Disdaining the Big Six

[EroGaki]

I'm looking for advice/tips on replicating the Big Six using spells and/or feats. I have issues with the over-reliance and insane drop rate of these items (our DM favors modules, so most magic items come in the form of weapons, armor, stat boosters, AC buffs, and cloaks of resistance).

I would like to actually use my hard-earned gold on magical items that I want, rather than what I need. So I'm turning to the folks on enworld for some ideas. I am playing a cleric/binder, level 3.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Honestly, I think your only satisfying solution is to talk your DM into granting everyone the Big Six bonuses via inherent power.

I'm looking for advice/tips on replicating the Big Six using spells and/or feats. I have issues with the over-reliance and insane drop rate of these items (our DM favors modules, so most magic items come in the form of weapons, armor, stat boosters, AC buffs, and cloaks of resistance).

Magic Weapon, Magic Vestment, Greater Resistance, that first level deflection bonus spell, and a bunch of other spells that add little oddball bonuses to stuff.

Or Vow of Poverty.

I would like to actually use my hard-earned gold on magical items that I want, rather than what I need. So I'm turning to the folks on enworld for some ideas. I am playing a cleric/binder, level 3.

Oh, never mind.

 

[Jhaelen]

I'm looking for advice/tips on replicating the Big Six using spells and/or feats. I have issues with the over-reliance and insane drop rate of these items (our DM favors modules, so most magic items come in the form of weapons, armor, stat boosters, AC buffs, and cloaks of resistance).

I would like to actually use my hard-earned gold on magical items that I want, rather than what I need. So I'm turning to the folks on enworld for some ideas. I am playing a cleric/binder, level 3.

Well, if you use the rules from the MIC, you can enchant the big six at no extra-charge with the magical powers that interest you (or vice-versa).

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

If you need a guideline on the bonuses the PCs might "need" each level, I recommend Trailblazer. Wulf Ratbane and Glassjaw (two EN World posters) have made a good job of dissecting the 3E math and figuring out what kind of attacks, damage and defensive bonus characters are expected to have (assuming a reasonable selection of magic items based on wealth by level, and comparing monster statistics by CR) in there.

Spells can do a fairly good job at replicating these values, I suppose.
The "Animal" Buff spells (Cat's Grace, Bull's Strength and what-you-have) need an extension on their duration, probably to 3.0 values. (1 hour per level).
Greater Magic Weapon and Magic Vestment might just need to be more readily available for all spellcaster classes.


If we are not looking at house rules - well, the above spells still qualify, you might just need to work harder to acquire them. Pearls of Power and Metamagic Rods can help you keep them up (but then you're once again spending a lot of gp on magic items, just a different selection of them).

 

[billd91]

I'm looking for advice/tips on replicating the Big Six using spells and/or feats. I have issues with the over-reliance and insane drop rate of these items (our DM favors modules, so most magic items come in the form of weapons, armor, stat boosters, AC buffs, and cloaks of resistance).

My inclination is to drop most of those items from the NPC gear. They've got it mainly so that their expected wealth is portable and usable by the NPC in a way that actually increases its stamina in a fight. But frankly, if the PCs have a slightly easier time of it because the NPCs don't have that gear, it doesn't bother me as DM.

One option is to make more use of disposable magic - bull's strength potions instead of girdles of giant strength. The main drawback is it takes an action to get the bonus.
Another option is to make things like cloaks of resistance charged items. Think of the cloak as having a limited durability that slowly ablates away as the PC uses the cloak's defensive power. It just happens to be implemented as "charges", one expended automatically whenever the wearer needs to make a save...

 

[Nifft]

I'm looking for advice/tips on replicating the Big Six using spells and/or feats. I have issues with the over-reliance and insane drop rate of these items (our DM favors modules, so most magic items come in the form of weapons, armor, stat boosters, AC buffs, and cloaks of resistance).

I would like to actually use my hard-earned gold on magical items that I want, rather than what I need. So I'm turning to the folks on enworld for some ideas. I am playing a cleric/binder, level 3.

Sad advice: you mostly can't. There's simply nothing better than (a) being a full spellcaster, and (b) having the best casting stats possible -- and if your DM is running modules, you will be expected to do that much optimization by the module writers, because otherwise there would be no challenge for a "normal" PC.

Double sad advice: the only way to get around this is to be an ultra-super-cheese monkey, and then use your brokenness sub-optimally. Basically, you need:
1 - Divine Metamagic (Persistent Spell)
2 - A ton of Turn attempts
With those two elements, you can turn regular Cleric buff spells into all-day buffs which basically replace many items -- you'll still want the Charisma booster (cloak) and the Wisdom booster (neck), since you'll need the latter before you prepare spells and the former before you layer on your buffs.

Cheers, -- N

 

[EroGaki]

Sad advice: you mostly can't. There's simply nothing better than (a) being a full spellcaster, and (b) having the best casting stats possible -- and if your DM is running modules, you will be expected to do that much optimization by the module writers, because otherwise there would be no challenge for a "normal" PC.

Double sad advice: the only way to get around this is to be an ultra-super-cheese monkey, and then use your brokenness sub-optimally. Basically, you need:
1 - Divine Metamagic (Persistent Spell)
2 - A ton of Turn attempts
With those two elements, you can turn regular Cleric buff spells into all-day buffs which basically replace many items -- you'll still want the Charisma booster (cloak) and the Wisdom booster (neck), since you'll need the latter before you prepare spells and the former before you layer on your buffs.

Cheers, -- N

In that case, I guess I'll just suck and die. Lame.

 

[Nifft]

In that case, I guess I'll just suck and die. Lame.

Whether you suck is up to you.
Whether you die is up to you, your DM, and the rest of your party.

If you're only 3rd level, the impact of odd gear choices won't prove fatal, because you hardly have any gear -- by the time you hit 13th, it'll be a choice with a lot more impact.

Good luck, -- N

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Enlighten me please...what are the "Big Six?"

 

[Dandu]

Context clues would seem to indicate that the term refers to ability scores.