Fun Finds v5.0

[awaken_D_M_golem]

My 12 year old self, is revolted by my future eyes.
My dog birthed 7 puppies, and I helped deliver ~half of them.
You have ruined that memory for all time ; congrats.
 

creepy "fluff" ... Attach a breed leech to a pregnant dog and a human-looking baby with a slimy thing attached to it will come out. A very unpleasant surprise for owners watching a dog birth ...

Aww what a cutie ...  ... and her first words were: "Bark !!"

[Chemus]

Changelings can use Disguise Self to alter their physical appearance as a real physical effect. Thus they should be able to use Assume Supernatural Ability (Savage Species p 30) to gain a really sweet ability or two. If a real polymorph ability is required to qualify, then the Changeling could be a DfA and take the Humanoid Shape ability, but since Minor Change Shape is 'Similar' to polymorph, this should be unnecessary. One nifty ability would be the Medusa's Gaze, but that can hurt your allies. Why not be your own flanker, and then while you're at it completely ruin the action economy?

Enter the Protean Scourge (MMIII p 126, thanks to bhu for getting me to look again at the creature). It has a (Su) ability to Split 

(click to show/hide)

When damaged, a protean scourge splits into two identical versions of itself. This ability is not an illusion; each new protean scourge is fully capable of dealing real damage and poses a real threat. Each version of the protean scourge has all the current statistics and access to all the current abilities of a single creature, including any remaining uncast spells. However, any spells cast by either split protean scourge come from the total pool of remaining available spells. So, the two versions share access to remaining spells; each does not get its own spell list or spells per day. Neither half of the protean scourge can change shape as long as the creature remains split.
 Each version has the protean scourge’s current hit point total (they do not split remaining hit points), and both versions of the protean scourge must be slain to kill the creature.
  The split protean scourges can recombine into a single creature in a process that takes 1 minute. While it recombines, the protean scourge is helpless.

So, you can now have as many as 2^(number of HP you have) copies of yourself. Since the Protean Scourge can look like any humanoid, you always have this ability (if your DM is a real stickler, then just look like the picture for Protean Scourge). So for -2 HP, and -2 to Attacks, Saves, Skill and Ability Checks, you have 4 fully Operational Battle Stations copies of yourself. For -3 HP, you have 8, and so on. As a Factotum or Chameleon, you have a 1 character Party. Less tanking, but being more targets is great! Plus whenever you take damage, there are suddenly more of you.

Be a Warlock or Dragonfire Adept; You now get enough actions to take on most any threat. And you can always leave one copy of yourself behind as a 'Savegame.' Just pick him up at the end of the scary bits. If you survived them.

(Edit/PS: I would argue that the 'current HP total' clause would allow each to be healed separately, and you could have NI copies. Anyone got anything saying otherwise?)

[DavidWL]

Changelings can use Disguise Self to alter their physical appearance as a real physical effect. Thus they should be able to use Assume Supernatural Ability (Savage Species p 30) to gain a really sweet ability or two.
...
Enter the Protean Scourge (MMIII p 126, thanks to bhu for getting me to look again at the creature). It has a (Su) ability to Split 

Very awesome find!

[zook1shoe]

Its a great choice for Symbiotic cheese.

be a shrunken head of a gnome on the scourge

[Prime32]

Perform (weapon drill) checks get a bonus equal to 1/4 your BAB, +2 for certain feats like Weapon Focus and Two-Weapon Fighting. Normally this would be the best version of Perform in the game, but it can't be used for bardic music.

Now look at the Versatile Performer feat. If you use dance, song, etc. to perform bardic music but you're already performing weapon drills at the same time, you use the latter modifier +2.

Use this with the Chord of Distraction feat, Virtuoso's Jarring Song, or a Lord of the Dance build (with a wand chamber for undersong).

[phaedrusxy]

Changelings can use Disguise Self to alter their physical appearance as a real physical effect. Thus they should be able to use Assume Supernatural Ability (Savage Species p 30) to gain a really sweet ability or two. If a real polymorph ability is required to qualify, then the Changeling could be a DfA and take the Humanoid Shape ability, but since Minor Change Shape is 'Similar' to polymorph, this should be unnecessary. One nifty ability would be the Medusa's Gaze, but that can hurt your allies. Why not be your own flanker, and then while you're at it completely ruin the action economy?

Enter the Protean Scourge (MMIII p 126, thanks to bhu for getting me to look again at the creature). It has a (Su) ability to Split 

(click to show/hide)

When damaged, a protean scourge splits into two identical versions of itself. This ability is not an illusion; each new protean scourge is fully capable of dealing real damage and poses a real threat. Each version of the protean scourge has all the current statistics and access to all the current abilities of a single creature, including any remaining uncast spells. However, any spells cast by either split protean scourge come from the total pool of remaining available spells. So, the two versions share access to remaining spells; each does not get its own spell list or spells per day. Neither half of the protean scourge can change shape as long as the creature remains split.
 Each version has the protean scourge’s current hit point total (they do not split remaining hit points), and both versions of the protean scourge must be slain to kill the creature.
  The split protean scourges can recombine into a single creature in a process that takes 1 minute. While it recombines, the protean scourge is helpless.

