Author Topic: Damaging Auras?  (Read 5404 times)

Offline Amechra

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Damaging Auras?
« on: October 05, 2016, 07:39:12 PM »
Are there any feats, spells, or whatever that let you deal damage to people nearby at the start of your turn? Preferably without an attack roll, if that's at all possible.
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Offline Kethrian

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2016, 08:33:18 PM »
there's Lightning Ring, an 8th level spell in SpC.
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Offline Chemus

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2016, 08:37:33 PM »
Body of the Sun:?
(Spell Compendium, p. 35

Fire extends 5 feet in all directions from your body, illuminating the area and dealing 1d4 points of fire damage per two caster levels (maximum 5d4). Adjacent creatures take fire damage each round on your turn.
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Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2016, 09:32:34 PM »
Wreath of Flames (3rd): deals 1d6 to adjacent enemies and +1d6 to melee attacks.
Personal favorite of mine, doesn't hit allies due to the enemy designation and adds to all melee attacks.
Body of the Sun (2nd): deals 1d4 per 2cl (max 5d4).
Corona of Cold (3rd): resist fire 10, deals 1d12 cold, fort each round negs, but -2 str/dex & half speed till you leave the area if damaged.
Ring of Blades (3rd): deals 1d6+cl (max +10) untyped which is nice.
As the Frost (7th): getting way up there but it also gives immunity to cold and DR 10/magical piercing, 15ft aura deals 2d6 cold.
Pulse of Hate (7th): unpersistable, will halves, only 2d6 unholy, lame.
Lightning Ring (8th): gives resistance to electricity 20, and deals a nice 10d6 & fires two CL5 lightning bolts each round.

And that's about all I know outside of say Consumptive Field. You can get into Metamagic'ing more, any emanation and such can have Snowcast & Flash Frost applied to it so it deals 2 cold damage per spell level and you can get really inventive from there (fell drain!). Arcane Sight is a good one if you want to kill people by accidentally looking at them. And don't forget Persist Spell often applies to these and a Ring of Mystic Fire/Lightning can add +4d6 to it. Works great with other forms of augmentation.

These are also *just* auras, D&D has a ton of retributive spells.
« Last Edit: October 17, 2016, 06:14:23 PM by SorO_Lost »

Offline Nytemare3701

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2016, 06:10:12 PM »
Wreath of Flames (3rd): deals 1d6 to adjacent enemies and +1d6 to melee attacks.
Personal favorite of mine, doesn't hit allies due to the enemy designation and adds to all melee attacks.

Wreath of Flames is also low enough level to use Energy Admixture and things like Ring of Mystic Fire.

Offline Ithamar

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2016, 01:35:58 PM »
Assume Supernatural Ability as your turn into a jovoc?

Offline Endarire

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2016, 04:37:59 AM »
Does fire shield count?

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2016, 10:33:28 AM »
Does fire shield count?
It's less of an aura and more of a retributive spell, requiring your opponent to hit you with non-reach melee rather than a free hit for just being close.

But I did lampshade,
These are also *just* auras, D&D has a ton of retributive spells.
So if the OP gives the go ahead another dozen or so that can be mentioned. Like Fire Shield has a holy and mass version, there is a lightning and two sonic versions as well, and if you count Acid Sheath there is one for Acid too. There is even none-damaging ones like the Karmic Spells, or even damage but not energy because the Druid has like a half-dozen "grows spikes" and I think at least one poison based one.

One of my favorites in that area is Burning Blood, the Dragon-Spell version (requires a breath weapon). When injured from any weapon your blood explodes in a 5ft burst hitting for uncapped [CL] damage. No Save, no SR, it's Transmutation so Incantatrixes that sold Evocation out (or spelldancers) can Metamagic it to hell and when combine with Extend it's 10ft area is enough to hit Reach users or even multiple opponents.

Offline Amechra

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2016, 01:49:45 PM »
I was mostly asking just to figure out ways of generating Resonance for the Serene Guardian with better action efficiency. Out of curiosity, mostly.

But sure, go ahead, lay the retributive spells on me.
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Offline deadkitten

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2016, 01:53:16 PM »
Well In Pathfinder the I'D Rager Bloodrager Archetype can get this ability. I know it's not 3.5 but it's something.

Quote
          Hateful Aura (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 7th level, as a swift action, the phantom can emit a 10-foot-radius aura that inflicts pain upon the minds of those who dare damage it or its master. Enemies within the aura that deal damage to the spiritualist or the phantom take an amount of damage equal to the phantom’s Charisma bonus. This is a mind-affecting pain effect. The phantom can use this ability in either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form.
 
