Expansion prep: Get better Gear vs TR spam

[hawkytom]

Hello, I'm curious what all of you more experienced players thought would be the best way of improving our characters before the new expansion came out.

Basically is it better to obtain a lot of past lifes that will greatly benefit your character or would it be better to try to get all the best gear? (or one then the other, but time is a limiting factor here)

I love playing an Arcane Caster and I want to try and make a very powerful one (within reason)...My current gear setup is not end-game...it's basically lvl 20-pre raid/epic gear.

I currently play a 32pt first life Human Sorcerer(Air Savant/cold secondary)I can see the following past lifes GREATLY increasing my characters potential!

BEST!!!:
Sorcerer PLx3 - +3 Evoc DC / 60sp...the +3 DCs on my EVOC spells is almost hard to comprehend it's so good! Air Savant needs evoc!
Wizard PLx3 - +6spell pen...reduces need of such heavy investment of feats/enhance to acheive
Cleric PLx3 - +3 Conj DC...would be fantastic if I ever want/need to switch Earth/Cold savant as well as global increase to my main form of CC as Nuker Sorc: WEB

Excellent!
FVS PLx3 - +3spell pen / 60sp...not as good as Wizard, might not be worth the extra time spent

Great, but not game-changer:
Paladinx3 = 15% heal amp (amp for scrolls!)
Barbarianx3 = 30hp (hp always good!)
Artificerx3 = +3UMD (easier heal scroll, item flexibility)

Bleh, no thanks:
Ranger
Bard
Fighter
Monk
Rogue
Completionist - this would be a huge time investment, don't think I would go this far!

So should I spend more of my time concentrating on obtaining some new items, or doing multiple past lives etc??? What do you guys plan on doing?

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Part 2:

I currently play a 32pt first life Human Sorcerer(Air Savant/cold secondary)

I'm considering True Res path without having awesome gear...listed below.

Sorcererx3 = +3evoc DC /60sp
Wizardx3 = +6spell pen

These would be the first goal of the true reincarnate journey...then getting back to being my End Game Air Savant Sorc. If I felt the journey wasn't too unenjoyable then I would consider adding ClericX3 next(+3conj DC).

Currently my end game gear is the following.

Helm- Minos Helm (20toughnessHP / heavy fort)
Trinket- Crafted: +2luck / +2 Gr. Necro Focus
Goggles: Magewright Spectacles (+2spell pen IX, +15concentration)
Necklace- Alchemist Pendant (+20hp)
Cloak- +6 CHA
Belt- CON+6 / GFL (archmagi belt swapy)
Chest- Dragontouched Robe (+3cha Skills / +1exc CHA / stoneskin proc)
Gloves- Fabricator's Gloves (+6str, +5resistance)
Bracer- Epic Bracer of Wind(Tier 1) (Major Lighting Lore,blurry, air guard) [getting this today]
Boots- Striders 30%
Ring1- Crafted: Persuasion +3umd / +2 Gr. Evoc Focus
Ring2- Ring of the Mire (Spearblock)
Weapon1- Major Ice Lore
Weapon2- Superior Potency VI

Swappables: Silver flame pendant, eardweller, mantle of worldshaper, mysterious babble, Disease Immune, Poison Immune, Blindness Immune, Dragontouch robe(same except: 100sp>stoneskin), 75% dmg clickies...FrostVIII/Electric VII

I'm thinking that instead of trying to slowly improve that gear with raids/epics I should be working on true res and then worry about the gear!?! (I would use the Wizard Past Life feat that gives +1DC's and missiles...not sure about the sorc one)

[SirValentine]

Basically is it better to obtain a lot of past lifes that will greatly benefit your character or would it be better to try to get all the best gear?

I have the feeling that what is currently "all the best gear" will be 2nd- or 3rd-rate after the expansion comes out. I think the past lives are less likely to become obsolete.

[blerkington]

Hi,

It looks to me like you the gear you have is reasonably good. If you have some GS items too, for the low min level, you will probably find that you can cap a TR fairly quickly without being slowed down by substandard gear. Make sure you have some cash before you TR too.

On the flip side, if you have all the gear before you TR, what will you do with that character when you get back to cap? I think somewhere between well-geared and fully-geared is the best time to do your TRs, but that's just my opinion.

I'd also like to make the point that while reaching completionist is a lot of work, it's no more than getting three past lives in four casting classes and then getting back to cap in your favourite one.

Thanks.