Overlooked, underappreciated, magic items

[Sekket]

I was looking through my recently bolstered DnD book collection [what? of course they werent in pdf form! ... really] and noticed the MageBane special weapon ability. Pretty much, it is a Bane (arcane magic user) weapon, with only a +1. This seems like quite the tasty little enhancement, as it gives +2 to attack rolls, and +2d6+2 damage against anyone who uses Arcane spells or spell like abilities [any sorc, bard, or wizard, for starters]... which is significantly larger bonus then Bane (ooze) would give you, barring an Ooze Hunting campaign.

Enough so that is my new favorite magical ability, and likely to be put on my weapon first in all future campaigns.

I was also wondering, what other gems have I overlooked, or just not seen, in regards to magic items? Are there any shield, armor, or weapon special abilities that are must haves for you or anyone in your gaming group?

Or how about combos? What magic item abilities work well together? For example, what Dragon Stalker wouldnt want a +1 Bane(Mage) Bane(Dragon) bow? That means the for the cost of a +3 weapon, you suddenly have a +5 weapon vs dragons, that deals an extra 4d6 damage! [Coincidentally, I just finished putting together a Dragon Stalker for a Dragun Hunting campaign ]

 

[Lasher Dragon]

Recently our group came across a bunch of Hammerspheres - those things kick arse for the fighter-types. While they are hanging by the casters wating for buffs, they can activate the spheres. A rogue of mine has a Hand of the Mage that has saved his bacon a couple times. The Buffering special quality can be very nice depending on what kinda campaign you are in. Immovable Rods have been used to great effect before - one fight I recall we were getting tore up by these big animated suits of armor, until the fighter tripped one and I stuck an immovable rod in it's helm and activated it.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Well I had thought that most people had already known and complained about Magebane already. If you missed that though, maybe you missed Prayer Beads of Karma. They're pretty good.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Yeah, in a standard campaign, magebane is worth much more than its weight in gold.

 

[Sekket]

LasherDragon: What is a Hammersphere - what book does it come from? Where is Buffering and what does it do?

Others: Yes, as I said its been a while since Ive played. Plus, we never had many books before I whored out Shareaza for them... and god knows its /so/ easy to read a few gigabytes of text in pdf format...

I only rarely play casters, and then they are fighter/mages. I dont tell anyone in my group about Prayer Beads, and they dont know to try to use em in my campaign. Works excellently.

*foundly remembers winning an epic level tournament with some Dust of Wheezing (or whatever its called, the stuff that stuns you, no save) as an Iajitsu Master against a monster that would have killed me in a 'fair' fight... and the subsequent ban on the item*

 

[Deset Gled]

I have always loved Quall's Feather Token: Tree. Being chased down a narrow corridor? Make a tree to block the way. Need some cover in a wide open area? Make a tree to hide behind. Need a way to cross that river? Make a tree and fell it to make a bridge. Need to pass a diplomacy check against a druid? Nothing says +5 circumstance bonus like building them a tree.

Tanglefoot bags are also often overlooked, though they're not magical. As Lasher Dragon mentioned, immovable rods can be put in lots of fun places.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

Hammersphere appeared originally in Arms & Equipment... our party ran across them in Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. Buffering is I think in A&E as well - although it might be CAdv or CW... what it does IIRC: It's a +1 bonus. Anytime you would get level drained/take ability damage, it will negate it once per day per enhancement bonus of the armor/shield. I don't have my books here at work LOL so I may be a bit off but that's the basics.

 

[frankthedm]

Bag of tricks. Very usefull for the cost.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

I expect magebane will be errataed to include the words "bestowed by class levels" to follow "spell-like abilities". However, not to derail the thread, Hand of the Mage is one of the more useful cheap magic items. A clever user will find many ways to use minor telekinesis to his advantage...

 

[Hypersmurf]

Bag of tricks. Very usefull for the cost.

Heh.
Heh heh.
[giggle]

-Hyp.