Wizards' Handbook by Dictum Mortuum (3.5e Optimized Character Build)/Equipment

Armor

People generally don't get armor on wizards. The main reason for this, is of course non proficiency. But what are the penalties of non proficiency?

From the SRD: A character who wears armor and/or uses a shield with which he or she is not proficient takes the armor’s (and/or shield’s) armor check penalty on attack rolls and on all Strength-based and Dexterity-based ability and skill checks. The penalty for nonproficiency with armor stacks with the penalty for nonproficiency with shields.

That means that the only thing that is a problem with armor worn is bonus penalty from the armor check penalty and arcane spell failure. So try to get armor that have low arcane spell failure and armor check penalty. Special material can help here, to reduce it even more:

Special Materials:

• Darkwood DMG: Shields made out of darkwood have their armor check penalty lessened by two points.
• Mithral DMG: A great material for armor and shields, but is more expensive. It lessens armor check penalty by 3 points, arcane spell failure by 10% and increase maximum dexterity bonus by 2.
• Leafweave RoW: Reduces arcane spell failure by 5%, armor check penalty is lessened by 2 and maximum dexterity bonus is increased by 1. Leafweave applies on padded, leather, studded leather and hide armor.
• Wildwood RoW: Lessens arcane spell failure by 5%, but reduces armor bonus by 1 and increases max dexterity bonus by 1.
• Thistledown Suit RoW: Reduces arcane spell failure chance by 5% and increases the armor's check penalty by 1.
• Feycraft DMG II: Not exactly material, this template can be added on any suit of armor. It gains the following: 10% less weight, -1 hardness, -5 hit points, -5% arcane spell failure. Also grants +1 bonus to bluff checks made to deceive others. The cost is 500 gp more.
• Githcraft DMG II: Similar to feycraft, this is a template that can be added on a suit of armor. The armor's arcane spell failure is reduced by 5%. Also the bearer of a githcraft shield or armor gets a +1 unnamed bonus on concentration checks. The cost is 600 gp. Note that if you carry both a githcraft armor and shield, you probably stack the concentration bonuses, since they come from different sources.

Armor/Shields:

• Leafweave Padded: +1 AC / +9 Dex / 0 ACP / 5% ASF, 745 gp
• Thistledown Padded: +1 AC / +10 Dex / 0 ACP / 0% ASF, 405 gp
• Wildwood Chain Shirt: +3 AC / +5 Dex / -1 ACP / 15% ASF, 500 gp
• Leafweave Leather: +2 AC / +7 Dex / 0 ACP / 5% ASF, 750 gp
• Leafweave Studded Leather: +3 AC / +6 Dex / 0 ACP / 10% ASF, 765 gp
• Mithral Chain Shirt: +4 AC / +6 Dex / 0 ACP / 10% ASF, 1.100 gp
• Mithral Light Shield/Buckler: +1 AC / 0 ACP / 0% ASF, ~1.015 gp
• Darkwood Light Shield/Buckler: +1 AC / 0 ACP / 5% ASF, 257/215 gp
• Mithral Heavy Shield: +2 AC / 0 ACP / 5% ASF, 1.020 gp Note: Interferes with spellcasting.
• Githcraft Darkwood Light Shield/Buckler: +1 AC / 0 ACP / 0% ASF, +1 bonus on concentration checks 857/815 gp
• Feycraft Darkwood Light Shield/Buckler: +1 AC / 0 ACP / 0% ASF, 757/705 gp

Consider the armor enhancement twilight MIC which reduces arcane spell failure chance by 10% more. So a wizard wearing a +1 Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt and a Mithral Buckler receives no penalties for wearing armor, for a total cost of 6.115 gp, while giving you +6 AC and +6 dex capacity.

