D&D Artificer Item Familiar

[javijuji]

So I am playing a Maug Artificer in a very low optimization game. I have 2 racial HD and LA +3 so I am very far behind the group but considering they arent optimizing at all I still get to shine in battles (by buffing everyone mostly). This is not a classical bufficer or meleeficer. But more of a melee combat oriented artificer. As a Maug I have a very high natural armor and construct traits. Naturally I picked up the biggest hammer I could find and made it my item familiar. I am wielding a Golden Minotaur Great hammer. Could I get some advice regarding what powers to chose for my item familiar. Im also looking into feats since I still have a few left over from my flaws.

[Metahuman1]

You want a couple of custom Items. Make them class/race/alignment combo specific too you and perhaps they also have a minor curse on them like a -30 each to a different skill you don't care about as long as there carried. This will severely cut the cost of using them.

The first couple of items should boost the crit threat range. You want it at 2-20by the time this is done. If you have less then a x4 crit multiplier, boost that as well with another item or two. Lastly, make a custom Item that makes you able to auto by-pass all forms of crit immunity.

Now, make an pair of eternal wand's of Greater Mighty Wallop, modified by the extend spell feat with a meta-magic reducer and the same sort of price reducing tricks on it as the custom Items. Store them all inside yourself except when the wands are in use. Later make upgrades to the wands with cost reduced Megamagics like Fortify spell and such to make Dispelling harder.


Congrats, you now have nigh impossible to steal or destroy or effectively Nerf gear that makes you always crit for x4 or more damage except on a natural 1 on either the too hit or confirmation roll, and you deal damage as though the weapon was in the Colossal+ Size category.



Might be a good idea to start bringing a makeshift shield to sessions to block books to the head form the DM and anyone playing Melee or direct damage centered characters.

[Fyermind]

power attack is cool. If you can get your item familiar to have continuous divine power that would be cool too. Alternatively throwing and returning are fun for a thor feel in a low op game. If you are playing a artificer in a low op game, I'd consider taking things that looks cool or fit your character concept. So tell us more about what you want to do or be. It won't be long before even being five levels behind as an artificer won't be enough to stop your tier 1-ness from standing out especially if you take suggestions made here.

Some battlefield control never went amiss. See if you can get some sort of bull rush effect on your hammer, then dip fighter 2 for dungeoncrashing and lols.