                                               

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2016, 03:02:21 PM »
But sure, go ahead, lay the retributive spells on me.
Probably not even close to all of them but have a bunch.

Retribution-Type
Fire Shield (varies): comes in mass (close/all within 30ft) and legions (medium/all within 20ft) and holy (1/2 divine dmg).
Karmic Aura (1st): any creature that deals damage to you within 20ft saves vs 3 round fatigued.
Karmic Backlash (2nd): as aura and stacks with but is instead save vs 2 rounds exhausted.
Death Armor (2nd): the lesser version of fire shield, untyped 1d14+[cl, max 10] and checks SR.
Karmic Retribution (3rd): as backlash and stacks with but is instead save vs 1 round of stunned.
Sonic Shield (5th, 3rd for bards): deals 1d8 sonic and forces a fortitude save to be knocked back 5ft.
Repelling Shield (3rd): skips the damage, and the save, and just keeps shoving people away when hit.
Thorn Skin (3rd): deals 5 slashing.
Radiant Shield (4th): the electric version of fire shield.
Mestil's Acid Sheath (5th): acid version of fire shield that also adds an infinite corrosive grasp touch.
Acid Sheath (5th): deals [cl, max 30] acid, also adds +1/die to acid spells you cast, it be an update of the other sheath.
Fire In The Blood (5th): cumulative 1d6 each hit by the [same?] attacker [in the same round?], caps at 5d6 and ends the spell.
Poison Thorns (5th): upgraded version of thorn skin, adds 1d4 str damaging posion.
Prismatic Aura (6th): gives you one of each color of prismatic ray so lasts seven hits before ending.
Elemental Body (7th): choosing fire means people hitting you can catch on fire (which is only 1d6/rnd).
Note I left out attack-specific like spells (spellturning), grapple (flames of the balor), bite (horrible taste) and maneuvers (holocaust cloak).

You may also be interested in stuff like
Cacophonic Shield(4th): 10ft barrier, deals 1d6+[cl, max 20] sonic to anyone crossing.
Cloud of Knives (2nd): swift action to throw a 1d6+[cl/3, max 5] knife.
Lord of the Sky (5th): grants/improves flight, swift action bolt deals [cl, max 20] damage.
Stormrage (8th): immune to projectiles, standard action bolt deals 1d6 per two cl (max 10d6).
Lightning Ring (8th): rementioning this, resist 20, aura deals 10d6, and free action double 5d6 lightning bolts.
Just persist all three lightning things and around around pretending your Vegeta, he likes spamming volleys.

Offline snakeman830

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2016, 11:08:07 PM »
Isn't Cloud of Knives a free action 1/round to throw?
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Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2016, 11:59:31 PM »
Isn't Cloud of Knives a free action 1/round to throw?
Maybe? Probably, tried doing that one from memory.

Offline vaz

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #13 on: November 02, 2016, 11:34:40 PM »
It depends on how you read Black Lore of Moil on DoT spells. My DM ruled that it triggers every time that the target rolls to save, which can help.

Along those lines, there is Greater Consumptive Field, which allows you to get strength boosts every time an enemy dies as a result of dropping to 9HP or less (or 0HP or less for the non-Greater) field.

The two don't really interact, as GCF only triggers on 9HP opponents, so you cannot BLoM something that's not affected, which is a bit of a shame, but it adds half damage on a damage, which could be good with Fell Animate. You can fell drain them instead, if you wish; sure, those 1HD commoners will turn into a Wight, but you don't actually command them, which can lead to some fairly hilarious Benny Hill moments as a horde of 60 Wights chase you (note to self, don't do that trick with the GM who told you that trick, after gathering a village of people together under false pretences to sacrifice themselves to your Greater Consumptive Field).

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #14 on: November 03, 2016, 12:27:57 AM »
Eh if you get into those you can use Snowcast to add the [Cold] Descriptor to a Detect Magic Spell then I think Cold's version of +2 damage per Spell Level is Flash Frost. Through obviously Energy Substitution(fire or lighting) would be more ideal since you can use the Mystic rings to add +4d6 damage and Admixture can double it from there.

And there are a number of Divinations that let this abhorrent Detect Magic to work through them.

Offline Nifft

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Re: Damaging Auras?
« Reply #15 on: November 03, 2016, 09:15:18 PM »
There are a couple of Vestiges which give you damaging gaze attacks, which are kinda-sorta like auras (albeit with more terms & conditions).

Balam, the Bitter Angel (level 4) - 2d6 cold damage gaze attack against enemies, no range
Geryon, the Deposed Lord (level 4) - 2d6 acid damage gaze attack against enemies within 30 ft.