Armor/Shield Enhancements:

• Animated DMG: This can be used with a shield to free your arms to be able to cast with somatic components. A mithral heavy shield can be used for the job with only a mild chance of spell failure.
• Fortification DMG: Your hit point total won't be able to endure the heavy damaged dealed by sneak attack or critical hits. This is handy to have in the case you deal with a lucky dm or being targeted by sneak attackers much.
• Glamered DMG: The ability to mess with people's minds is great. The price is extremely low and you can change your armor to something more fitting to wizards. Or you can make it appear as a full plate to confuse opponents.
• Shadow DMG: Boosts your hide checks. This is interesting for sneaky wizards such as halflings.
• Silent Moves DMG: As above.
• Slick DMG: Grant you bonuses to escape artist checks. Great if you are facing a lot of grapplers.
• Agility MIC: Bonus to one of your low saves. Sure vests or cloaks of resistance can do better, but they do reserve the body slot.
• Anchoring/Greater MIC: You are vulnerable to these attacks. This enhancement provides you with some bonuses to resist the occasional fighter who tries to employ dirty tactics against you.
• Greater Blurring MIC: A blur effect that can be activated at will. Great ability that can even block sneak attack at certain situations.
• Death Ward MIC: Low price and it effectively prevents you from dying once per day. You already have low fortitude saves.
• Freedom MIC: Freedom of Movement is a great ability, especially for wizards who can easily be distracted into losing their spells. This is expensive, but it is worth it.
• Healing MIC: Great enhancement that saves actions for your party's healer. Also keeps you alive to go somewhere safe from harm, probably by using a spell. Also stabilizes you in the rare case you don't stay conscious.
• Nimbleness MIC: Reduces ACP and increases maximum dexterity bonus. This may open up even greater armor for you, although arcane spell failure can be a problem.
• Stamina MIC: As with agility.
• Twilight MIC: Reduce the arcane spell failure of your armor by 10%.

Armor/Shield Augment Crystals:

• Crystal of Aquatic Action MIC: Spells function normally underwater, except from those that require ranged attack rolls and spells of the fire descriptor. This is handy in underwater campaigns or in cases of emergency. If you are adventuring in areas by large bodies of water, be sure to have one of these ready.
• Crystal of Arrow Deflection MIC: Provides huge bonuses to your AC against ranged weapons only. That means that it doesn't affect spells. The deflect arrows PHB feat comes free with this and is very nice, since it doesn't require a roll.
• Crystal of Glancing Blows MIC: Great for countering grapplers. Not that this is a bonus to grapple checks, not escape artist checks, so it may stack with the slick DMG armor enhancement.
• Crystal of Lifekeeping MIC: It grants competence bonus to saving throws that are usually related to fortitude. This is worth it, since most of these effects are a huge pain to spellcasters or they outright kill them: energy drain, death spells and death effects.
• Iron Ward Diamond MIC: It's like a stoneskin-lite effect, without the costly material component and rechargeable each day. Heck you can even buy a few if they are not enough for you.
• Restful Crystal MIC: Great for adventurers who always want to be ready. Cheap also.

Weapons

Wizards have a very limited amount of weapon proficiencies. Of course wizards don't use weapons for offense except on rare occasions. However there are some weapon enhancements that can be handy to wizards. All of the weapons the wizard is proficient in are simple:

• Club: Nothing great here. Deals bludgeoning damage, which is important for damage reduction. Note however that this can be thrown.
• Dagger: As above. The important part is that it deals piercing damage.
• Heavy Crossbow: This is bad. Not only it requires both of your hands to shoot, it requires a full-round action to reload, which means that if you are using one of these you will be disabled for 1 whole round.
• Light Crossbow: This does slightly less damage than its heavy counterpart, but requires just a move action to reload. This is handy at early levels, when you won't have many spells to spend at all enemies, to try to damage your targets.
• Quarterstaff: What is great about this, is that it's a double weapon. Each head can be enhanced differently so you can stack your favorite enhancements or have different ones. Also it is nice supporting your old wizard back ().

