Fun Finds v4.0

[Kerrus]

@kerrus, could you bluff them into thinking its a harmless spell?

What, so that they willingly fail their will save? I doubt it. I don't see why you'd need to though, if you're a cha based caster your intimidate and save DC's are both based on charisma and that's easy enough to boost to make saving against it unlikely.


At the higher tier, get a use activated custom magic item to cast a target specific version of the spell (to reduce costs) on anyone you you hit with intimidating strike. Condense it all into a single action, and you can basically slap an enemy into being your friend.

*Orc runs up and attacks you*

*Slaps Orc, intimidating strike + adoration of the frightful*

"Dude, why the hell are you attacking me?"

"Sorry, idk what came over me."

"Well you better give me that sword- you could hurt yourself with it."

[Captnq]

Looking at the Pathfinder Adventurer's Armory and came across this:

Throwing Shield: This shield is designed for throwing
and comes with specially designed straps allowing you to
unclasp and throw it as a free action. Tower shields cannot
be throwing shields. Neither a shield’s enhancement
bonus to AC nor its shield spikes apply to your attack or
damage rolls.

Now, the wording is terrible. But it could be argued that both unclasping, and throwing it are free actions. An extra free action attack? Sure. That could be useful.

Ya know, I included any shield that could be used as a weapon in my handbook. I'm just now thinking of the Manopole that allow you to use as a weapon and retain your armor bonus when you use it.

(click to show/hide)

- SANDSTORM (3.5)
Exotic Light Weapon
[Shield]
Cost: 35 gp
Damage (s): 1d4
Damage (m): 1d6
Critical: 19-20/x2
Weight: 1 lb
Type: S or P
Resembling a sai with blades, a manople is actually a gauntlet worn over your hand. Since it is worn this way, however, you cannot carry anything else in that hand, nor can you use it to cast spells or use skills. A manople gives you a +1 shield bonus to AC. Unlike with a spiked shield, you retain this bonus to AC even on a round in which you make an attack with the manople. If you lack the appropriate Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat, you do not retain the shield bonus to AC, as you would with a spiked shield. A manople has no armor check penalty and a 5% arcane spell failure chance. Like a spiked shield, a manople can be enhanced as a weapon, as a shield, or both, but such enhancements must be paid for and applied separately. An opponent cannot use a disarm action to disarm you of this weapon. The cost and weight given are for a single manople.
Editor: Wow! A weapon and a shield that doesn’t lose it’s shield bonus while you are attacking with it! Of course, this requires you to be a TWF in order to take advantage of it, but besides that, it’s an excellent choice. It’s begging to be made out of mithral to get rid of that arcane spell failure chance. If you do, this weapon moves up to purple as a wizards best friend. It’s a shield you can stack enchantments on, it’s a weapon you can stack enchantments on, you can’t be disarmed, and it leaves your other hand free for spellcasting. Sweet.

Make it out of mithral so no chance of arcane spell failure. Then add teleporting so it comes back to your hand (teleporting works so much better as it always returns to your hand even if you move out of your original square). Add that throwing shield thing from pathfinder. Maybe add exit wound, what the hell, distance too. As a free action I punch through everyone in a 100 foot line, it comes back to my hand. OOO! I add Off-handed as a +3 Bonus, so I get an extra attack with my off hand manople before I take the free attack to throw it through everyone down a corridor.

Sick. Just sick.

[Kerrus]

Dragon 323 has some  interesting dwarf themed magical items- one in particular potentially pretty useful:

Statuette of the All-Father can only be used by clerics of lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral alignment while preparing spells (doesn't have to worship Moradin).

Once per day, a cleric of any of those alignments can use the statuette to prepare spells of the Strength Domain as if they were domain spells. Also, for that day, the cleric gains the granted power of the Strength Domain.

So basically free access to the Strength Domain for a day, every day.

How much does this wonderful item cost, you ask?

