Items with unique/niche benefits

[Jowgen]

The list of nessecary items and similar resources deal with things that, by design of the game, are versatile and/or of great use to a wide range of characters. We're talking immunites/counters to common/serious effects, ways to acquire or improve abilities that are universally accepted to be great, that sorta stuff.

This thread is about the opposite: items whose benefits are potentially good, but really specific in their applicability/scope; or at least somehow unique in a way that makes it tricky to find a proper good use.

To lead with some examples:

- Star Tortoise Shield (Dragon 335 p. 70) gives immunity to decapitation (e.g. Vorpal) and "similar effects". Potentially life-saving, but so specific that it's easy to pass up so resources can be spent elsewhere.

- Inspiration Shield special ability (FoW p. 119) doubles the range of ally-benefiting Ex and Su auras. Lots of things have auras that could benefit, no other item provides this sort of benefit full time, but how often are you gonna find yourself in a situation where your aura range isn't good enough?

[Troacctid]

Trackless boots (DrU 101) make you undetectable by the scent ability. Actually a pretty great deal for stealthy characters at only 1,000 gp.

[Inevitability]

The Cloak of the Bat, amongst its benefits grants one the ability to hang upside-down from ceilings. It's pretty pointless when ownership of the item guarantees flight already, but I've never seen anything that narrow.

[Thurbane]

Brooch of Shielding is fairly specific, but very useful when someone is spamming Magic Missiles at you.

[GilesTheCleric]

Third Eye Improvisation MIC 141: You’re treated as trained in a skill.
Restful Crystal MIC 26: No more fatigue from sleeping in your armour.
Boots of Agile Leaping MIC 76: Stand from prone with no AoOs.
Illusion Bane MIC 36: Negates miss chances, dispels illusions.
Pick of Piercing MIC 54: Counters force effects.
Tome of the Stilled Tongue MIC 189: Contains instructions for creating your phylactery.
Blessed Bandage MIC 152: Stabilises without doing any actual healing.
Why yes, I have only gone through MIC so far for the handbook. Why do you ask?

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Jowgen
Inspiration Shield special ability (FoW p. 119) doubles the range of ally-benefiting Ex and Su auras.

Where is this from? I can’t seem to find it, and not sure what the abbreviation stands for.

[John Longarrow]

Cloak of the manta ray... Turn into a manta ray in salt water... Kinda bites if your wearing it, get pushed over and DIDN'T want to change.

[darkdragoon]

Where is this from? I can’t seem to find it, and not sure what the abbreviation stands for.

Forge of War.

[Inevitability]

Brooch of Shielding is fairly specific, but very useful when someone is spamming Magic Missiles at you.

Then again, someone spamming magic missiles is probably a Force Missile Mage, who just needs to make a DC 20 CL check to get past the brooch.

[Afgncaap5]

Then again, someone spamming magic missiles is probably a Force Missile Mage, who just needs to make a DC 20 CL check to get past the brooch.

I dunno, I could see it coming up from other places. A spell turret with magic missile wouldn't be a bad choice, for instance. Plus it seems to be one of the go-to spells for Cannith Wand Adepts to fill their expensive wands with.

[Troacctid]

A celestial spellcaster can use call faithful servants to have a small army of mustevals all spamming magic missiles every round.

[GilesTheCleric]

Striator (LoM): Write in braille Qualith. It also writes directly from your thoughts.