Also consider this for non-proficiency:

A character who uses a weapon with which he or she is not proficient takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls. Note: If you have a familiar that is able to use weapons (such as an outsider) always get the sizing MIC weapon property on your weapons. That way it will also be able to use them by sizing them appropriately. Also its weapons can have the same property to be used if something bad happens to it.

Weapon Enhancements:

• Defending DMG: It allows you to transfer some of the weapon's enhancement bonus to your AC as a free action. It's very nice and you don't even need an expensive weapon once you acquire the magic weapon, greater spell.
• Spell Storing DMG: Great enhancement at all levels. First of all you can give the weapon with the spell prior casted inside to a teammate and he can use it. That effectively quickens the spell for you, since in all aspects is a spell casted by you, but don't spend an action to do so. Another great effect is that you don't declare that you are using this ability and then roll your attack. You have the option to release the spell if your weapon hits your target. The bad part is that it is only usable on 3rd level or lower spells.
• Disarming MIC: Opponents cannot disarm you of your weapon and you receive a bonus on disarm attempts.
• Dispelling, Greater MIC: This is like Extra Slot CA x 3 for 6th level spells at 15 caster level. It even works on ranged weapons, so you don't have to get in melee.
• Eager MIC: A bonus on initiative checks and some bonus on damage rolls made during the surprise round and first round of combat. The initiative bonus is pretty straightforward, but it doesn't state that the bonus on damage rolls are only for the eager weapon. If it affects your spells too, it's top quality.
• Illuminating MIC: It's a free source of light for 500 gp.
• Precise MIC: Great for your crossbow at all levels. The -4 penalty if you don't have precise shot PHB will be really painful.
• Quick Loading MIC: Great for the light crossbow, which reduces the reload time to a free action. This way you can move, cast quickened spell, attack and reload all in the same round.
• Shattermantle MIC: Not on your weapons, but rather on your teammates'. Each successful hit is like having a stackable spell penetration PHB effect against the affected opponent, which will make SR checks a lot easier.
• Sizing MIC: Its possibilities are great. From transforming your staff in a gargantuan one to use as a bridge to reducing it to give it to your outsider familiar. Great enhancement, which even duplicates other enhancements. You can even make it tiny or smaller to pass it from guards.
• Spellstrike MIC: As defending, but for spells and spell-like abilities. You can have them both on a quarterstaff and use magic weapon, greater to really pump yourself up.
• Warning MIC: Gives you a +5 insight bonus on initiative checks. It's better than improved initiative PHB. Combined with the eager MIC enhancement you can get +7 to your initiative check.
• Skillful CA: You get a proficiency with the weapon without penalty, but it only applies to melee weapons. Also you get the base attack bonus only when attacking with the skillful weapon. It has its applications, but it's not generally a good idea of engaging in melee.
• Spellblade PGtF: This is a great enhancement. Not only you get to be immune to a targeted spell, nut you can also redirect it to a new target as a free action. It is also very cheap.

A +1 Eager Spellstrike / +1 Warning Defending quarterstaff costs 36.600 gp and gives you a huge amount of bonuses (assuming magic weapon, greater is casted on both heads, with a rod of lesser chain for example).

• +5 bonus to AC which stacks with all others.
• +5 bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities (it has no type, so assume that it stacks with all others).
• +7 bonus to initiative checks. (actually +5 insight and +2 unnamed).

Other weapons you should consider that you aren't proficient with are: Armor spikes and Shield spikes. Although shield spikes would be more difficult to use without the animated DMG shield enhancement, cause of the problem you will have with somatic components. Armor spikes give penalties to grapple checks when you try to use them. Shield spikes count as martial weapons, too. If you get the penalty to attack rolls only when you are using the weapon you are not proficient with, it's ok. In the case you get penalties to all attack rolls when wielding a weapon you are not proficient with however, it's not worth it. Since you are able to enhance these weapons, you can use those that are stackable and cheap. Consider the following:

• +1 defending weapon
• Armor with +1 defending armor spikes
• shield with +1 defending shield spikes

With a magic weapon, greater and a rod of lesser chaining you can have a bonus to your AC of:

Armor bonus + Shield bonus + (magic weapon bonus x 3)

for the price of 24.000 gp. That AC bonus minimum is that of armor + shield bonus + 3 and the maximum is armor + shield bonus + 15. This makes you able to attain AC scores close to 30, making it decent at least.

