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Messages - Jowgen

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Fun Finds the 2nd Party Edition
« on: February 16, 2020, 10:54:30 AM »
This find is from Dungeon (Issue 148 p. 82), but it might belong in the 1st party thread IF you consider Savage Tide adventure path material to qualify as such.

The Chokesnake is a 6 HD Fiendish Symbiont (yes, the Fiend Folio things). It's not really a benefiicial symbiont to have as its largely geared towards completely dominating its host (Ego save is a whooping 44), but it does have one thing going for it, and that's is (Su)  Poison.

Normally its a simple DC 17 1d6 Con/1d6 Con damage poison, BUT it has a stipulation that any poison immune creature (except Undead, Contruct, Plant and Ooze) still has to save against 1d4 Con/1d4 Con.

So it is a planar bind-able source of Immunity-busting Poison that isn't limited to evil creatures like ravages are. Even better, if you appy any undead template that leaves (Su) abilities intact, the switch from Con to Cha for the save DC goes up a respectable 24 (10+ 3 HD + 2 Ability Focus + 9 Cha)


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Handbook Discussion / Re: Extract Gift Mini-Handbook - Discussion
« on: February 08, 2020, 05:40:04 PM »
Put in here for for the benefit of others who might come across this old handbook/thread:

The Hammer of Lolth, from Expedition to the Demonweb pits, is a Lolth aspect with 14 HD (Chaotic and Evil Subtype outsider, therefore: Demon) with 27 Int and 26 Wis, making it a better choice compared to the Sibriex.

Also, if HD is no object and Demon Lords themselves are valid donors, the ones with the Highest printed stats are:

- Dagon: Str 46 (Dragon 349)
- Pazuzu: Dex 38 (Dragon 329)
- Demogorgon: Con 46 (Dragon 357)
- Graz'zt: Int 38 (Dragon 360)
- Yeenoghu: Wis 30 (FC I) (tied with Azuvidexus, but more mainstream)
- Malcanthet: Cha 44 (Dragon 353)

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D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / So the "other" forum is looking for support...
« on: February 04, 2020, 03:31:30 AM »
Hi, I hope this is okay to post here, but the "other" forum has been down due to server failure and the creator of both those and the comic strip that goes with it is doing a patreon to get things back up and running for the long haul.

I am in no way affiliated with the Giant, just someone who frequents his Playground, and I thought I'd post something to help spread the word..

Considering that many of the resource collections on here include links to the "other" forum (e.g. stuff that was salvaged from the dead wotc forums), I think it should be okay for me to write this, but if not then I do apologise and ask that my smiting be swift/painless.  :bigeyes

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Question as in the title.

The Targeteer Fighter varient from Dragon 310 can get the following ability:

Quote
Vital Aim: The Targetteer may add his Dexterity modifier to his damage rolls with a ranged-weapon attack instead of his Strength bonus. The Targetteer cannot replace a Strength penalty to damage rolls with his Dexterity modifier unless his Dexterity modifier is also a penalty. The Targetteer cannot use his Dexterity modifier to replace his Strength modifier when attacking creatures immune to critical hits.

Crossbows don't get Str to damage. Like, ever; as far as I can tell. So, Vital Aim can't get applied.

As a long shot I thought I'd ask if anyone can think of anything to get it to apply.

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Fun Finds v7.0 - Now with +15% more reposts!
« on: June 09, 2017, 08:27:59 AM »
Something that I thought would already have been mentioned but doesn't show in the compilation:

Splinter Bolts, from Dragon 349 page 23. 60 gp a pop, these crossbow bolts actually fragment into a 30ft cone upon being fired, doing 1d6 regardless of the crossbow with a DC 15 for half damage. As these are still ammunition fired from a ranged weapon, stuff that adds (flat) damage to weapon damage rolls should apply accross the board. Get your damage per shot high enough (e.g. DFI anyone?) and this can mow down mooks in literal droves.

Less interesting but still fun are Tanglefoot Bolts from the same page, which are just a tanglefoot-bag tipped bolt that does exactly what you think.

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Fun Finds v7.0 - Now with +15% more reposts!
« on: May 21, 2017, 10:23:51 PM »
Damn. And thus another broken food generator appears...

Actually more than that, it is an incredibly broken means of wealth creation. Going by the "edible items table" in A&E, you can get 75 gp per OUNCE of vanilla. Runner up is Saffron at 65 gp. Furthermore, going by the dictionary defintion of food plant "a plant some part of which provides food for human consumption", you can include fruit trees. Including Fey Cherries, which are a damn gold mine. Certain ingested drug plants, like Mertoran Leaf, might also qualify.