2000 gp. Faint abjuration, CL 3rd, craft wondrous item, Bull's Strength. Weight 5 lbs.

[Lunarambling]

Looking at the Pathfinder Adventurer's Armory and came across this:

Throwing Shield: This shield is designed for throwing
and comes with specially designed straps allowing you to
unclasp and throw it as a free action. Tower shields cannot
be throwing shields. Neither a shield’s enhancement
bonus to AC nor its shield spikes apply to your attack or
damage rolls.

Now, the wording is terrible. But it could be argued that both unclasping, and throwing it are free actions. An extra free action attack? Sure. That could be useful.

Ya know, I included any shield that could be used as a weapon in my handbook. I'm just now thinking of the Manopole that allow you to use as a weapon and retain your armor bonus when you use it.

(click to show/hide)

- SANDSTORM (3.5)
Exotic Light Weapon
[Shield]
Cost: 35 gp
Damage (s): 1d4
Damage (m): 1d6
Critical: 19-20/x2
Weight: 1 lb
Type: S or P
Resembling a sai with blades, a manople is actually a gauntlet worn over your hand. Since it is worn this way, however, you cannot carry anything else in that hand, nor can you use it to cast spells or use skills. A manople gives you a +1 shield bonus to AC. Unlike with a spiked shield, you retain this bonus to AC even on a round in which you make an attack with the manople. If you lack the appropriate Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat, you do not retain the shield bonus to AC, as you would with a spiked shield. A manople has no armor check penalty and a 5% arcane spell failure chance. Like a spiked shield, a manople can be enhanced as a weapon, as a shield, or both, but such enhancements must be paid for and applied separately. An opponent cannot use a disarm action to disarm you of this weapon. The cost and weight given are for a single manople.
Editor: Wow! A weapon and a shield that doesn’t lose it’s shield bonus while you are attacking with it! Of course, this requires you to be a TWF in order to take advantage of it, but besides that, it’s an excellent choice. It’s begging to be made out of mithral to get rid of that arcane spell failure chance. If you do, this weapon moves up to purple as a wizards best friend. It’s a shield you can stack enchantments on, it’s a weapon you can stack enchantments on, you can’t be disarmed, and it leaves your other hand free for spellcasting. Sweet.

Make it out of mithral so no chance of arcane spell failure. Then add teleporting so it comes back to your hand (teleporting works so much better as it always returns to your hand even if you move out of your original square). Add that throwing shield thing from pathfinder. Maybe add exit wound, what the hell, distance too. As a free action I punch through everyone in a 100 foot line, it comes back to my hand. OOO! I add Off-handed as a +3 Bonus, so I get an extra attack with my off hand manople before I take the free attack to throw it through everyone down a corridor.

Sick. Just sick.

Ok, not familiar with all of those enhancements. I know Teleporting. I am assuming Exit Wound turns it into a Line Attack? What book is that from? What does Off-handed do? Also, if you are talking about throwing it on a Wizard, why not use it as you primary weapon? Not like you are generally going to be doing standard attacks each round anyway.

Could you use this to deliver touch spells, like maybe Chilling Touch or some such as a free action?

[linklord231]

Ya know, I included any shield that could be used as a weapon in my handbook. I'm just now thinking of the Manopole that allow you to use as a weapon and retain your armor bonus when you use it.

(click to show/hide)

