[PF] Magic/Wonderous Items for a Sphere Caster

[mrguymiah]

Our group has just reached level 7 and the DM gave us a big block of magic stone for our Artificer to make into magic items. The DM was concerned that the characters that have been in the game since the first session were starting to fall behind in WBL compared to the new characters that were coming in.

To the point, however, this is only my second campaign and I've never had more than a thousand gp to spend on anything, as we were constantly broke in my first campaign. Now, rather suddenly, I've got about 50k to spend on magic items. I've been reading through the list of Wonderous Items on the PFSRD, but I'm honestly not sure what is important or should be kept in mind. So I'm looking for general suggestions on what would be good to look for in magic items and what would help. Feel free to ask further questions, as I wasn't sure what information was entirely relevant.

Character:
Name: Naralia Eleniel
Race: Elf
Class: Lvl 7 Soul Weaver (Spheres of Power class, not the Wizard Archtype), a Cha based full caster.
Selected Energy Type: Negative
Spheres:
Alteration:
Death:

Empowered Reanimate - Increases their Str and Dex by +4
Expanded Necromancy - Allows me to reanimate them as bloody skeletons instead of normal ones.
Lingering Necromancy - Made my undead last 1 hour per caster level instead of 1 minute.
Mass Reanimate - Allowed me to reanimate all of my minions quickly and cheaply before I got permanency.
Permanent Undead - Makes it so that I'm not spending spell points every day to reanimate them.

Life:

Resuscitate - Within one round of a character dying, I can try and heal them back above their -con, saving them from death.
Mass Healing - Saves me spell points when trying to heal multiple characters.


Minions:
5 - Bloody Elven Skeletons (Weapon: Longsword | Armor: Leather)

[stack]

Do you use ghost strike? If so, a staff of death +x would be a good investment though I don't know when artificers can craft staves.

+CHA headband is a must, +4 is 16,000 GP.

Getting a MW buckler and a chain shirt with some enhancements would boost AC unless you took somatic casting twice. Even then a mithral buckler has 0 ASF.

Wands of CLW/ILW are goods idea too, save you from burning SP on out of combat healing. You have other things to do with channel energy (assuming no archetypes).

Lots of fun items are out there. I would get a handy haversack (2000 GP) since I doubt you have much strength. I hear portable holes are good for storing undead.

Orange prism ioun stone (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/h-l/ioun-stones/orange-prism-ioun-stone)is costly, but a way to boost your CL without dips or feats. 30,000 GP.

Sleeves of many garments (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/sleeves-of-many-garments) are just fun. Cheap too.

Other than that, I would try to get items to round out the sphere effects I was missing. Make sure you have a way to fly, for example.

edit: quick runner's shirts (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/shirt-quick-runners) never go out of style. Cloaks of resistance are necessary also. Ioun torches beat the alternatives as well, unless you took the darkvision alternate racial.

[mrguymiah]

Do you use ghost strike? If so, a staff of death +x would be a good investment though I don't know when artificers can craft staves.

+CHA headband is a must, +4 is 16,000 GP.

Getting a MW buckler and a chain shirt with some enhancements would boost AC unless you took somatic casting twice. Even then a mithral buckler has 0 ASF.

Wands of CLW/ILW are goods idea too, save you from burning SP on out of combat healing. You have other things to do with channel energy (assuming no archetypes).

Lots of fun items are out there. I would get a handy haversack (2000 GP) since I doubt you have much strength. I hear portable holes are good for storing undead.

Orange prism ioun stone (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/h-l/ioun-stones/orange-prism-ioun-stone)is costly, but a way to boost your CL without dips or feats. 30,000 GP.

Sleeves of many garments (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/sleeves-of-many-garments) are just fun. Cheap too.

Other than that, I would try to get items to round out the sphere effects I was missing. Make sure you have a way to fly, for example.

edit: quick runner's shirts (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/shirt-quick-runners) never go out of style. Cloaks of resistance are necessary also. Ioun torches beat the alternatives as well, unless you took the darkvision alternate racial.

I've not used ghost touch at all. We've been fighting constructs the last couple levels. So fatiguing them doesn't do anything. However, I will look into it, as we're sure to run into fleshy enemies at some point.
The Charisma Headband was definitely a thought, especially as I got a Circlet of Persuasion (I'm the Face, so that helped a lot.) I thought it better to look for feedback before buying that, though.
As for AC, I'm not sure it'd help. Most of our enemies, so far, have been big guys who do 1d20 + 10-15. So my caster has been keeping very far back.
The wands seem like a good idea, but wouldn't it be better to invest in something that doesn't have a set amount of charges?
I don't need to carry things. My skeletons all have masterwork backpacks and 19 Str, letting them carry 400lbs each.
I'll double check, but I'm not sure Caster Level actually helps me as a Sphere Caster. EDIT: Well, I know that it affects a few of my abilities. Namely, I should've picked up "Ghost Strike (Drain)" long ago. Still not sure it's enough to justify over half of my spending money, though.
The Sleeves are a great idea, since I'm the face character and generally deal with nobility and peasant alike.
Flying to avoid enemies is a good idea. I'll definitely look around.
THAT SHIRT IS AMAZING, I THINK.
Already have that torch. It's been super helpful since our DM tracks lighting and vision. (She suggested that one, actually.)

