Couple of AI questions

[YinYin]

3. Is there a way to make him avoid picking objects?

If you want to avoid him using any items at all you can solve this without AI.
Make him spawn one of his projectiles on hand like freeze does with his ice sword. (do that in basic attacking actions when he doesn't have an item yet)
Hold this projectile in an invisible frame everywhere.
Make all his basic attacks also available from the basic item actions.