superior stability armor

[cru121]

Superior stability (+6 deflection to AC, +6 resistance to saves for true neutral characters) is a craftable ability (lvl 73 elemental). In one of the crafting resources that the community produced (either on wiki or on a google spreadsheet) it says that it is a +3 base price modifier ability. Is that true? Big IF.

A +0 superior stability item should be ML5, dirt cheap for the effect. But not many lvl 5 characters will be able to craft it (unless TR).

A +5 mithral full plate of superior stability should be around ML14-15. (Just when my splashed warchanter gets second level of her PrE.)

A deathblock +5 mfp of ss should be a +12 base price modifier, i.e. ML20.

Now my question: How good would be the superior stability item at each level, compared to other (named) options. Should I strive for it?

Leveling in 3 crafting schools is not exactly easy (+5 enh is lvl 75 arcane; deathblock is 71 divine, superior stability is 73 elemental). I'd need to hit lvl 65 arcane and lvl 63 elemental at level 15.

How does this grind compare to the grind needed to get named items that offer similar (or other of similar power) benefits?

And actually, what are the medium armors that I am competing with? (Note that this is my first character, first life)

(I know that armor bonus is not actually worth that much at higher levels; but for soloing on normal, a +19 AC on a single item sounds like a good thing.)

[ProdigalGuru]

Save yourself some headache and get some Dragontouched Armor with +5 Resistance, and a +5 Protection item, instead.

WAY less grind.

[aristarchus1000]

I don't think these levels are achieveable on a first-on-server character, to be used at the level that they are useful.

You will level to 20 long before you collect the requisite amount of plat, vendor trash, etc required to get there, in my opinion.

The advantage of crafting is that once you level one up, the shards are bound to account so you can make this kind of armor for all your characters, including the new alt you are rolling up. I would not advise trying to get there with a first character.

In fact, in my opinion, you will be better served selling the essences and making sure you have plenty of the consumeables you need for leveling. Barkskin, Lesser Restoration, Neut Poison, Remove Curse, Resist Elements, Haste, etc...

[ProdigalGuru]

Haste pots are very much like crack.

Allow me to explain:

1. They seem cheap until you realize how much you go through.
2. You always get more than planned, then use them faster than planned.
3. They do not last as long as you would like.
4. You don't really NEED them, you just WANT them.
5. Once you start, you feel ashamed, but will not admit it.

[EllisDee37]

Settle for Greater Stability. +4 armor bonus for +2 base price modifier is the bargain of the century; every other armor bonus is a 1:1 ratio in base price modifier, but stability is half off. Plus it's easily attainable; only mid-30s to attempt, it uses earth essences which aren't particularly valuable or hard to get, and the recipe itself isn't expensive so it doesn't really hurt to fail it a few times. (Unlike, for example, Holy.)

I have only first-life characters, highest is level 13, and my crafter is only one level away from attempting Greater Stability for my tempest trapmonkey, who is level 11. I can't wait...