[stack]

Regular CLW/ILW wands are pretty cheap for what you get out of them for out of combat healing. If you can talk your DM into a unlimited use healing item then go for it.

Your particular arrangement of spheres doesn't benefit as much from small CL boosts as some since you have permanent minions and life cares more about number of talents spent than CL. It still matters, especially if you get revitalization since every CL then is worth 10 hp plus 10 more for every time you take the talent that boosts your healing per CL. Other than that, all you have is ghost strike as far as saves, so the cash would be better spent on a staff.

Planning on taking size change and mass alteration? CL 10 in alteration would get the size boost up to huge for +8 strength.

[mrguymiah]

Regular CLW/ILW wands are pretty cheap for what you get out of them for out of combat healing. If you can talk your DM into a unlimited use healing item then go for it.

Your particular arrangement of spheres doesn't benefit as much from small CL boosts as some since you have permanent minions and life cares more about number of talents spent than CL. It still matters, especially if you get revitalization since every CL then is worth 10 hp plus 10 more for every time you take the talent that boosts your healing per CL. Other than that, all you have is ghost strike as far as saves, so the cash would be better spent on a staff.

Planning on taking size change and mass alteration? CL 10 in alteration would get the size boost up to huge for +8 strength.
I'll talk to the DM about that.

Yeah, I see its uses for healing. I'll definitely consider it. Overall, CL isn't as super effective as it is for other casters, though.

I was, actually. I was also thinking the Anthromorphic and Permancy talents. Because then I can use that to make the bodies suitable for Summon Spirit Resurrection. (Namely my character's parents who are two of her minions.)

[stack]

Permanent alterations would be a ton of fun.

[mrguymiah]

I've spent the last week spending a lot of time reading through every single item on the PFSRD's Wonderous Items page. I made it to H. From what I saw and you're suggestions, here's my compiled list of items:

(Note: The reduced prices are their construction costs and the Artificer somehow gets an extra 5% off.)

Naralia:

Cloak of the Diplomat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/c-d/cloak-of-the-diplomat): 9,500 - It gives me a bigger bonus to diplomacy and allows me to increase people's opinions by one more step, along with a second roll for those important checks where a 3 won't cut it.
Elemental Metamagic Rod (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/amulet-of-euphoric-healing): 5,275 - Allows me to convert some fire damage from destruction into acid, which can penetrate the hardness of these constructs we've been facing.
Elixir of Sex Shifting (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/elixir-of-sex-shifting): 1,069 - A situational item for plot reasons involving a betrothal and trying to weasel out of it via "no gay marriage".
Quick Runner's Shirt (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/shirt-quick-runners): 475 - An extra move action in combat could be a life saver, this I know from experience.
Sleeves of Many Garments (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/sleeves-of-many-garments): 95 - Just darn useful when you're both a noblewoman and leading a caravan around.
Muleback Cords (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-i tems/m-p/muleback-cords): 475 - Having seven of these would allow my minions to carry up to 1,200 pounds each and it's relatively cheap. (Later on, the Artificer and I were considering getting them belts of heavy load, too, so that they could carry 3,600.)
Headband of Alluring Charisma (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/h-l/headband-of-alluring-charisma): 7,600 - Charisma is my main casting stat, so having it boosted is just helpful.



Group Items:

Construct Channel Brick (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/c-d/construct-channel-brick): 4,750 - We have a construct in our party. Two of them actually. One of them is a vitalist, so she can heal the other, but this would allow me to heal her if she goes down.
Corpse-Ferrying Bag (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/bag-corpse-ferrying): 1,900 - For those times when someone goes down and we want to bring them back. Saves me the trouble of the alteration sphere to fix the body first.
Dream Journal of the Pallid Seer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/book-dream-journal-of-the-pallid-seer): 285 - The RAW of the item allows multiple uses and it does not have a set amount of times it can be used overall, merely per person. We could craft it, each read it for the bonus, and then the artificer can break it back down for use as another magical item. An extra roll against death for no effective gold cost? Sign me up!
Expedition Pavilion (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/expedition-pavilion): 3,030 - Lots of travelling and big secret decisions. This would give us privacy while travelling.
Fortunate Charm (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/c-d/charm-fortunate): 1,425 - An extra roll every day when we need it. Again, not a bad choice, I think.
Lord's Banner of Swiftness (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/banner-lord-s): 4,750 - I discussed it with the DM, and, combined with a custom item that spontaneously creates "potion of keep watch" for the drivers, our caravan could move for 24 hours a day, effectively tripling our current speed.



