Actually, they're only 350 GP combined.

I prefer Continual Flame cast on a gem that can be mounted in a nonmagical amulet or ring, so that it can easily be opened/closed when needed.

Or cast on a coin strung around the neck, so that it can be stuck inside one's armor or heavy shirt when needed-- same thing.

Well, with the spells duration being given in hours you will hardly need any item to have it up all time. BTW I do not see what would be so balancebreaking about having this spell on a permanent item. AC 4, which doesn't stack with normal Armor, whoah!

Well this spell is already permanently on an item. It's called Bracers of Armor. Apparently the game designers thought that a permanent mage armor +4 would be 16,000 gps worth of unbalancing.

It's ok for that price, but if you make item that casts mage armor it does so at some insignificant price.

Well, I actually think those bracers price is broken. Their price is calculated using the normal armor enhancement bonus price, which does stack on top of mundane AC. As they don't give any mundane AC you have the equivalent of a chain shirt without Spell failure for 16.000 gp? Thats insane. A full plate armor+3 with an incredible +11 AC would be cheaper!

Bracers of Mage Armor would be at 2000 gp (Spell level 1xCaster Level 1x2000 for continous spell) normally.

A mithral shirt is at 1100 gp, with a 10% spell failure and -6 max Dexterity, so those bracers of Mage Armor would cost almost the double for reducing the spell failure at another 10% and finalizing the DX penalty. I do not see how this could unbalance anything.

Don't forget though that the armour bonus from mage armour is a force effect, and thus applies against incorporeal touch attacks.

Okay - So realize that I have a tendency to play skill-monkeys (even when I play a melee type, it's usually a ranger, which has decent skills)... so most of these comments reflect that...

Ring of Sustenance is a sweet steal... it's a go to item for my characters up to the early teen levels (especially if your DM comes anywhere close to using 'you need to eat and drink' rules). However, somewhere around there it gets supplanted but Sustaining Spoon as the spoon takes up Zero room and ring levels are dear.

Ring of Feather Fall is often overlooked at low levels.

My Ropes of Climbing (potentially supplanted by the Rod of Ropes?? - it's in the new CSc) have saved others in my party numerous times. As have my Spools of Endless Rope (CAdv?)

Any amount of skill bonus can save your hide at the right time and even a +5 can be darn cheap...

Gotta agree on the the everburning torch... you'd be surprised at how useful the standard thrown weapons are when combined with a haversack (especially because the DM never sees it coming)... even well into the early teen levels...

there's a few more in mind (I don't think anyone has mentioned the rogue packing a wand of cure "x" wounds or potions in a haversack) but I just got a call that my step-father-in-law (that's complicated, huh? - my wife's step dad) just had a heart attack so I'm gonna bounce...

My players in my local group used a bag of holding with a grapple check to kidnap a halfling mafia don with a bounty on his head.

Bag of Holding 1

Boromars 0