infinite (ish) retribution [Jovoc bomb]

[OutlawPhilosopher]

Everyone loves Jovocs, right?

So, as everyone knows, they have this aura of retribution that damages non tanar'ri within 20ft for half the damage taken (DC15 half) whenever the Jovoc takes damage from any source. This is an (su) ability.

Apologies if this has been done before, but I noticed this today and was amused.

First, we summon up two Jovocs from the abyss.
Now find two cats (or whatever)
Now cast Ability Rip (Sorc/Wiz 7, Serpent Kingdoms) on each Jovoc, transferring aura of retribution to each of the cats.
Dominate Monster (or whatever) the cats and put them in a bag with a flask of alchemical fire.

Throw the bag at your enemy.

Alchemical fire bursts, dealing 1 point of damage to each cat. Auras of retribution trigger, dealing 1 damage (fort DC 15 half) to every non tanar'ri nearby. Order the cats to fail their saves. Auras trigger again, dealing 1 more damage. This process repeats until one of the cats dies.

Okay, so this isn't very impressive with cats, but a resonance bomb like this can be scaled up to absurd levels, with large numbers of high hitpoint "charges" allowing for potentially thousands of points of very difficult to avoid damage.

[ariasderros]

The original version

Round One: cast Gate. Gate in a Hagunemnon. These wonderful ELH creatures can have any six abilites you please from any creatures you choose. We'll take Aura of Retribution (from a Jovoc, MMII), Regeneration (from a Troll, MMI), Ice Runes (from that MMII air/cold beast, whatshisname), Spells (from, say, an Androsphinx) and two that make it look pretty. Now, for your Quickened spell, you cast Levitate on it.

The Hagunemnon can, as a free action, use it's Ice Runes ability to cast a spell as a 6th level Cleric (Androsphinx). Let's pick Sound Burst, because it's underused. The Hagunemnon centers Sound Burst on itself, and lets fly.

It takes 2d6 damage, which triggers it's Aura of Retribution. Because the Hagunemnon is not a tan'ari, it takes damage from it's own Aura, which...triggers it's Aura! Because the Hagunemnon has Regeneration, it doesn't ever die to the damage it's taking, which means that the cycle creates literally infinite damage as a free action, and the only thing that keeps everything in the area from taking infinite damage again and again every round forever is the duration of the Gate spell.

(The Levitate spell, for those of you not paying attention, is to keep the thing from falling into the center of the earth and possibly doing serious structural damage to your character's planet. We're always eco-conscious in our total destruction.)


Have fun!

[OutlawPhilosopher]

Yeah, that one is much better
Thanks!

[ariasderros]

It is better. It also doesn't work. Hagunemnon can't take some of those abilities, as it can only take (Ex).

But the theory would still work, it just needs to be re-extrapolated, like you did with Ability Rip.