Fun Finds v7.0 - Now with +15% more reposts!

[awaken_D_M_golem]

variant rod of wonders (despite the "greater" title)
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20060807a

... no access to the generator.

Works for me.  Clicked on (Launch Generator).  Using Internet Edge in case the browser makes a difference.

Firefox Linux , the company that supplies the multistation software didn't renew a pile of certificates, and crashed systems across the USA and Canada, etc, and that's before we get to my Weenie filter (which was old news a decade ago)

Kill me now, let our future robot overlords sort it out.

^{< sorry was I being overly dramatic ? >}

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Waste Crawler (Sandstorm p191) - has a SLA usable 1/century.  That's a looooooong wait between castings!

I forgot how to calculate epic spell levels. Anyone? Sounds like a good one to spellthieve.

"Epic Spell" = SLA ... I don't ever recall anything else like that (doesn't mean it doesn't exist elsewhere).
Epic spell with casting time of 1 round, no focus, no exp burn, etc, is quite the whut !

Locate City + linear Widen til you get to the size, maybe DC 13 +4*X
Apocalypse From The Sky + linear damage increase to the right amount, maybe DC 29 +2*Y
Probably mid 500s, then ...
use the increased casting time mitigation, as a proxy for can't cast it for 100 years.
DM Fiat of course, but custom seeds are normal.

[Nanashi]

Many of the epic monsters have epic spells as SLAs. Still have no idea how they're supposed to work as SLAs though. "Despite their power, epic spells still follow the basic rules for casting spells, except as specifically noted otherwise." is the best I can think of.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Huh ... I got that book in '03 and didn't start reading C.O. until '05.
I guess everyone If I asked in the intervening 2 years just hand-waved it to "work".

Dream Larva cast Dreamscape as an (sp) twice a day.
wtf
9th level spells as (su) via Dweomerkeeper , is a solid order of magnitude weaker.

" We cast Epic Spells as Spell-likes ; and You don't ! "

[Arz]

Looked it up. Epic spells count as 10th level, so a spellthief would have to be 30th level to steal it. After which they could nuke the plane until it turns plaid with spell-likes.

[Nanashi]

You know how Dragon Compendium is first party? Well Shackled City Adventure Path is too, and it has some new crunch.

Practiced Magic is nice to know for Dragonmarked characters since their SLAs don't use the caster's HD as their CL. Spellcraft requirement sucks though.

Rime is a 1st level Wizard spell that gives a target a -4 penalty on dex and fortitude saves

Dementia is a +2 equivalent property that makes a creature struck by the weapon have to save against a DC17 will save or be confused for 7 rounds. Stick it on a bow and I'm sure enemies will roll low enough for it to be useful.

Simulacrum Suit is 60,000 GP for a constant polymorph effect into a single creature (fixed per suit) that's within one size category of the wearer. Explicitly usable by any creature, so have fun with animal companions.

edit: OA has some weird spells that the official 3.5 update doesn't touch

Advice is Greater Suggestion. You get unlimited length for the suggestion itself and, more importantly, rather than suicidal commands being impossible they just get a second save with a bonus. Shaman only though. Is there any other way in the system to make a target obey suicidal commands?

Compel changes the target's alignment. Confusingly it's listed as permanent yet "Another compel spell, a wish, or a miracle is required to reverse the effects of the spell". Other than that, it's non-evil, and only 1-round casting time.

Remove Fatigue gives a target the benifits of 8 hours of rest, but doesn't allow an arcane caster to regain spells. Anything with limited daily use aside form those is fair game I guess...

edit: Checking one for a lore article, I've only just now realized there's actually a few issues of the online only Dungeon/Dragon before 4E launched with 3.5 content. Note that this is actual first party stuff. Not sure what's in here (there's lot of high level monsters that seem original at least) or if these issues have ever been properly been excavated.

Dragon 360 has an article on stuff to fill Eberron treasure hoards with. Most of it is art objects with no effect (lots of animated tapestries and portraits), but this one should be useful

mahogany cabinet that continually maintains a cool and dry interior that is suitable for storing perishable items (minor evocation, 2,500 gp).

[magic9mushroom]

I noticed something when looking at the Leadership table.

While the "cohort level" in the table is ECL, the "two levels lower" restriction appears to be character level. So, if your Leadership score is bigger than you need, grab a cohort with an LA.

[magic9mushroom]

edit: Checking one for a lore article, I've only just now realized there's actually a few issues of the online only Dungeon/Dragon before 4E launched with 3.5 content. Note that this is actual first party stuff. Not sure what's in here (there's lot of high level monsters that seem original at least) or if these issues have ever been properly been excavated.

Dragon 360 has Demonomicon: Graz'zt.
Dragon 362 has Shothragot, who's probably the most useful Elder Evil to Implore if you're crazy enough to bind Elder Evils.
Dragon 363 has the 3.5 Epic Destinies and Epic Binder.

A lot of their stuff is either previews of 4th or fluff for 4th, so there's not as much 3.5 crunch as usual for Dragon.

