Fun Finds v4.0

[Prime32]

Mountain Ghosts (Dragon #348, p86) has the following exotic weapons:

• Exploding Crossbow Bolt: Can only be fired from a heavy crossbow, and reduces its range increment by 25%. Creates an explosion on hit that deals 2d12 fire damage in a 5ft burst (Ref 20 half for target, Ref 15 negates for others).
  
• Ghost Spike: A double weapon that deals 1d6 piercing damage, 19-20/x2 on one end and 20/x3 on the other. Ninjas and assassins are automatically proficient with them, which could be useful for prereqs.
  
• Mountain Chain: A special crossbow bolt with half the normal range increment. Inflicts nonlethal damage and can be used to make ranged trip attempts.

Also these:

• Twisted Silk: Nonmetallic light armor with +3 AC, +7 max Dex, 0 ACP and 5% ASF.
  
• Alchemical Silence: Grants a +2 alchemical bonus to Move Silently checks. Can also be thrown as a splash weapon, in which case for 2 rounds it also prevents speech louder than a whisper, and inflicts a 20% verbal spell failure chance.

[Gazzien]

From my group's optimizer:

"
Use a metal bow (or metal-armed crossbow, such things are more common), with Kaorti Resin arrows, for fun...

Oh, wait. I meant an Iron "Great Crossbow" (exotic weapon, 18-20 / x2).
Let's take a two-level dip in Deepwood Sniper, shall we? That gives us +100% / +1
Now let's take 8 levels in Disciple of Dispater.... for +200% / +0
None of that stacks with Keen, but...
let's use Razorfeather Arrows. They're treated as keen, but they aren't (They're mundane). (This is the part I'm iffy on.), for +100% / +0
3* (1 + 1 + 2 + 1) = 15, for a crit range of 15-20 / x3; if we assume Razorfeather arrows can be made out of Kaorti Resin, we push it to 15-20 / x5. We can put five more levels into Deepwood Sniper for 15-20 / x6.
"

Hence, the largest crit range / multiplier I think is possible (against all enemies equally)?

[nijineko]

From my group's optimizer:

"
Use a metal bow (or metal-armed crossbow, such things are more common), with Kaorti Resin arrows, for fun...

Oh, wait. I meant an Iron "Great Crossbow" (exotic weapon, 18-20 / x2).
Let's take a two-level dip in Deepwood Sniper, shall we? That gives us +100% / +1
Now let's take 8 levels in Disciple of Dispater.... for +200% / +0
None of that stacks with Keen, but...
let's use Razorfeather Arrows. They're treated as keen, but they aren't (They're mundane). (This is the part I'm iffy on.), for +100% / +0
3* (1 + 1 + 2 + 1) = 15, for a crit range of 15-20 / x3; if we assume Razorfeather arrows can be made out of Kaorti Resin, we push it to 15-20 / x5. We can put five more levels into Deepwood Sniper for 15-20 / x6.
"

Hence, the largest crit range / multiplier I think is possible (against all enemies equally)?

they are considered to have the keen weapon property, according to the source. even if it is non-magical in nature, it won't stack with anything that says it doesn't stack with the keen weapon property. otherwise, it is fine.

[123456789blaaa]

Something I found a little amusing:

Corrupt Arcane Studies
Type: General
Source: Ghostwalk

You have dabbled in strange magic that has increased your power but adversely affected your mind.
Prerequisite: Sorcerer or wizard level 3rd, nongood alignment.
Benefit: Add a +1 bonus to the DC for all sorcerer and wizard spells you cast. You get a +1 bonus on all caster level checks to overcome spell resistance with your sorcerer and wizard spells.
Special: Your magical research has taken its toll on your mind. When you acquire this feat, your Wisdom score is immediately reduced by 2 points. Restorative spells (such as restoration or greater restoration) do not reverse this Wisdom loss.Part of the damage to your mind has resulted in behavioral changes. You develop a fixation for dressing in black and gray clothing. If at least three-fourths of what you are clothed in is not black or gray, you lose the bonus to your DCs, but still suffer the reduction in Wisdom.You are often plagued by horrible nightmares. Every night, you must succeed on a Wisdom check (DC 10 + 1 per day since the last bout of nightmares) to stave off these dark visions. If you fail this check, you are unable to prepare arcane spells for 24 hours.

 .

Also, I found an interesting feat:

Broken One's Sacrifice
( Champions of Valor, p. 28)
[General]
Your dedication to Ilmater's philosophy has given you the power to take attacks directed at others.

