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View Full Version : Starting items for a 2. level Wizard?



Xanos
2007-12-08, 08:11 AM
'Ello.
Starting a RL campaign with my 2. level Wizard.
The campaign's going to be hard, so we're more or less encouraged to min / max. I've never really played Wizard before, so I was wondering what I should spend my wealth on?
Everything goes, weapons, clothing, magic items.
Have 900g to go. Need moar itemz!

Hario
2007-12-08, 08:21 AM
Realistically 900gp isn't anything to get any real magic item, so you should spend a good portion of that 900 gp on scrolls and mundane gear, at such a low level a donkey and a cart isn't too bad to have since you can't afford an H^3 yet, and prolly have low strength, By rations to last at least a week, waterskins, partiment, etc. spend prolly 150gp this way and you should be set, don't forget at least 1 10 foot pole and tindertwigs. A good low level combonation I've found though is cast web, then light it on fire, it should kill most kobold swarms.

Pick up a heavy crossbow and a mace, just in case.

Scrolls in core which you should prolly buy if you havn't already learned them from the 2 each level you get from wizard: web, knock (if you don't have a rogue), glitterdust, magic missle, burning hands, Identify (can't stress enough to buy pearls for this), Mage armor, or shield, SLEEP (instant win card for most encounters until level 5), Color Spray (same as sleep), Ray of enfeeblement.

Renx
2007-12-08, 08:25 AM
Potions of cure light/medium wounds are always good, or save up for a Ring of Sustenance (2000gp, you're not likely to find one after startup if your DM wakes up to how good they are), 8-hour rest time to 2 hours kicks ass.

Xanos
2007-12-08, 10:21 AM
Potions of cure light/medium wounds are always good, or save up for a Ring of Sustenance (2000gp, you're not likely to find one after startup if your DM wakes up to how good they are), 8-hour rest time to 2 hours kicks ass.
Doesn't work. A Wizard needs 8 hours of rest regardless. Says so directly in the PHB, with Elves (4 hours of 'sleep') as an example. If you don't sleep 8 hours, you just rest the hours you don't sleep, in this case, you'd have to rest 6 hours and sleep 2.

Tyger
2007-12-08, 10:28 AM
Yeah, seconding the "Ring doesn't work that way" camp, though there is a Heward's Bedroll that does what you want, but at a much higher price. :)

That said, to the OP, scrolls, scrolls, scrolls. Ask your DM if you can have a few XP for scribing, and if so, go to town making a few of your own. At half price, some of those level 1 scrolls are dirt cheap, and can and will save your behind soon. In the alternative, as was already suggested, buy some second level scrolls so that you can have a leg up when you level to three and can scribe them into your book.

Also, what sources are allowed? There are some really nice, really inexpensive items in the Magic Item Compendium, like that dirty little Belt of Healing. If its allowed, buy it. For 750 GP, you'll never buy a Potion of Cure Moderate again. And your party will thank you for having it.

MeklorIlavator
2007-12-08, 10:47 AM
Doesn't work. A Wizard needs 8 hours of rest regardless. Says so directly in the PHB, with Elves (4 hours of 'sleep') as an example. If you don't sleep 8 hours, you just rest the hours you don't sleep, in this case, you'd have to rest 6 hours and sleep 2.

Well, it does allow you to be awake more, which is always a good thing. Also, not having to worry about food/water is beneficial on long crawls, as food and water are heavy, and Wizards generally have low STR.

Yeril
2007-12-08, 10:50 AM
You could hire a 12HD Wartroll with 3 levels of fighter as a mercenary to kill anything and everything for the next 18 days..

Or Hire a small army of 9000 goblins to wage war, of course at the prices they charge you can only afford them for a single day.

Or a wand of magic missile to add to your firepower.

or hire a single goblin mercinary for the next 24 years and 7 months.

Xanos
2007-12-08, 11:02 AM
Also, what sources are allowed? There are some really nice, really inexpensive items in the Magic Item Compendium, like that dirty little Belt of Healing. If its allowed, buy it. For 750 GP, you'll never buy a Potion of Cure Moderate again. And your party will thank you for having it.
Core only.
Think I'll go with a lot of scrolls. Won't face combat until a few levels. Most things now will just be social gaming.

goat
2007-12-08, 11:34 AM
Consider saving up for a Handy Haversack. The carry-weight is good, and less AoO's against you is always a good thing.

geek_2049
2007-12-08, 02:10 PM
Like others have mentioned buy scrolls, for utility scrolls I recommend buy two, one for your spell book and the other for situations, also buy some level 2 scrolls. Consider buying some potions like CLW, Shield of Faith +2, and Mage Armor, since they are all inexpensive. For your protection you might want to get a guard dog, they are cheap loyal protection. Acid flasks and alchemist's fire are inexpensive should you run out of spells.

Ralfarius
2007-12-08, 08:55 PM
You could hire a 12HD Wartroll with 3 levels of fighter as a mercenary to kill anything and everything for the next 18 days..

Or Hire a small army of 9000 goblins to wage war, of course at the prices they charge you can only afford them for a single day.

Or a wand of magic missile to add to your firepower.

or hire a single goblin mercinary for the next 24 years and 7 months.
This is an excellent train of thought. Why blow money on yourself when you can have hirelings do all the dangerous stuff for you instead!? Besides, if they get gacked in the process of beating something, you can take all that money back and get a new one. That is, assuming you finish off whatever they died fighting.

Chronos
2007-12-08, 09:47 PM
Don't buy scrolls just for the purpose of transcribing them. You're paying a premium that way for utility that you won't use. It's cheaper to just pay a wizard to transcribe them out of his book. The only advantage to getting them on scrolls is that you can buy them in advance and transcribe them immediately when you level, but the two freebie spells you get should be enough to carry you back to town where you can get more. Even if you do want to have them on hand in advance, you should be able to buy nonmagical spellbook pages for cheaper than true scrolls.

And I'll second buying animals, at least a beast of burden, and possibly also something that can help you fight (but battle-trained animals are a lot more expensive than pack mules).