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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LightWarden" data-source="post: 6998628" data-attributes="member: 6803540">Equipment: Geared To RoamHere, I'll be talking about what weapon types and armor types work best for you. Magic gear is described below.Weapon Groups: Defending Those Who RoamAxes - The members of this weapon group deal good damage, and their feats only require a mediocre Con investment, which helps you meet them. To boot, they're also available as Ranged weapons, which means you get a two-for-one with the weapon-specific feats.Recommended Axes[sblock]Battleaxe (PHB) - Good damage (1d10), and you don't have to buy proficiency in it. Not bad.Double Axe (AV) - While it doesn't offer more damage over the Battleaxe, it does give you extra AC, and you only have to buy enchantments for one weapon.Handaxe (PHB) - The damage is rather piddly, but being Heavy Thrown and Off-Hand makes up for some of it.Waraxe (AV) - Why yes, I would love to be able to wield a d12 in one hand, thank you.[/sblock]Bows - Let the Archers play around with Bows.Crossbows - When you engage someone at range, it's usually not with this.Flails - While not as awesome as Light Blades at the business of attack and damage, they do open up some nice tricks (such as slides) for you.Recommended Flails[sblock]Alhulak (DSCS) - A high proficiency bonus, and decent damage. A pretty good weapon to have, considering it's feat-free.Cahulaks (DSCS) - While the stats certainly aren't the best, this is a very versatile weapon.Flail (PHB) - Similar to a Warhammer or a Battleaxe overall. Serviceable enough.Triple-Headed Flail (AV) - Statistically identical to a Bastard Sword, with a different set of support.[/sblock]Hammers - Don't want 'em.Heavy Blades - If you want to get in on tricks like Headsman's Chop without sacrificing accuracy or a Str/Dex pure focus, this is the group for you.Recommended Heavy Blades[sblock]Bastard Sword (PHB) - d10 damage dice are nice to have.Broadsword (AV) - About equivalent to the Battleaxe. Good at first, but outclassed by the Longsword later.Longsword (PHB) - The classic Heavy Blade, it's actually a pretty good weapon for a Scout.[/sblock]Light Blades - The Scout gains so much from using this group, it's legitimately hard to justify recommending any other. The dominant choice.Recommended Light Blades[sblock]Dagger (PHB) - The quintessential Light Blade. While it's not the greatest choice as a bread-and-butter Melee weapon, it's quite good as a Ranged option.Double Sword (AV) - Decent damage, an AC bonus, and some cash saved by only counting as one weapon for the purpose of buying enchantments.Katar (PHB) - Essentially a Short Sword with high crit. Not quite as good as its cousin the Rapier because it costs a feat, but it's a good upgrade over the Short Sword if you have one of those to spare.Rapier (PHB) - This Light Blade is your default main hand weapon of choice.Short Sword (PHB) - While it looks plain, it's actually pretty awesome in the hands of a Scout.Spiked Chain (PHB) - While this may seem like it's in the wrong section, Spiked Chain Training makes this the most damaging Light Blade in the game, as well as a Double Weapon with Reach. A very nice tool in the hands of a Scout.[/sblock]Maces - Strictly weaker than Hammers at the moment, and Hammers suck for you.Picks - No support. So put it down.Polearms - Two-handers are not how you go about your business.Slings - Not the way you do Ranged.Spears - A Scout technically can use this as a main-hand weapon if he's looking for a bit more control, but there's not much control to be had in the Scout chassis. I wouldn't.Staffs - It has terrible stats, and no compensation for losing out on class features. Nope.Armor: Preserving Those Who RoamCloth - No real reason to wear this over the other two varieties of Light Armor. Stay far, far away.Leather - This has some nice properties that you can't get anywhere else, and can be nice if you're not a fan of the skill check penalty Hide carries. Still, I like every point of AC I can get my mitts on.Hide - The light armor with the highest AC, and that does count for a lot. Add in the fact that Armor Specialization deals with its only flaw in the skill check penalty, and I'd be hard-pressed to recommend