Weapon Augment Crystals:

• Lesser Crystal of Return MIC: Essentially you buy the quick draw PHB feat for just 300 gp.
• Crystal of Security MIC: Bonuses to keep your weapon in hand (such as from disarm attempts, etc). It's not much, but it helps. If you can't afford the disarming MIC enhancement, this is a nice alternative.

By Slot

Rings

• Counterspells DMG: This is a nice item, with only 4.000 gp cost, but it's overshadowed by the spellblade PGtF weapon enhancement. It will help you most notably against dispel magic and dispel magic, greater.
• Freedom of Movement DMG: This is a great item. It means that you can't be grappled. Disablers can't hurt you.
• Protection DMG: A defending DMG weapon costs 8.000 gp and provides you with a dodge bonus which stacks with all other dodge bonuses. Both deflection and dodge bonuses are applied to AC against touch attacks, but deflection bonuses don't stack as dodge bonuses do. Assuming that you are starting at 5th level (when magic weapon, greater becomes available), the defending weapon becomes increasingly cheaper than the ring of protection, because of its fixed price, even though a ring of protection of +1 or +2 bonus costs less than to the defending weapon. In the comparisons section i have included detailed information using graphs for these items and defending weapons.
• Spell Storing DMG: Since you will be using spells on your allies at a certain point (buffing them for example), you can instead put some in one of these rings to be used on emergency. This not only gets you more actions per day (since you are not actually casting the spell) but you can also put inside the ring spells with a range of personal, thus sharing with him more potent buffs (tenser's transformation on a rogue for example).
• Sustenance DMG: This will not let you sleep for 2 hours and then be able to memorize spells. A wizard needs to sleep for 8 hours before he starts memorizing.
• Wizardry DMG: Doubles your spells at a specific level. Even ring of wizardry level 1 helps your most utility spells.
• Ring of Arcane Might MIC: Get a +1 bonus to your arcane caster level for spell penetration, caster level checks and level-based variables.
• Ring of Greater Counterspells MIC: Much like a ring of counterspells, but you can store any spell from one to six level. In addition, once per day you can counter a spell as an immediate action, much like a greater dispel magic, but with a +20 maximum caster level and the ability to counter a spell of any level.
• Ring of Negative Protection MIC: Protects you when traveling to negative-dominant planes. The important ability this ring offers however, is that you can't gain negative levels.
• Ring of Silent Spells MIC: Activate the ring to cast three spells up to 3rd level as if affected by the Silent Spell metamagic feat.
• Ring of Spell-Battle MIC: Great if facing other spellcasters. Let's you identify all spells being cast, even if you can't see the casting. Once per day, after identifying the spell, you can either counterspell it as if with dispel magic or change the target of the spell to any target within 60ft of you.

Throat

• Amulet of Emergency Healing MIC: Three times per day heal a target for 1d4+5 hit points, or save him from dying. It's an immediate action and you can give it to your familiar, too.
• Amulet of Teamwork MIC: Again great for your familiar, since it has your skills it can use the aid another action to grant you a +2 bonus. With this it is like boosting by 1 all your skills with scores above ten.
• Amulet of Tears MIC: A swift action that grants you 12 to 24 temporary hit points, based on the charges spent. It's cheap and the hit points last for 10 minutes, more than the average battle will last. Compare this to the false life spell, which gives 1d10 + 1/CL (max +10) temporary hp.
• Empowered Spellshard MIC: Each of these are keyed to a specific low level spell. Three times per day you can use it to empower the said spell for free.
• Hand of Glory DMG: Wear a third ring and gain use of daylight and see invisibility once per day.