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Fun Finds v7.0 - Now with +15% more reposts!
« on: May 21, 2017, 08:48:32 PM »
I done a different calculation with the Pomow plant (SoS p. 51), which maxes out at 1-2 ft diameter in size. Tying the WotE to a Hallow and assuming one gives each plant a 1 ft planting berth, you can fit 711 Pomow plants in the area, which is also how many you can harvest in a day. Going by watermelons (maybe pumpins would be better analogy), which are on average a bit over 1.5 ft in diameter (like the pomow), each Pomow should weigh about 8 lb. Giving a bit of leeway, that is about 8 x 700 = 5600 lb of food. The average humanoid needs 1 lb of good quality food/day, so that is the exact number of people that can be fed (not accounting for the 3 days someone can go without food without penalty). That is comfortably within the population range of a Large town or the low-end of a small city. If Plant Growth stacks on top of this, we up the production to about 7500, which is a mid-range small town.

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Fun Finds v7.0 - Now with +15% more reposts!
« on: May 21, 2017, 06:49:19 PM »
Got an obscure and rather useful spell:

Womb of the Earth is a 1st level cleric spell from Dragon 279 p. 35. It's Transmutation, casting time of 15 minutes, Range of Close, an Area of 15 ft burst +10 ft/level, with an Instantaneous (D) duration. In turns an area of natural light vegetation into a miracle-grow field that causes "food plants" (of a type specified of at the type of casting) to grow to harvest maturity in 24 hours. After harvesting the ground returns to its prior condition.

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D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: Let's build the ultimate vault.
« on: May 15, 2017, 03:27:55 AM »
@Jowgen Finally time for someone to say something useful! Are the auto-trigger Disjunctions and Globe of Invulnerabiltity you mentioned custom effects like custom traps rather than RAW-listed effects? If so its kind tippyverse TO. If not, I'd love a citation.

Oh stop it you  :flutter

They are all Wondrous Architecture from SBG, specifically Sigils of Antimagic, Sigils of Suppression and Room of Rending ( all from p. 83). The way the Antimagic sigils are worded should make it so that the Wondrous Architecture that is the vault doesn't interfere with its own properties, so that the AMF-component doesn't interfere with the Disjunction-one or vice-versa.

EDIT: even the AMF precludes the Disjunction, all that really leaves open are rare high-levels things like Invoke Magic

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D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: Let's build the ultimate vault.
« on: May 13, 2017, 11:41:19 AM »
Filling the box with tons of drugs with the Inhaled delivery method doesn't fill those gaps? Pretty sure nothing is immune to drugs and most drugs can drop certain stats to zero, causing non-functionality in intruders.

"In game terms, all drugs function like poisons" (LoD p. 182), and Ex poison immunity is relatively common.

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D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: Let's build the ultimate vault.
« on: May 13, 2017, 12:14:12 AM »
I had a thread trying to accomplish a somewhat similar thing some time back over on giantitp (can't link as it's still down at this time...  :shakefist), specifically to create a deathtrap room that nothing could escape from alive/undestroyed.

From what I recall, the result was a voidstone box (with super-boosted hardness) that abused the Wondrous Architecture and Lair Ward rulesets, as to have the inside subject to AMF with auto-trigger Disjunctions and Globe of Invulnerabiltity layered on top in case of AMF by-pass. Another addition was Anchor Mists (Dungeonscape p. 140), to add a non-magical Dimensional Anchor effect. Essentially, once inside you had no choice but to content with constant voidstone exposure while unable to use/benefit from any magic; making death mostly inevitable.

The project was left a tad unfinished though. Certain creatures could avoid dying by acquiring voidstone immunity and/or hovering in the center of the room using Ex-flight at the right maneuverability. Also, never really got around to adding any sort of doorway, as to give a practical purpose ot the whole thing.

Perhaps some of the elements are of use here?

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Fun Finds v7.0 - Now with +15% more reposts!
« on: September 13, 2016, 08:37:54 PM »
I got something that (according to a quick site search) appears to be genuinely novel/fun/useful.

DMG2 has Bonding Rituals, which let a character ignore the normal prerequisites for creating an item (such as the ability to cast a certain spell), the exception being non-item-creation feats and caster level, which must either be met otherwise or be equal or less to current character level. The character must still expend the GP and EXP, meet the prequesites of the ritual (can be met by 3rd level), and they can only have one Bonded Item at a time.

The fun part: the Ritual of Faith (pre: Knowledge Religion (3 ranks), 2nd level divine spells) specifically mentions that it can be applied to phylacteries. This means that any character capable of casting 2nd level divine spells that has the means to boost his CL to at least 11 (e.g. Ghostwalk Circle Magic) can construct themselves a Lich's Phylactery, if he has enouch exp/cash to burn.

tl;dr: Ritual of Faith theoretically allows 3rd level Clerics to acquire the Lich template without wasting permanent resources.

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No problem. Also, didn't include it on my  list, but you may want to: Fingerbone Necklace, Savage Species 56; Mounted Combat (goblinoid only).