anything else for a Scout.Chain - Why would you pay a feat to have your AC go down?Scale - Though this is some pretty sweet armor, it won't beat your AC in Hide.Plate - Spending feats and ability score points on this is an exercise in futility.Shields - Don't know if you noticed, but you're not proficient with these, and are busy wielding two weapons anyway. No.Magic Equipment: Enabling Those Who RoamAs is the norm for sections in this Handbook, if the piece of magic equipment isn't rated Black or higher, I won't be talking about it (especially important because this game has a colossal amount of equipment available).Armor[sblock]I'm taking a leaf from the designers' book with regards to level distribution: the + sign indicates a progression every 5 levels, there's another version of the armor with an additional +1 enhancement bonus.Level 2+Repulsion Armor (Cloth, Leather) (AV) - Keeps folk away from you. This is awesome enough to make you think about staying in Leather.  Screaming Armor (Hide, Scale, Plate) (AV) - A free bonus to Intimidate, and a nifty debuffing power (with range, no less). A solid choice .Shadow Hound Armor (Hide) (AV 2) - A nice defensive bonus to have when you get banged up.Level 3+Armor of Exploits (Any) (AV) - Lets you make interesting combinations with allies who share your attack stat, or simply load an Encounter power for an extra use. Pretty cool.  Defensive Armor (Any) (PHB 3) - This property features a solid Daily defense-booster, which becomes meatier with power points (it's better if you have access to those).Level 4+Battle Harness (Cloth, Leather, Hide) (D 368) - An initiative bonus is never bad (even if it doesn’t stack with a Warlord’s buff), and Quick Draw for free doesn’t hurt either. A pretty awesome choice.Bloodcut Armor (Leather, Hide) (PHB) - Allows you to burn surges to gain resistance to all damage. A bit of a gamble, but considering your healing surge value likely won’t be that high, it’s not too hard to gain a benefit from this.Level 7+Marauder's Armor (Hide) (AV 2) - Bonuses to AC when you charge. Need I say more?Level 10+Lifeblood Armor (Hide) (PHB 2) - If I’m reading this right, this grants you free HP just for using a short rest (which you will do; you want your Encounter powers back). Whoa. Level 14+Armor of Dark Deeds (Leather, Hide) (AV 2) - CA and concealment is a great combination to have.Displacer Armor (Cloth, Leather, Hide) (AV) - A fantastic power, but it's a Daily and only works for one turn. Still decent, though.  Level 15+Bloodvine Armor (Hide) (PHB 2) - Expensive, but the power can help you stay alive. Worth a look.  Trollskin Armor (Hide, Scale) (PHB) - Regen is always a nice thing to have in your back pocket, but its steep cost puts a ceiling on how awesome it can be.  Level 19+Great Cat Armor (Hide) (AV 2) - Gets you 2-square shifts a couple levels ahead of schedule (not to mention feat-free).[/sblock]Weapons[sblock]I'm taking a leaf from the designers' book with regards to level distribution: the + sign indicates a progression every 5 levels, there's another version of the weapon with an additional +1 enhancement bonus.Level 2+Farbond Spellblade (Heavy Blade, Light Blade) (AV 2) - A decent weapon, if you're looking for a Ranged option that's not a Dagger.Vicious (Any) (PHB) - Pretty basic, but d12 crit dice are nice to have.Level 3+Blood Fury (Axe, Heavy Blade) (AV 2) - A good weapon to take advantage of any effects you may have while Bloodied by inducing the state for a couple of rounds per Encounter, it also sports a hefty critical rate when you're banged up.Carnage (Axe, Heavy Blade, Mace) (DSCS) - If you're in the gambling mood, this weapon can provide a very respectable damage bonus (which you can get more reliably if the weapon die is smaller or if you have multiple dice).Frost (Any) (PHB) - Combines with Wintertouched and Lasting Frost for eternal combat advantage and +5 damage. Better than ever, thanks to other items helping it beat cold resistance. Inescapable (Any) (AV) - Buffs your attack bonus after a miss, up to a certain point. Solid for Heroic Tier Archers (the enchantments just aren't all that 'till about L11).Luckblade (Heavy Blade, Light Blade) (AV) - Rerolls, which are great to have in your back pocket (you never know...).Paired (Any One-Handed Melee) (AV) - Some