Anyone have any suggestions on what to buy as a 2nd-level squishy spellcaster type?
I never have any idea of what to buy at level 2. Currently I have nothing at all because I cant use weapons/armor, have no use for food or camping supplies and can't afford any useful magic. I am sure I can find something novel to spend it on...
Masterwork tools are affordable, I think. From the PHB, you could get a high-quality lock (might be useful, I guess?) a carriage, a fleet of rowboats. Alchemist's fire, if you want to go that route. Rust cubes from Complete Scoundrel can be handy. If you're a spellcaster, buying a scroll of a second level spell from PHBII or CArc will be allowed now and save you some trouble learning the spell later, given the houserules.
How does the whole rare spells thing interact with classes that have access to their whole spell list (like divine spellcasters in core)? I'm playing a
Thaumaturge, which works identically to the Spirit Shaman except for the oddity of how it was written such that instead of knowing all the spells and choosing which ones are retrieved each day, it chooses which ones to know (which act just like retrieved spells, including "knowing" them as metamagic-enhanced versions) and doesn't actually know the rest (no actual requirement to find and learn the spells or anything, just pick form the spell list). Among other oddities, this means the Thaumaturge can change whether or not it qualifies for certain feats and PrCs that require knowing a spell (such as the Archmage) on a day-to-day basis.
Replace Lesser Aasimar with Lesser Cansin and my earlier race statement applies (I switched from Wis to Int focus with my save requiring maneuvers). It's just hard to find a race that doesn't screw me over, and starting at low level means I can't avoid taking maneuvers that require a saving throw.
If there is a way to change what stat a discipline uses for saving throws this would be much easier...
You could go with Calcifying Blow instead of Dislocating Blow for the more reliable +1d6 damage (and a less important save vs. -10 ft. speed) over the save vs. -4 on attack rolls.
Alternatively, you could just wait a few days. This discussion has made me mull over whether Restless Bones maneuvers even should be Int-based, or if Str-based DCs would be more appropriate. Aside from Bone Puppet (which was missing its save DC formula) and Ossifying Blow, the various maneuvers with saves are more about bone-shattering force than about precision or necromantic weeaboo fightan magic. But if you want to talk about that, it would be a discussion better held in the
Tomb of Battle thread. I've got some very good arguments in favor of changing the ability score for Restless Bones and Frozen Night already.