- SANDSTORM (3.5)
Exotic Light Weapon
[Shield]
Cost: 35 gp
Damage (s): 1d4
Damage (m): 1d6
Critical: 19-20/x2
Weight: 1 lb
Type: S or P
Resembling a sai with blades, a manople is actually a gauntlet worn over your hand. Since it is worn this way, however, you cannot carry anything else in that hand, nor can you use it to cast spells or use skills. A manople gives you a +1 shield bonus to AC. Unlike with a spiked shield, you retain this bonus to AC even on a round in which you make an attack with the manople. If you lack the appropriate Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat, you do not retain the shield bonus to AC, as you would with a spiked shield. A manople has no armor check penalty and a 5% arcane spell failure chance. Like a spiked shield, a manople can be enhanced as a weapon, as a shield, or both, but such enhancements must be paid for and applied separately. An opponent cannot use a disarm action to disarm you of this weapon. The cost and weight given are for a single manople.
Editor: Wow! A weapon and a shield that doesn’t lose it’s shield bonus while you are attacking with it! Of course, this requires you to be a TWF in order to take advantage of it, but besides that, it’s an excellent choice. It’s begging to be made out of mithral to get rid of that arcane spell failure chance. If you do, this weapon moves up to purple as a wizards best friend. It’s a shield you can stack enchantments on, it’s a weapon you can stack enchantments on, you can’t be disarmed, and it leaves your other hand free for spellcasting. Sweet.

Make it out of mithral so no chance of arcane spell failure. Then add teleporting so it comes back to your hand (teleporting works so much better as it always returns to your hand even if you move out of your original square). Add that throwing shield thing from pathfinder. Maybe add exit wound, what the hell, distance too. As a free action I punch through everyone in a 100 foot line, it comes back to my hand. OOO! I add Off-handed as a +3 Bonus, so I get an extra attack with my off hand manople before I take the free attack to throw it through everyone down a corridor.

Sick. Just sick.

Not sure I'm a fan of using it on a Wizard.  They only need one hand to provide somatic components, but the fact that you can't hold anything in your manopole hand means you can't use metamagic rods and such, and makes it more difficult to use staffs/wands/scrolls.  I think it'd be put to better use on a standard TWF build.

As an aside, why does this thing have Arcane Spell Failure chance?  You can't use that hand to cast spells, so it can't possibly interfere with your casting.

[Garryl]

Ya know, I included any shield that could be used as a weapon in my handbook. I'm just now thinking of the Manopole that allow you to use as a weapon and retain your armor bonus when you use it.

(click to show/hide)

- SANDSTORM (3.5)
Exotic Light Weapon
[Shield]
Cost: 35 gp
Damage (s): 1d4
Damage (m): 1d6
Critical: 19-20/x2
Weight: 1 lb
Type: S or P
Resembling a sai with blades, a manople is actually a gauntlet worn over your hand. Since it is worn this way, however, you cannot carry anything else in that hand, nor can you use it to cast spells or use skills. A manople gives you a +1 shield bonus to AC. Unlike with a spiked shield, you retain this bonus to AC even on a round in which you make an attack with the manople. If you lack the appropriate Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat, you do not retain the shield bonus to AC, as you would with a spiked shield. A manople has no armor check penalty and a 5% arcane spell failure chance. Like a spiked shield, a manople can be enhanced as a weapon, as a shield, or both, but such enhancements must be paid for and applied separately. An opponent cannot use a disarm action to disarm you of this weapon. The cost and weight given are for a single manople.
Editor: Wow! A weapon and a shield that doesn’t lose it’s shield bonus while you are attacking with it! Of course, this requires you to be a TWF in order to take advantage of it, but besides that, it’s an excellent choice. It’s begging to be made out of mithral to get rid of that arcane spell failure chance. If you do, this weapon moves up to purple as a wizards best friend. It’s a shield you can stack enchantments on, it’s a weapon you can stack enchantments on, you can’t be disarmed, and it leaves your other hand free for spellcasting. Sweet.

Make it out of mithral so no chance of arcane spell failure. Then add teleporting so it comes back to your hand (teleporting works so much better as it always returns to your hand even if you move out of your original square). Add that throwing shield thing from pathfinder. Maybe add exit wound, what the hell, distance too. As a free action I punch through everyone in a 100 foot line, it comes back to my hand. OOO! I add Off-handed as a +3 Bonus, so I get an extra attack with my off hand manople before I take the free attack to throw it through everyone down a corridor.

Sick. Just sick.

