What's a good magic item for 10 grand or less?

[DM-Rocco]

@DM-Rocco; no need to be rude. Telling someone that they are nuts could be taken as a joke; telling them that they are making a stupid claim seems nasty. And an attitude of one-up-manship is kinda offputting.

Well, he should assume that the nuts comment good humor, if not, it was meant to be.

He then should worry about the stupid claim. It might seem harsh, and it is, but if he is too sensitive for honesty, then perhaps he should school himself in reality. From what he has described, the game he is in is barely a normal game and very much bordering on high magic, it is high magic if you consider the Epic sword he has. To make a claim that it is low magic insults our intelligence as both players and DMs. If he wants to make such claims, then perhaps he should move the thread to fiction threads, where he can spin a good yarn.

There wasn't even a follow up to say, hey, I made a mistake, sorry, we are not low magic, I take it back. I'm sorry if I like honesty, I'm sorry if I hate it when people post stuff on the D&D rules thread that should be in the general section, I'm sorry if he can't handle constructive criticism, but I am not sorry for being the only one to tell him off for misleading others into doing research for him under a false pretense.

As to one uping him, never my intention, just putting a low magic campaign into perspective so he can see that his is not.

 

[azhrei_fje]

The odds are good that the OP doesn't know he's in a mid- to high-level magic game. If all I had ever played was Forgotten Realms and then was relegated to the game he's in now, I might consider it low-magic. Or at least at the lower end of mid-magic.

 

[domino]

Decanter of endless water can always be useful.

 

[ZuulMoG]

Decanter of endless water can always be useful.

At 9k, a never-ending fire hose/water source is quite a dandy little item. Going in multiples, you can't go wrong with Boots of Striding and Spring at 2500, mobility is KING on the battlefield. Throw in HHH for packing in the supplies (and hauling away the loot!), and you've still got enough left for a +2 armor, or a sizeable brace of potions of CLW to put in the HHH. Not dying is a great way advance your character, and CLW potions greatly aid that noble goal. You could probably even get a Wand of CLW for cheap...

 

[UltimaGabe]

If it's slotless and use-activated, you're looking at 2,000gp.

The base is 2,000, yes- but, the again, its duration is measured by hours, so, if I remember my DMG magic item pricings correctly, the cost is reduced 1/2. I'm aware that those are just guidelines, but for an item that's never going to have any real game effect, I figure give it every discount you've got.

As for being Command-Word Activated or Use-Activated, the way I see it, Command-Word Activated takes a Standard Action, whereas Use-Activated takes a Free Action (or no action at all). That's how it works in most cases, anyway. And in battle, you're not gonna wanna be taking a Standard Action just so you can give your sword a cool "swoosh" sound.

I really like the item, though- I had a character who had this on his scabbard, and used it to give his sword (an Undead-Bane katana) a personality. It would glow different colors depending on its mood, it would make different sounds depending on what it killed (when killing undead, it glowed bright colors and made happy sounds). I eventually made it intelligent, but before then, that was the best I could find.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Well, he should assume that the nuts comment good humor, if not, it was meant to be.

He then should worry about the stupid claim. It might seem harsh, and it is, but if he is too sensitive for honesty, then perhaps he should school himself in reality. From what he has described, the game he is in is barely a normal game and very much bordering on high magic, it is high magic if you consider the Epic sword he has. To make a claim that it is low magic insults our intelligence as both players and DMs. If he wants to make such claims, then perhaps he should move the thread to fiction threads, where he can spin a good yarn.

There wasn't even a follow up to say, hey, I made a mistake, sorry, we are not low magic, I take it back. I'm sorry if I like honesty, I'm sorry if I hate it when people post stuff on the D&D rules thread that should be in the general section, I'm sorry if he can't handle constructive criticism, but I am not sorry for being the only one to tell him off for misleading others into doing research for him under a false pretense.

As to one uping him, never my intention, just putting a low magic campaign into perspective so he can see that his is not.

When I say "low magic," I mean that compared to the standard D&D game it is low magic. I have played in a Midnight game where we were happy to get a waterskin and a few dried onions as treasure, so sure, the current game seems high magic compared to that. You can't call your neighbor rich because he has a loaf of bread, even if all you have to eat is an old boot. My above claim still stands. Compared to the standard treasure values, we are playing a low magic game. Compared to your game, or a Midnight game, it might seem high powered as hell. Perhaps I should have said "lower magic."

And how is it the wrong section? D&D rules. Magic Items are a part of the rules the last time I checked.

At any rate, there's no need to be insulting.

(Edit: No need to start a flamewar over one person being a jackass - comment removed.)

 

[Cheiromancer]

The question about what magic items are most valuable could be a rules or a general question. The question of whether your campaign is high or low magic is irrelevant. It is what it is.

I think the suggested items are very good. I want to echo how feather tokens can be very handy.

 

[domino]

The base is 2,000, yes- but, the again, its duration is measured by hours, so, if I remember my DMG magic item pricings correctly, the cost is reduced 1/2.

Which you don't. It needs to be 24 hours to have half cost.

 

[DM-Rocco]

So.... you are 35K short...if you ignore the 100K sword... okay, sounds low magic to me.

When I say "low magic," I mean that compared to the standard D&D game it is low magic.

Hmm, seems like you are really 65k over. Even though you got the sword from the Deck of Many Things, it is still a 100k sword and part of your gear. Doesn't matter that you suffered a -2 on your saves to get it, it is still your gear. Now, if you could only use it for one adventure, perhaps then you would be in a low or lower magic game, but if you still have that, then you are in a high magic game. Also, starting money and gear for a level ten also includes non magic gear, I don't know what other gear you have, but if you have master work items made out of high price materials, that counts too.

As to being in the wrong forum, this should go in the general forum, it has nothing to do with rules. You are asking for a discussion of what items you should take, not how they work.

I love reading an commenting on these threads, I like to give good solid advice and help others out, but in your case, you can't even be honest with yourself or us. I'm not the only one who feels like this, just the only one to be vocal about it.

I am friends with lots of people who are paying members of ENWorld and they all agree that you should not have wrote low magic. Sure, if you were playing in a higher magic game and used to nothing but that, then you are in a lower magic game, but comparing a man who eats a loaf of bread, even if all you have to eat is an old boot is a poor comparison to one magic item for 7 levels of play and more than your fair share for 10th level.
Why does it matter if you are low magic when we give our answers?

Because if you are in a low magic game you have certain things that are far more important in the everyday game mechanics. If you are in a low magic game, a Ring of Sustenance is a god send since you basically can pull guard duty all night long and never have to worry about food, and after having discussed this thread with those in the game that I play in, 75% of use would jump at this item in a low magic game over a +1 Mithril Shirt, or Rhino Hide, or Lion's Shield or a chain shirt with moderate fortification (which we play G&G, so we have low hit points, what does that say to how much we would value a Ring of Sustenance over other items)

Now, if you were honest when the thread first started and said that, aside from one item (which should count towards your gear) you are about 75% removed from a normal D&D game in terms of wealth, then things like a Ring of Sustenance, while still good, if not as valuable and you could afford things that offer better protections.

You really need to put things in perspective so others came better help you.

Now, even though the last to replies where harsh, this one was meant to be more helpful than insulting. However, given that you just called me a jackass, you still have bitter feelings towards me, which is fine, no skin off my back, I can handle your immaturity , but I won't check back here for a reply from you, I'll go to other threads where I can be of more help to those who are asking for it.

 

[Diirk]

Seriously, lighten up. He's already said that what he meant by low magic was that as a whole his party is significantly under the wealth by level guidelines. How about just accepting that low magic means different things to different people and not take it so seriously?