pretty good economy for your weapons if you dual-wield, thus solving a major problem for Scouts (budget). You should prioritize the clams you spend on weapons, though (you ARE a Striker, are you not?), but this is still a good choice if feats and/or items are tight in your campaign.Quick (Any) (AV) - Free basic attacks are fun.Rhythm Blade (Light Blade) (AV 2) - Shores up your defenses some more if you have Two-Weapon Defense, which is never bad. This is part of the Blade Dancer's Regalia item set, so picking one or more items from that set makes this go up in value.Subtle (Any Melee) (AV) - Extra damage with combat advantage is always a nice thing to have around.Vanguard (Any Melee) (AV) - Extra dice while charging help out a Scout a-plenty.Level 4+Battlecrazed (Axe, Heavy Blade) (AV) - Some hefty extra damage while you’re bloodied, and its power makes you “bloodied” for 2 turns. If you're looking for explosive bursts of damage from your weapon, look no further.Harmony Blade (Heavy Blade) (AV 2) - You essentially get Two-Weapon Opening for free (at Heroic, no less), plus Dual Weapon Attack will pack a debuff. This is also part of the Blade Dancer's Regalia item set, so picking one or more items from that set makes this go up even higher in value.Master’s Blade (Heavy Blade, Light Blade) (AV 2) - Good effects all around, especially considering you have an At-Will access to Stances.Rending (Axe) (AV) - This turns an Axe critical into something genuinely fearsome. Shielding Blade (Heavy Blade, Light Blade) (D 391) - A shield bonus to AC can be useful to you.Level 5+Flaming (Any) (PHB) - This weapon is OK by itself, but it's better for Tieflings, thanks to Hellfire Blood and the rest of their racial support. Lightning (Any) (PHB) - Makes Rangers who took the Mark of Storm feat very, very happy (obviously better for them).Level 7+Infighting Blade (Light Blade, One-Handed Axe) - A nice power to have if you're surrounded, especially if you wield two of them. Not the kind of power you want to have to exploit, though. It's also part of the Kamestiri Uniform item set, which makes it look better if you already have pieces of that set.Level 8+Dread (Any) (AV) - Slaps out defensive penalties like it's nobody's business.  Great for setting yourself up for something big, but it'd be nicer if someone did this for you.Tyrant's (Any Melee) (AV) - Not worth much until you have a nova sequence power that can knock prone (and it only works once per day), but there's good damage to be had here.Level 12+Jagged (Axe, Heavy Blade, Light Blade) (AV) - Improved criticals are very nice to have on a Ranger. Level 13+Bloodiron (Any) (AV) - Your criticals are so nice, they damage twice.Thundergod (Any Melee) (AV) - Only worth it at Epic, but more charge damage is good.Level 14+Battlemaster's (Any) (AV) - An extra go with an Encounter power for an Item Daily? I'm in.Level 15+Chill Wind (Heavy Blade) (D 386) - The gold cost is pretty steep, but this is basically a better version of Frost. Great, if you can afford it.Radiant (Any) (AV) - This lets you play nice with Divine classes, and smacks undead around pretty well. Too bad it’s so expensive... [/sblock]Arms[sblock]Since there is no set-in-stone progression symbol for items that don't follow the standard "every 5 levels" progression, I'm going to be labeling the levels at which each version of every item in this section is available.Level 2Bracers of Enforced Regret (AV 2) - Basically only worth mentioning because they're part of the Blade Dancer's Regalia item set (their benefit IMHO is way too conditional to see real use).Level 4Counterstrike Guards (L4/14) (AV) - A decent item, it grants you more attacks as a reaction to your oppponent attacking you. The upgraded version  is light-years better, as it allows you to do it every encounter.Level 6Iron Armbands of Power (L6/16/26) (AV) - No real reason to not wear them.Level 10Barrage Bracers (AV 2) - A bonus to attack when you score a hit. Nice enough.Bloodsoaked Bracers (L10/20/30) (AV) - If you're OK with your damage being a huge spike instead of a steady flow, this is the item for you. Be warned, though; it doesn’t stack very well with other sources of damage, and it burns up a Magic Item Daily to do its job.Level 19Trollhide Braces (L19/29) (AV) - Regeneration is always a solid defensive choice.[/sblock]Feet[sblock]Since there is no set-in-stone progression symbol for items that don't follow the standard "every 5 levels" progression, I'm going to be labeling the levels at which each version of every item in this section is available.Level 2Acrobat Boots (AV) - Cheap, and they let you stand up as a minor action (a very useful property). Somewhat diminished in value because of the At-Will skill power that lets you do the same thing, though.Boots of Adept Charging (AV) - Generating distance between you and your enemies at will is nice, though some of your aspects can cover this as well.Level 7Boots of the Fencing Master (AV) - Rewards you for moving around. What's not to like?Level 8Boots of Quickness (L8/18/28) (AV) - A decent boost to your Reflex defense.  Level 9Boots of Eagerness (AV) - Pretty cheap, and they pack a pretty nice mobility-advantage power.Level 10Boots of Sand and Sea (AV) - This is a cheap speed boost that also allows you to swim if you're in light armor. Not bad.  Level 12Shadowdancer's Boots (AV 2) - A speed boost for light armor wearers that gets better in darkness is OK, and it's also part of the Shadowdancer's Garb item set.Level 16Survivor’s Boots (AV 2) - Yeah, they require you to be bloodied, but after that, you can pretty much do whatever you want in combat. That's nice to have.Level 22Boots of Speed (AV) - +2 to speed and a decent power.  Level 24Boots of Caiphon (AV 2) - They sap your HP, but it’s probably less damage than you would take for eating an OA, especially at these levels, and you ARE moving with a minor action...Zephyr Boots (AV) - Flight. Need I say more?Level 25Sandals of Avandra (AV) - Expensive, but they allow you to move around quite a bit on an At-Will basis.Level 28Boots of Teleportation (AV) - Teleportation on an At-Will basis is good stuff.[/sblock]Hands[sblock]Since there is no set-in-stone progression symbol for items that don't follow the standard "every 5 levels" progression, I'm going to be labeling the levels at which each version of every item in this section is available.Level 3Gloves of Piercing (PHB) - Real cheap, and they should punch through most resistance to your attacks if they're not element-based.Level 4Gauntlets of Blood (AV 2) - A sweet damage bonus against Bloodied enemies, this is probably your default Hands choice if you don't have something specific in mind.Level 5Gloves of Recovery (AV 2) - A consolation attack after a miss is nice. This is part of the Blade Dancer's Regalia item set, so picking one or more items from that set makes this go up in value.  Level 10Dwarven Throwers (AV) - This allows you to make a basic attack with your main weapon at range once per encounter. Pretty decent.  Strikebacks (AV) - Though the bonus to Opportunity Attacks likely won't see that much play on you, the free Melee Basic Attack every encounter when you get hit will. A most excellent choice.Level 11 Gloves of Ice (L11/21) (AV 2) - More damage for your cold attacks, or punch through cold resistance. Glorious, especially with Frost Weapons.Shadowdancer's Gloves (AV 2) - If your Stealth skill is good, +1d6 damage is a nice benefit to have. Being part of the Shadowdancer's Garb item set doesn't hurt, either.Level 13Gloves of Missile Deflection (AV) - Some solid resistance against Ranged attacks.Level 18Gauntlets of Destruction (PHB) - Rerolling all 1's on Melee damage roll can certainly add up to be a very nice effective damage bonus.[/sblock]Head[sblock]Since there is no set-in-stone progression symbol for items that don't follow the standard "every 5 levels" progression, I'm going to be labeling the levels at which each version of every item in this section is available.Level 4Casque of Tactics (L4/14/24) (AV) - An initiative bonus is good for anyone, and swapping initiative who anyone who rolled high once per day is nice too.  Level 6Horned Helm (L6/16/26) (PHB) - Extra dice while charging? Sure.Level 8Coif of Mindiron (L8/18/28) (AV) - Protects against an increasing array of mental conditions (albeit only against Will) as an ENCOUNTER POWER. Sexy.  Level 9Helm of Battle (L9/19/29) (PHB) - Initiative bonuses for everyone!  Level 10Shadowdancer's Mask (AV 2) - A do-over for a Stealth check can be useful. Being part of the Shadowdancer's Garb item set certainly helps the cause a bit.Level 14Circlet of Arkhosia (L14/24) (PHR: DB) - Making saves at the beginning and end of your turn against certain annoying mental conditions is surely worth a look.Helm of Able Defense (AV 2) - A bonus to Will, and a bump to all defenses until you get hit is pretty good if you ask me.Level 15Carcanet of Psychic Schism (AV) - Slaps a penalty on you, but it sure beats being incapacitated.Level 21Coif of Focus (AV) - Comes by later in your career, and burns up a Magic Item Daily, but negating Daze or Stun is awesome.Level 22Helm of Ghostly Defense (PHB) - Helps you take the sting off your opponent’s hits, and smidge of necrotic resistance to boot.Level 23Eye of Awareness (AV) - A decent bonus to Will defense, and a huge initiative boost on top of that.[/sblock]Neck[sblock]I'm taking a leaf from the designers' book with regards to level distribution: the + sign indicates a progression every 5 levels, there's another version of the weapon with an additional +1 enhancement bonus.Level 2+Badge of the Berserker (AV 2) - Makes charging a heck of a lot safer.Cloak of Resistance (PHB) - Decent resistance for a turn.Level 3+Baffling Cape (AV 2) - It's on this list because it's part of the Blade Dancer's Regalia item set, since I don't think the power is any good.Level 4+Cloak of Distortion (AV) - Forces your enemies to get in close enough for you to engage them if you're Melee, and provide an eternal artillery v. artillery advantage if you're Ranged.  Level 8+Steadfast Amulet (AV) - This prevents daze or stun. 'Nuff said.  Level 9+Amulet of False Life (PHB) - Your healing surge value in THP is a sweet ability, even if it's a Daily.  Shadowdancer's Cloak (AV 2) - Lets you squeeze in one more potshot against an unsuspecting opponent. This is also part of the Shadowdancer's Garb item set.Level 10+Periapt of Cascading Health (D 369) - Ends one effect per encounter, no questions asked. Win. Level 13+Amulet of Scales (D 365) - Scaling, immediate-application, encounter-long resistance to a keyword (which includes Arcane, Weapon, and the like, by the way) is nice.Level 14+Flamewrath Cape (AV) - Offers a nice damage boost, as well as disincentive for enemies attacking you. Only for one turn, though.Timeless Locket (AV 2) - A very tasty bonus to initiative checks that should stack with just about every buff you can have for it. The only downer is that (post-errata) you can't attack with the standard action the Daily power generates.Level 15+Brooch of Vitality (AV) - More HP is NICE, especially the Epic Tier versions.  Cloak of Displacement (AV) - A nice bonus to AC and Reflex until you get hit, and a pretty cool power. Worth a look.Necklace of Fireballs (AV) - Defense that packs some decent offense.  Torc of Power Preservation (AV) - It retains Encounter powers when you use them. Need I really say more?Level 30Scarab of Invulnerability (PHB) - Makes you immune to everything for a round. Sure, it's a Level 30 item, but you will enjoy the short amount of time you'll have it.[/sblock]Rings[sblock]Remember, you can have two of these, so look out for Rings that either work well together or work well in doubles.Level 13Ring of Giants (D 378) - A sweet bonus to critical hit damage, and push 2 + prone on any primal attack power you may power-swap for can come in handy.Level 14Iron Ring of the Dwarf Lords (PHB) - +1 healing surge is a pretty solid benefit.  Ring of Fury (D 366) - When you're bloodied, you let it be known.   My issue with it is mainly that the trigger is hard to control.Level 16Ring of Protection (PHB) - Generic defensive item. Useful, though it's about as exciting as watching grass grow.  War Ring (AV) - Adds a little more 'oomph' into your criticals.Level 18Bone Ring of Better Fortune (AV) - Since this halves all necrotic damage, it can potentially be better than a lot of resistance. Level 19Grace Ring of Prowess (AV 2) - A solid power that lets you rev up for +2 to hit before teeing off.Level 20Ring of Action Reversal (AV 2) - A hefty bonus to initiative checks, and a sweet benefit should you miss with an Encounter power.Level 21Ring of Heroic Insight (AV) - Allows you to buff yourself pretty well once per day.  Level 22Blink Ring (AV) - Teleportation is nice to have as a Striker.  