Equipment for Darrian

[masterfrog]

Hi guys, a few questions on equipment:

I'm trying to find something within my 900gp limit to increase my AC a bit (currently 12AC standard, 16AC with Mage Armor). Lots of the options are out of reach for now, but if you have any suggestions, please let me know. I also know there are some feats in other books, but I don't know that the AC boost is important enough to me to add a feat...

One option that I liked a lot for flavor was to have owned a Mithral Chain Shirt (1100gp, nice because it adds decent AC and only has 10% armor check penalty) with the Danovk crest on it that was a piece of his father's. It fits in well for flavor as it has significance to the character, being from his kingdom, but also because he has struggled long between being a mage and a knight, something his father pinned on him at an early age. Since that is out of budget, I don't know that it is an option.

One possibility is that he owns it but that it is being held by a friend somewhere and that he doesn't get it until later, possibly even at a cost, due to some debt. Let me know if this sounds doable, and if it is, I'd also like to accompany it with a special sword, once again mostly for flavor, that also belonged to his father. As a character, these two objects, along with his spell book, would be the only things important to him that he owns. To explain the loss of them, he could have had a really bad moment of weakness, as he does from time to time being torn the way he is, and he lost them in some sort of an agreement. For the sword, I was thinking of a short sword of spell storing, but it really is more of a flavor component than a useful item to Darrian, since he has a STR of 8.

If you guys think 16AC is good enough, I'll leave that by the wayside. I haven't played a wizard before, so I'm not sure what is reasonable, but I know my HP (8) is laughable...

The other main equipment items I was thinking of are the basics (bedroll, parchment, rope, etc.), a wand or two possibly (cure light wounds, light and/or detect magic, most likely with fewer than 50 charges so its a bit cheaper), some potions, and some more spell scrolls so my spell book is less sparse. I am not planning to play an alchemist, tinkerer, or craftsman, but eventually I might get into magic item creation. I know the crossbow is often a second hand tool for a mage, so maybe I'll pick up a masterworked light crossbow too...

If you have any other thoughts, let me know. Thanks!

[at]

You would need ranks in use magical device to use a wand of cure light (as its not on your spell list)

One basic wizard variant does allow you to take fighter bonus feats instead of wizard bonus feats (starting with one at 1st level instead of scribe scroll)

I'll look through the cheap items in the MIC book on Monday.

[masterfrog]

Thanks for the note on wands. I will likely steer clear from them in such case.

As far as the armor/sword side of things, my primary goal there is to 1) provide an AC boost, 2) to add more flavor/background to Darrian and to solidify his motives and concerns, and 3) as an added bonus add some small perks to my character's abilities, such as the idea of storing an extra spell in a sword. I am not planning to multi-class into a fighter or use a sword in melee combat, but I also don't want to fall over dead the first or second time something successfully hits me.

I'll focus on spells & potions for now, but if you find something else, let me know.

[at]

You could spend a feat on the "Militia" regional trait at 1st level - gives you martial weapon proficiency.

An odd, but functional alternative to armour is the bladeproof skin feat - DR 3/bludgeoning and a -2 armour check penalty (due to exposure to a spell that never fully wore off).

The usual suspects of toughness, dodge, etc.

"Mind over body" allows you to use your INT for your 1st level hitpoints (instead of con), gives you +1 hitpoint for every metamagic feat, _and_ gives you a +1 insight bonus to your armour class - pretty good deal all around.


Now - items.
A non-masterwork chain shirt crafted from blue ice costs 850gp and has no armour check penalty, but you also suffer -1 to your reflex saves and init rolls while wearing it unless magically protected from the cold (and won't be able to sleep in comfort either, unless it's very hot)

Armour/shielding crystals - 500gp gets you resistance 5 against a specific energy type for 25 points per day, or alternatively DR1/- for the first 10 points of physical damage.

Weapon crystals - 600gp gets you a single point of energy damage on a weapon (i.e. a sword that inflicts 1 point of cold or fire damage).
Similarly a slashing sword made of blue ice inflicts +1 (enhancement bonus) damage for 500gp of materials.

Healing potions are always useful (the party have none). And of course - spell scrolls.