Author Topic: Getting the most out of the Chain Spell feat  (Read 8994 times)

Offline phaedrusxy

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Getting the most out of the Chain Spell feat
« on: January 13, 2012, 10:43:44 PM »
I have seen people claim that you can use Chain spell on Rays and Touch spells now, but I do not feel that this is legal.
So I will not be updating this thread to include Rays and Touch spells. However, feel free to suggest other spells, and if I am feeling bored someday I might get around to updating this first post with them. But don't expect me to be expedient. :P


In a discussion with Sisyfos in an old thread on the WotC CO board, we both said that we liked the Chain Spell feat, and that in theory it should be great for "buffing" your party, but unfortunately most of the "buff" type spells have a range of Touch. Chain Spell works for spells with a range of greater than touch and a single target. So I put together a list of spells that can be used with this great feat.

I know there are tons of great offensive uses, but mainly I'm interested in "buffing" spells. However, if you have a great offensive combo to use with this feat, post it here too. I think one of the best suggestions I've seen for that is using Dispel Magic to individually target each and every magic item on your enemy at the same time, inactivating them.

Spell (Source-Level) Duration, Effect

Buffs
-Blink, Greater (Level 5, Unsure of source and what spell lists it's on)
-Greater Magic Weapon (PHB-Clr 4, Pal 3, Sor/Wiz 3) 1hr/lvl - Adds an enhancement bonus to a weapon.
-Greater Magic Fang (PHB Drd 3, Rgr 3) 1hr/lvl- Adds enhancement bonus to natural weapon.
-Keen Edge (PHB Sor/Wiz 3) 10min/lvl- Gives a weapon the Keen property, doubling it's threat range.
-Levitate (PHB Sor/Wiz 2) 1min/lvl- allows the subject to levitate ( :P )
-Enlarge Person (PHB Sor/Wiz 1, Strength 1) 1min/lvl- Doubles the size of target humanoid.
-Ironwood (PHB Drd 6) 1day/lvl- Gives a wooden item the durability of iron.
-Magic Mouth (PHB Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 2) Permanent until discharged- I'm not sure how useful this would be, but it certainly could be put to good use just trying to disturb people.
-Make Whole (PHB Clr 2) Instantaneous- fully repairs damaged items.
-Mind Blank (PHB Protection 8, Sor/Wiz 8) 24hrs- Good if you're Epic or an Incantrix.
-Misdirection (PHB Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2) 1hr/lvl- Misleads divination spells.
-Phantom Steed (Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3) 1hr/lvl- Summons a nice mount.
-Reduce Person (PHB Sor/Wiz 1) 1min/lvl- Shrinks a willing humanoid.
-Sending (PHB4, Sor/Wiz 5) 1rnd- Not exactly a buff, but it could be useful to Chain.
-Shield Other (PHB Clr 2, Pal 2, Protection 2) 1hr/lvl- Umm... even though this is possible, it might not be such a good idea. :D
-Simulacrum (PHB Sor/Wiz 7) Inst- The DM might rule that you have to pay the price for all of them, and you'd need to be Epic or an Incantrix to Chain this, anyway.
-Speak with Dead (PHB Clr 3) 1min/lvl- Not sure how useful this would be, or how exactly it would work. It certainly would be creepy, though.
-Stone to Flesh (PHB Sor/Wiz 6) Inst- Pray that you never need to Chain this.
-Undetectable Alignment (PHB Brd 1, Clr 2, Pal 2) 24hrs- Foils alignment detection magic.

