Fun Finds v4.0

[SorO_Lost]

That's what they said about asbestos.

[Captnq]

SCREAMING FLASK
- COMPLETE MAGE (3.5)
Ammunition (Screaming Flask)
Cost: 40 gp
Alchemy DC: 25
Weight: 1 lb
This container is made from thick leather with a cap sewn on tight and fitted with a ripcord. Pulling the cord rips open the flask and activates the alchemical substance within. The flask emits a high-pitched shriek in a 15-foot cone. Anything in the cone takes 1d8 points of sonic damage and is deafened for 1 minute (Fortitude DC 15 negates).
Editor: Frankly, it’s a cool alchemy item, but it’s in your hat. Seriously? You activate it as close to your ears as possible? A sonic attack? Really? That said, it’s one of the cheapest ways to deafen someone in an area effect AND do damage at the same time. Burning hands in a wand that does 2d4 is 45 gp, and that requires you to be a spellcaster. THIS works in an AMF. That said, it’s a hat. That screams. It’s one of the most stupid looking weapons ever. So, which is more important, effectiveness, or appearances? You decide.
Editor (What is it?): Is it reloadable? Can you switch out the flasks and keep your hat on? Can you have a special metal hat? Can you add this to an enchanted hat? I have no idea, only guesses. As written, it’s a one use combination of ammunition and launcher in one. Personally, I’d allow the substance to be loaded into a sprayer, simply because it’s more dignified then having a flask of screams on your head. Then you could have three doses of the stuff, not just one.
Editor (Generic WSAs): If you are willing to look like an idiot, walking around with a bottle wrapped in leather, strapped on top of your head, then you should at least do something cool with it. (Anarchic, Aquan, Auran, Axiomatic, Holy, Ignan, Terran, Unholy, Psibane) All expensive, but good choices, because as they read, its anyone you damage, not hit. Furthermore, it lets you fire into melee without worring about damaging your side too much. Bane is a superior choice, because it’s cheaper. Flying is just funny. Your hat follows you around, floating about. You still need to spend a standard action to activate, but it doesn’t have to be on your head. There is no to hit roll, so there is no point to adding corrosive, frost, flaming, or shock, however, the wording on screaming is different then the others, so it would add +1d4 sonic damage to this. Maybe the only time I would ever buy that nerfed WSA.
Editor (Eager): Now, if you don’t like having it on your head, buy it with Eager. You can draw it as a free action and it gives you +2 on damage ROLLS during your surprise round, so it would add to the 1d8 sonic damage. Now, the problem is, it’s melee weapons only. This certainly isn’t a ranged weapon, but it’s not melee either. By RAW, you shouldn’t allow it, but as a DM, I think I might let it slide, considering it will up the cost of the item +6 gp for the Masterwork, and +160 gp for the +1 to hit/damage (Worthless) and +1 for the eager. All so you get a +2 to your initiative and so you don’t have to wear the hat all the time. Plus, I think it’s funny to have a hat that WANTS to jump on your head and then scream at people. “It’s so stimulating being your hat!” - The Hat, Labyrinth.
Editor (Implacable): This rocks! Everyone injured by the hat is now bleeding (from their ears, I imagine) and takes 2 points of damage a round for 5 rounds. Okay, it’s a +3 bonus, making the minimum additional cost to be +6 gp Mwk and +640 gp for the total +4 to the flask. Still. It’d scare the crap out of me if I just tool sonic damage, was deaf, and bleeding from my ears.
Editor (Magebane): +1 bonus gives you +2d6 damage against arcane spellcasters. Plus, being deaf makes your target have a 20% chance of spell failure when he tries to cast spells. All for the low price of +166 gp. Nice.
Editor (Merciful): +1 bonus, your damage becomes non-lethal and you add +1d6 damage. So it stops being sonic damage and your damage all adds together, so it has a better chance of getting through defenses and you can take people alive. I can see town guard patrols having one guard with a Merciful Magebane hat just for taking down battling arcane spellcasters without killing them. Heck, if you have only merciful, an 8 man patrol could each have one of these hats for 206 gp for a total of 1,648 gp. At an average of 8 points of damage in a 15 foot cone spread out over say, 10 feet between each guard… you could drop a wall of fifty charging commoners, easy.
Editor (Opposable): +1 bonus. Put it on your mount/familiar/animal companion. Enough said.
Editor (Strength Sapping): +2 bonus and sort of expensive, but you don’t have many choices when it comes to WSAs that are worded to work with area effect attacks. Still, DC 15 fort save or become exhausted, that’s a -6 to strength and dexterity. Again, excellent for crowd control.
Editor (Vile): +1 Bonus, you do one extra point of damage, that cannot heal unless you are on hallowed ground. Expensive, but a nice little “Screw you.”

