Greetings, all!
Tome of Battle maneuvers & stances are known to give non-casters significant utility, use, and fun. Most maneuvers and stances are meant to be used in combat.
What creative uses can we come up with for these abilities? "Creative uses" here means something not explicitly stated in the text. (Thus, no using Mountain Hammer 'creatively' to deal 3d6 damage instead of 2d6 damage. Even if your GM approves.)
Desert Wind
Desert Wind Discipline NotesDesert Wind is very much about fire. Fire burns. Burning material most often produces smoke and light. If fire, smoke, ash, or light is useful, set the right thing on fire.
Here are some real world uses for fire, smoke, ash, and light.
Distracting Ember (Level 1 Boost)-Lighting things on fire. Remember, your
Small Fire Elemental need not move to ignite flammable materials.
-Light torches (even impromptu torches), start buildings, walls, and floors on fire. A torch provides illumination; 20' of bright light and 20' of dim light beyond that.
-Debatably, since a Fire Elemental is constantly on fire, this fire produces light all by itself. Ask your GM how much.
-Turn wooden weapons (including arrows, bolts, and other flammable ammo) into flaming weapons by touching the wood to the flame. You may be able to shoot a piece of ammo through the flame produced by your Elemental to ignite it mid-flight. (Going by the
torch rules, you'd deal +1 fire damage per hit.) If you value your weapon, douse the fire after use.
-Pick up your Fire Elemental and throw it. Yes. Throw it. Either by your own power, or another device like a catapult or ballista. The Elemental is 4' tall, but it only weighs 1 lb! (Doing this may require the feat
Fling Ally or a similar ability.)
Maneuver & Stance Combos with Distracting Ember-Combo Distracting Ember and Charging Minotaur [Stone Dragon1] to send your
Small Fire Elemental flying in the direction of your choice. Surprise foes by dropping an Elemental on them! Set distant targets on fire! (Having the
Shock Trooper feat for its Directed Bull Rush ability can be handy.)
-Combo Distracting Ember and any of the Setting Sun throwing maneuvers (Mighty Throw [1], Devastating Throw [3], Comet Throw [4] Soaring Throw [5], Ballista Throw [6], or, if you feel like overkill, Tornado Throw [9]) to forcibly move your Elemental. If you can speak Ignan or otherwise communicate with it (Telepathy, etc.) you should be able to order it to purposely fail its STR or DEX check. (
Player's Handbook 177 sets the precedent about purposely failing saves. It's a GM call whether you can order a summoned creature to fail its check as if it rolled a natural 1.)
-Combo Distracting Ember with the stance Flame's Blessing [Desert Wind1]. Even with only 4 Tumble ranks, Flame's Blessing provides 5 fire resistance which will negate the d4 fire damage from your Elemental's Burn.
-(
Works Best with 4+ Fire Resistance) Combo Distracting Ember with the stance Martial Spirit [Devoted Spirit1]. By the rules as written (and unlike the healing strikes mentioned below), each hit heals you or an ally within 30' for 2 HP. Summon the ember as a swift action, order it to stay still if you can, hit it, heal yourself or a friend, then refresh. Especially fun for Jade Phoenix Mages, who get native access to Desert Wind and Devoted Spirit. May not be worth the maneuver picks, though.
-Combo Distracting Ember with the Devoted Spirit healing maneuvers (Crusader's Strike [1], Revitalizing Strike [3], Rallying Strike [6], and Strike of Righteous Vitality [9]) to hit the Elemental and heal yourself and your friends. This is in the area of "GM's call" whether this Fire Elemental poses a threat to you or your allies in a direct, immediate way. (Maybe if you take fire damage from hitting it...)
Spell & Power Combos with Distracting Ember-
Telekinesis [Wiz5],
telekinetic thrust [Psion3], and
telekinetic maneuver [Psion4] will let you forcibly move your Elemental, but are overkill.
-With GM permission,
mage hand and
far hand will throw it. (Normally these abilities only work on objects, not creatures.)
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Works Best with Poison Immunity) Use a strategically-timed
psionic minor creation with
Linked Power to coat the Elemental in poison. (I doubt the poison would douse the fire, but ask your GM.) Then throw, bull rush, or otherwise move your Elemental. At the end of your turn when it expires, it'll drop the poison where you want it. Since
creatures of the Elemental type are immune to poison, your pet is unaffected. Just avoid contact poisons if you aren't immune!