Feet

• Boots of Big Stepping MIC: Increase the caster level of all teleportation spells by 2. Also three times per day, you may teleport 60 ft. as if using greater teleport as a standard action.

Arms

• Armband of Elusive Action MIC: Avoid a single attack of opportunity that your actions would otherwise incur. Helps get a spell through or move away from danger.
• Bracers of Accuracy MIC: Make ranged attacks with greater accuracy, depending on the charges you spend. Helps spells that require ranged touch attacks.
• Bracers of Arcane Freedom MIC: Pretty much like metamagic rod, still, this omits the somatic component on your next arcane spell, two times per day. The main problem with this, is that it has to be worn. Probably you will need to cast without somatic components when you won't be able to move, which means that you must wear them, holding the item space.
• Bracers of the Blast Barrier MIC: Create a wall of magical energy using a spell or spell-like ability, three times per day. Has many tactical applications and it doesn't limit you to elemental damage.
• Bracers of the Entangling Blast MIC: Three times per day modify a damage dealing spell, entangling targets and dealing more damage to your opponents. Your spell deals half normal damage, but any creature it damages is entangled automatically for 1d3 rounds and takes one extra point of damage per level of the spell. What is important about this ability is that it probably can be used spells that do ability damage. Their cheap price make it a worthy addition to any wizard's gadgets (note that the entangled condition this ability automatically bestows, impedes movement of the target, who is taking -2 penalty on attack rolls and -4 penalty to dexterity. Also he must make a concentration check against a DC of 15+spell level or lose the spell).
• Deathguardian Bracers MIC: As an immediate action, lose a prepared spell and gain twice the spell level as damage reduction for one round. Great for protecting you against lots of attacks that deal small amounts of damage (e.g. spending a 2nd level spell gives you DR 4/-).
• Spellmight Bracers MIC: When casting spells that deal hit point damage, take a -5 penalty on your attack roll and deal an extra 1d6 points of damage.
• Wand Bracelet MIC: You can store four items to this bracelet, which appear as charms. It's a swift action to grab one of the items to your hand and a move action to store them back to the bracelet, or to swap a stored with a held item. Despite its name it can store any item that weights less than or equal to three pounds and can be held in one hand. Useful if you want to hide an item to pass it from guards or similar cases. The price is pretty steep though.

Hands

• Arcanist's Gloves MIC: Two times per day, boost the caster level of the next 1st level arcane spell you cast by 2. It's not much, but the price is really low, making all the difference at low levels.
• Casting Glove MIC: The same with a glove of storing, except that you can activate magic items stored inside it. This feature is nice, but since gloves of storing retrieve and store items as a free action, you can retrieve the magic item, use it and then store it back with an ordinary glove of storing.
• Gloves of Fortunate Striking MIC: The ability to reroll ranged attack rolls can mean the difference between losing a spell that requires a ranged touch attack or not.
• Gloves of the Uldra Savant MIC: The ability to cast ray of frost at will, this is particularly useful to wizards with sneak attack or similar abilities.
• Mesmerist's Gloves MIC: Affect an extra target with your enchantment spells two times per day.

Body

• Robe of the Archmagi DMG: This is a great item. The prices of the abilities provided for a single body slot is more than worth it.
• Robe of Arcane Might MIC: Provides you with a +4 armor bonus to your AC and a +1 competence bonus to your caster level for a specific school, chosen at creation.
• Robe of Mysterious Conjuration MIC: Three times per day you can sacrifice an arcane spell to spontaneously cast a summon monster spell of the same level. A hidden bonus is that the activation is a standard action, when summon spells are usually full-round.
• Robe of Retaliation MIC: React to a natural or melee attack by sacrificing an arcane spell slot. You deal damage to your attacker equal to 1d6 per level of the spell sacrificed. It's a free attack to someone, but the spell level to damage trade isn't worth it, and if you are in melee with someone you shouldn't be standing there.

