What gear in SoD is a game changer?

Calemyr

There is a lot of new gear in Siege of Dragonspear, and a good bit of it has features that can tilt the balance of races, classes, and kits.

So here's my question: Which items really tilt that balance? Which ones really should be ported into BG2 because of their impact on the class?

For Example: The Shield of Egons gives Priests of Lathandar and Undead Hunters a +2 to their level on turn undead checks (+1 for others), allowing an Undead Hunter to turn with the full power of a cleric. With Undead Hunter being a runner up for badass paladin kits (after Inquisitor), does the Shield of Egons add enough oomph to give it a fair run for the top spot? Would it, if the shield carried over into BG2?

Other Examples: Does the Bard's Hat make the Skald's song incredible enough to make the kit a popular one? Are the shaman-specific items effective enough to turn make their dance worth using, possibly even a powerful option?

What gear have people found that turns their gameplay experience upside down from conventional theory on the series?

Vbibbi

I am not thinking of specific items right now, but what I noticed was a lot of the new items were either kit-restricted or gave better bonuses to kits. Kind of interesting, and in cases like the shaman, it makes sense to provide new gear for a newly introduced class.

It makes me wonder about the nature of such items, though. Your example of the Shield of Egons could work if it's a holy item blessed by the Church of Lathander (sorry I don't have the game right now to reference) but in other cases, why does the amulet of eyes give +2 dexterity to archers and only +1 to everyone else? Racial restrictions make more sense if the item is customized to a body shape, but how would an item recognize if its user was an archer rather than a stalker?

JuliusBorisov

The best gear that has no alternatives, especially for a solo game, is The Night's Embrace +3 armour - If the wearer is rendered helpless (e.g. by a Hold Person spell), the wearer becomes invisible for 1 turn. It's basically a contingency against dying in an item.

jtth

Stacked luck items can change the feel of battles, especially on shorties. Other than that and @JuliusBorisov's example I can't think of any specific item, especially compared to something like the Greenstone Amulet.

DetectiveMittens

Vbibbi said:

It makes me wonder about the nature of such items, though. . . . why does the amulet of eyes give +2 dexterity to archers and only +1 to everyone else? Racial restrictions make more sense if the item is customized to a body shape, but how would an item recognize if its user was an archer rather than a stalker?

Magic

xzar_monty

@Calemyr: Nothing in SoD is a game-changer. Yours is a good question, and in my view, the answer is that simple and that obvious.

Also, there's nothing in SoD worth saving your money for (like the Robe of Vecna, the Belt of Inertial Barrier and several other items in BG2).

The first point I made above is perfectly fine with me. The second was a disappointment to me.

abacus

Vbibbi said:

It makes me wonder about the nature of such items, though. Your example of the Shield of Egons could work if it's a holy item blessed by the Church of Lathander (sorry I don't have the game right now to reference) but in other cases, why does the amulet of eyes give +2 dexterity to archers and only +1 to everyone else? Racial restrictions make more sense if the item is customized to a body shape, but how would an item recognize if its user was an archer rather than a stalker?

I think of it more in terms of an expert (a Kitted character) being able to get more out of the item... knowing through experience exactly how to best use it to exploit the advantages it offers.