[3.5+PF] Best specific (e.g. "holy avenger", "Celestial Armor") magic weapons/armor?

[deuxhero]

Most of these are laughably overpriced in both systems, but there are often some nice gems among them. What is everyone's favorites?

Both:
Mithral Shirt: For some reason, this is lighter than a chain shirt made of mithral but otherwise the same. 1100 GP
Rhino Hide: You can certainly do worse than an extra 2d6 on charges at low levels, 5,165 gp
Luck Blade (0 wishes): +2 shortsword that gives a +1 luck bonus and lets you reroll once a day, both of which are given to the "possessor", not wielder. Displaced outside of core in either, but at 22,060 gp it's great if you don't have access to something better.

3.5
Sunsword (EtCR version) +1 bastard sword that can be used as a shortsword for proficiency/feats/finesse/whatever.
Hank's Energy Bow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a): Fixes everything wrong with archery in 3.5 in one item 22,600 gp

PF:
Eleven Chain: Slight cost increase over 3.5, but ignores PF's new rule where you need proficiency in the original weight class for mithral armor 5150 GP
Mistmail: Turns into mist (20% miss chance for wearer) Short of a few set conditions that end it supposedly lasts forever. If you aren't using your armor slot (arcane caster, monk) for 2250 GP this is a steal.
Shield of the Mage (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/artifactsAndOthers/intelligentItems.html): Infinite spells, even restricted to level 3 and under, randomly picked and at minimum CL/attribute scores, is a bargain at any price. 14,500 GB (I seriously have no idea how this got printed)
Pistol of the Infinite Sky: How'd you like to negate both the limiting factors (reloading and misfire) in PF's funky gun rules entirely? 73300 GP

[Vortenger]

Celestial Armor is probably worth mentioning for high Dex types. Nothing else can get you that high of an AC. Nothing.

edit: In Pathfinder, that is.

[Zetapup]

Off the top of my head, the manyfang dagger from Serpent Kingdoms is pretty ridiculous. Essentially 4x damage for 32k. (this is the same book that contains the sarrukh, by the way)

I'll see if I can remember any other decent specific weapons/armor.

[Slipperychicken]

Pistol of the Infinite Sky: How'd you like to negate both the limiting factors (reloading and misfire) in PF's funky gun rules entirely? 73300 GP

Ew. Just get a +1 Greater Reliable (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/magic-weapon-special-abilities/reliable-greater) Double-Barreled Pistol (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/pistol-double-barreled), use alchemical cartridges, and take Rapid Reload(Pistols (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/rapid-reload-combat)). Free action reload, no misfires. Also lets you double your number of attacks for -4 to hit, which is usually trivial when you're targeting Touch AC.

[+4 equivalent enchant] 32,000 + [2 barreled pistol base price] 1750 + [masterwork cost] 300gp = 34,050 gold. Less than half what the infinite sky pistol costs.

I mean, the gun is worth it if you need that +5 enchant (i.e. if you're not sophisticated enough to bypass DR without a +5 weapon), or if you plan on firing so many shots that it's cheaper compared to the money spent on special ammo (when was the last campaign you rolled 33,000 attacks?), but otherwise it's kind of meh. It doesn't work with special ammo either.

If you want to save money (or bookkeeping) on bullets that badly, just make an item of continuous Abundant Ammunition (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/abundant-ammunition) (only 4,000gp), and store all your favorite ammo types in there, including alchemical munitions.

[Snowbluff]

Horned Helmet and Rapid Wrath.

[Yue Ryong]

If you can handle the downsides, the Lifedrinker (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#lifeDrinker) axe is pretty sweet, even at 40k.

[DarkSonic1337]

The Luck Blade (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#luckBlade) is pretty amazing even without any wishes. +1 luck bonus on saving throws and 1/day reroll on anything for 22,060 gp.

[deuxhero]

Ew.


You're forgetting one very big thing: You don't need a free hand to reload it.

[Slipperychicken]

You're forgetting one very big thing: You don't need a free hand to reload it.

Even if you TWF with a pair of those things, you'd still get more attacks per round from the double-barreled pistol, at the same penalty as TWF (granted, you have to direct each pair of attacks at the same target). TWF gives N+1 attacks, while the double-barreled pistol gives 2N attacks directed at N targets. If N>1 and the number of targets per round is N or fewer, the latter should usually leave you better off.

If you want to use a gun and melee weapon (and you don't want to take Snap Shot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/snap-shot-combat) or Improved Snap Shot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/improved-snap-shot-combat) for some reason), that is a totally valid mechanical reason to use the weapon.

[nedz]

All of these can be topped by custom built Intelligent Items (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm).

The standard tables list a range of spell like powers determined randomly. I see no reason why this cannot be extended to allow a choice of spells desired; especially since random determination of powers for aligned intelligent items with a special purpose can be dysfunctional if the power is inimical to the purpose. These do fall under the purview of Rule 0 however.

[Starbuck_II]

If you can handle the downsides, the Lifedrinker (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#lifeDrinker) axe is pretty sweet, even at 40k.

Magic of Incarnum can be or Lumi's are immune to downsides.

[deuxhero]

@Slipperychicken: I guess. Never really dug much into gunslingers.

@ Yue Ryong
Even the one that gives infinite spells?

[Larkas]

Hmmm, both the Novice Crown of White Ravens and the Novice Iron Heart Vest deserve to be mentioned. At the cost of a feat and 3,000 gp, you can give anyone White Raven Tactics or Iron Heart Surge!

