Need help: picking magic items

[Sstoopidtallkid]

You still haven't said what MIC stands for

Magic Item Compendium.

[only1doug]

Ok, my current character just fell into some cash, as in 48,000 GP and I'm 13th level. And I'm having trouble trying to figure out what fancy magical stuff I should buy. My character itself is Barbarian 1/Fighter 5/Warshaper 4, and is a natural born were-crocodile. As feats I've got a Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Multi-attack, Combat Reflexes, Deft Strike, Weapon Focus (Bite), Improved Natural Attack (Bite), Vexing Flanker, Improved Combat Reflexes, and Mage Slayer. My stats without magic gear are Str 22/+8 in were-form/+4 while raging (which I don't do much), Dex 16/+2 in were-form, Con 20/+6 in were-form, +4 while raging, 13 Int, 16 Wis, Cha 13 (yeah I rolled pretty well). My fortitude save is varies between +21 up to +25 depending (with a +2 from my cloak of resistance +2), Reflex is +10/+11 in alt form (with cloak), And Will is +13 (+2 while raging, plus a few more for various magic stuff).

So I'm pretty happy with where my Fortitude Save are, and my Will save, and I've got a lot of hit points, damage reduction 10/silver, plus fast healing 2 for Warshaper for some awesome natural attacks. I'm not too concerned about my AC thanks to damage reduction+fast healing+immune to crits/sneak attacks+lots of hit points.

My current magic items are a Crystal Mask of Mental Armor (+4 bonus vs. Enchantment), Amulet of Health +2, Phoenix Helm (1/day feather fall, resist energy (of 20), and speak with animals), Cloak of Resistance +2, Mithral Chain shirt +1 that changes form with me and keeps its AC bonus, and has Mind Armor on it which 3/day gives a +5 bonus to Will saves as immediate action), Gauntlets of Ogre Power +2, Belt of Growth (enlarge 1/day), Boots of Speed, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Feather Fall, and a special "Bracers of Magic Fang +1 and Flaming", so they augment all my natural attacks.

So I'm not too concerned with getting hit in melee as I have the hit points and damage reduction to take it, and I'm not too concerned about save-or-whatever (EXCEPT Reflex saves) because Will and Fort are good. I'm more concerned about having my mobility hampered (I've got a couple potions of fly but that only goes so far when a Wall of Force keeps me from beating down casters). Being hit with crap like Ray of Fatigue where there's no save and of course my touch AC is going to be hit.

Possible Items- drop my ring of feather fall, pick up either a Ring of Invisibility (if they can't seem me they can't hit me), but it is 20,000GP, or a Ring of Blinking (50% miss chance, always good, and being able to go through walls, excellent, though the 20% miss chance I'd suffer kinda sucks, and it's like 27,000GP). Or just dropping the Belt of Growth and taking a few potions of Enlarge with me, and a Belt of Battle would be pretty cool, or a Belt of Ogre Power for more uber-strength.

Honestly I'm not super-experienced with what magic items are even out there that people make excellent use out of.

Suggestions? Help? Please?

MIC (Magic Items Compendium) has rules for upgrading existing items (MIC 229 & 234) (as has already been mentioned), this cost is about the same as the price of an item with the equivalent feature.

so belt of battle (12k), add Str +2 (4k), increase Str +4 (12k), increase Str +6 (20k) total (12+4+12+20=48)
so belt of Battle with +6 strength costs your entire budget but does two things at once.

other options;
Amulet of Health +2 (existing), increase constitution +4 (12k), increase constitution +6 (20k), add natural armour +1 (1k), increase natural armour +2 (3k), increase natural armour +3 (5k), increase natural armour +4 (7k)
total (12+20+1+3+5+7=48)
so existing amulet of health +2 becomes amulet of Health (+6) and natural armour (+4) for 48000


ditch ring of protection and add protection to another ring;
ring of invisibility (20k) add protection +1 (2k), increase protection +2 (6k), increase protection +3 (10k) total (20+2+6+10=38) (protection 4=52k-8k for protection 2=44k)

ring of invisibility & protection 3 for 38000, if you trade in your old protection ring you can get protection 4.

[Brock Samson]

Thanks for the help so far guys. Who's got an opinion on the ring of invisibility vs. the ring of blinking anyway?

Also, what prices am I looking at for items that might provide spell resistance, and how high of spell resistance?

[Douglas]

Thanks for the help so far guys. Who's got an opinion on the ring of invisibility vs. the ring of blinking anyway?

If it's for combat, Blink is far superior even with the 20% miss chance on your own attacks. If it's for scouting, it depends on whether you need to walk through walls or stay unseen more often.

Also, what prices am I looking at for items that might provide spell resistance, and how high of spell resistance?

Don't bother. Whoever came up with the prices for SR equipment seems to have forgotten that the caster gets to add a whole d20 on top of his level to beat it, and that's if he doesn't have Spell Penetration or any other boosts to that roll. By the time you can afford any given level of SR, any caster that's actually a threat to you can beat it almost automatically.

Also, you never responded to my list of True Seeing items on the first page. Did you not notice it?

[Brock Samson]

Douglas, actually the Scout's Headband looks pretty nice. I could always wear my Phoenix Helm normally, and when the need arises switch to the Headband and catch those nasty casters trying to outmaneuver me with Mirror Image.

Question: If I were wearing the Phoenix Helm and cast Resist Energy and then took it off, would the spell continue? Also, if I had the Headband on and activated it, then took it off, would I still receive the benefit for that minute?

As far as spell resistance goes, that's too bad, but does seem to make a case for a Ring of Blinking. I'm definitely not the scout in the group, but I usually am in front (meat shield). It's more for protection from casters than anything.

[Brock Samson]

Also, so is there anything that would allow me to ignore the 20% chance of missing an attack while blinking? Does anyone know?

[Douglas]

The Ethereal Reaver from Complete Psionic (I think) would do it, but it was updated/nerfed in the Magic Item Compendium and the new version is nowhere near as good.

You could try talking your DM into letting you get a Ring of Greater Blinking instead, but the price the formula gives for that is far out of your price range.

[SurlySeraph]

Also, so is there anything that would allow me to ignore the 20% chance of missing an attack while blinking? Does anyone know?

A Ghost Touch weapon would do it... but you're a Warshaper. Depending on the DM, you may be able to get something like a +1 Ghost Touch Necklace of Natural Attacks.

[Brock Samson]

I thought Douglas had nerfed that as a misconception between incorporeal and ethereal?

If it does work however I could probably find a way to make it work with my DM.

I forgot to mention: Psionics do NOT exist in this setting.