*Snort*

Can I make a screaming Beer Hat?

[jojolagger]

Where exactly does it say the screaming flask is in a hat? Because the picture in Complete Mage shows it to be a bottle you point at people.

[sirpercival]

"Cap sewn on tight" --> cap to the flask, not a cap like a hat.

[SorO_Lost]

He makes a lot of jumps in his editor notes to

[Captnq]

"Cap sewn on tight" --> cap to the flask, not a cap like a hat.

Well.

That certainly changes my perspective of things.

AND shows how old I am. A cap is a hat, as far as I'm concerned.

[ksbsnowowl]

Where exactly does it say the screaming flask is in a hat? Because the picture in Complete Mage shows it to be a bottle you point at people.

Look at his avatar; he's obviously enamored with hats! 

[Captnq]

Look at his avatar; he's obviously enamored with hats! 

Actually, I do have quite the collection of hats. An oversized Mad Hatter Hat, a top hat, a Newpaperboy 1920's hat, an Australian Bush Hat and three fedoras. I lament the death of the hat in American culture. The world was a better place when cultural expectations demanded that men wore hats.

[linklord231]

According to the description of Sanctified Armor (Dungeonscape pg 34), divine foci don't need to be in hand when you're casting. 
By the SRD, you must be able to "manipulate" the material components or focus of a spell in order to cast.

Does Dungeonscape count as the "most recent printing" for this purpose?  If so, does that mean that the rule about having material components in hand in order to cast during a grapple is moot, since you don't need material components in hand normally? 

[kitep]

PHB, p170, under "Choosing a Spell"

To cast a spell, you must be able to speak (if the spell has a verbal
component), gesture (if it has a somatic component), and manipulate
the material components or focus (if any). Additionally, you
must concentrate to cast a spell—and it’s hard to concentrate in the
head of battle. (See below for details.)

PHB, p156, under "cast a spell" (whle grappling)

You can attempt to cast a spell while grappling or
even while pinned (see below), provided its casting time is no more
than 1 standard action, it has no somatic component, and you have
in hand any material components or focuses you might need.

So even the PHB says you just need to be able to manipulate the focus, you don't need to have it in hand -- except when grappling.

Though you could say p170 is a more recent printing than p156 .... 

[Chemus]

The root of 'manipulate' is manus or hand. Manipulate means handle. You have to have the components in hand, or be able to retrieve them, as from a spell pouch.

[linklord231]

Dungeonscape says in no uncertain terms that divine focuses don't have to be "in hand" to be used.  Either this is a contradiction of the rules set forth in the PHB, or a clarification of those rules. 
If it's a contradiction, which source trumps - most recent printing, or primary source?
If it's a clarification, what are the implications?  Does this extend to Arcane Focuses as well?  What about material components?  As far as I can tell, all 3 of these follow the same rules with only a few distinctions. 

[Bastian]

The root of 'manipulate' is manus or hand. Manipulate means handle. You have to have the components in hand, or be able to retrieve them, as from a spell pouch.

