Gear for Pale Master TR?

[Darkrok]

I've got an 18/2 elven Pale Master right now and I'm looking to set up my gear for a TR into a Human 18/2 or pure (not sure yet which way I'll go but doesn't matter for the gear).

Here's what my plan's looking like for level 11-13+ when the raid gear starts showing up:
Helm: Minos Legens
Neck: Torc of Prince Raiyum-de II (don't have yet but working on it)
Goggles: Currently Con-Op SP Item. Considering remaking this and either doing Con-Op HP Item or SP/Wiz VI +6 Cha Item
Trinket: Pouch of Jerky if I have trouble fitting in a GFL item. Voice of the Master for xp purposes and maybe some crafted items (crafting levels around 60 across the board). Kaelth's Touch when I need non-piercing DR.
Robe: Not sure here on the level 12-15 range. Before that point probably something with invulnerability (crafted lifeshield of invulnerability when available). 16+ will be Mabar (Robe of Shadow Level 16 and Epic Robe of Shadow)
Cloak: Stormreaver's Napkin
Bracers: Bracers of the Demon's Consort (don't have yet but working on it)
Belt: Likely spot for a +con item. Would love Lion-headed Belt Buckle (could deal with a loss of 2 con while leveling) but I'm not holding my breath on 3 DQ items before I TR.
Finger: Fill in the gap spot.
Finger: Fill in the gap spot.
Boots: Boots of the Innocent
Gloves: Bramble-Casters

My problem is that right now I only have a single greensteel item slotted. There's not a ton I can see dropping either. I'd hate to remake a dual-shard greensteel item but honestly my best choice right now looks like doing another set of con-opp goggles, this time with +45 hp's, and then making a cheap single shard hp item for another slot that I can swap out for charisma skills/shrining hp's.

I plan on TR'ing this character into a Sorc and FvS both eventually. Given that plan would a GS bracer make the most sense as the SP slot since I'm not likely to use the Demon Consort all the time during non-Pale Master lives? Doesn't really matter which slot I use during that life as it's just a sp swap but seems to make the most sense for the future. This life I just can't see fitting in two GS items, especially if I manage to get the 3 DQ items I want.

For those finger slots I've already got my int, gfl, con (assuming I get that on the belt), saves, and heavy fort slotted elsewhere. I'm thinking of going with str on one (if I don't get the belt buckle) and Greater Necro Focus on the other.

At cap, if I stay there at all, I could slot Toughness and Heavy Fort into an epic Buccaneer's Ring and Spyglass. That would open up the helm slot for a Greensteel or other item. That argues a bit for slotting the sp item into the helm but what gives me pause there is that it would be much less useful in future lives for the 11-19 levels and also for possible epic layouts if I ever run enough Chrono to consider the 3-piece from there.

[MysteryNotes]

Looks pretty good, consider making lvl 8 mabar robes for lower level?
Lion belt would work very well, since as a PM you get bonus HP anyway so you wont notice the missing +2 con.

As for ring slots you could put your stat items there.
(+6 str, +6 con)

As for your goggles, why remake them?
Con opp blindness ward +150 sp goggles are one of the best options for you, if not *the* best.
After all, you can simply get to 20th and cleanse them.
Then, add in a triple earth or air HP item. Cheap, works well.
I find that either gloves or boots slot is the best slot for HP item on a PM wiz, but your preferred slot might be different based on your gear.

[Darkrok]

One other question.

For the current life and gear on this toon is it worth burning 6ap's to have no arcane failure on a Light and Darkness shield? That would free up my boots slot since the shield would give +6 resists (True Neutral) and would give me an always on option for DR 3/-. I could unlock it for DR 5/Epic as well but that seems to be on the costly side given that I already have 10/piercing and can cast stoneskin if needed for short-term 10 point dr. Mainly wondering if it's worth 6ap taken from some damage and maybe 1 spell pen/20sp's to sport the shield for the saves and dr (both blocking when appropriate and passive).

[Darkrok]

Looks pretty good, consider making lvl 8 mabar robes for lower level?

I'd make Mabar robes for lower levels but doubtful I'd use them other than for the clicky if I ever did an Artificer life on this toon.

The problem for me is that you can get better on weapons or slotting another worn item and the things the robe provides (False Life, Negative Lore, Necro Focus) are important enough that you really want to slot the better version somewhere else.

