Help with Swordsage Items

[Temotei]

I'm a stingy spender when it comes to items. I'm playing a 5th-level unarmed swordsage going into shadow sun ninja next level.

So, I've got everything done except items. I have my fists and a dagger (for the utility, mainly). Wealth is normal for 5th level.

Help, please. :smallsigh:

[Medic!]

Not saying it's the best idea ever to eat up 6500 of your 9k gp, but why get a plain ol' dagger when you can have a Gauntlet of Infinite Blades to give you more daggers?

[Temotei]

Not saying it's the best idea ever to eat up 6500 of your 9k gp, but why get a plain ol' dagger when you can have a Gauntlet of Infinite Blades to give you more daggers?

I only need one since it's really just a backup tool.

[Godskook]

There's a rules interpretation I use with Gauntlets:


Gauntlet

This metal glove lets you deal lethal damage rather than nonlethal damage with unarmed strikes. A strike with a gauntlet is otherwise considered an unarmed attack. The cost and weight given are for a single gauntlet. Medium and heavy armors (except breastplate) come with gauntlets.

and argue that since Gauntlets are merely lethal versions of your normal unarmed strike, they deal damage equal to your unarmed strike. Its less than 100%, but its the way I read it, and I don't think its unbalancing.

[Thespianus]

I'm a stingy spender when it comes to items. I'm playing a 5th-level unarmed swordsage going into shadow sun ninja next level.

So, I've got everything done except items. I have my fists and a dagger (for the utility, mainly). Wealth is normal for 5th level.

Help, please. :smallsigh:

Mithril Chain Shirt, Handy Haversack, Anklets of Translocation, Caltrops, Rope, mirror, chalk, bags of flour?

Not sure about the cost, but it seems to be around your WBL. They're kinda standard items, and help a lot. :) Maybe there are better items for an unarmed swordsage, though.

[Medic!]

On chain shirts I was always a huge fan of the Mithralmist Shirt from Magic Item Compendium...Mithral Chain Shirt AND concealment 7/day as a swift action that you can leave in a square for up to 1 min is pretty ++

I run up to the ugly thing, MITHRALMIST!

I move around behind it to flank as our melee brute moves into the square I just left concealment in MITHRALMIST

We beat the snot out of ogre while enjoying his 50% chance to miss us that doesn't affect our attacks at all



Then later....I run up to the evil Fighter-guy and MITHRALMIST!

I leave behind a portable hole in the square I MITHRALMISTed and move around behind him to flank.

I giggle when he tries to sneak into the concealment square before my melee brute makes it there to take advantage of the 50% miss chance....and fold up my portable hole and call it a day.

[Thespianus]

We beat the snot out of ogre while enjoying his 50% chance to miss us that doesn't affect our attacks at all
Regular concealment gives 20%, not 50% miss chance.

You need total concealment to get 50% miss chance. But still, pretty neat. :)

[Slipperychicken]

If you're completely lost, Constitution-boosting items are always nice for melee'rs, especially if your group lets you "upgrade" existing items by paying the difference in price. Cloaks of Resistance also fall into this category, if you have a save that needs shoring up.

A Handy Haversack never hurt anyone, and can store items for easy mid-combat retrieval.

If you prefer to keep combat items on your person, a Bag of Holding is an equally good investment if you need to smuggle things or carry lots of loot.

Remember the mundane things (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm), like grappling hooks, 10ft poles, reach weapons, caltrops, mirrors, lots of rope, a mount, chalk (to mark up dungeons to remember where you've been, leave messages, etc), a backup ranged weapon, and so on. Marbles from A&EG are nice for forcing Balance checks and making most opponents Flat-Footed, especially if your DM lets you drop them as a Free Action. Torches combined with flint and steel are a cheap way to start a fire in just a Full-Round action (then drop into desired square as free action).

Tanglefoot Bags are nice CC.

All my characters have at least one vial of Liquid Sunlight (Complete Scoundrel) on them. It shines light as a torch, is not magical, works underwater, and lasts forever. So basically, it's better in every way than a torch, except for the "light things on fire" part. The use as an alchemical weapon is secondary. 20gp

[Temotei]

Unarmed swordsages lose armor proficiency, so chain shirts are out. Other than that, it looks nice. I always like buying a ton of mundane stuff, but the hard thing for me is the equipment that costs quite a bit. I look at something and I want more or something slightly different and then I take too long to come up with something and give up.

Anyway, thanks a lot, guys. Any more ideas are appreciated. I'll look through the lists.

[Medic!]

Regular concealment gives 20%, not 50% miss chance.

You need total concealment to get 50% miss chance. But still, pretty neat. :)

Right you are!

[Andezzar]

Unarmed swordsages lose armor proficiency, so chain shirts are out.They are not out. Without proficiency you only get a penalty to the attack equal to the armor's ACP. A mithral chain shirt has an ACP of 0. Additionally by RAW you need to wear light armor anyways to get the Swordsage's WIS bonus to AC.

[Temotei]

They are not out. Without proficiency you only get a penalty to the attack equal to the armor's ACP. A mithral chain shirt has an ACP of 0. Additionally by RAW you need to wear light armor anyways to get the Swordsage's WIS bonus to AC.

Derp. I'm really tired right now. You're right, though the RAW reading is never used in my experience for the AC bonus feature. :smalltongue:

[Andezzar]

Still the rules about the Unarmed Swordsage do not change how the WIS to AC feature works. If you use it as (probably) intended, i.e. it works if the swordsage is unarmored or wearing light armor, the mithral chain shirt is a good idea for any character with a DEX bonus below +11.

[Cieyrin]

Alternatively, a Monk's Belt or Necklace of Natural Weapons is never a bad investment.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I would second Mithral Chain Shirt suggestion. Free AC is free.

Haversack is just too handy to not pick up.

As far as other items... Ring of Sustenance is a cheap little toy that makes your logistics much easier. No need to eat and only need two hours of sleep a day.

On your wish list should be a Necklace of Adaptation. For 9k, you become immune to a whole host of problems.

[Andezzar]

As far as other items... Ring of Sustenance is a cheap little toy that makes your logistics much easier. No need to eat and only need two hours of sleep a day.A Survival Pouch might also be an option. While you still have to sleep the full 8 hours and need to eat, you will always have enough food and water for yourself, a tent and a bedroll. There are other neat things in the pouch as well.