Help with magic item selection

[Neurotrash]

I need help!

I'm running a mini-campaign using the Inherent Bonus rules, which frees me up from having to hand out too many magic items. In fact, I plan on handing out one magic item per player (the campaign is only going to cover a few levels).

My problem is, I've never been particularly interested in magic items, I don't have either Adventurers' Vault, and I don't really feel like digging through the online compendium to find what's best for the characters, especially when there are people here who can probably give me ideas off the top of their head

For those who are going to say, "Ask your players what they want" - I'd really like to keep magic items a surprise; something that you don't expect and are very rare.

So this is the group:

Longtooth Shifter Lifespirit Warden
Longtooth Shifter Spiritbond Seeker
Half-Elven Elation Ardent
Changeling Storm Sorceror

They're all 7th level currently, but since bonuses don't really count, anything from Heroic or early Paragon tier should do. I'd prefer if the items helped them in their respective roles, but that's not necessary if it's really helpful for that race or class.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Prestidigitalis]

That's not much to go by, really.

I suggest you start by reviewing what has actually happened at the table. For example, if there is a stealthy character who has been frustrated by poor rolls on Stealth checks, an item which gives a Stealth bonus would be most welcome.

Next, look at what your players have chosen for themselves. If everyone in the group uses light armor or scale, don't throw them an awesome piece of Chain armor and expect them to be excited. It's not that you have to tailor every piece to their needs -- just assume that the "cool but wrong" item you give them will be turned into "cool residuum" as soon as possible.

After that, look at what adventures you have planned for the near and intermediate future. If you plan to use a nifty flying creature, consider giving the party something that will help them against it. Emergent serendipity is a grand old tradition of fantasy stories.

Finally, outright ask your players what sort of item they would like to have. Not a specific weapon (e.g., +3 Jagged Fullblade) but a general idea (e.g. "a better weapon", "something to increase my damage output", "a way to deal with pesky ongoing damage").

Of course, there is nothing wrong with more specific requests, but it doesn't sound like you want to go that route.

 

[Ahrimon]

Ask your the players what they want. Just not directly. Ask them about their characters. Have them describe them, listen for the types of weapons they weild. What path are they looking at taking(feats are a good indication here)? Is there a schtick they are using (charge spam, aoe blaster, etc)? Maybe something in the characters story gives you a hint about a good item.

Since you don't know the items that well, feel free to bring some of that to us. I'm sure we'll find something to help out.

 

[fba827]

While I have to agree with the other posters to say that this isn't necessarily enough to really get a good feel for what your players (and their respective characters) would want/get excited over, if i just used the little information here I would start (off the top of my head) thinking along the lines of ...

Longtooth Shifter Lifespirit Warden

My short-lived longtooth shifter Lifespirit warden loved his throwing shield ( it provides a decent back-up weapon for those times you're too far and slowed or the target is out of reach on a treetop or on the far end of a narrow corridor bottleneck)

Longtooth Shifter Spiritbond Seeker
Half-Elven Elation Ardent

I don't really know seekers or ardents well enough to have an opinion off the top of my head.

Changeling Storm Sorceror

I've noticed many sorcerers in the party i've played with (over a couple campaigns) tend to take cloth armor that lets a caster not provoke opportunity attacks when casting a ranged spell ( i think it's called shimmer armor?). that might be a good idea for this sorcerer if he doesn't already have a way to avoid provoking OAs for his ranged attacks



Non build-related choices that have general utility (in my opinion) for any of them (though their personality and play style would determine whether or not the people in your group would even like them) ...
* But I'm a huge fan of Hedge Wizard gloves that let's the wearer use wizard cantrips.
* bag of holding
* acrobat boots (i think they're called, the ones that let you stand up from prone as a minor action)
* ritual scrolls with components (for some mundane task that takes a while, so if they travel a lot, maybe a phantom steed scroll would relieve the group of that for a session, and so on).
* armor of resistance (resistance is always helpful)
* safewing amulet (or something similar) that lets you reduce falling damage
* if no one in the party is trained in arcana to detect magic then dust of arcane insight would be helpful
*I also like teleport-y things and bonus
* things that grant a bonus save (esp as you get to upper heroic/paragon, saves are needed more often as there are more conditions tossed around and harsher conditions become commonplace)

of course, as said, i have certain play style preferences, so what works for me might be very different than what works for your group.

what sorts of tactics do they usually employ? Is someone always stealthing? Is someone always charging? Is someone always getting hit with Opportunity attacks? Is there a lacking skill that you want introduced into the group (like arcana)

 

[Aulirophile]

I need help!

I'm running a mini-campaign using the Inherent Bonus rules, which frees me up from having to hand out too many magic items. In fact, I plan on handing out one magic item per player (the campaign is only going to cover a few levels).

My problem is, I've never been particularly interested in magic items, I don't have either Adventurers' Vault, and I don't really feel like digging through the online compendium to find what's best for the characters, especially when there are people here who can probably give me ideas off the top of their head

For those who are going to say, "Ask your players what they want" - I'd really like to keep magic items a surprise; something that you don't expect and are very rare.

So this is the group:

Longtooth Shifter Lifespirit Warden
Longtooth Shifter Spiritbond Seeker
Half-Elven Elation Ardent
Changeling Storm Sorceror

They're all 7th level currently, but since bonuses don't really count, anything from Heroic or early Paragon tier should do. I'd prefer if the items helped them in their respective roles, but that's not necessary if it's really helpful for that race or class.

Thank you in advance!

Warden: Belt of Mountain Endurance
Seeker: Hungry Spear (will allow him to use a Greatspear as a Heavy Thrown)
Ardent: Dwarven Armor.
Sorcerer: Lightning Weapon (Sorcs have a rather bad power selection and every single Storm Sorc I've ever met wanted to pick all Lightning/Thunder powers, no matter how God-awful they were. This fixes that).

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Almost every CharOp class guide has a Magic Item section. Just go to Category (Leader/Defender/Striker/Controller), scroll down till you find the handbook link for that class, and find the magic item post (usually near the end of the handbook). Pick a Gold/Skyblue option. The lists aren't extensive, but they cover a fair amount of what a given class would actually want to have.

 

[Mengu]

Warden - Life Font Armor or Deathcut Armor or Cloak of the Walking Wounded or Amulet of Life

Seeker - Hungry weapon or Dwarven Thrower (depending on what weapon player uses, if this is a weapon that will be found during the campaign, the character probably won't be setup to use a Greatspear or Mordenkrad) or maybe Bloodfury handaxe or Prime Shot weapon.

Ardent - Pelor's Sun Blessing

Sorcerer - Staff of Ruin or Sibery Shard of the Mage (just give him the paragon version) or Lightning Weapon (if he needs one due to feats and the like, or just to give him an ally friendly minion clearing AoE).

Go easy on them. They seem to be wanting to play one hand tied behind their back already. And without the help of items, I'd almost treat the group as one level lower. Maybe give them an action point every encounter to make up for some of the power loss from lack of items, and their build choices.