Belt of Dwarvenkind - Best Deal Ever?

[the_mighty_agrippa]

Belt of Dwarvenkind
This belt gives the wearer a +4 competence bonus on Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks as they relate to dealing with dwarves, a +2 competence bonus on similar checks when dealing with gnomes and halflings, and a -2 competence penalty on similar checks when dealing with anyone else. The wearer can understand, speak, and read Dwarven. If the wearer is not a dwarf, he gains 60-foot darkvision, dwarven stonecunning, a +2 enhancement bonus to Constitution, and a +2 resistance bonus on saves against poison, spells, or spell-like effects.

Moderate divination; CL 12th; Craft Wondrous Item, tongues, creator must be a dwarf; Price 14,900 gp; Weight 1 lb.

This is one of the best bang-for-the buck items in the game. Who cares if your fighter with a Charisma dump stat starts acting like a dwarf (which is missing from the SRD, so no penalty?)?

Compare it to just to the Belt of Endurance and the Goggles of Night. Those are 16,000 gold together, provide no resistance bonuses or racial abilities and take up two item slots.

Wowza.

 

[The Blow Leprechaun]

Belt of Dwarvenkind
This belt gives the wearer a +4 competence bonus on Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks as they relate to dealing with dwarves, a +2 competence bonus on similar checks when dealing with gnomes and halflings, and a -2 competence penalty on similar checks when dealing with anyone else.

In a city campaign, that -2 could really kill you. I'm playing a fighter in the Shackled City atm, and I had to roll a miracle DC 15 Diplomacy check to save the campaign (pretty much) - if I'd been wearing this belt, I'd have failed it (only rolled a 16!).

Sometimes even the fighter has to make nice

 

[Angerland]

or you could play a dwarf and get most of the same benefits.... I'm just saying.

 

[szilard]

This is one of the best bang-for-the buck items in the game. Who cares if your fighter with a Charisma dump stat starts acting like a dwarf (which is missing from the SRD, so no penalty?)?

Of course... then you can't wear a belt of giant strength....

-Stuart

 

[Goolpsy]

But not the ekstra Feat for being human

 

[IanB]

Of course... then you can't wear a belt of giant strength....

-Stuart

Which isn't much of a cost for some characters. I have an enchanter who wears one of these; who needs charisma when you have dominate person?

 

[Sejs]

The goggles of night are a massive ripoff.

 

[szilard]

Which isn't much of a cost for some characters. I have an enchanter who wears one of these; who needs charisma when you have dominate person?

Sure... but the example given was a fighter.

-Stuart

 

[The Blow Leprechaun]

Which isn't much of a cost for some characters. I have an enchanter who wears one of these; who needs charisma when you have dominate person?

Anyone playing below level 9, for starters...

 

[IanB]

Anyone playing below level 9, for starters...

Oh, certainly - but get much below that and a 14k magic item is still a very significant cost.

As for the opportunity cost of a belt of giant strength, given that gauntlets of ogre power exist as a glove-slot strength item, getting some enchanted to +6 should be the same cost as an equivalent belt of giant strength.

That wacky extra-action-taking belt from MIC (belt of battle?) might be a more significant opportunity cost though, for any character.