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Message: <blockquote data-quote="evilbob" data-source="post: 4638839" data-attributes="member: 9789">So we've gotten a few books out now - and a few Dragon magazines - and I've already run into quite a decent number of items that are just plain BETTER than similar items of equal or higher level.  I'm talking about things like the Dragon 365 Cannith Goggles, which as a level 1 item gives a +2 item bonus to perception checks plus it has a (crappy-ish) daily item power as compared to the level 1 Headband of Perception from the AV which gives... a +1 item bonus to perception and nothing else.  I'm talking about items where there is absolutely no reason not to get one over the other.  Items that anyone who actually read all these books and magazines would immediately recognize the disparity.I think it's pretty apparent that no one really copy-edits these books before they are published (for more about this statement, see page XX), but I thought we could - as a collective group - help inform others who, like the publishers, don't have the time to pore through all the books and check for stuff like this.  Basically, it's like a list for those who like some simple optimization (ok, "min-maxing") but don't really want to do it themselves.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I'll start.- As above:  Cannith Goggles, level 1, Dragon 365; compared to:  Headband of Perception, level 1, AV p142.  +2 item bonus to perception checks (and daily power) head slot item vs. +1 item bonus to perception checks head slot item.- Summoned armor, level 6/11/16/etc., AV p53; compared to:  Magic armor, level 6/11/16/etc., PHB p230.  Summoned armor has an additional (minor at-will) effect for no additional cost.  Both can be applied to any type of +2 or higher armor.- Imposter's chain, scale, or plate armor, level 6/11/16/etc., AV p46; compared to:  Magic chain, scale, or plate armor, level 6/11/16/etc., PHB p230.  Like Summoned armor but only for chain, scale, or plate.- Dynamic melee weapon, level 6/11/16/etc., AV p68; compared to:  Magic melee weapon, level 6/11/16/etc., PHB 235.  Same bonuses but the dynamic has a slight advantage with its extra power.- Sacrificial melee weapon, level 6/11/16/etc., AV p68; compared to:  Magic melee weapon, level 6/11/16/etc., PHB 235.  Same as above.- Reading Spectacles, level 2, AV p144; compared to:  Lens of Reading, level 7, AV p175.  This is my favorite:  you can either keep a level 2 head slot item around and switch it out when you're not in danger, or keep a level 7 wondrous item that uses a daily item power and only lasts an hour.  They do the same thing, except the level 2 item is even better because it can read ANY language, whereas the level 7 can only read ONE language.I'll also include items that are close, but not always strictly better, just for those who might want to take a look and decide which is better for them:- Distance ranged weapon, level 1/6/11/etc., AV p68; compared to:  Magic ranged weapon, level 1/6/11/etc., PHB p235.  A magic weapon offers the advantage of a +Xd6 on a crit, but a distance weapon increases the range by a small amount for every throw.- Following the above example:  AV, various pages:  Battering, Blacksmelt, Grasping, Ricochet weapons.  They all have costs equal to Magic weapons, do not do bonus damage on a crit and are limited to a type of weapon, but have other powers.- Amulet of Resolution, level 2, AV p149; compared to Circlet of Second Chances, level 3, AV p139.  It's a neck slot item vs. a head slot item with the same daily power, so it's not strictly better, but it is one level lower and it gives a +1 to defenses.These are just off the top of my head.  Even if you use the argument that higher level items (level 6 and up) should have better bonuses than plain items of equal level, this list is still worth making.  I pretty sure there are probably more saving-throw-related items that should be on this list that are still out there, too.  Please add away!</blockquote>

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