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Handbook Discussion / Re: Handbook Index Discussion Thread
« on: August 05, 2015, 11:05:06 AM »
I humbly submit my handbooks from over at giantitp for addition to the index here. The tenser's floating disk one I copied over to this board a while ago on request, but I don't think it's been added here yet (also, I've been lazy in discussion). The Feat granting items one I just linked Ninjenko to so that he can absorb it into his feat-binding guide if he so chooses, as I didn't want to step on his toes by copying it over, so you may not want to include that.

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=15724.0

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?381621-List-of-ways-to-deny-enemies-X-to-AC-other-defenses

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?355562-quot-Can-I-Take-10-quot-Table-of-sourcebook-examples-mentions-of-taking-10

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?400840-List-of-Feat-Granting-Items-Locations-Grafts

And my personal favorite creation: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?410846-The-Redeemery-Saving-Souls-for-Good-and-Profit-Work-in-Progress

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Hi there. I made a list of similar things (using slightly different qualifying criteria I think) over on giantitp, which draws on your guide (credit is given, no worries). I considered copying it over here, but seeing how you're still active and this isn't really my "turf"; I thought it prudent to just link you to my list so that you can add stuff from it to yours if you feel like it. So yeah here ya go.  :)

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?400840-List-of-Feat-Granting-Items-Locations-Grafts

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@ PlzBreakMyCampaign: Sorry for the massive delay in reply, completely forgot as this isn't my regular board.  :-\


Agreed that it is a grey area, but you forgot to add 'unless an outside trigger effects or forces something different (like another creature or weight or spell, etc)

I would file those under special effects/rules, as being able to force a spell to do something other than what it's description/caster want it to is a very special thing.

Correct, there are grappling rules for that. A) You can target anything you can pinpoint with a sense, B) you can grapple anything you can target/touch/grapple etc as specified by the grappling rules. C) additional rules can be infered from other spells that the caster would use the casting stat in leui of strength for the purpose of the grapple check. And let's also not forget the rule of cool and that spells need to be understood in their least broken applications, not their TO, most broken interpretations.

Are you genuinely suggesting one can grapple something that ISN'T a creature?  :huh That seems completely outlandish to me, but I suppose... okay, this would need a separate discussion all together imo... the ammount of special cases and considerations that would need to be considered... yeah, not touching that can of worms at this time.

Rule of cool I can get behind in game, although I believe handbooks ought to be impartial in that regard. Similarly broken interpretations should be acknowledged as such, but that doesn't mean they should be off limits for handbooking purposes.

Just a maybe? Of course you could. And those two things are different. You can stop a spell effect without explicit rules in that same spell. You use other general rules: common physics, other spells, etc. But you can't get spells to do things they say they can't unless you have specific rules: feats, class features, etc.

Well, if the spell had defined the disk as an object that I would assume that the authors would have mentioned something as to how one should treat it for at least some purpose, hence the maybe. I did not mean to suggest that spells can't be stopped without rules within the spell, obviously other things that say you can do so let you do so. And of course, we are in agreement that getting spells to do things their descriptions don't allow is impossible. It is simply my position that the disks explicit ability to maintain a constant interval means exactly that, even against external forces trying to move it due to (see next section).

Because it is stated explicitly. Otherwise normal, non-catgirl-killing physics applies ... because its an object. If it were a pure effect that didn't have an object component, you couldn't set the color and you'd have no idea where you last put it. After all it wouldn't be an object you could see, it would be an invisible spell effect that wouldn't even show up with true seeing!

I think this is the crux of our disagreement. You consider the Disk to be an object. I consider the Disk to be a spell effect that happens to have some physical characteristics that can be found in objects. I've already mentioned some of my main reason why I don't consider it an object (e.g. evocation instead of conjuration), but I thought of another one that might bring us to a resolution:

Do you think that a Tenser's Floating Disk should be a legal target for the spell Animate Objects?

I really don't think it should, both for my aforementioned reason, and the terrible terrible cheese that could result from this itself, as well as the precedent it would set.

The real question is, how many use-based items (not continuous) even have unlimited uses per day in all of D&D? I'm still think that's a typo that the limitation was not inserted but if you can find like a dozen items that behave in such a manner, I'll have to concede.