Not sure I'm a fan of using it on a Wizard.  They only need one hand to provide somatic components, but the fact that you can't hold anything in your manopole hand means you can't use metamagic rods and such, and makes it more difficult to use staffs/wands/scrolls.  I think it'd be put to better use on a standard TWF build.

As an aside, why does this thing have Arcane Spell Failure chance?  You can't use that hand to cast spells, so it can't possibly interfere with your casting.

Same reason a shield does. You can't cast with the hand wielding a heavy shield, and yet you've got 15% ASF nonetheless.

I'm mildly impressed with the manople. EWP (manople) is mostly equivalent to taking Improved Shield Bash and using a heavy spiked shield. However, while the shield has 1 more AC, it also has slightly more ACP and ASF, only a 20/x2 critical, is one-handed instead of light, and can be "donned" as drawing a weapon instead of a fixed move action (and likewise dropped as a free action instead of a move action). Enchanting a shield with Bashing would result in more damage, though (1 die size, possibly two is Bashing applies on top of shield spikes). Still, being a light weapon instead of one-handed means you can use a one-handed weapon in your other hand when TWFing without eating the extra -2 attack penalty, as opposed to having to use a light weapon and your shield bash as main hand.

[zook1shoe]

The Stuff of Legends is great for a Hulking Hurler, you get your Con mod to Str mod for carrying capacity!

from planescape

[Kerrus]

Dragon 345 has some new spells, among them a ripe for abuse wiz/sorc 0 cantrip called 'Chalkboard'.

Range: Close (25 ft+ 5ft/2 levels)
Effect: Figment of a chalkbroad up to 10ft by 10ft square.
Duration: Cocnentration+ 1 round/level
Save: Will disbelief if interacted with.
Spell resistance: No.

Creates a chalkbroad figment floating at roughly arm's reach- but can be positioned anywhere in range. Stays relative to you if you move, you can maneuver it however you like.

It can be anywhere from 1 inch to 10ft by 10 ft square (perfect for covering the mouth of a tunnel, or the top of a pit) You can draw on the chalkboard by moving your finger as you would a piece of chalk, an illusory chalk textured line of any color (note: any colour) appears, you can erase existing lines, blah blah blah.

*You can create the chalkboard as blank, or covered in writing and/or pictures (as detailed or as vague as you wish, but within the limitations of what you can create with chalk).

'What you can create with chalk' goes into Wily Coyote territory.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/brain-melting-works-of-3-d-sidewalk-chalk-art

[Prime32]

Rich Burlew complained about that one.

Since no one who was an editor for the magazine back then still is today, I don’t mind saying that I thought they absolutely butchered some of the spells that did make it into print. In particular, there was a cantrip called chalkboard that was originally conceived as a phantasm that only the caster could see, allowing him to write notes in midair that appeared in his field of vision but were invisible to anyone else. The editors changed that to a visible chalkboard illusion, and then added that it provided concealment for anyone standing behind it. So the spell went from a handy note-taking aide to a spell that provided a powerful (and unintended) combat advantage at a ridiculously low level. And my name was the sole credit on it.

[Kerrus]

Hahaha.

Later on in that issue is a neat paragon path called "Sworn Slayer"- I almost skipped over it because at a glance it's pretty martial and bad, but I think it has some potential for a level 3 feature.

Basically it's a BAB+6 entry class, and you have to have sworn a vow to kill all creatures of a specific kind, and for his troubles gets what are effectively truncated (it's a 5 level PrC) favoured enemy bonuses from it. These bonuses are listed as *stacking* with the bonuses (not levels) of a ranger's favoured enemy class feature's bonus, so you could double up easily enough. Bonuses to skills, bonuses to saves at 2nd level, extra bonuses to skills and damage against a specific creature of that type (so lich, if the type is undead, for example).

And then at third level it gains the Nemesis Feat. Nemesis is essentially favoured enemy radar- it requires that you have the favoured enemy feature- but the class lets you waive the requirements, so presumably it's meant that you can use its sworn foe feature with it.

