[3.5] Item Sets For 3rd Level Party

[SovelsAtaask]

So, I've decided to start a 3.5 game with some friends of mine, and we're all pretty new to the game. Well, I've been playing casually online for a while now, but my players are all completely new. Due to how easy it is to just get one shorted and how few things you can do at level one, I decided to start the game at level three. Not too many crazy things for players to track are added, and they have a little bit more room to take a hit. The only issue is that because they're all completely new to the game, they don't really have any way of knowing what equipment they should choose and honestly I'm terrible with equipment too. Could I get some help making up lists of items for them? Or, hell, straight up giving me a list would be more than great. We're using standard WBL for level 3, and try not to give me too many things outside of core. The party consists of:

Dwarf Druid
Wood Elf Ranged Ranger
Human Rogue
Human Spell-less Paladin (Complete Champion)

Assume the most generic build possible, and low OP. Like I said, we're all really, really new at the game, so don't expect Pun Pun or anything.

[Gildedragon]

1st recommendation: check the MIC it has some quick and dirty guidelines such as item levels and the like
2nd: what basic gear they got?
3rd: maybe suggest to them Legacy Items. Deffos for the paladin. And scrap the costs. That system is counterproductive.
4tg: items
For druid: wilding clasps, ranger some fancy bow and arrows...
Rogue is the knowledge guy in the party? A couple cheap wands?

[Palanan]

I really like item crystals from the MIC. They're inexpensive, handy at low levels, and easily interchangeable.

Your dwarven druid isn't quite ready for a wilding clasp, but a few scrolls of druid spells could be helpful at that level.

[Sahleb]

Is this supposed to be for character creation? If it is, they normally have 2700gp.

For the Rogue: This is some fairly standard stuff. I'm going to be assuming that he's two-weapon fighting with weapon finesse - it's pretty much what everyone does.
Masterwork Shortsword*2, each with Least Crystal of Return(Magic Item Compendium p. 65) - 1220gp (the crystals allow you to draw both weapons as a free action, so you can full-attack in the same round as you draw. This is important to get the most out of sneak attack)
+1 masterwork chain shirt - 1250gp (you're squishy with your d6 hd and in melee all the time, so the extra AC is very important)
Alchemist's fire *5 - 100gp (nice for getting sneak attack in the first round)
Everburning Torch - 50gp
Thieves' Tools - 30gp

That leaves 50gp for various adventuring gear and sundries.

For the Druid: These guys almost always end up spending all of their time wildshaped, so items are traditionally less interesting for them. That said, since wilding clasps are not yet affordable, I'd look at something like:

Wand of Cure Light Wounds - 750gp (this keeps the party going through a long adventuring day)
Pearl of Power I - 1000gp (she can reclaim any one 1st level spell she has cast)
Hide Armor - 15gp
Masterwork Studded Leather Barding for animal companion - 200gp (probably something like a wolf or a riding dog. Since it has 0 ACP, the animal can use it without proficiency.)
Scroll of Lesser Restoration *4 - 600gp (these won't always be useful, so you don't want to actually prepare this spell, but when you need it, you really need it. That makes for good scroll material.)
Quarterstaff - free (if she has a good strength score, casting Shillelagh on this and Enlarge Person on herself will make her a sexy shoeless god of war. Maybe also cast Barkskin, for extra AC)
Everburning Torch - 50gp.

That leaves 95gp. I suggest she holds onto these, and look towards purchasing an item of +2 wisdom. Or maybe she could buy some adventuring stuff.


Ranged Ranger: A bow is his most important piece of equipment. That one is pretty obvious. Wood elves have pretty good strength, so let's just call it a +3 mod. If he has 18 strength, obviously, he should buy a +4 composite bow instead.

Masterwork Composite Longbow [Str +3] with wand chamber - 700gp
Masterwork Chain Shirt - 250gp
Greatsword - 50gp. (There's literally no reason not to have a melee weapon around.)
10 +1 arrows - 400gp, 5sp (sometimes you'll run into damage reduction/magic. Gargoyles and dragons are a nasty example. These also give +1 to hit and damage when fired. If you get a +1 bow, they won't stack, so use them before that happens.)
20 Cold Iron arrows - 2gp (these are basically free, and make killing fey and demons easy.)
20 Alchemically silvered arrows - 41gp (antivampire, devil and werewolf arrows.)
Cloak of Resistance +1 - 1000gp
Everburning Torch - 50gp

That leaves 217gp to play around with. You should probably get some rope and stuff like that.

Paladin:
Masterwork Greatsword - 350gp
Oil of Magic Weapon - 50gp (Next level she can cast Bless Weapon, if she hasn't gotten her hands on a magic sword yet. Still, for this level, this is a good thing to keep on hand in case you run into a gargoyle)
Masterwork Full Plate - 1650gp (There goes most of your gold. Still, this is a pretty good deal, since most paladins have crappy dexterity.)
Composite Longbow [Str +3] - 400gp (no reason not to have a ranged weapon around. Dragons are not always kind enough to land and fight you. Sometimes they fly around and spit fire at you instead.)
Everburning Torch - 50gp.

That leaves 250gp for food and maybe even a donkey to carry her non-combat stuff.