[Darkrok]

As for your goggles, why remake them?
Con opp blindness ward +150 sp goggles are one of the best options for you, if not *the* best.
After all, you can simply get to 20th and cleanse them.
Then, add in a triple earth or air HP item. Cheap, works well.
I find that either gloves or boots slot is the best slot for HP item on a PM wiz, but your preferred slot might be different based on your gear.

You hit on the problem at the end of your post. Gloves are a nice slot but I much prefer having the bramble-casters there. Boots are usually a good slot as well but I've got the Boots of the Innocent there. Gear at cap is a secondary concern on this toon as I plan on TR'ing some more so for the current and next life both I really only have a single slot for an always worn Greensteel item. That's why I'm considering making another pair of goggles...it's not that I don't like the con-opp sp item I already have. It's that I need a hp item more and can't fit both in.

A triple-earth or triple-air (most likely go with earth as it would be more useful for the majority of the planned lives on this toon) hp item would be great but I just can't see removing any of the gear I've listed for the other slots prior to cap on the Pale Master lives. If/when I get all 3 of the DQ pieces that I've listed there isn't a single greensteel-capable slot that argues for wearing a greensteel sp item 24/7 over that slot. Assuming that I did make a set of con-opp greensteel hp goggles I'd always want the other items on over that sp item. That's why I'm leaning toward remaking those goggles. I can use them on the Pale Master life and run without a sp item except when shrining. Then on non-Pale Master lives I could use the sp bracers all the time as there really isn't anything that argues strongly for the bracer slot on non-PM's/monks.

The only other thought I have is that maybe I'm overvaluing one of the items. If so I'm open to ideas about which one of the items (I'd assume boots or gloves) to drop from always worn status. It would save me from making an extra double-shard greensteel item but I'm not sure if it would be ideal long-term.

[MysteryNotes]

You hit on the problem at the end of your post. Gloves are a nice slot but I much prefer having the bramble-casters there. Boots are usually a good slot as well but I've got the Boots of the Innocent there. Gear at cap is a secondary concern on this toon as I plan on TR'ing some more so for the current and next life both I really only have a single slot for an always worn Greensteel item. That's why I'm considering making another pair of goggles...it's not that I don't like the con-opp sp item I already have. It's that I need a hp item more and can't fit both in.

A triple-earth or triple-air (most likely go with earth as it would be more useful for the majority of the planned lives on this toon) hp item would be great but I just can't see removing any of the gear I've listed for the other slots prior to cap on the Pale Master lives. If/when I get all 3 of the DQ pieces that I've listed there isn't a single greensteel-capable slot that argues for wearing a greensteel sp item 24/7 over that slot. Assuming that I did make a set of con-opp greensteel hp goggles I'd always want the other items on over that sp item. That's why I'm leaning toward remaking those goggles. I can use them on the Pale Master life and run without a sp item except when shrining. Then on non-Pale Master lives I could use the sp bracers all the time as there really isn't anything that argues strongly for the bracer slot on non-PM's/monks.

The only other thought I have is that maybe I'm overvaluing one of the items. If so I'm open to ideas about which one of the items (I'd assume boots or gloves) to drop from always worn status. It would save me from making an extra double-shard greensteel item but I'm not sure if it would be ideal long-term.

As a PM i've never had problems from ranged damage, and since you have the torc, you *want* to take damage.
The death aura will take care of any ranged damage taken at lower levels, so brambles are kinda pointless.
Throw in the bracers and you should stay at full health even taking fire from multiple archers.

[Raoull]

I recommend doing a necklace for your greensteel SP Item (and putting ConOpp on the HP item, not the SP item).

That way, when you're shrining/entering a quest, you can wear the GS for max mana. Once you've used that 300 mana, switch over to the Torc. The torc won't do much good when you're at full mana anyway.

[Shakanos]

As a side tangent, if you're planning long term on being able to hit a useable UMD be careful about where you put the +6 CHA skills Green Steel item. Seven Fingered Gloves obviously gives the +5, but can be rather tedious to obtain. There's numerous options for a +3 boost, especially with crafting Persuasion onto items, though Vile Blasphemy is also in the glove slot (and might be in your inventory anyway when you get one for the sp it can give you).

Small, but worth keeping in mind if you want to hit as high a UMD as you can.