Head

• Ioun Stones DMG: These are actually worn above your head, so they don't occupy a body slot. The problem is that you can wear a limited amount of ioun stones at a time. The most useful stones are pale green prism and orange prism, as they offer +1 bonus to nearly any roll and +1 caster level respectively. There are other useful ioun stones, like iridescent spindle and clear spindle. The attribute enhancers are good, if you need a little boost and the body part associated with the said attribute is already taken.
• Circlet of Mages MIC: Not only this item gives you the ability to retain three spell levels per day, but it boosts your concentration checks a little, too. You can even have lots of these and change them. Compare this to a pearl of power III DMG, which costs 9.000.
• Circlet of Rapid Casting MIC: Sort of like rod of quicken spell, but with some modifications and nearly half the price.
• Headband of Conscious Effort MIC: This gives you the ability to make a concentration check instead of a fortitude save once per day. Since this is low price and you are going to be maxing out concentration anyway, it's worth it.
• Lore Gem MIC: Get a situational bonus on knowledge checks and you can use the gem as a spellbook, which is able to hold thirty spells of any spell level. Nice if you get separated of your spellbook somehow.
• Scout's Headband MIC: Get a +2 bonus to to spot checks. In addition this item has a number of charges that are renewed each day. Using those charges you can gain darkvision, see invisible creatures or gain true seeing for variable, but great durations.

Waist

• Belt of Battle MIC: Wow, this has great applications! It will help you cast a full-round action spell and move, or quicken a spell, or even cast two full-round action spells in a single round. As an icing on the cake you get a +2 competence bonus to your initiative checks, which is great for wizards anyway.
• Belt of Hidden Pouches MIC: A move action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity is required to store or retrieve an item from this belt. It can store items that are not exceeding 6 inches and wands are from 6 to 12 inches.
• Belt of Ultimate Athleticism MIC: You get skill mastery in five skills outside your class skills and the ability once per day to treat your next check as if you have rolled twenty. Top quality.
• Desperation Chain MIC: Cast a spell without spending an action if you are rendered helpless or dropped at negative hit points.
• Healing Belt MIC: Costs the same with a consumable potion of cure serious wounds, but not only it heals more, but is auto-recharged each day. You can even give it to your familiar to heal you while you are busy doing your job. As an icing on the cake you get a +2 bonus on heal checks.
• Silkslick Belt MIC: Attempt an escape artist check to escape from a grapple or pin as a move action. Once per day as a swift action gain a +10 competence bonus to escape artist checks. Nice if you are facing a lot of grapplers.

Face

• Mask of Silent Trickery MIC: Omit the verbal component of the next illusion spell you'll cast twice per day. Too limited to be useful.
• Third Eye Penetrate MIC: It's like buying a spell penetration PHB feat.

Torso

• Dispelling Cord MIC: Five times per day gain a +2 competence bonus to your dispel checks for your turn. Nice if you are dispelling a lot and because of its cheap price.
• Rogue's Vest MIC: Gain minor bonuses to move silently and hide and a competence bonus to reflex saves. Additionally boost your sneak attack or similar ability by 1d6.
• Vest of the Archmagi MIC: The equivalent of bracers of armor DMG, Arms, 64.000 and cloak of resistance DMG, Shoulders, 25.000, all in one place. Also you get a spell penetration PHB-like ability and allows him to recall three arcane spells up to ninth level as a swift action. As an extra ability you get to sacrifice a spell to heal yourself five times the sacrificed spell, as often as you like.
• Vest of the Master Evoker MIC: Three times per day enhance evocation spells to deal extra damage twice their spell level (useful for those spells that deal ability damage) and increase the save DC by two. In addition you can apply the effect of any sudden metamagic feat you cast from a wand or staff as if you were casting it yourself.
• Vest of Resistance MIC: Two bad saves are going to make this items a necessity.

