Where to get good armor before BBI?

[Jaro]

For fighter

[zadymek]

You are wearing it. Probably.

The best start strategy for Bitterblack is to use new tiers of enhancement (available at the craftsman right past the first hostile room) on what you may be using right now or used in the early game.

Generally stuff you consider low-end in the vanilla may be easily silver and gold rarefied to the point no end-game weapon can reach, even with Dragon Forging! It's kinda equalizing process: gold rarefied Bas[t]ard Sword has only a bit more damage than gold rarefied Trusty Sword.

Alternative would be to grind Everfall for end game loot and Dragon Forge! it to get something around that good as silver/gold rarefied low-end equipment.

[76561198821613066]

It kind of depends on where you are in the game and what your taste are in armor. At Stage 3, you can buy a Surcoat from Caxton. It is easy to upgrade to 3* and weighs next to nothing.

If you are playing a female fighter, then something like the Summery Pareo isn't a bad option since it has both decent Defense and Magick Defense and is also light weight. There is a chance to find it in a chest in Heavenspeak Fort.

Mummer's Wear can spawn in a gather spot near Bloodwater Beach which can be accessed before you get to Gran Soren. Light weight, has stupid high resistance, is cheap to upgrade to 3*, and also looks like a dress. Mummer's isn't gender specific like the Pareo.

At each stage of the main quest the vendors get access to new weapons and armor. Its also a good idea to max out their affinity. Most of the regular merchants have the better armors to be purchased, but only sell to you if they like you. Then there is the Gold and Silver Idols for Caxton and Maedeliene which is a topic in itself.

[Migromul]

Some good armor can be found in the soulfayer-canyon. And a very good fire-enchanted sword can be found at the "tomb of the unknown travelar". This looks like the "sword in the stone" of the Artus-saga. Beware, though, there is a golem near. At the same spot you can get fire-enchanted daggers or a better great-sword. Save, before you or your pawn loot(s).

The starting-armors in your sorage are also good, imho. And almost all are equipable by all vocations. (NOT the sets, though, only the armors.) One of the best light armors at the beginning, is - sadly - the princess-dress. (THAT's a set, though) I don't hire pawns with this, though, It's a principle by me. I don't know of other players. The same goes for the jester-cap.

Beware of the Mummers Wear and Summery Pareo. They make you weak against sleeping, which is common near gran soren, because of the many harpies and snow-harpies, there. AND: Death at BBI also has a very high sleeping-skill...

My favorite mage/sorcerer armor-set is the ancient-set, buyable at the black cat. This has negative element-resistance, but almost all other debilations (including petrification) are upgraded. And if silver-rarified, they even loose the negative element. It only looks good on females, though, imho. (at least the armor.) It's equipable by all magic-based vocations, but only stylisch on mages and sorcerers imho.

[zadymek]

Originally posted by Migromul:

Beware of the Mummers Wear and Summery Pareo. They make you weak against sleeping, which is common near gran soren, because of the many harpies and snow-harpies, there. AND: Death at BBI also has a very high sleeping-skill...

Summery set pieces make one weak agains Skill stifling not Sleep. Surely you meant that ;)
And, actually, Mummer's wear has Sleep and many other resistances, nothing negative.