Hmm, lets see, from the top of my head... Shirt of Wraith stalking, 6000 gp, hide from undead at will (never do an undead campaign without it). Hand of the Mage, 900 gp, Mage hand at will. The collar of perpetual attendance (Fabulous Cats), 2000 gp, Unseen Servant at will (best utility ever next to prestidigitation). Babbling Wheel (Savage Species), 2000 gp, Hypnotism at will (check out my redeemery handbook on giantitp, it is killer for that stull). Helm of Wounding sight, 6500 gp, Light at will (not a great thing, just happened to remember). Gloves of the Uldra Savant, 3100 gp, Ray of frost at will (love that one on certain SA builds). The Crytal Balls, lots of gp, Scry and other stuff at will. Pipes of Sounding, 1800 gp, Ghost Sound at will (can be fun). Amulet of the Planes, 120000 gp, Planes Shift at will. Medallion of Though, 12000 gp, Detect Thoughts at will. Ring of Telekenisis/Blink/Invsiblity/Animal Friendship, XX000 gp, said spells at will. Hat of Disguise, 1800 gp, Disguise Self at will (very handy for certain things for obvious reasons).

I think this should suffice. MIC has a trend for 3/day items, but both it and the DMG have a long list of items that are just at will across all price-brackets.

By the way, thanks for this discussion.

No, thank you for your interest in my handbook  :)

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My point was that spell effects are separate from creatures and objects. Creatures and objects are subject to the rules that simulate physics (e.g.dogs can be moved by force), while spell effects follows the rules of magic, and trying to mix the two where it isn't specified is a road to catastrophic dysfunction. Magical effects simply happen as specified. In the absence of special effects/rules, spell effects do what they say they do, nothing more and nothing less.

As Floating Disk is neither Conjuration(Creation), nor specified as an object in its entry, it is a pure spell effect; meaning it does what it says on the tin. That includes maintaining a caster-specified interval that is "constant" (aka. unchanging or invariable) between itself and the caster. The maintaining of this constant interval is an explicitly stated ability of the spell effect. Saying that you can stop a disk from maintaining it would be alike to saying that you can immobilize Mordenkainen's sword by grappling and pinning it: the spell not saying that you can't doesn't mean that you can.

You can't stop a spell from doing what it says it does unless you explicitly have been granted that ability somehow, just like how you can't get spell effects to do things that they're not stated to be capable of. If the disk were an object or creature, the physics-simulating rules could maybe let you push it by force, but since it isn't, those rules give you no power over the disk. The Disk is a piece of active magic under control of the caster, and its description does not give anyone except the caster the ability to move it. Also, an overburdened disk doesn't fall, it simply "winks out".

Some notes: Interposing hand is a rare exception to the general rule (see Riverine in Stormwrack or Dragon 323 p. 79 for standard force-effect indestructibility). The fact that the Disk is Force isn't particularly relevant, and I've only been sticking to Force examples as to avoid accidentally tripping over some obscure magic rule. I think there is text in the MIC somewhere talking about how some items are intentionally cheaper than the pricing guidelines says they should be, because reasons.

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Welcome to an open discussion forum. I love this spell. Wizards shouldn't ban evocation! But I'm not sure it does all the things you think.

A) Spells have to state something abnormal in order for the abnormal thing to happen. Normally, objects can be moved. Where does FD say it can't be moved as any other object?

B) Isn't the default for use-items to be 1/day? Where is the ruling that non-continuous, non-charged items can be repeatedly used if they don't say they can be?

Thank you.  :)

A) Two reasons: 1. The disk isn't an object, it's a spell effect... a force effect, like wall of force to be exact. Spells can create objects, but that is generally the domain of the Creation sub-school. 2. The Spell description does state the required abnormal thing. The disk explicitly has the power to maintain a "constant interval" to the caster. A mundane attempt to move the disk, and thus change that constant interval, would be try to go against the disk's explicity ability in the same way as trying to push a wall of force out of the way would be. The wall can't be moved in the same way the disk maintains the specified distance.

B) I checked the SRD and MIC sections on using magic items, and have not found any such 1/day default rule. Also, the MIC is burstingly full with X/day items, all of which specify this daily limit at the end of their description. The Talisman gives the activation method and the duration for each effect, but in no way hints at a daily limit.

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Greetings, Jowgen!

Thanks again for porting your guide here from GiantITP.  May we get a link to the discussion thread at the top of the Handbook?

No problem, and done. I'm now considering whether to copy over any of my other stuff, since I'm at it and stuff. Also, thank you for your interest in this Handbook.  :)

I had never realized you can use the Talisman of the Disk as often as you wanted to.  In my mind, I had inserted "once a day".  Now I know better.  Thanks for the guide  :)

You're welcome, young Tenser Disciple  :cool

So what happens if you sit on the disk, then command it to move 5' in front of you.  As it moves, it carries you along, so it has to move again, and carries you again, and so on.  Put a lazy-boy recliner on it, and you've got yourself a hover-chair.

It's an age old dilemma. I went with the conservative "has no propulsion" ruling, so that the tricks would fly at most tables; but if you're interested in the pros and cons, the original version of this guide on giantitp and the discussion that came before it discuss the matter in detail.

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Discussion thread for my Handbook on how to get the most out of the Tenser's Floating Disk spell (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=15724)

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