What should a 3rd level wizard buy with 250K+ gold?

First off, I realize this simple question is munchkin, monty-haulism so beyond ridiculous that we've gone plaid, but there is a role-playing, adventure path reason behind the seeming silliness that elevates this question beyond a simple shopping list and thus warrants posting this here (I think) rather than the Rules forum where equipment issues generally go.

Now, I'll explain how in a second post (so as not to scare off potential responders with the length that will require), but our 3rd level characters have gotten their hands on 2 million gold. We're setting aside half of it for reasons we don't really understand ourselves (buying a kingdom somewhere, I don't know :\ ) so that gives each of us a quarter million to spend before we, literally, start down the path to save the world. So what should I buy?

As might be expected in a world where noob adventurers can get this kind of cash, there is effectively no limit on what kind of "stuff" is available. Anything official WOTC D&D is open (that means books, magazines and anything on the website). Anything reasonably balanced from second-line publishers is probably open as well (for instance stuff from Mongoose's Ultimate Equipment books is available). That's pretty much it as far as "limits" go.

So what should I get? My character is 1st level Wizard/2nd level Warmage going toward Ultimate Magus, and using Practiced Spellcaster (Warmage) to maximize my Wizard CL in Ultimate Magus. In the immediate future, I need stuff to survive an undead filled dungeon. In the just plain future-future, I'd like to maximize my ultimate mage-ness.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I am overwhelmed with options. Thanks.

Now the reason this is more than just a shopping list and that explanation.

We started the campaign as 20th level characters rescuing the last remaining populace from our home world (Faerun) which was being destroyed/devoured by an intelligent, magic-using tarrasque. We escaped at the last second on a plane hopping ship just as the plane was destroyed completely and the dimensional energies of its destruction exploded and destabilized our ship's gate. We wound up hurdling across the multiverse with the tarrasque hot on our tails, and gorged with the power of destroying a world. We crash land at the feet of a "random god-like being" who had somehow brought us there so that the tarrasque would follow and she could help us trap it before it could destroy everything. She produced a crystal that would allow us to trap the tarrasque (temporarily) by sacrificing most of our "power" as epic beings. We did it- huge reality altering magic is unleashed and the tarrasque is now trapped within the crystal for exactly one year. Using the crystal drained the power from all our magic items and us of 17 levels. We are now third level versions of our former selves and embarking on a quest to gather 12 artifacts/relics which contain "the seeds of each gods power." These items will allow us to trap the tarraque permanently or destroy it, we're not sure which.

We started with one boon to help us- an amulet which allows us, once a day and for ten rounds only, to tap into a fraction of our former power. In my case, I gain the caster level I once had as a Wizard/Warmage/Ultimate Magus/Spellwarp Sniper. That means CL 21 wizard and 18 warmage- but only with the (currently 1st level) spells I know.

So that's where we were- a not too ridiculous 'in media res' start to a grand campaign.

And then it went monty-haul! We stumbled upon (almost literally) a near-limitless cash box. I'll be honest, we were looking to get our hands on some cash so we could upgrade our equipment. True, all our formerly magical gear was still all masterwork gear, but even our characters knew we were soon to delve into some stuff that was above our challenge rating. Thus the need for cash and an upgrade (at least some protections from undead- which I've mentioned will be our first challenge). Then the DM (in his typical fashion) gave us WAY more than we were looking for. We, the players, weren't looking for a crazy-munchkin campaign, but it looks like that's what we're getting. And we'd be stupid (and probably dead pretty soon) not to take advantage of the opportunity.

There, hopefully that explains how this happened (and my NOT looking for this craziness) well enough that this post isn't dismissed as a campaign soon to go plaid. The campaign's impending craziness aside, at the very least useful answers to my question (What should a 3rd level wizard buy with 250K+ gold?) could serve as a planned equipment "wish-list" throughout a wizard's career.

you will want to get some big 6.

by that i mean rings of protection, mythril chain shirt with the twighlight enhancement (lowers asf 10%) maybe a mythical buckler too. You will want a vest of protection, and a cloak of minior displacement. You will want amulets of natural armor or of health.

those are basic to most adventurers.

you may also want to get stuff that helps wizards like a pearlofPower, a Spell Storing ring, a ring of Wizardry, and some metamagic rods.

Its up to you though how to balance what versions to get with how much cash you have, but i hope this helps set you in a optimized direction.

A bunch of high-level mercenaries to keep a party of evil adventurers from killing you and taking your stuff?

FoxWander said:

...250k gp...3rd lvl Wizard...

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Wow, here are a few things that come to mind...

* Scrolls: Lots and lots of scrolls, as in, every spell you know you're going to want to learn (outside of those you plan to take as you level) as well as those you're going to want to cast on occasion, but not waste Spell Slots to memorize.
* Headband of Intellect +6: nuf said
* AC Boosts: ring of deflections, bracers of armor, etc, etc
* Ring of Wizardy: I & II
* Pearls of Power: multiples

In short, super-size your "wizardliness".

Rodrigo Istalindir said:

A bunch of high-level mercenaries to keep a party of evil adventurers from killing you and taking your stuff?

Click to expand...

Whats to stop the Mercs from doing the same thing?

Case 1 - Stop adventuring ans buy a Castle.

Case 2 - Continue adventuring:
There is a transportable tower for 80kGP in the DMG, with it you can
sleep every nighte in your own fluffy feaderbed.



Jinx crossbow

Against undead huh? Get ghost touch on that twighlight mythril chain shirt. Buy some sort of ward against level drain.
A wand of haste and a wand of fireball are good buys. Extra carrying capacity - a belt of many pockets (Tome and Blood) or a handy haversack will let you carry all those scrolls and alchemicals you can afford.
I agree somebody should buy a Daern's Instant Fortress - maybe you should all contribute as a group.

Could I humbly suggest my own Nexus's Portable Headquarters?

I designed this to be the ultimate magic item for the well-to-do adventuring group. Now I'll admit that at 371,105 GPs, it is a little pricy. But given that the cost could (should even) be shared over the entire group, it is very affordable.

And given that, for that price, you get: six bedrooms, a storeroom, a bar, an armoury, an infirmary, a brothel, a kitchen, a barman, a cook, a healer, a weaponsmith, a valet and a courtesan, all in one handy (and discrete) leather backpack...

...well I think that pretty much everyone would say that it's damn good value for money!

Don't buy anything that supplements your abilities. No stat or AC boosters, no metamagic rods, no +X swords. Buy things to fight for you.

Buy an iron golem. It costs 150,000gp. Get a bunch of wands of scorching ray to heal it.

I'll second a Headband of Intellect +6 and the best ring of protection that you can afford.

I strongly suggest you read the Magic Item Compendium. There's a lot of cool things in that. Since you have the money for it, buy at least one of the skins (from memeroy, they cost up to 60 000gp).