You can pinpoint its exact location (they use those words) within 60 feet of you, which is a supernatural ability. This goes through all obstructions like walls/floors/ceilings- that sort of thing. Also grants you a +1d6 on damage rolls against your favoured enemy. Unfortunately it doesn't let you see through invis- though you do know exactly where the creature is.

Now here's the fun part: This is actually an Exalted Feat, but as long as you're of good alignment, you get it just fine. If you're *not* good, you still get it, but 'it becomes a normal feat'.

So if you're good it's a surefire way to get an exalted feat, which among other things causes you to radiate an aura of good equal to your character level. Neat.



Now given that you can get favoured enemy spellcasters via a ranger ACF, one could easily take this in conjunction with that, get some nice stacking bonuses, and have spellcaster radar 60.

The class's capstone power is (of course) a sworn enemy specific death attack.

Given how DM reliant getting exalted type feats are, typically, I thought this would be a nifty thing, since it's not remotely DM reliant, but moreover you can reliably use it to get favoured enemy radar, which is hilariously useful.

[Captnq]

Ok, not familiar with all of those enhancements. I know Teleporting. I am assuming Exit Wound turns it into a Line Attack? What book is that from? What does Off-handed do? Also, if you are talking about throwing it on a Wizard, why not use it as you primary weapon? Not like you are generally going to be doing standard attacks each round anyway.

Could you use this to deliver touch spells, like maybe Chilling Touch or some such as a free action?

Did you see me rambling earlier about finishing my weapon handbook. Everything is in there.

Teleporting +1 Bonus - EXPANDED PSIONICS HANDBOOK (3.5)
Always returns to you, doesn't do that stupid flying back to you crap.

Exit Wound +2 bonus - COMPLETE WARRIOR (3.5)
Goes THROUGH your target to hit the target behind him USING THE SAME TO HIT ROLL AS THE FIRST. Example: Okay, Str 16, +1 Throwing/Distance/Exit Wound/Teleporting Heavy Pick I’m holding with two hands. I got a BAB: 7 as a cleric. I power attack for +7 which I add to my +3 for Str and since it’s with two hands, my damage is now 1d6+1d6+16. I cast surge of fortune a few rounds before, so now I get to throw it. I take the auto 20 and get lucky for a confirmed critical. Let’s say damage is a nice average 23. Now the critical is x4 for 92 points of damage to everyone in a straight line for 100 feet. Next round it appears in my hand and I look at the next row of targets, “Sorry to -pick- on you.”

Off-handed is in the extrapolated Weapon Special Ability Section. It works out to be a +3 bonus that gives you an extra attack, but only with an off-hand weapon. It stacks with Speed, as if anyone ever takes speed.

Why on a wizard?
It's a free attack, baby. As in, I cast a spell, then bitch slap someone as a free action, watch it teleport back onto my hand. I need to use my hand? Oh. Okay. I use my free action at the start of my round. Now My hand is free until the start of my next action. It eliminates the one drawback of a wizard using it, because you can get rid of it as a free attack, freeing up your hand for your spells, but it comes back to you later. True, you lose the shield bonus while it's gone, but that's made up for in the versatility. Keep it on when you are in HTH range, use it when you are hanging back.

And to the guy who says, "I like carrying a metamagic rod." You still do. In your main hand. You throw the Shield/Fist at someone, draw your material componates as a free action (part of casting the spell) cast your spell, the material componates are gone, the glove teleports back onto your hand.

I'm gonna make my next villian a wizard who wears TWO of these fuckers, but he's gonna enchant them to act as gloves of storing. When he throws them, whatever they are storing appears in his hands. When they return, they "swallow up" what he was holding. So he throws them when he wants to cast a spell. Two free attacks a round! Maybe I'll do the multiple castings of Persistent Cloud of knives trick too.