Any criticisms of the list? As I said above, I've only gotten about halfway through this super long list, so I easily missed something.

[EldritchWeaver]

Due to the lack of Detect Magic cantrip, one way to solve it without spending a magic talent is this magic item:

Goggles of Magic Sight

Aura faint divination; CL 1th
Slot eyes; Price 1,200 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description

This goggles look like simple goggles used by fliers, but closer inspection reveals that the glasses can be rotated. Moving both glasses to the right position provides the effects of the standard Divine effect of the Divination sphere. The effect persists until you cease concentration. Then both glasses snap back to their original position. This version of the goggles works 3/day.

Construction Requirements
Craft Wondrous Item, Divination Sphere; Cost 600 gp

If the number of usages are too low, then this version might be preferable (as well more costly):

Greater Goggles of Magic Sight

Aura moderate divination; CL 9th
Slot eyes; Price 18,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description

This goggles look like simple goggles used by fliers, but closer inspection reveals that the glasses can be rotated. Moving both glasses to the right position provides the effects of the standard Divine effect of the Divination sphere. The effect persists until you cease concentration. Then both glasses snap back to their original position. This version of the goggles has unlimited uses.

Construction Requirements
Craft Rod, Divination Sphere; Cost 6,000 gp

[stack]

Forgot metamagic rods, very useful. I presume the constructs aren't immune to magic generally? Did your DM specifically rule that acid bypasses hardness entirely, because I'm not sure where that rule is in PF.
Energy Attacks

Energy attacks deal half damage to most objects. Divide the damage by 2 before applying the object's hardness. Some energy types might be particularly effective against certain objects, subject to GM discretion. For example, fire might do full damage against parchment, cloth, and other objects that burn easily. Sonic might do full damage against glass and crystal objects.

You found a few items I'll have to remember, the list keeps growing and it gets hard to keep track.

[mrguymiah]

Due to the lack of Detect Magic cantrip, one way to solve it without spending a magic talent is this magic item:

Goggles of Magic Sight

Aura moderate divination; CL 1th
Slot eyes; Price 1,200 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description

This goggles look like simple goggles used by fliers, but closer inspection reveals that the glasses can be rotated. Moving both glasses to the right position provides the effects of the standard Divine effect of the Divination sphere. The effect persists until you cease concentration. Then both glasses snap back to their original position. This version of the goggles works 3/day.

Construction Requirements
Craft Wondrous Item, Divination Sphere; Cost 600 gp

If the number of usages are too low, then this version might be preferable (as well more costly):

Greater Goggles of Magic Sight

Aura faint divination; CL 9th
Slot eyes; Price 18,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description

This goggles look like simple goggles used by fliers, but closer inspection reveals that the glasses can be rotated. Moving both glasses to the right position provides the effects of the standard Divine effect of the Divination sphere. The effect persists until you cease concentration. Then both glasses snap back to their original position. This version of the goggles has unlimited uses.

Construction Requirements
Craft Rod, Divination Sphere; Cost 6,000 gp

That looks really useful, and it's not a number of charges like I was seeing on the Core list of items. I think our artificer will make great use of it, at least.


Forgot metamagic rods, very useful. I presume the constructs aren't immune to magic generally? Did your DM specifically rule that acid bypasses hardness entirely, because I'm not sure where that rule is in PF.
Energy Attacks

Energy attacks deal half damage to most objects. Divide the damage by 2 before applying the object's hardness. Some energy types might be particularly effective against certain objects, subject to GM discretion. For example, fire might do full damage against parchment, cloth, and other objects that burn easily. Sonic might do full damage against glass and crystal objects.

You found a few items I'll have to remember, the list keeps growing and it gets hard to keep track.
Actually, the Dm Did, and I already have an Elemental Metamagic Rod on my list. ^.^ I have Destruction Sphere (Fire) from plot device reasons, so I'll begin converting the damage to either acid or frost (gonna have to figure out which is more damaging since they're magma constructs). Wait, though, how would I convert to sonic energy type? I know the DM would hate me for it, and I know you're reading this you, but sonic did prove incredibly effective when one of our old characters used it.

[EldritchWeaver]

That looks really useful, and it's not a number of charges like I was seeing on the Core list of items. I think our artificer will make great use of it, at least.

Thanks for the praise. :smallsmile: But beware that I accidentally switched "moderate divination" and "faint divination" (corrected in my post).

Also a funny story: I created the item as a reward for a player in a game I ran today. There was another player who was experienced so they players were trying to discover if that item is cursed or not. It was such a delicious irony that to discover the magical abilities of the goggles they would have to use the magic goggles. :smallbiggrin: Cautious as they were, they used a dog as guinea pig. That wasted the first charge. The second charge was to discover the magic sight, not that useful in their situation. The third was to look for a trap in a room which had a haunt in it. I decided that haunts were not magical (need to check that), so third charge wasted. The fourth time was in a room with illusions. But then the goggles didn't work anymore.:smallbiggrin: