Rare item selection for Avenger (Censure of Unity)

[Joshua Randall]

My DM was kind enough to give each PC 'any Rare up to level 20'. But I'm suffering analysis paralysis and can't decide what to take.

• My character is a level 17 shadar-kai Avenger (Censure of Unity).
• He wields a Flail, and I am not interesting in changing this (for RP reasons), which restricts Rare weapon selection.
• It's a home campaign so there are some quirks, but if you think 'pretty much like LFR' you have the gist of it.

My current array of items is as follows.
[sblock=]+4 Bloodiron Heavy Flail
+4 Enduring Spirit Vestments
+4 Cloak of Displacement
+3 Symbol of Victory
Helm of Able Defense
Iron Armbands of Power
Antipathy Gloves
Viper Belt
Boots of Free Movement
Ring of Giants
Ring of Fury
Eager Hero's Tattoo[/sblock]

Rare Weapons
+4 Hellthorn Weapon
PRO: DM agreed this could be reflavored to work with entire party (even though we're not all 'allied devils') based on RP reasons, so this item's power will work any time I miss
CON: already have +4 Bloodiron weapon; Avengers don't miss much so this item's power might not trigger often

+4 The Ineffable Secret of Death (Ki Focus)
Note: my PC counts as a Vampire (reflavored as extra-shady shadar-kai) so he can use ki foci
PRO: extra damage with CA; sexy Encounter Utility insub/phasing with fairly easy trigger
CON: already have +4 Bloodiron weapon; can't use this item's attack power (Assassin dependent)

Rare Wondrous
Dice of Auspicious Fortune
PRO: perfect information is perfect
CON: Avengers are already super accurate (roll 2x for attacks)

Rare Roleplaying Items
Phylactery of Faithfulness (Holy Symbol)
PRO: campaign involves lots of dubious choices, so advice from deity could help steer me right
CON: DM dependent; mechanically worse than Symbol of Victory

The Oracle's Head (Wondrous)
PRO: campaign involves lots of dubious choices, so free Consult Oracle ritual could help steer me right
CON: DM dependent

Anything Awesome I'm Overlooking
You tell me!

 

[MwaO]

What about Greater Armor of Eyes? Bonus to perception checks, darkvision and can't be blinded ever...

 

[pemerton]

Rare Wondrous
Dice of Auspicious Fortune
PRO: perfect information is perfect
CON: Avengers are already super accurate (roll 2x for attacks)

One of the PCs in my game has this item. It's pretty handy. (And not just for attacks - unless he's been cheating in using it for save, skills etc!)

 

[masteraleph]

I'll second MwaO's recommendation. Also, when it gets to level 24 (even if your DM doesn't want to give you a new one, it can be upgraded by Enchant Magic Item), it prevents you from being flanked.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Ooh, Greater Armor of Eyes is quite attractive. Thanks!

= = =

Regarding Dice of Auspicious Fortune, they can only be used for attack rolls.

Power Encounter (No Action)
Effect: When you make an attack, instead of making an attack roll, you can use one of the results stored in the dice. Using the result removes the stored result from the dice.

 

[pemerton]

Regarding Dice of Auspicious Fortune, they can only be used for attack rolls.

OK, there's been some sort of change in this respect. From Dragon 381, p 83:

Dice of Auspicious Fortune Level 11

Power (Daily): Standard Action. Effect: Roll 3 d20s. The results are “stored” in these dice until the end of your next extended rest. Using this power removes any results previously stored in the dice.

Power (Encounter): No Action. Effect: Replace the result of a d20 you just rolled with one of the results stored in the dice. This removes the stored result from the dice.

 

[MwaO]

OK, there's been some sort of change in this respect. From Dragon 381, p 83:

Dice of Auspicious Fortune Level 11

Power (Daily): Standard Action. Effect: Roll 3 d20s. The results are “stored” in these dice until the end of your next extended rest. Using this power removes any results previously stored in the dice.

Power (Encounter): No Action. Effect: Replace the result of a d20 you just rolled with one of the results stored in the dice. This removes the stored result from the dice.

It was extraordinarily popular in LFR and R&D noticed that...

 

[pemerton]

It was extraordinarily popular in LFR and R&D noticed that...

I'm not sure how the solution to this is to make it only an attack item. A comment that one wouldn't normally make about 4e is that it doesn't prioritise combat enough!

 

[MwaO]

I'm not sure how the solution to this is to make it only an attack item. A comment that one wouldn't normally make about 4e is that it doesn't prioritise combat enough!

That was one of the problems - it let people automatically succeed on skill checks a good percentage of the time with the 'bad' rolls.

 

[Joshua Randall]

To clarify what MwaO is saying, the Dice of Auspicious Fortune as originally written let you use the stored d20 rolls on any d20 roll. For skill checks, a PC with a high skill modifier could often succeed at a skill check with a very low roll (like, a 5 or 4) -- thus getting that bad roll out of the Dice and saving the good rolls for something else.

You could also, by the rules as written originally, use the stored d20 rolls on stuff you didn't really care about. It usually doesn't hurt you too badly to use a low roll on Initiative (depending upon your character, of course), or to blow a low roll on part of a group skill challenge once you know the group as a whole is going to succeed, or to fail a saving throw you don't really care about, etc.

It was simply too easy to discard the low stored rolls in the Dice.

= = =

Contrast the wording of a similar power from the Seer Theme (Dragon # 399):

Cast Fortune

You perform a minor augury or reading that reveals to you what fortune holds for the subject this day.

Encounter Arcane
Standard Action Ranged 5
Target: One ally

Effect: Roll a d20 three times when you use this power, and note the results, in order. These results replace, in order, the next three d20 rolls the target makes for any of the following types of rolls: attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. At the DM’s discretion, trivial rolls and rolls that the target makes in nondangerous or nonstressful situations can’t be replaced by your recorded results. When all three results have been used or when you next take an extended rest, the effect ends. The target doesn’t know if his or her fortune is good or bad unless you tell the target.

Special: Once anyone has used this power on an ally, that ally cannot be targeted by the power again until after he or she finishes an extended rest.

Like the original Dice, you can use the Cast Fortune rolls on (almost) any d20 roll, but you're forced to use them in order and the DM is explicitly allowed to say no if you try to burn one on a trivial check.

If you want to play with the Dice as originally worded, and let them work on any d20 roll, I'd back-port the Cast Fortune rules regarding mandatory order and non-triviality.