[Forumowicz]

I'm gonna make my next villian a wizard who wears TWO of these fuckers, but he's gonna enchant them to act as gloves of storing. When he throws them, whatever they are storing appears in his hands. When they return, they "swallow up" what he was holding. So he throws them when he wants to cast a spell. Two free attacks a round! Maybe I'll do the multiple castings of Persistent Cloud of knives trick too.

That sounds awesome 

I am sure it has been mentioned, but ring of energy immunity seems to be the most overpriced item ever. Even by the DMG guidelines for custom magic items with the use of Energy Immunity spell it costs 66k rather than 240k. Also, there are other cheaper ways to get energy immunity...

[Kasz]

Exit Wound +2 bonus - COMPLETE WARRIOR (3.5)
Goes THROUGH your target to hit the target behind him USING THE SAME TO HIT ROLL AS THE FIRST. Example: Okay, Str 16, +1 Throwing/Distance/Exit Wound/Teleporting Heavy Pick I’m holding with two hands. I got a BAB: 7 as a cleric. I power attack for +7 which I add to my +3 for Str and since it’s with two hands, my damage is now 1d6+1d6+16. I cast surge of fortune a few rounds before, so now I get to throw it. I take the auto 20 and get lucky for a confirmed critical. Let’s say damage is a nice average 23. Now the critical is x4 for 92 points of damage to everyone in a straight line for 100 feet. Next round it appears in my hand and I look at the next row of targets, “Sorry to -pick- on you.”

I know your wrote the book on WSA's and all but technically each subsequent to-hit roll is at a -4, as each target gets a cumulative +4 to AC per target it passes through.

Whilst Surge of Fortune fixes this for hitting, for critical confirmation it gets to the point where you won't confirm after the first few hits... unless you use a spell to confirm criticals automatically.

It's a shame bless weapon doesn't work with vorpal... 100ft line of beheading shields could get funny. If you find a way to surge of fortune, auto-confirm crits (plenty of ways) and get Vorpal too... lol.

[Forumowicz]

Or Flesh Ring of Scorn. Any other ways?

[Gazzien]

What are the "easier" ways to get energy immunity? I'm making a gestalt artificer / engineer (home brewed class using Inventions, somewhat like the 3-Ed-party Pathfinder's Tinker), and need him to be untouchable.

Other good things for defense would be helpful, too.

[zook1shoe]

Neh-infinite Chronocharms of AC (each needs a +1 bonus of a different type from the others of the same name). This also works on psionatrices (sp?)

[Gazzien]

Huh. Yeah, that'll get my AC up there. I've already got a few miss chances, too. So I should be good on that front... But energy immunity? Anyone know the "cheaper" way they were talking about?

[SorO_Lost]

Shriver from FCII costs 30k and grants Regeneration and when combined with a Wand of Favored of the Martyr (SpC) for immunity to Non-Lethal it makes you immune to all forms of damage that isn't both Good & Chaotic. Atypically, Acid/Cold/Electricity/Fire damage lacks such additions...

That work for you?

[Gazzien]

Shriver from FCII costs 30k and grants Regeneration and when combined with a Wand of Favored of the Martyr (SpC) for immunity to Non-Lethal it makes you immune to all forms of damage that isn't both Good & Chaotic. Atypically, Acid/Cold/Electricity/Fire damage lacks such additions...

That work for you?

Hopefully. I'll also be searching for things I can flat-up craft (the 30k for a location is worth like 400k of items)... Any help on that front?

[Forumowicz]

Huh. Yeah, that'll get my AC up there. I've already got a few miss chances, too. So I should be good on that front... But energy immunity? Anyone know the "cheaper" way they were talking about?

Pay a caster to cast Mantle of Icy Soul and Mantle of Fiery Spirit. Instantaneous duration means dispels are not a threat. You can also cast stone body, which, among other handy defenses, grants immunity to electricity. An Artificer should't have problems persisting it.