Need helt choosing item

[Max Caysey]

So guys...

In our campaign we had to choose between two different items as a quest reward.

My options are either a +1 chain shirt or a +1 scimitar.

I play a half orc thug.

We just became level 3, so by going scimitar I would get +2 to hit and +1 damage, if i also chose to take weapon focus.

If I go +1 chain-shirt my AC would increase 2, from 14 to 16.


I'm unsure what to do, but we know we'll be facing some heavy fighting next time, so I have to choose wisely.

So to sum op:

I can either go +2 to hit, +1 damage. Or go +2 to AC!

What should I choose!

[Xaotiq1]

I tend to play cautious. I'd go with the armor. Knowing more about the character and what your plans are for them will get you more help.

[zlefin]

it's just regular chain, not mithril chain?

how available are stores to buy stuff from?
In general I'd say take the +1 scimitar; it's worth alot more.
If a +1 chain shirt would up your AC by 2, you should be able to afford a regular chain shirt to up your AC by 1.

weapon focus is a fairly weak feat in general.

[Hiro Quester]

This will depend on your play style and role. And your cgaracter’s Personality.

Are you a protector or an attacker? Are you foolhardy brave, or prudently cautious?

Is it your job to protect your amsquichy friends? Take the armor so you can last longer and avoid damage while doing that.

Is it your job to rush out and kill the enemies before they murder your friends? Then take the scimitar, so you can murder them more quickly.

[Khedrac]

I would go for the weapon.

Yes, better protection is nice, but a regular chain shirt is pretty cheap and will only be 1 AC less for the same move, you can also get a better AC for not that much cash by being willing to move at 20 not 30.

A magic weapon, however, can be invaluable - if you run into an incorporeal opponent the 50% miss chance is a real pain, but compare it to the 100% miss chance for a non-magic weapon...
You are also quite likely to start running in to DR/magic and unless you are weilding a 2-handed weapon and using power attack you will notice quite a large down-tick in your damage.

There're reasons why magic weapons cost twice as much as magic armor - they're usually that much better.
Seriously, as a fighter type I would go all out to get a magic weapon first, then you can start looking and what improves your character the most and pushing stats and AC. Without that weapon you will be a spectator a lot of the time.

[Max Caysey]

Thank you for your comments

The Half-Orc is the main tank and dps in our rogue-ish party. Its fairly low optimization, and well we have no money, so all rewards we get is from the guild we are connected to as henchmen. That mean that we get stuff for free, but that we have to give things back to the guild.

This makes profit difficult. We need both damage and ability to stay alive, so really the Orc needs both! The Orc is a brutish dude, so being main melee dude is really dificult for him. His stats are:

20
12
16
10
10
8

34 hp

There's a sneaky rogue, cloistered cleric and a melee rogue in the party as well... so we usually get pretty banged up when we do fight. The composition in the group is to better solve quests without fighting... however that's really ridicule too!

Any further comments will be gladly appreciated!

[CMagnum]

I find doing more damage over getting hit occasionally less to be the way to go in dnd. If they are already dead they can't hurt you.
Scimitar +1 is also worth more gold than armor +1 so from a WBL (wealth by level) viewpoint you are also winning. As noted earlier you should be able to buy better armor for pennies comparitively to buying a better weapon. Good luck

[rrwoods]

From a raw gold perspective, the scimitar is “better”. However, even discarding that, the first armor you get +1 may very well be armor you keep for the rest of the game, since you can further enhance it later (and it’s way cheaper if you don’t have to sell it for the armor you really want). If you’re okay with a regular chain shirt, go for it, but a main tank might want something heftier, or at the very least made with a special material like mithril. For that reason taking the +1 chain shirt is likely to cut off your future options more than the scimitar will.

[Nifft]

His stats are:

20
12
16
10
10
8


You have 12 Dex.

You will not wear a chain shirt for your career. Instead, you will seek heavier armor which better fits your Dexterity bonus -- specifically, you will want plate armor, possibly taking a class that gives you heavy armor proficiency if you don't already have it from your thug(?) class.

Take the scimitar. As mentioned previously, not having a magical weapon can reduce or remove your ability to contribute to an encounter. Lacking a magical weapon mean not being able to penetrate DR effectively, or not being able to hit an incorporeal target at all.