[TrueJordan]

You'd need two vests and if it you only had those vests it wouldn't work in an AMF but yeah for 9K totally worth it

[T.G. Oskar]

I'm personally inclined toward Mithralmist Shirt (MIC). You get a Mithral Chain Shirt, but 7 times a day you can release a cloud of fine mist that grants concealment. Sure, it remains on the same spot, but it delivers quite a bit of uses. Remember that concealment is great for Hiding, and if you have something like the Darkstalker feat, that's as much as saying "you become invisible".

Bow of the Wintermoon fixes 1/3rd of the problems of archery (namely, fixed Str on composite longbows) for less than a +2 item of Dexterity. The Force enhancement merely adds a +2 to the enhancement, so for 10,000 gp less, you get a poor-man's Energy Bow. It still lacks the Power Shot thing, though. Raptor Arrows are also great. +1 Returning Arrows, which never get destroyed. Both are relics, so you have to choose which deity to favor (Corellon for free Frost and Drow Bane enhancements, or Ehlonna for free Bane property).

If you get proficiency with gauntlets and are a monk, Dragonfang Gauntlets are pretty awesome. Remember the Scorpion Kama, the weapon that deals damage as per your unarmed strike damage but with all the benefits of weapon special qualities? Dragonfang Gauntlets count as Mwk. Spiked Gauntlets and also add unarmed strike damage, plus you get a free +2 enhancement bonus to Strength for less than 10,000 gp.

Tigerskin Shirt is yet another Mithral Shirt with extra goodies, but these come with either claws, a boost to Dexterity (kinda sucky by when you get it), or scent. Claws are good if you have lots of ways to stack damage bonuses, while the scent property is great to sense, though not pinpoint, invisible creatures.

OTOH, even if a Paladin gets it, the Holy Avenger is too expensive and too dependent on DM fiat to get. The benefits are great (+5 Holy Cold Iron Longsword, free Magic Circle against Evil effect, some SR, and Greater Dispel Magic at-will), but for 120,630 gp you can get a much better item (even a simple +5 Holy Metalline Longsword of Collision, for example). Trying to UMD it for its benefits really doesn't cut it when considering all the hassle of getting one.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Icemail Armor (from the FCoTW Series (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20030323a)) is nice, especially if you combine it with Snowcasting(FB). +2 to all spell DCs is pretty tasty, Resistance to Cold 30, it has the same properties as non-metallic mithral and it's actually cheaper than the cost of it's properties even without the DC increase.
Pretty much the perfect armor for any cold-focused caster.

[3WhiteFox3]

The Wizard Hook (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/specific-magic-weapons/wizard-hook) should be mentioned, it gives a arcane caster the ability to spellstrike, or make your touch spells slightly better. It's also very cheap, as it apparently only costs around 4k to give anyone the Magus' primary class feature, but even slightly better.

Another nifty item is the Ten-ring sword (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/specific-magic-weapons/ten-ring-sword), it can either hold a third ring (or fourth with a hand of glory) or a specially made ring of a special material (significantly cheaper than buying the material seperately) or a combination of the two (a magic ring made of a special material, it takes a move action to switch between the extra ring and special material). Get a good ring made of adamantine or cold iron... And another metal ring made just in case you fight something with the right kind of DR.

Blade of Binding (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/specific-magic-weapons/blade-of-binding-1) - Gives a free action grapple against an opponent your size or smaller that you hit with it. Once grappled you get a +5 bonus to grapple checks against the target, and you can leave the grapple but have the blade keep the opponent Entangled. (Be wary that anyone that knows how the weapon works can undo the effect from outside with a standard action and swift action so only use it on lone opponents or whose allies aren't going to know how to undo the binding.) For a dedicated grappler, I think this is a pretty cool weapon.

Disarming Blade - Gives you all of the benefits of a +1 dueling weapon but also gives you the ability to spend a swift action after you've disarmed someone to move the weapon further. There is no duration listed for it, and you could theoretically use it after your opponent has picked the weapon back up. The weapon only says that you can move the disarmed weapon following a disarm and gives no further limits. And even if the DM requires that you use it immediately after a disarm attempt, it's still only slightly more expensive than a normal dueling rapier, and dueling is already a nifty quality.

[Snowbluff]

Another nifty item is the Ten-ring sword (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/specific-magic-weapons/ten-ring-sword), it can either hold a third ring (or fourth with a hand of glory) or a specially made ring of a special material (significantly cheaper than buying the material seperately) or a combination of the two (a magic ring made of a special material, it takes a move action to switch between the extra ring and special material). Get a good ring made of adamantine or cold iron... And another metal ring made just in case you fight something with the right kind of DR.


You mean Arms and Equipment Guide, Ring Blade.

Get 10 poison rings, each with the property reverse engineered. Add on your Ringblade Spiked Gauntlets.

[Azoth]

Halberd of Vaulting (A&EG) is amazing on any Dragoon style character or Tiger Claw specializing martial adept. +30 unnamed bonus to jump and double damage if you jump 5 feet on a charge...I will take 2 and a side of fries.

Unawakened Sunblade (EtCR) 3k for a bastard sword that can be treated as a short sword so I can get full dex to damage with Shadow Blade and 1:2 returns on Power Attack simultaneously!

The typical Adamantine Dagger for an imprumptu lock pick.

[deuxhero]

OTOH, even if a Paladin gets it, the Holy Avenger is too expensive and too dependent on DM fiat to get. The benefits are great (+5 Holy Cold Iron Longsword, free Magic Circle against Evil effect, some SR, and Greater Dispel Magic at-will), but for 120,630 gp you can get a much better item (even a simple +5 Holy Metalline Longsword of Collision, for example). Trying to UMD it for its benefits really doesn't cut it when considering all the hassle of getting one.


You missed the biggest problem with it: It grants SR to "anyone adjacent" and it's a melee weapon