*facepalm* Just because a word's root means something, doesn't mean that the word most follow that meaning. Here's a list of definitions for manipulate (note "handle or control")

ma·nip·u·late
verb /məˈnipyəˌlāt/ 
manipulated, past participle; manipulated, past tense; manipulates, 3rd person singular present; manipulating, present participle

Handle or control (a tool, mechanism, etc.), typically in a skillful manner
- he manipulated the dials of the set

Alter, edit, or move (text or data) on a computer

Examine or treat (a part of the body) by feeling or moving it with the hand
- a system of healing based on manipulating the ligaments of the spine

Control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously
- the masses were deceived and manipulated by a tiny group

Alter (data) or present (statistics) so as to mislead

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

The world was a better place when cultural expectations demanded that men wore hats.

I agree with what you're really saying.

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

with no save to resist.

Page 6 says "a successful Will save negates the effect". How do you hex without a save?

[JaronK]

Dungeonscape says in no uncertain terms that divine focuses don't have to be "in hand" to be used.  Either this is a contradiction of the rules set forth in the PHB, or a clarification of those rules. 
If it's a contradiction, which source trumps - most recent printing, or primary source?
If it's a clarification, what are the implications?  Does this extend to Arcane Focuses as well?  What about material components?  As far as I can tell, all 3 of these follow the same rules with only a few distinctions.

If it's a contradiction, core trumps, but if it's more specific, the more specific thing trumps.

With that said, if you can interpret it with no contradictions, then that interpretation is correct.  The only way to do that is to say they don't need to be in your hand unless you're grappling.

JaronK

[zook1shoe]

From Dragon #315...

Orc Blooded
Regions: Bandit Kingdoms, Bone March, Iuz, North Kingdom, Pomarj, Stonehold, Ull, Zeif.
Benefit: You gain darkvision up to 30 feet. Barbarian is considered a favored class for you. You count as an orc for effects related to race.
Special: You may select this feat only at 1st level.

a feat that gives you access to orc items, feats, and PrCs.
does it grant you the orc abilities? "all effects"

[Maat Mons]

I just came across the armored savant alternative class feature (Dragon 355, p92) for fighter.  It's taken at 1st level and sacrifices the normal bonus feat. 

One benefit is that you can treat your armor as one category lighter for determining your move speed.  This allows you to move at full speed in mithral full plate without the tooth of Savnok.  Not that 2,000 gp is expensive, but only one can exist at any given time, so it could be difficult to get a hold of. 

Another benefit is that you cut the arcane spell failure chance for you armor in half.  This could be handy for gish builds, since many already dip a level of a non-casting class to get the full martial weapon proficiency required for spellsword.  Even if armored savant has to apply after properties of the armor itself, you've got 20% for githcraft mithral full plate, cut in half to 10%, then reduced by 10% from the first level of spellsword, resulting in 0% arcane spell failure chance. 

Granted, there are other ways to get 0% arcane spell failure chance if full plate, but some DMs might not like feycraft githcraft armor, and twilight is priced as a +1 bonus, which can make things expensive later. 

[zook1shoe]

The 'Grab Magic' feat from planeswalker allows you to touch someone to steal a spell effect on them, even one that can't normally be cast on you. You need a high enough Cha to 'cast' the spell and they get a Will save (DC 10+1/2 your HD + your Cha mod).

An Annihilation Spell (+3 level metamagic, single target+damaging only) deals Con damage equal to the spell's level (Fort half min 1 at original DC)

did someone say 'no save spells', like magic missile?

[Garryl]

The 'Grab Magic' feat from planeswalker allows you to touch someone to steal a spell effect on them, even one that can't normally be cast on you. You need a high enough Cha to 'cast' the spell and they get a Will save (DC 10+1/2 your HD + your Cha mod).

An Annihilation Spell (+3 level metamagic, single target+damaging only) deals Con damage equal to the spell's level (Fort half min 1 at original DC)

did someone say 'no save spells', like magic missile?

Kauper's Quickblast is a pathetic 1st-level damaging spell. Single target, Reflex half, 1 damage/level (max 5). However, it's cast as a free/swift action, as per a Quickened spell, which makes it wonderful to combine with metamagic like Fell Drain and Annihilation Spell that have real effects of their own.