Magic items for a Wild Cohort riding dog

[Luccan]

I have a fair amount of cash to throw around for low levels and was wondering what items I could give my dog so he doesn't die horribly. The character is human, so he isn't actually a mount.

[BRKNdevil]

Barding of Mithril Shirt

[Crake]

A contingent spell revivify. That'll give him a good buffer against randomly dying from a big hit. Costs about 3800gp and can be dispelled (unless you houserule that contingent spells are magic items, and are only disabled for 1d4 rounds upon being dispelled), but depending on your optimization level and the monsters your typically fight, there might not be a lot of dispels being thrown around.

[Nifft]

Just how much do you want to spend?

Items like a Collar of Resistance can raise saving throws, but it'll cost as much as an equivalent Cloak of Resistance.

At the high end, armor like Mithral Chain Barding of Heavy Fortification can prevent critical hits & sneak attacks.

[Eldariel]

Armor (Barding), stat boosters (Strength, Con, Dex), basic save/AC boosters. Tho mind, if it does die you can just get another one. Armor is a huge improvement for little cost though so definitely pick that at least.

[Hiro Quester]

Animals can wear all kinds of magic items. I forget where this comes from (perhaps one of those Skip Williams "rules of the game" articles?).



Animal Item Slots

Although it's easy to imagine an animal benefiting from magic equipment beyond a simple saddle and a suit of barding, fitting a mount's physiology to the list of item slots available to characters is not an easy task. Try the following variant list of item slots for quadruped animals (and other monsters when appropriate).

One skull cap or helm
One pair of lenses or goggles
One collar
One saddle blanket or vest
One saddle or jacket
One belt or strap worn in front of or over the haunches
One pectoral or harness worn over the chest or shoulders
One pair foreleg bracers
One pair of foreleg shoes or mitts -- hoofed creatures wear shoes and creatures with paws wear mitts
Two rings -- creatures with toes wear rings on the toes and creatures with hooves wear "rings" just above fore hooves
One pair of hind leg shoes or mitts -- hoofed creatures wear shoes and creatures with paws wear mitts

So ring of protection. Bracers/Amulet of health. Armor crystals e.g. Lifekeeping or Mind cloaking). Vest of resistance. Third eye clarity (removes paralysis, confusion, etc.)

More specific to an animal cohort, though is a collar of healing, which is very useful (MIC, p. 89, 5000gp). You always know the animal's HP status, and as an immediate action can heal it for 50HP, wherever it is as long as it's on the same plane as you.

[Crake]

Animals can wear all kinds of magic items. I forget where this comes from (perhaps one of those Skip Williams "rules of the game" articles?).



So ring of protection. Bracers/Amulet of health. Armor crystals e.g. Lifekeeping or Mind cloaking). Vest of resistance. Third eye clarity (removes paralysis, confusion, etc.)

More specific to an animal cohort, though is a collar of healing, which is very useful (MIC, p. 89, 5000gp). You always know the animal's HP status, and as an immediate action can heal it for 50HP, wherever it is as long as it's on the same plane as you.

I believe that list is from savage species.

[Dunsparce]

I believe that list is from savage species.

Actually it is from one of the online articles pertaining to Wild Cohorts(IIRC it was like a 4-article long series)

[Nifft]

Actually it is from one of the online articles pertaining to Wild Cohorts(IIRC it was like a 4-article long series)

This one? http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031125a

[Fouredged Sword]

I would like to go ahead and suggest a push item of a mouthpick spiked chain. It will give it reach and let it hit harder.

[Hiro Quester]

This one? http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031125a

That was it. Thanks and apologies that the note I made for myself was not annotated with its source.

[Luccan]

Lots of good suggestions here. I think I will give it some better barding (I'd already gone studded leather). I'm especially appreciative of the revive/healing item suggestions, as those fit excellently with my character. I hadn't realized Wild Cohort had more articles, so thanks for that.

[XionUnborn01]

A contingent spell revivify. That'll give him a good buffer against randomly dying from a big hit. Costs about 3800gp and can be dispelled (unless you houserule that contingent spells are magic items, and are only disabled for 1d4 rounds upon being dispelled), but depending on your optimization level and the monsters your typically fight, there might not be a lot of dispels being thrown around.

Off topic but is it common for people to rule contingent spells at magic items? My table plays at mid op levels and contingent spells don't come up too often.

[Nifft]

Off topic but is it common for people to rule contingent spells at magic items? My table plays at mid op levels and contingent spells don't come up too often.

Craft Contingent Spell [Item Creation].

Looks like a feat to create magic items per RAW.

[Crake]

Off topic but is it common for people to rule contingent spells at magic items? My table plays at mid op levels and contingent spells don't come up too often.

I've seen a few people mention it, I'm fairly sure tippy is among those that play with contingent spells as magic items. At my table, it depends on what kind of optimization level we're playing at. At high op, I'll run it as RAW, because magic doesn't need the buff, but at low op, where players don't necessarily have a counter for everything, and the contingent spell is likely a boon granted by an NPC, then I'll treat it as a magic item.


Craft Contingent Spell [Item Creation].

Looks like a feat to create magic items per RAW.

The rules on contingent spells, by very clear RAW, allow them to be dispelled as if they were a spell, as in, ended without triggering, rendering the money wasted:


If the bearer of a contingent spell is the target of dispel magic, the contingent spell might be permanently dispelled (but not triggered), as if it were an active spell in effect on the target creature.

[Nifft]

The rules on contingent spells, by very clear RAW, allow them to be dispelled as if they were a spell, as in, ended without triggering, rendering the money wasted:

You're right, that's pretty clear.

I can understand why some tables do it differently.