering. You are now uberhidden.