Level 23Greater Ring of Invisibility (AV 2) - Invisibility every encounter, and concealment the whole way after a milestone. Wow.Level 24Golden Ring of Teros (AV 2) - +2 to AC and Fortitude is nice to have, even if it’s conditional.Level 26Ring of Guarded Will (AV 2) - A nice bump to Will defense.Level 27Avandra’s Ring (AV 2) - Ignoring difficult terrain is pretty cool. Too bad it shows up so late...Ring of the Phoenix (AV) - A pretty sweet revival ability.Shadow Band (AV) - You can't really argue against +2 to all defenses as a static property...  Level 28Ring of Elemental Mastery (MOTP) - Allows you to shave some elemental resistance off your opponent, or flat-out ignore it after a milestone. Solid, especially for people looking to abuse the Frostcheese combo. Level 29Ring of Free Time (AV 2) - Expensive, but the additional action (and its attendant damage potential on a class packing minor action attacks such as yourself) is pretty nuts, and everyone appreciates having extra actions to work with. And it packs resist all 5. Can't go wrong with this.Level 30Dauntless Champion’s Ring (AV 2) - Power recovery is good, though the price tag on this is steep.Nullifying Ring (AV) - A capstone defensive item. Pretty nuts... if you can foot the bill.[/sblock]Waist[sblock]Since there is no set-in-stone progression symbol for items that don't follow the standard "every 5 levels" progression, I'm going to be labeling the levels at which each version of every item in this section is available.Level 8Belt of Lucky Strikes (D 365) - A free attack after you miss is a solid benefit.Belt of Vim (L8/18/28) (AV) - Reinforces your Fort, which may be a good or weak NAD depending on build.  Level 10Diamond Cincture (L10/20/30) (AV 2) - Easy-to-access healing, and a bonus a to Fortitude. Nice.Shielding Girdle (AV) - A nice Daily AC buff.Level 11Healer's Sash (L11/21) (AV) - Anything that allows you to heal your allies is at least worth mentioning, even post-errata. Level 15Belt of Giant Strength (PHB) - A meh offensive Daily buff, but a pretty cool bonus to skills. Girdle of the Umber Hulk (L15/25) (AV) - A solid burrow power, and a boost to Fortitude.Level 18Belt of Mountain Endurance (D 365) - +Str to surge value and an AP benefit can be quite good for certain Scouts.Level 19Belt of Breaching (AV 2) - Healing and teleportation as you transition from kill to kill. That's definitely worth something on a Ranger.Level 23Belt of Vitality (AV) - Gets you up when you're down, and boosts Fortitude. Could be worse...Level 25Belt of Titan Strength (PHB) - A strong Melee buff for one turn, and strong skill bonuses.  Level 28Sash of Regeneration (L28) (AV 2) - Having regeneration while bloodied is a nice benefit.[/sblock]Miscellaneous[sblock]Since there is no set-in-stone progression symbol for items that don't follow the standard "every 5 levels" progression, I'm going to be labeling the levels at which each version of every item in this section that doesn't follow that progression is available.Dragonshard Augments:Level 2Eberron Shard of Lightning (L2/12/22) (EPG) - A great incentive to wield Lightning weapons.Khyber Shard of the Fiery Depth (L2/12/22) (EPG) - Incentive for wielding Flaming weapons.Siberys Shard of Merciless Cold (L2/12/22) (EPG) - Yet another reason to like Frost weapons.Level 3Siberys Shard of Radiance (L3/13/23) (EPG) - Another selling point for the Radiant weapon.Wondrous Items:Level 5Power Jewel (AV) - A pain-free way to recharge a low-level Encounter power, which is nice to have on a Scout.Level 9Backlash Tattoo (AV 2) - A free basic attack every encounter is a nice revenge sort of ability.Level 10Salve of Power (AV) - Post-errata, this trades a surge for another Encounter power, which is a pretty good deal for most Strikers.Level 11Dice of Auspicious Fortune (D 381) - Gives you more chances to roll the number you really need.Level 12Foe Stone (AV) - Cheap, and it pinpoints your opponent’s weakest defense at will. Somebody in the party has to have this; why not you?Stone of Earth (AV 2) - A very nice reroll for just about every Scout.Level 21Solitaire (Cerulean) (AV) - Expensive, but getting rid of (save ends) effects this easily should be.Level 26Solitaire (Violet) (AV) - Free AP’s after a crit are awesome, but the price tag is very hefty.[/sblock]</blockquote>

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