Prerequisite
WIS 13, member of the Broken Ones monk order,

Benefit
As an immediate action, you can intervene on behalf of an adjacent ally (of your size or smaller) who is under attack. When you activate this feat, you and the ally switch spaces. If there is not enough space for this to occur, you can't activate the feat. Then, you suffer the harmful effect as if you were the intended target; the ally is unaffected by it. In addition to the obvious harmful effect this has upon you, this action is a drain on your personal energy. Once the effect of the intervention is resolved, you become fatigued. You cannot use this feat if you are exhausted or if you are immune to fatigue. You can choose to activate this feat after the success or failure of the harmful effect is determined, but you must activate it before the extent of the effect is determined and/or applied to the ally.

Example: If an adjacent ally is attacked, you could wait until after the attack roll (and confi rmation roll, if the attack is a critical threat) is made to activate the feat, but you would have to activate it before damage is rolled. If the adjacent creature also benefi ts from a miss chance, you could wait until after that roll was made to activate the feat. Example: If an adjacent creature is within the area of a lightning bolt spell, you could wait until the creature rolls its saving throw (and checks its spell resistance, if any), but you would have to activate the feat before the spell's damage is rolled. If an adjacent creature is targeted by an attack that deals a fi xed amount of damage, such as a maximized magic missile spell, you would choose to activate this feat after the spell hit the target, but before damage was applied. By activating this feat, you give up any opportunity to avoid the harmful effect normally allowed by a saving throw, spell resistance, AC, or concealment. If the effect allows a saving throw or spell resistance, you automatically fail the save or spell resistance check. If the effect requires an attack roll, it automatically hits you (and if it scored a critical hit, it automatically scores a critical hit on you), even if you would normally benefi t from a miss chance against the attack. Any immunities or resistances you have apply normally; for example, if you are immune to critical hits, an attacker can't score a critical hit on you just because he scored one on the ally. If you can't physically interact with or manipulate objects (for instance, if you are incorporeal or in gaseous form, or if either you or the ally, but not both of you, are ethereal), you can't switch places with the ally and thus can't activate this feat. It should go without saying, but if you are incapable of taking an action (dazed, paralyzed, stunned, unconscious, and so on), you can't use this feat.

Could be nice for a "tank" build".

Finally, something not powerful but kind of cool: A vampires blood drain ability applies whenever you pin a target. Therefore, you could use the telekinetic maneuver power and drain their blood from a distance. Use the half-vampire template if you want a playable version of this.

[Prime32]

The dimension leap^MoE spell (Bard 2, Sor/Wiz 2) teleports you 10ft/caster level. If you have the Mark of Passage or Favored in House (Orien), the distance is based on character level instead. Have an artificer craft an item of at-will dimension leap at CL1. Optionally dip Blade of Orien to use it as a move action.

Finally, something not powerful but kind of cool: A vampires blood drain ability applies whenever you pin a target. Therefore, you could use the telekinetic maneuver power and drain their blood from a distance. Use the half-vampire template if you want a playable version of this.

In a similar vein (hur hur), an lv2 Bloodstorm Blade can use Setting Sun maneuvers at range, including the effects of Improved Trip. And when you use tornado throw... note that the end position of enemies is relative to you, not your weapon, allowing you to conserve movement speed.

[zook1shoe]

@123456789blaaa
or have a Shadowform Familiar? (Champions of Ruin) and they intercept for you

[Kasz]

@123456789blaaa
or have a Shadowform Familiar? (Champions of Ruin) and they intercept for you

Where does it say that? as far as I can tell it's a normal (albeit incorporeal) familiar.

[zook1shoe]

Broken One's Sacrifice + incorporeal familiar = very good

[Kasz]

Most of my familiars don't join Monk Orders / Monasteries.

Also if you read the entire feat

By activating this feat, you give up any opportunity to avoid the harmful effect normally allowed by a saving throw, spell resistance, AC, or concealment. If the effect allows a saving throw or spell resistance, you automatically fail the save or spell resistance check. If the effect requires an attack roll, it automatically hits you (and if it scored a critical hit, it automatically scores a critical hit on you), even if you would normally benefit from a miss chance against the attack. Any immunities or resistances you have apply normally; for example, if you are immune to critical hits, an attacker can't score a critical hit on you just because he scored one on the ally. If you can't physically interact with or manipulate objects (for instance, if you are incorporeal or in gaseous form, or if either you or the ally, but not both of you, are ethereal), you can't switch places with the ally and thus can't activate this feat. It should go without saying, but if you are incapable of taking an action (dazed, paralyzed, stunned, unconscious, and so on), you can't use this feat.

