Way over our WBL and way over our heads

[Kazyan]

So our powerfully-interpreted monster character just robbed a dragon through sheer genius, and the loot distribution is getting us all something like 17000 gp each. We're level 3. We also regularly fight things above level appropriate CR, well above in a few cases.

How do I spend this so as to get new capabilities on a level 3 druid, preferably some that you usually need level 5 or so to pull off (because he have tons of gold)? What about options for the whole party by pooling gold, such as a carpet of flying? We have a Barbarian, the aforementioned jack of all trades monster, a Warmage, and a Sorcerer.

No wildshape toys for later, please; I'm ACFing that away to spare the DM's sanity.

[herrhauptmann]

What are you getting in exchange for your wildshape?

Pearls of power might be useful.
Stat boosting items. +4 Wis for 16k.
Armor and weapons? 17k is almost a +3 sword or just a +4 armor? Maybe +2 weapon (8k) and a +3 armor (9k)?

Try googling for Bunkos bargain basement.

[Seer_of_Heart]

If you have versatile spellcaster then get ring of the beast for 8000 gold, it buffs all your SNA to a higher one if you can cast that normally. Since versatile spellcaster lets you sacrifice 2 spell slots to get a higher one you can use 2 cantrips and get SNA 2, or just 1 level 2 spell for SNA 3. It is extremely good and if you just got to level 3 I recommend it as a good option.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

Skin of Kaletor dragon magazine

Wild shape amulet Magic of faerune

Trappings of the beast set bonus complete champion

LTwerewolf posted this list in a thread where someone wanted help getting more wildshape on a character that wasn't full druid. I think their just what you need. All of them buff your effective wildshape evel, so they'll be good items forever.

As a druid that doesn't have Wildshape yet; the Skin is supposed to allow a non wild shaper to wildshape as a level 4 druid, but lvl 4 druids can't wildshape so it needs a judgment call I don't have that book in front of me to check it's wording, Wildshape amulet will let you wildshape as a druid 5 until you get wildshape then it will act as a boost, the trappings of the beast set bonus is just a +1 but it doesn't say that it can't grant wildshaping to an underlevel druid. Any combination of these should be a good use of your extra wealth while your under leveled and will remain good items pretty much indefinatly.

[Kazyan]

Hauptmann: Bunko's! How did I forget that thread? Thanks. I'm getting Aspect of Nature in Wildshape's place, as per the UA variant.

Seer: No VS, but would be great to use these lower-level slots. I'll see if I can get one.

Hand: Thanks but no thanks--see the end of my post.

[Vaz]

Could've sworn the MoF Wildshape Amulet actually allows you to Wildshape as if you were 4 levels higher; explicitly listing a 1st level druid Wildshaping as if 5th. However, IIRC (and unlikely), that's something along the lines of 40K GP.

[ericgrau]

Normally you want to augment your own abilities, and magic items with abilities are lousy by comparison or only good as backups. Now you're in the opposite boat. Find items with a special power like a ring of the ram. 3d6 damage and you'll knock back the average foe 15 feet, preventing full attacks. Also breaks doors. For that I'd burn 1 charge per attempt if you have the time, unlike combat where time is limited.

That's just an example, crack open the magic item compendium and see what you can find. A ring of animal friendship could build you an army with at-will charm animal. A marble elephant figurine of wondrous power gives you a CR 7 creature to fight for you, 24 hours 4/month. There are several ways to fly, including mounts who fight well. You could get the best necklace of fireballs. Etc. And that's just the SRD. The MiC has more I'm sure.

For your own spells, select those which continue to be useful even at higher level play, like entangle. I've played a level 12 sorcerer in a party with some characters who were level 16. With battlefield control to support them he could still make a big difference since level doesn't really matter for those. It also seems like you like to hatch clever plans, so look for tricky spells and some magic items too. Like a wand or ring of invisibility, or a hat of disguise (or 4). Druids have pass without trace, obscuring mist, and wood shape.

[Woodzyowl]

You could always take VoP at the first opportunity :smalltongue:

Honestly though, you could just get some metamagic rods to make your spells more effective. Alternatively, look in the magic item compendium and Bunko's and you should find some good items.