Which is a good leather armour for a level 3 striker in 4e?

Question

I'm currently looking for a good leather armour for a 4e rogue and was wondering which was best. Currently I am torn between these two but I am open for all others:

• Bestial Armour +1 level 3

  Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you hit a target after a charge. Make a melee basic attack with a +2 power bonus against the same target.

• Nightmare Ward Armour +1 level 3

  Property: You gain resist 5 psychic. You gain a +2 item bonus to Saving throws against charm, fear, or psychic effects.

This game is one where we start at level 3 and were granted one level 3 magic item of our choosing. The rogue I'm playing is basically a buccaneer-type with a rapier. I've had a think, and I'm wondering if I shouldn't just get something else instead. I don't need a weapon, but maybe something like a set of bracers to improve my melee attack? Or something that will let me get more mileage out of a possible multiclass feat?

Answer 1

First and foremost: If you haven't read this, stop now, go read it.

Second, L3 is kind of a lousy level for Roguish armor. L4 has some good choices (Bloodcut, Battle Harness, Flowform). But if you've got to pick from the L3 lists let's see what we've got: (not hitting everything, I'll hit your two and a few more that are good)

• Bestial: nice if you charge, but if you don't then it's not worth the paper it's printed on.

• Nightmare Ward: incredibly situational, you can't afford that, find stuff that aids your core goals. Unless you've got a campaign situation that merits this.

• Sylvan: bonuses to Athletics and stealth are nice. Mostly just stealth.

• Serpent Skin: Nice daily shift that's very handy. You're already pretty shifty, this enhances that.

• Skald's: +2 bluff, Diplomacy. Daily to retarget an attack against you (including to an enemy).

• Thought Eater: +2 Stealth. Daily to get concealment

• Veteran's Armor: Attack bonus is one of the most important things in 4E, and this helps with it.

Not many good options here. I'd suggest the serpent skin or skald's (probably the Skald's armor is the best one at the level).

Answer 2

In addition to wax eagle's suggestions, here are some other Level 3 (or level 2) magic armors:

• Luring Withdrawal Armor (PHB2): Daily reaction shift; this is a Lvl2 item, but presumably you'd still be permitted it since you're being given a L3 item.
• Stanching Armor (Dragon #368): A daily self-heal could be useful if the party is lacking in a healing Leader character, or the Defender isn't particularly sticky.
• Wall Armor (AV2): Daily punish a charge/bull rush attack against you (damage+prone)
• Addergrease Armor (AV): Daily reaction shift and punish melee attack against you (when the enemy misses only)

There are others that are rather specific to a campaign, such as the Rat-Killer's Coat (L2), which gives bonuses against Swarm enemies.

At level 3, when nobody in the party has many powers, an extra daily could be a potential godsend. The question is how do you intend to build your character, what stuff is the GM throwing at you, and what sources will the GM let you pull from.

In the general case, I'd recommend the Stanching Armor, as one self-heal is one fewer turn the Leader has to spend healing you instead of the Defender taking most of the hits. But the GM may not approve of picking items from the magazines, so that's something you should check out.