Charged items for a 9th level paladin?

[Wolfwood2]

I'm playing through Age of Worms in a 5 PC (+ 1 NPC cohort) group. We're likely going to have a few weeks of downtime soon, and there is an Artificer in the group. I have been trying to come up with a 'requested crafting and/or purchase list' to see what items I might want to get.

The party is 9th level and is well above the recommended wealth levels. This is because: 1. We have an Artificer in the group; 2. We tend to keep items we loot rather than selling them.

We're still getting valuations on the treasure from last time, but I expect I'll have about 3500 gp to toss around. (Most of our money is in items, remember.) I can probably ask for 4 or so days or the Artificer's crafting time. Maybe 5 if I ask really nicely. I expect he'll let me pay half price, since he has the crafting feat that reduces cost and therefore still makes a profit on that. (Plus, the group is giving him some items to xp drain for his craft reserve.)

Since I am pretty well equipped for my current role as mounted melee combatant, I am thinking about asking for some charged items that I could use in the big fights rather than saving up for more permanent items. There are some really nice paladin spells, and I have access to anything in the Spell Compendium. On the other hand, maybe I should go after some low cost permanent items.

My current equipment: +2 "Restful" Full Plate; +1 Frost Greataxe; +2 Ring of Protection; +2 Amulet of Natural Armor; Circlet of Persuasion; Cloak of Charisma +2/Resistance +1; Gauntlets of Ogre Power; masterwork Lance; +1 Battleaxe (as back-up weapon but might sell); Amulet of Natural Armor +1 (on paladin mount).

My feats are: Power Attack, Cleave, Mounted combat, Law Devotion, Ride-By attack. I'm angling towards a mounted combat role with my hippogriff paladin steed.

Items/Options I have been considering:

- Get lance enhanced to +1
- Buy an adamantine weapon (have to spend most of cash reserve on it)
- Wand of Bless Weapon (arguable the whole party should chip in for this, for use against fiends)
- Get artificer to make me one or more scrolls of Divine Favor at CL-9 (only 112.5 each)
- Get artificer to make me one or more scrolls of Golden Barding (armor for mount) at CL-10
- Get Artificer to make a Pearl of Power (level 1) for more Rhino's Rush per day
- Don't spend anything; save cash for Animated Shield at future date
- Get Artificer to enhance Resistance bonus on Cloak to +2 (+3000 gp, half for 1500 gp)
- Get Artificer to add Constitution +2 boost to Amulet of Natural Armor (as per magic item compendium 4000 gp, he can do it with only 2000 gp)

Or some other combination of wands, scrolls, or potions.

Thoughts?

 

[Lord Zardoz]

You have pretty much all of the Christmas Tree items pretty decently covered. Why not consider going for a utility item that is not simply Item +X?

Ring of Jumping
Ring of Energy Resistance
Boots of Striding / Springing
Boots of Levitation
Boots of Flying
Hat of Disguise
Rod of Rulership (or whatever it is called)

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Innocent Bystander]

Or see if your DM will let you do something unique for your mount. Just think, horseshoes of striding/springing, or flying etc.

 

[irdeggman]

Scrolls won't help you any.

Any item made by an artificer is neither arcane nor divine. - so to use a scroll crafted by an artificer would always require a UMD check.

From the errata:

Page 32: Artificer—Item Creation
Magic items created by an artificer are considered neither arcane nor divine.

Heck artificers must make a UMD check in order to use spell trigger and spell completion items they themselves create (if if it contains infusions on their list). (ECS pg 31)

 

[Wolfwood2]

Scrolls won't help you any.

Any item made by an artificer is neither arcane nor divine. - so to use a scroll crafted by an artificer would always require a UMD check.

That's very inconvenient. Is there any way to weasel around that?

You have pretty much all of the Christmas Tree items pretty decently covered. Why not consider going for a utility item that is not simply Item +X?

Ring of Jumping
Ring of Energy Resistance
Boots of Striding / Springing
Boots of Levitation
Boots of Flying
Hat of Disguise
Rod of Rulership (or whatever it is called)

I notice all of these are permanent items. While I certainly don't discount them, what are your thoughts on charged items?

I mean, I've got the same prejudices most gamers do. I don't want to "burn gold" on something that is just going to go away. But when I really look at it, I have to admit that we probably only see one or two "boss fights" per level. It seems to me that it's better to be really strong on those and slightly weaker the rest of the time than just a little better all the time.

Of the items on that list, only the ring of energy resistance really appeals. I currently have a flying mount with (since I had him take the Improved Flight feat) Good maneuverability at 110 flight movement. Eventually I'll want some back-up movement items for if the mount goes pop, but it's not a priority right now.

A Lesser Rod of Extend Spell might be interesting.

 

[irdeggman]

That's very inconvenient. Is there any way to weasel around that?

Nope, that's why it is errata.

It keeps people from using artificers as a source of spells for their spell books.

It also fits with the fact that artificers are not really spellcasters and everything they do revolves around UMD in the first place.