[zook1shoe]

True... What about a diminutive swarm animal companion that was a reincarnated member of the org?

[Empirate]

I have a good one, but it's from Savage Species, so may I be excused for any ridiculousness occurring:

Horseshoes of Flame: these little buggers grant an ordinary horse 90ft fly speed (good maneuverability), +1d4 fire damage to all hoof attacks, +2 Dex, +10 Int, +6 Cha. For 30,240gp, this is a complete steal.

"OK, now my horse is half as smart as myself, what about it? Why should I spend a fortune on this again?"
"Silly, it's not for your horse, it's for you!"
"What? You're trying to make me angry or what?"
"Look, you moron, you're a Wizard/Bard/Sorcerer/Beguiler/whatever with lots of ranks in UMD, right? Got any ideas how this one might be useful to you?"
"But, but... I'll look ridiculous!"
"What do you care? It's +10 Int, +6 Cha! And it makes you fly!"
"Well, you've convinced me. But how do I put them on?"
"That, my friend, is really simple. Let me just get mine old hammer and some nails...  "

 

[sirpercival]

Except no spellcaster is an ordinary horse, unless horses have been lying for all these years.

EDIT: Derp missed the UMD part. So not Sorc and Wizard, then.

[JaronK]

Potion of Blood, from Kalamar: set your race to anything you like for purposes of items only.  Now use a Potion of Blood to become a horse.  You can wear the horseshoes!  Note: if anyone ever uses a magic item to detect your creature type, they get very confused.

JaronK

[Captnq]

I have a good one, but it's from Savage Species, so may I be excused for any ridiculousness occurring:

Horseshoes of Flame: these little buggers grant an ordinary horse 90ft fly speed (good maneuverability), +1d4 fire damage to all hoof attacks, +2 Dex, +10 Int, +6 Cha. For 30,240gp, this is a complete steal.

So wait... hoof attacks? Is it a weapon? Because if it's a weapon, all you need is opposable (+1 Bonus) and you could wear them on your elbows and knees.

Damn. Now I have to consider if horseshoes are weapons.

Disturbing thought:
PONY GIRL - D20

Don't google it. Just... don't.

[zook1shoe]

Improvised boomerang?

don't they last for a ridiculous amount of time, like 12 or 18hrs

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Potion of Blood, from Kalamar: set your race to anything you like for purposes of items only.  Now use a Potion of Blood to become a horse.  You can wear the horseshoes!  Note: if anyone ever uses a magic item to detect your creature type, they get very confused.

JaronK

My kitty avatar's Perform (Sing) check dc 13:  " I Am Mister Ed !! "

[nijineko]

Disturbing thought:
PONY GIRL - D20

Don't google it. Just... don't.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20060401a

[Empirate]

Potion of Blood, from Kalamar: set your race to anything you like for purposes of items only.  Now use a Potion of Blood to become a horse.  You can wear the horseshoes!  Note: if anyone ever uses a magic item to detect your creature type, they get very confused.

JaronK

Good stuff, this works perfectly! Although it'd still be rather painful to get to actually wear these things...

[Sinfire Titan]

Good stuff, this works perfectly! Although it'd still be rather painful to get to actually wear these things...

"What do you care? It's +10 Int, +6 Cha!"

So beautiful it hurts...


I'm sorry.

[Lunarambling]

From the Dragon Magazine Compendium I have found Spybuttons. Read below. Bolded for emphasis.

Several versions of these specially
designed buttons exist. They can be fancy or plain and
are made to blend in with the clothing they are sewn
on. To use a spy button, the wearer must rip it free from
the article of clothing to which it is attached as a free
action and throw it against a hard surface. The most
common types of spy buttons are as follows.

I read this as ripping it off and throwing it are the same action, which is specified as *FREE*. However, others may read it differently, as specifying that the ripping but not the throwing is free. Your mileage, therefore, may vary. However, if your DM reads it as I do, then you have several free action utility actions. DC 15 Fort save Dazzle, Thunderstone,  and an "Impenetrable" cloud of black smoke in a 10ft area are the options specifically listed. Though with an approving DM the fluff suggests other variations exist, so you may be able to create your own.

As I said, it all comes down to the DM's reading. Both interpretations could be acceptable, and I am sure many DMs will rule only the ripping is free, but if you can convince them that the throwing is part of that action, this could be useful.