[kitep]

Looking at the Rod of Wonder

88-90  shoot 10-40 gems, each worth 1gp

That's an average of 25gp, 3 times out of each 100 usages.

Do the math, that 450gp/hr, or 10,800gp/24-hours.
Rods don't use charges, and anyone can use 'em.  Give it to your homunculus, who as a construct doesn't get tired or bored.  One more way to get rich.

Downside - 4 times/100 usages, you get "reduce wielder to 1/12 height, no save".  So that could be a problem.  Wonder if SR applies?

[Kethrian]

Nope, no SR against that, as it is not acting like a spell.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

I noticed something when looking at the Leadership table.

While the "cohort level" in the table is ECL, the "two levels lower" restriction appears to be character level. So, if your Leadership score is bigger than you need, grab a cohort with an LA.

Huh you're right, no reference to ECL at all.
https://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#leadership

edit: Checking one for a lore article, I've only just now realized there's actually a few issues of the online only Dungeon/Dragon before 4E launched with 3.5 content. Note that this is actual first party stuff. Not sure what's in here (there's lot of high level monsters that seem original at least) or if these issues have ever been properly been excavated.

Dragon 360 has Demonomicon: Graz'zt.
Dragon 362 has Shothragot, who's probably the most useful Elder Evil to Implore if you're crazy enough to bind Elder Evils.
Dragon 363 has the 3.5 Epic Destinies and Epic Binder.

A lot of their stuff is either previews of 4th or fluff for 4th, so there's not as much 3.5 crunch as usual for Dragon.

They did the Epic Destinies as a separate 3.5e/4e article too, which surprisingly managed to be saved. 
We've had it here (use the whole thread for links) :
 http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=4570.0

They also had a conversion document for all of the Elder Evils for 3.5e/4e. idk what happened to it (sad).

[Nanashi]

Shugenja are only prohibited from learning spells of the opposite element. i.e., they're still on the Shugenja spell list and don't need UMD like a Wizard's prohibited schools do, and you can cast a spell of prohibited alignment if you can do that without learning it (Rainment of the Four, domain staff ect.).

[magic9mushroom]

I noticed something when looking at the Leadership table.

While the "cohort level" in the table is ECL, the "two levels lower" restriction appears to be character level. So, if your Leadership score is bigger than you need, grab a cohort with an LA.

Huh you're right, no reference to ECL at all.
https://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#leadership

The cohort = ECL in table thing is explained under "Special Cohorts" in the DMG, which apparently didn't make it into the SRD.

edit: Checking one for a lore article, I've only just now realized there's actually a few issues of the online only Dungeon/Dragon before 4E launched with 3.5 content. Note that this is actual first party stuff. Not sure what's in here (there's lot of high level monsters that seem original at least) or if these issues have ever been properly been excavated.

Dragon 360 has Demonomicon: Graz'zt.
Dragon 362 has Shothragot, who's probably the most useful Elder Evil to Implore if you're crazy enough to bind Elder Evils.
Dragon 363 has the 3.5 Epic Destinies and Epic Binder.

A lot of their stuff is either previews of 4th or fluff for 4th, so there's not as much 3.5 crunch as usual for Dragon.

They did the Epic Destinies as a separate 3.5e/4e article too, which surprisingly managed to be saved. 
We've had it here (use the whole thread for links) :
 http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=4570.0

They also had a conversion document for all of the Elder Evils for 3.5e/4e. idk what happened to it (sad).

Yeah, Dragon #360-#363 got published both as separate articles and as the packaged "issue".

[Nanashi]

Heroes of Battle:
Leomund's Billet is pretty much just Secure Shelter, Great with one critical point: It creates a bunch of food... as an arcane spell.
Molton Strike is a lesser fireball that deals 2d6 damage+save or catch fire in a 5foot radius burst.

[Nanashi]

Reading the Ghostwalk web enhancement. It's as weird as the book itself!


There's a really juicy gem in here

FETID BREATH
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 10 ft.
Area: Cone
Duration: 1 round (see text)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell functions like stinking cloud, except as noted above and as follows.
You exhale a 10-foot cone of stinking gas. Though the cone persists for only 1 round, creatures who succumb to its effects are still nauseated for 1d4+1 rounds after leaving the area of the cone. A creature that has a special saving throw bonus against poison may apply that to its saving throw against this spell. Creatures immune to poison are unaffected by fetid breath.
Legends maintain that this spell was created either by the yuan-ti or by an arcane worshipper of Khostren.
Material Component: A clove of garlic or an onion, which you must eat

Fort save vs. nauseate for cone of bad guys is pretty damn good for a first level spell. Some fun to be had with an extend rod.

By contrast, the Paladin spell Door to Great Evil is horrible: It sends you (and only you) to a hostile creature of a CR 2 under your level. It's not even useful for Reserve Feat purposes since Phantom Charge exists.