Shoulders

• Mantle of Second Chances MIC: Rerolls are always nice and if you use the DMG II version, it will cost you nearly half as much.
• Transposer Cloak MIC: Three times per day change positions with a target that's of your size and space. Doesn't seem like much, but you can give it to your familiar, teleporting you 30ft. Tactical swapping is also possible, such as your familiar (preferably an outsider with some sort of polymorph ability, like imps) swapping places with your party's fighter (or even better your shadow-pouncing rogue) after delivering your touch attack.
• War Wizard Cloak MIC: Keeps an endure elements effect on you and activates a feather fall effect if you fall more than 5ft. Additionally you get the following spells once per day each: dimension door, mage armor, protection from arrows and sending. For its price two 4th level spell slots that have many uses is great. Protection from arrows is kinda useless and mage armor average when you will be able to afford this item.

Held

• Arcane Thieves' Tools MIC: They are the same with normal tools, with an extra ability to boost your check by spending an arcane spell of 1st level and higher. The problem is that they are too expensive for just tools.
• Bag of Endless Caltrops MIC: Five times per day reach into the bag as a move action and pull a handful of caltrops. To fill a square with them you have to spent a standard action. Your familiar can make use of the bag, strategically placing them to protect your party members from chargers and similar enemies.
• Banner of the Storm's Eye MIC: Suppresses all fear effects within 20ft. Also prevents any creature from becoming confused or stunned between 20ft. It's costly, but the benefits are going to affect the whole party. Moreover these conditions are bad for wizards, as they will keep you from fulfilling your role in the party. Once again, your familiar is able to carry it for you.
• Dragondoom Scepter MIC: Gives you a spell penetration PHB effect that works only on dragons and free empower three times per day to your damaging spells, but only on dragons. It's too specific to be useful.
• Eternal Wand MIC: These wands hold a specific spell of 3rd level or lower. Unlike reqular wands these do not have charges, but you can use it twice per day. As an added bonus, anyone who can cast arcane spells can activate them, which means that you can have spells from the bard or beguiler spell lists.
• Incense of Concentration MIC: Prepare an extra 1st level spell. I'm sure scrolls are cheaper.
• Infinite Scrollcase MIC: Holds fifty scrolls and has wonderful abilities. First, whenever you activate the case the desired scroll pops out, ready to cast. If you cast a spell from a scroll from the case, you gain +4 competence bonus on concentration checks made to cast defensively. Moreover if you have a +1 base attack bonus you can retrieve a scroll from the case as part of a move action.
• Orb of Mental Renewal MIC: You can heal damage to your intelligence with this. Intelligence damage is a bad thing, as it will interfere with your spellcasting a great deal. Can heal twelve intelligence damage per day.
• Rod of Transposition MIC: Swap positions with another creature. It's the same deal as with transposer cloak MIC.
• Rod of Undead Mastery MIC: While holding this rod you can control twice as many hit dice of undead as you normally could. Helpful to necromancers and at an ok price.
• Runestaffs MIC: While these items are useful to characters with limited spell lists, such as sorcerers, they may give you some extra versatility if they contain spells that are too situational.
• Tomebound Eye of Boccob MIC: This item affixes to a wizard's spellbook. When you prepare spells, you can spent charges to grant some of your prepared spells a competence bonus to overcome spell resistance. This is nice when enhancing spells that have a lot of required rolls, so you can have a greater chance of getting your spell through. It's expensive though.
• Metamagic Rods: Especially for key metamagic feats, like empower and extend, these rods are a necessity. Effectively they buy you a metamagic feat for a variable price, depending on the spell level they can apply to and the number they increase the spell level. There are some rods however, that have really low costs and are still useful.

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