Magic items EVERY character NEEDS

[Mercule]

I think about the only item that every character can use is a bag of holding ...

Actually, I've found bags of holding to be somewhat over-rated. The only characters that really need them seem to be the ones with a low enough strength that they are _still_ encumbered by the bag.

I actually had a chance at one and turned it down. Of course, this was the sorcerer who had devised 4th and 5th level variants for the Shrink Item spell (4th allowed magic items, 5th was as normal but permanent) and had all version, including the original turn the item into a playing card, rather than a piece of cloth.

Now, the bag of devouring, _that's_ an item everyone should have. Very useful for cleaning things up. The above character kept one as a pet. He only got it after the party wizard had left his spell book in it overnight, though.

 

[Crothian]

Item of take back stupid action

 

[Wippit Guud]

Those are called 'Five dollar bills'
Just slip one to the DM

 

[Ace]

There is no rule that I know that says magic items can't be combined so if I was going to say must have itesm I would say
for most games you must have

+x defense items

+x weapons

healing items

+x save items

+x skill items

Boots of striding and springing

light items

movement (teleprt etc) items for emergencies

everything else is gravy IME

 

[Cedric]

I'm going to have to go with Heward's Handy Havesack here.

Those things are just awesome...and for the price they rule.

Cedric

 

[MarauderX]

As above, I think it really depends on what type of party and what level you are at.

Some of the ones I like to have, in those 'just-in-case' situations:
Detect magic.
Detect Invisibility.
Protection from XXX.
Anything to help armor class.

 

[Celebrim]

Players should strive for a collection of magic items that frustrate the DM's ability to challenge them and which make them unlikely to be killed by any single event.

To Wit:

1) Heward's Handy Haversack/Bags of Holding: Encumbrance? What's that? Let me reach into my back pocket and pull out my all purpose tool kit of dungeon survival.

2) An item that grants flight, or at least the ability to climb madly like slippers of spider climbing.

3) An item that grants resistance. Essential for fighters overcoming will saves, etc.

4) An item that grants fortification or concealment. Essential for avoiding nasty criticals, sneak attacks, etc.

5) An item that increases the primary attribute of the character. Eventually, you are going to need the boost; 3rd ed. CR assumes you will get such items and monsters are scaled accordingly.

6) A magic item sufficient to overcome most commonly encountered DR. It is ok to rely on buffs or spells or tricks to defeat the occasional wierd critter, but if every blasted thing has DR X/+1 then you better have a magic weapon or dispel magic is going to ruin your day.

7) A general purpose healing item in the event cleric is occupied, away, or unconscious. In survival, nothing is more important than the ability to keep the cleric alive.

8) An item that grants protection from evil, or at higher levels an 'escape button' item that allows for rapid retreat (or both). He who runs away lives to fight another day.

9) An item that grants darkvision or a source of magical light. Preferably, this is not something carried in the hand unless it is a weapon or shield, otherwise you are eventually going to need an item that grants a third hand. Torches are for casting shadows, extending fields of vision down long corridors or in large rooms, burning/checking for green slime, setting fire to anything suspicius and moldy looking, starting fires to stay warm or dry off, checking for presence of foul air, coup de gras versus trolls, lighting flasks of oil, fighting mummies, forcing morale checks on animals, and so forth. They are essential dungeoneering items. They are not however dependable sources of light.

 

[Dave G]

The Head of Vecna!

w3rd!

I tend to agree that a extra-dimensional space is really the main requirement for every campaign. Otherwise, the paperwork on encumbrance becomes prohibitive...*

*note: I don't mean this for the abuses of the overprepared dungeoneer, but I've had party's nearly come to blows deciding what to carry away from an adventure, and that's pretty needless conflict IMHO...

 

[Janos Antero]

Boots of Striding and Springing - Always need more movement.

Bag of Holding - Always need more room to carry, ideally a portable hole to store valuable furniture the DM doesn't expect you to steal either.

Potion of Fly - Because you always need to fly at some point.

Gloves of Storing - Because with one of these puppies you save yourself a feat on quickdraw, and it's always important.

Boots of Speed - Or other mode of hasted actions, because you're in deep poop without it.

Scarab of Protection - Level draining sucks, the charges on this puppy are a life-saver.

Rod of Extension - Because those second level buffs are SO much nicer with double the duration for a measely 5k.

Pearl of Power - Especially the lovely, cheap 1st level ones.

Stat Enhancing item for primary stat - Duh!

Broach of Magic Missile Absorption - Get a non-slotted one, and never worry about that spell again.

Ring of Counterspells - With a dispel magic to protect your precious buff spells.

Necklace of Prayer Beads (+4 Caster Level Variant) - Every divine caster, and any arcane caster (If DM's allow), had better carry at least 1, if not 2 of these, to be used with a Rod of Extension and basic buffs.

Sure Strike Weapon - Damage Resistance Sucks, Stoneskinned Wizards suck.

Potion Belt - Free action to take a true strike potion, cure potion, or invisibility.

Resistance item is nice, but any moderately respectable high level character has had permenancy cast on his resistance style spell on himself fairly continuously.

I'm not putting Con enhancing or other stat items because often you'll just have a buff of one of those, as the gold is better spent elsewhere.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Cloak/Vest of Resistance

Potion of healing

That's it.

Everyone needs the cloak/vest of resistance unless they're in the kind of campaign where they never need to make saves.

Even at high levels characters without cloaks of resistance (even monk/paladins unless they have stats in the neighborhood of straight 18s) will not be able to consistently make saves versus save or die effects. The 20th level fighter with a 24 con (after inherent and enhancement bonusses) may have a fort save of +19. However, he's going to be facing Wail of the Banshee with a DC of 28+ (24 int, spell focus--really this is a pretty low DC for that level of play) and Horrid Wilting with DC 27+). Without the cloak of resistance, he only has a 60% chance of making that save. . . and it's his best save! Against a heightened dominate person (same DC)--even assuming an 18 wisdom (which is far too generous)--said fighter will have to roll a 14 to save. Not good odds. A +5 cloak of resistance makes a big difference to those odds and gives him a reasonable chance of saving even against foes with really cranked DCs (9th level spells can easily have DCs in the neighborhood of 33 with int 30, and greater spell focus).

Potions of healing? Even the cleric faces the possibility of being knocked into the negatives or running out of spells at some point. If he doesn't have a potion, can he guarantee that someone else will have a potion to heal him with?