Gearing a low level Warlock

[Captn_Flounder]

I have 2700 gold to gear a level 3 Warforged Warlock. I'm not used to playing at such low levels so I'm not sure. Would like to grab a Feather Token: Tree with some of the cash, anything else can be whatever. Only rule is no single item can be worth more than 1/2 my total wealth.

No wands, used cha as one of my my dump stats (had really bad rolls)

[Dread_Head]

Anklet of Translocation is always good for getting you out of sticky situations / into position.

Healing belt provides decent healing that will give you it's full effects despite your living construct traits.

Some potions might be useful. If ranged then cats grace is good. Expeditious retreat is good for kiting. Shield of faith / protection from X provide good AC boosts at your level.

[Fizban]

You are not yet at a level where there's much of any "gearing" to do. With a 1,300gp limit on individual items there's very little you can buy, but soon you actually will be expected to have some permanent buffs so investing that money in expensive consumables isn't a good idea. People love the tree token because it's cute, but what is it actually going to do for you? Either sit in your bag until the perfect opportunity arises, or get used immediately and be gone. There are cheaper quirky consumables. The thing is, WBL is based on average treasure, and you're supposed to start finding that treasure immediately, but the costs are actually more than WBL at those levels. Maybe you gather up masterwork weapons and better armor for the first couple levels, or maybe you find a +1 weapon early on and gain nothing for a while, etc (because that's how averages work, sometimes you have more, and sometimes you have less). 3rd level is right on the spot where WBL can't really be divided into appropriate incremental upgrades and a natural adventurer's loot is unlikely to actually resemble the average.

The simplest and most appropriate main item, as a light armor user, would be +1 armor (most likely the ubiquitous chain shirt, or a Mithral Shirt instead of +1 but it doesn't really benefit you unless you need the weight reduction to carry it). Cloak/Vest of Resistance +1 also fits, or a +1 or mithral shield. Taking one of these now means you won't have to divert treasure to it later/the DM can place more interesting loot since you've already got the basic bonus, but if the DM is known to throw lots of +1 this and that's around then you'd want something more esoteric instead.

The most obvious thing anyone's going to say is the Healing Belt, for. . . obvious reasons. Mechanically, sure. It's been price-cut to the point where it's pretty stupid not to have one (or more) on every single character ever. Personally I'm sick of it and would much rather the party buy a wand of Cure Light. Food supplies may not make people turn back, but healing supplies is an important resource- and as funny as it is for people relying on Healing Belts to run out of daily charges or roll 2 on 2d8 and find themselves screwed, I'd rather have the camp management stress than the tactical fumble stress, much more adventuring-like to me.

Other items under 1300gp in the MiC for which you might find use include:

Boots of Landing (-2d6 fall damage and land on your feet), great for hopping down from decent heights without paying the full 2200 of a Ring of Feather falling.
Cloak of Elemental Protection (1/day immediate resist 10 vs one energy for a round), generally much more useful for magical survivability than +1 saves.
Amulet of Toxin Delay (2/day immediate Delay Poison for 2 rounds), much more useful for poison suvivability than +1 saves, assuming you have someone with the Heal skill.
Amber Amulet of Vermin (1/day summon a giant bug), check with your DM as many of these are way stronger than you should have a 3rd level.
Chronocharm, Grand Master and Horizon Walker (1/day +5 AC vs a ranged attack and/or swift action half move)
Eternal Wand (1st level spell 2/day) or Drow House Insignia (Drow of the Underdark) are are useful now for daily buffs and utility as they always will be.
Troll Gut Rope is popular for disposable weightless rope.
Rope of Stone might have some creative uses.
Back of Tricks [Grey] (DMG) has always been popular.
Bag of Endless Caltrops is battlefield control in a bag.


Everlasting Rations let you save on carry weight, but take note that the Everfull Mug doesn't actually provide enough water for a medium creature to survive: it makes 36 ounces of water, while the DMG says you need a full gallon (64 ounces). The Everfull Mug is enough to handle light activity, but adventuring is a sweaty job and you should probably be using more than the mug is providing. Not that you need either of those if you're a Warforged I suppose.


But really, most of your cash can be easily filled with mundane stuff. Masterwork armor, shield, and weapons, warhorse and accoutrements, quality adventuring gear and masterwork tools (and Everbuning Torch), spare and/or fancy clothing, a store of cost-effective consumables (200-250gp is appropriate at this level), it's not hard to burn through without digging for esoteric items. An invoker might not want weapons, but the rest still apply. Except the armor because Warforged again.