Offensive Spells
-Blindness/Deafness (PHB Brd 2, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 2) Permanent
-Baleful Polymoprh (PHB-Drd5, Sor/Wiz5) Permanent-  cutefuzzylittlebunnies
-Command Undead (PHB Sor/Wiz 2) 1day/lvl- You "charm" an undead creature.
-Curse of the Putrid Husk (BoVD Sorc/Wiz 3) See text- Target is stunned for one round, after which they fall unconscious for 1d10 minutes. Close range.
-Dispel Magic (PHB Brd 3, Clr 3, Drd 4, Magic 3, Pal 3, Sor/Wiz 3) Instantaneous
-Dispel Magic, Greater (PHB Brd 5, Clr 6, Drd 6, Sor/Wiz 6) Instantaneous
-Dominate Person (PHB Bard 4, Sorc/Wiz5) 1day/level- You command one humanoid for 1 day/level.
-Feeblemind (PHB Sor/Wiz 5) Instantaneous- Subjects Int drops to 1.
-Flesh to Stone (PHB Sor/Wiz 6) Instantaneous- Subject is petrified.
-Fleshshiver (Level 5, does Dex damage, unsure of source)
-Forcewave (1st level Evoc., MoF 95) Target takes damage and is bull-rushed. Fort partial.
-Grease (PHB Bard1, Sorc/Wiz1) 1 rnd/lvl- Use the targeted version to grease the weapons of a bunch of enemies.
-Hideous Laughter (PHB Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 2) 1rnd/lvl- Subject can do nothing but laugh.
-Hold Person (PHB Brd 2, Cleric 2, Sor/Wiz 3) 1rnd/lvl- 1 lower level than a Mass Hold Person
-Hold Monster (PHB Brd 4, Law 6, Sor/Wiz 5) 1rnd/lvl- 1 lower level than a Mass Hold Monster
-Horizikaul's Boom (1st level Evoc., MoF 101) Target takes sonic damage and is deafened (will negates deafening).
-Know Protections (1st level Div, MoF 104) Determines DR, SR, etc... Will negates
-Maze (PHB Sor/Wiz 8) See Spell- Good for Epic characters or Incantrixes.
-Modify Memory (PHB Brd 4) Permanent- Different effects related to changing a creatures memory. Of course, Bards don't get 7th level spell slots normally, but maybe someone will find some use for this. ;)
-Mount (PHB Sor/Wiz 1) 1hr/lvl- Summons a horse.
-Nybor's Gentle Reminder (1st level Ench., UE 51) 1 round/lvl - Target is dazed for a round, then takes a -2 penalty on actions. Fort negates
-Phantasmal Killer (PHB Sor/Wiz 4) Inst- Kills 1 target.
-Resilient Sphere (PHB Sor/Wiz 4) 1min/lvl- I'm not sure whether this one is legal or not. It would be a DMs call I think. It can only be cast around a single creature, but an Effect Line instead of a Target Line.
-Shatter (PHB Brd 2, Chaos 2, Clr 2, Destruction 2, Sor/Wiz 2) Inst- Destroys one object, or damages one crystalline creature.
-Spell Theft (Complete Scoundrel, Bard 4, Wiz/Sorc 5) A dispel magic that steals someone else's buffs and puts them on you instead.
-Suggestion (PHB Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3) 1hr/lvl- See spell description. Mass Suggestion is better in all ways.
-Trap the Soul (PHB Sor/Wiz 8) Permanent- Would they all go into the same gem? Not exactly sure how this one would work, and as with some others you'd have to be Epic or an Incantrix to Chain it.
-Wither Limb (2nd level Nec., BoVD, LM) Can wither legs or arms of target humanoid. Fort negates.

If you don't know what an abbreviation of a book name stands for, go look at this thread.

Edit: I guess I should post what the feat does, for those who don't have Tome and Blood. It basically allows you to cause a spell that normally only affects a single target to instead affect multiple ones (+1 extra target per caster level). Secondary targets take less damage and get bonuses on saves, if applicable. The spell takes up a slot three levels higher than normal.
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Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: Getting the most out of the Chain Spell feat
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2012, 10:46:07 PM »
So, was there ever any conclusive decision on whether Chain Spell could be applied to a Ray?

Here is the argument against rays:
Chain Spell (in Complete Arcane) states the spell must specify a single target.
Rays do not specify a target, they create an effect.  See "Aiming a Spell" in the PHB or SRD: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#aimingASpell
That would be my conclusion as well. As with all things like this, it is an "ask your DM" question. YMMV.
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Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: Getting the most out of the Chain Spell feat
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2012, 10:48:27 PM »
Quote from: bananaphone
For a buffing cleric, one way to avoid the whole "Reach Spell + Chain Spell" argument is to use the Divine Ward feat from the Players Handbook 2.
For one use of Turn Undead it changes your touch spell to short range which targets the recipient of your Divine Ward.
This should make some nice buffing touch spells valid to use with Chain Spell.
I don't pee messages into the snow often , but when I do , it's in Cyrillic with Fake Viagra.  Stay frosty my friends.