(3.5) Bard Items

[Zanthy1]

Hello!

In an upcoming campaign I will be playing a Drow Bard (ECL 13, which after the +2 adjustment is a lvl 11 Bard).

I have pretty much everything all set, except items. This character is mostly focused on his skill monkeying and spells, his perform is in oration. Combat is not very important for this build, I will get armor and a weapon probably, but mostly as a formality.

I have 110,000 gold to spend, what are your recommendations? Any source so long as it is 3.5 is fine, but please include book title and page number!

Thank you!

[magwaaf]

break your dm's bones til he switches to a pathfinder/3.5 mix

[Amnestic]

break your dm's bones til he switches to a pathfinder/3.5 mix

o.O Why? There's nothing wrong with a 3.5 Bard, especially with a full set of splatbooks available.

Obligatory link to Bard Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=8284.0). That mostly just comes with recommendations for weapon/armor enhancements. Badge of Valor (MIC) and Vest of Legends (DMG2) are often good picks if you're looking to trick out your Inspire Courage. Even if combat isn't important to the Bard, it'll be important to your allies, and giving them +x to hit/damage (or +xd6 if you're going Dragonfire Inspiration) will be a huge boon.

Perhaps also consider some Metamagic Rods? Bards do have a pretty decent spell list.

[Socratov]

break your dm's bones til he switches to a pathfinder/3.5 mix

Nonsense!

construct (according to DMG custom magic items rules[DMG, pg. 282]) a masterwork microphone thingie so you can (like with masterwork instruments[song and Silence, pg. 41~]) get more to-hit bonus/tweak yout IC a bit. Make it as expensive as you want for the bonus you want.

then there is the Vest of legends [DMGII, pg. 272]
Badge of Valor [CA, pg. 132]

and the for casting there is, like, a plethora of items. I think it's a pity Chrystal keep has stopped because then you'd have an easy time of looking through reference material neatly ordered for your convenience.

I used them so often (even have them in PDF) to jsut fill up on stuff to take with me, even the most stupid items to have only 1 gp left or somesuch (we did not track food, and I always play bards, you can pretty much get free stuff as long as you perform a bit well)

[Gwendol]

Slippers of battledancing? Also:
Chrystal echoblade
Harmonizing weapon enchantment
Memento Magica (like a pearl of power for spontaneous casters)

[Amnestic]

I used them so often (even have them in PDF) to jsut fill up on stuff to take with me, even the most stupid items to have only 1 gp left or somesuch (we did not track food, and I always play bards, you can pretty much get free stuff as long as you perform a bit well)

When you need to fill up on items to squeeze out that last GP, Shax's Indispensible Haversack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101) is there. When you need to find a necessary magic item, the List of Necessary Magic Items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) is there!

[Socratov]

When you need to fill up on items to squeeze out that last GP, Shax's Indispensible Haversack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101) is there. When you need to find a necessary magic item, the List of Necessary Magic Items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) is there!

I tend to squeeze my last gp's into funny/useless/situationally useful/wtf items. always good for a laugh around the table... "why would you have that?" and so on... and answering in earnes that you thought it was rather nifty... comedy gold right there...

[Zanthy1]

When you need to fill up on items to squeeze out that last GP, Shax's Indispensible Haversack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101) is there. When you need to find a necessary magic item, the List of Necessary Magic Items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) is there!

That list of necessary items is fantastic! As are the vest of legends and the badge. The slippers dont really work though, his perform is Oration.

Quick question about the Vest of Legends though, can it be worn over armor?

[Amnestic]

Quick question about the Vest of Legends though, can it be worn over armor?

Under armor I think is the more appropriate. I believe (though I'd have to double check) that it takes up the Shirt slot which is different to the Torso slot (I think), so the two can be used in tandem.

[Gwendol]

Versatile performer is a good bard feat.

[Zanthy1]

Under armor I think is the more appropriate. I believe (though I'd have to double check) that it takes up the Shirt slot which is different to the Torso slot (I think), so the two can be used in tandem.

Where would it say whether it is a torso or shirt slot? I cannot find anything on it...

[Amnestic]

Where would it say whether it is a torso or shirt slot? I cannot find anything on it...

I found the relevant section in MIC (pg. 218)

Body slots:
Body: armor, robes
[...]
Torso: Shirts, tunics, vests, vestments.

I thought it was Torso+Shirt, it's actually Body+Torso. Since Vest of Legends is a Vest, it'd be a Torso item and thus could be worn alongside armor which takes up the body slot.

[Zanthy1]

I found the relevant section in MIC (pg. 218)

Body slots:
Body: armor, robes
[...]
Torso: Shirts, tunics, vests, vestments.

I thought it was Torso+Shirt, it's actually Body+Torso. Since Vest of Legends is a Vest, it'd be a Torso item and thus could be worn alongside armor which takes up the body slot.

Awesome thank you very much!

[Darrin]

In an upcoming campaign I will be playing a Drow Bard (ECL 13, which after the +2 adjustment is a lvl 11 Bard).


I'd rather have the 2 levels of bard than LA +2. Is Savage Progression Drow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a) or Lesser Drow (PGtF) available?



I have 110,000 gold to spend, what are your recommendations? Any source so long as it is 3.5 is fine, but please include book title and page number!


For a bard, I'd recommend:

Armor:
Darkleaf Light Fortification Breastplate +1 (6600 GP, A&EG/DMG)
Durable property (+500 GP, Dungeonscape)
Lesser Iron Ward Diamond (2000 GP, MIC)
Feycraft Death Ward Light Shield +1 (4653 GP, DMGII/MIC)
Lesser Crystal of Arrow Deflection (2500 GP, MIC)
Wand Chamber (100 GP, Dungeonscape)

Weapon:
Smoking Crystal Echoblade (10310 GP, Lords of Darkness/MIC)
Lesser Crystal of Acid Assault (3000 GP, MIC)
Wand Chamber (100 GP, Dungeonscape)
Half-dozen 1st-level wands for wand chambers (4500 GP)

Misc:
Vest of Legends (16000 GP, DMGII)
Circlet of Rapid Casting (15000 GP, MIC)
Ring of Spell-Battle (12000 GP, MIC)
Transposer Cloak (6000 GP, MIC)
Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments (4000 GP, DMG)
Stormfire Ring (4000 GP, MIC)
Novice Stone Dragon Belt (3000 GP, Tome of Battle)
Gloves of Object Reading (3000 GP, MIC)
Spellsight Spectacles (2500 GP, MIC)
Collar of Perpetual Attendance (2000 GP, Fabulous Cats (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c))
Headband of the Lorebinder (1600 GP, MIC)

For the rest, consult with Shax (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101).