Incidentally, the Warlock's version of "+1 weapon" is Gloves of Eldritch Admixture, which give you several charges of bonus damage on Eldritch Blast.

Edit: Yup, there's the Healing Belt.

Anklet of Translocation is always good for getting you out of sticky situations / into position.
It's also 1400gp, not 1300.

[Captn_Flounder]

Healing belt provides decent healing that will give you it's full effects despite your living construct trait.

Can someone tell me why this is?

[skunk3]

With that much gp there isn't much worth actually buying right now. Mithral chain shirt is what I'd go with because you will likely be keeping it your whole career, AND upgrading it. Iirc its worth getting mithral because it reduces ASF. Alternatively, a mithral buckler is a good choice too. At your level though I would make sure you have survival basics.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Assuming you have Mithral Body and won't need to be getting any type of armor, I'll agree that an Anklet of Translocation (1400 gp, 50 gp over half, should still be ok) and Healing Belt, both in MIC, are going to be your first choice. You'll probably keep those two items for much longer than anything else you could get for that price.

The Healing Belt doesn't say it's a Conjuration (Healing) effect and it doesn't say it damages undead, so it should have the full effect on a living construct.

Anklet of Translocation is good enough to have even at 20th level, there aren't a lot of boot/footwear items that can replace it.

[Captn_Flounder]

Assuming you have Mithral Body and won't need to be getting any type of armor, I'll agree that an Anklet of Translocation (1400 gp, 50 gp over half, should still be ok) and Healing Belt, both in MIC, are going to be your first choice. You'll probably keep those two items for much longer than anything else you could get for that price.

The Healing Belt doesn't say it's a Conjuration (Healing) effect and it doesn't say it damages undead, so it should have the full effect on a living construct.

Anklet of Translocation is good enough to have even at 20th level, there aren't a lot of boot/footwear items that can replace it.

"In addition, the belt has 3 charges, which are renewed each day at dawn. Spending 1 or more charges allows you to channel positive energy and heal damage with a touch. (You can also use this ability to harm undead, dealing them an equivalent amount of damage instead.)"

Straight from MiC. It's positive energy and does damage to undead. In addition It's aura is Conjuration. Just trying to understand.

[frogglesmash]

Not really warlock specific, but Shax's Indispensable Haversack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?148101-3-x-Shax-s-Indispensible-Haversack-(Equipment-Handbook)), has a lot of great low cost items, almost all of which are non magical.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

"In addition, the belt has 3 charges, which are renewed each day at dawn. Spending 1 or more charges allows you to channel positive energy and heal damage with a touch. (You can also use this ability to harm undead, dealing them an equivalent amount of damage instead.)"

Straight from MiC. It's positive energy and does damage to undead. In addition It's aura is Conjuration. Just trying to understand.

I misremembered, but it's still missing the language that makes it heal living constructs by half as much. From MM3 p215, "...spells from the healing subschool provide only half effect to a living construct." The Healing Belt does not say anything about the healing subschool (and the effect isn't described as any type of spell), so that drawback doesn't apply to its effect.

[skunk3]

As far as the belt of healing goes, make sure to check with your DM. Not all DM's are keen to approve of everything in the books. My DM, for example, thinks that a great deal of the items in the MIC are drastically under-priced, and I agree with him a lot of the time. The healing belt is just plain ridiculous for the price. I asked to buy one early on... he took one look at it in the book and said "no way." Said the same thing about the piercer cloak. If your DM allows it though... definitely grab a healing belt!

[Vizzerdrix]

I remember seeing a cloak in MoF that gave food, tea, a tent and protection from cold weather. Travelers cloak or something like that.

[ExLibrisMortis]

I remember seeing a cloak in MoF that gave food, tea, a tent and protection from cold weather. Travelers cloak or something like that.
Yep, travelling cloak, 1200 gp. Endure elements got updated and no longer has a separate cold/heat function, so arguably the cloak now protects against heat, too!

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Hand of the mage from the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#handoftheMage) is nice and it cost 900gp.
Mage hand at will can help a lot.

[Vizzerdrix]

Yep, travelling cloak, 1200 gp. Endure elements got updated and no longer has a separate cold/heat function, so arguably the cloak now protects against heat, too!

Oh that is fantastic. It is one of my favorite must have items. Right along with the ship in a box. Both are just so handy to have.