Demonic Blood Infusion gives the willing target the fiendish template, [chaotic] and [evil] subtypes (is there a single other effect to add an alignment subtype on a temporary basis?) and turns the target's alignment to chaotic evil for the duration (likewise, any other source of temporary alignment changes?). Also has a will save or move to chaotic (and evil if already chaotic) at the end with increasing DCs.

Item wise:
Chaniud’s Placard are a single use instant Commune. They're only 875 at market, a fraction of the price of a scroll.
Message Arrow is intended to fit with spells like Animal Messenger, Whispering Wind and Helping Hand, but there's a few critical details to it that open it for abuse. First it's " invisible and insubstantial" when in used, and can go anything as bit as an arrow slit.  You only need to know the recipient's name, not location so with See Invisible you can locate a creature in a 5 mile radius. Finally, the arrow is a physical object that carries a message, and "I prepared Explosive Runes today" is just the most obvious use for sending an item to a character without counter. Any emancipation centered on an object (like Silence) can be abused with it.

[Nytemare3701]

Good backup trick for an Arcane Archer.

[Nanashi]

From the Random Encounters: Pets of Any Stripe article

Mind of a Beast
Transmutation [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Mind of a beast transforms the mentality of the subject into that of an animal or beast. The spell suppresses the target's own personality, mental awareness, and memories, and it puts in their place the average mental abilities and knowledge of a creature of type animal or beast whose Intelligence is 2 or lower. The caster selects the animal or beast type (bird, bear, owlbear, and so on) when the spell is cast. The target then acts as a normal creature of that type for the duration of the spell. For example, a target succumbing to "mind of a wolf" might fight to defend young wolves, but might run if a threat presented itself.

Unless another spell is already affecting the subject that changes these traits, it retains its type (for example, "humanoid"), physical traits (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution), body shape, natural attacks and damage, base saves, and speed, and gains the average Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma of the creature type. It gains the skills of an average creature of its type (modified by the target's physical abilities rather than the animal's), and it cannot use the skills of the original mentality. The spell does not grant any supernatural, spell-like, or extraordinary abilities of the creature type, and though the target retains its extraordinary abilities, it does not know how to use them if the animal or beast type does not also possess them. The target can use any feats of the original mentality that the creature mentality also possesses. The supernatural and spell-like abilities of the target's original mentality are not available to the animal consciousness, nor are any of the target's memories.

The animal mentality is not surprised or disoriented by its sudden existence, and it does not question that its body does not match the usual for its type. The animal mentality assumes that it belongs in the body it occupies and does the best it can. Thus, a target suffering from mind of a deer would run on two legs instead of trying to run on all fours, and a target suffering from mind of a snake would not try to slither. The animal mentality also does not question how it got into the situation it is in when the spell effect begins. It does have all the racial knowledge of an adult of its type, so it knows how to attack, run, what constitute threats, what it should be eating, and so forth. During the spell duration, others can speak to the mentality using the speak with animals spell if the new mentality is an animal type.

This spell can be made permanent by use of the permanency spell, but the caster must be at least 13th level and spend 2,000 XP in the endeavor. The spell cannot be used on targets that have no Intelligence.

Material Component: A small bit of brain matter from an animal or beast that has been dead no more than one hour. The brain matter may be carefully preserved for later use. The brain matter need not be from the creature type chosen in casting the spell, but it must be from a creature of the animal or beast type.

This is a pretty meh spell, as it's just a variant feeblemind right? It is, but its greater version is worth a look.

Mind of Another
Transmutation [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

An improved version of the mind of a beast spell, mind of another transforms the subject's mentality into that of an aberration, animal, beast, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or vermin, and there is no maximum Intelligence limit. The caster chooses a creature (for example, "stone giant" or "nymph") upon casting the spell. Making this spell permanent requires a 16th-level caster and the expenditure of 3,500 XP. Otherwise, the spell works exactly the same as the mind of a beast spell.

Material Component: A small bit of brain matter is required, but it can be from any creature of the types listed for this spell.

Anyone know a monster of those types with good mental scores and reasonable personality? Anything that's particularly easy to make into a willing mind slave?

[Ithamar]

Gibbering Orb is pretty nice if you're OK with only having INT 40.

And for a fey, leShay gets you a nice CHA score for sure.

[Arz]

Easter Egg for oriental characters, efficient defender + chahar aina + dastana + chain shirt = +9armor for 200gp. This is mostly better than adamantine body @1stlvl. Plus a samurai aka psw could just call armor and save gold. Even better he can grab invest armor for +18 arrmor of indeterminate duration. Sweet light armor for low levels. Full speed ahead.

[Nytemare3701]

Easter Egg for oriental characters, efficient defender + chahar aina + dastana + chain shirt = +9armor for 200gp. This is mostly better than adamantine body @1stlvl. Plus a samurai aka psw could just call armor and save gold. Even better he can grab invest armor for +18 arrmor of indeterminate duration. Sweet light armor for low levels. Full speed ahead.

Classic tech makes an appearance to prove the thread title.