So, you can now have as many as 2^(number of HP you have) copies of yourself. Since the Protean Scourge can look like any humanoid, you always have this ability (if your DM is a real stickler, then just look like the picture for Protean Scourge). So for -2 HP, and -2 to Attacks, Saves, Skill and Ability Checks, you have 4 fully Operational Battle Stations copies of yourself. For -3 HP, you have 8, and so on. As a Factotum or Chameleon, you have a 1 character Party. Less tanking, but being more targets is great! Plus whenever you take damage, there are suddenly more of you.

Be a Warlock or Dragonfire Adept; You now get enough actions to take on most any threat. And you can always leave one copy of yourself behind as a 'Savegame.' Just pick him up at the end of the scary bits. If you survived them.

(Edit/PS: I would argue that the 'current HP total' clause would allow each to be healed separately, and you could have NI copies. Anyone got anything saying otherwise?)

Throw this on a psion with a psicrystal, Vigor, and Share Pain to make each of those clones much, much harder to kill...

[SorO_Lost]

You can add to or replace Shared Pain by using

Armor of the Dread Emperor
This suit of +1 full plate has four 5-foot chains connected to it at the waist. Each chain has a ring manacle sized to fit around a humanoid neck. If people are placed in these manacles by either the armor's wearer or his minions, the armor is ready to display its true power. Whenever the wearer takes damage, the captives held by the chains take half the damage themselves. If the chains hold more than one person, divide the half damage among all of them. Operating in this armor with chains attached to other people is difficult. The wearer takes an additional -5 armor check penalty unless the victims are somehow magically subdued or controlled, such as by stupor or dominate person. If the captives are children, the additional armor check penalty is only -2. If the captives are subdued or controlled children, there is no additional armor check penalty.
CL 8th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, shield other; Market Price:14,650 gp.

Take 100 damage? No, you take 50, your four minions take 12 each. Then four rounds of Share Pain kicks in and *you* only took 3.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Much more streamlined than the Changeling into Illithid Savant.
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=826.0
+1

Perform (weapon drill) checks get a bonus equal to 1/4 your BAB, +2 for certain feats like Weapon Focus and Two-Weapon Fighting. Normally this would be the best version of Perform in the game, but it can't be used for bardic music.

Now look at the Versatile Performer feat. If you use dance, song, etc. to perform bardic music but you're already performing weapon drills at the same time, you use the latter modifier +2.

Use this with the Chord of Distraction feat, Virtuoso's Jarring Song, or a Lord of the Dance build (with a wand chamber for undersong).

HA !!
So the best Bard does things this guy does, eh?

(click to show/hide)

[Chemus]

Regarding the damage, just make sure you only take nonlethal damage when prepping. Now there's no question about NI copies; nonlethal damage doesn't change your HP total.

Now it's in the realm of dirty tricks...

[Keldar]

Great, now a first level Changelings can Godzilla the action economy by taking one feat and punching themselves in the face till they overpopulate the planet with themself.   

I wonder if that's how the species originated?  One Changeling was born, then copied themself and one thing led to another, then next thing you know they were suing themselves for child support a few hundred times over.

[jojolagger]

Protean Scourge trick is cool, and I hate to poke holes in such a cool trick, so I'll try and patch them too.
//Oh wow. Didn't expect to find that.//

I'm pretty sure you need to polymorph (or similar) into the protean scourge's natural form for Assume Supernatural ability to work. This is easy to solve, just take another assume supernatural ability to get their shapeshifting to look normal (or be okay with looking different).

Whether changeling minor change shape would count as polymorph like is pointless, because changelings aren't tall enough. Changelings are at most 5'9" on the random height table, and disguise self is limited to + 1 foot of height. Protean Scourges are 7 ft. tall. This is unfairly early access, and other magic should work, so it's not a big loss. So you'd need an abnormally tall changeling, and why go through the hassle when their are more reliable ways?

Sadly, Humanoid form invocation doesn't work either. Protean Scourge's are Monstrous humanoids. Because I'm not hugely interested in digging through hundred of other options, I'll jump to the most reliable one.

Polymorph. Pretty much the example spell for Assume supernatural Ability, can clearly get us into the form of a protean scourge, and otherwise does everything we want. Even better, it fits on a wand, so buy a single charge wand on our factotum or warlock and win via umd.

But jojolagger, it only lasts a minute per level, do you really expect us to generate enough clones in just a few minutes? Honestly, 13 minutes (lowest CL this works with) of clones should be easily enough. Assuming a split every 1/2 minute, that's 2^26 clones, 67 million. You now out populate the five nations of eberron combined. But we don't need to stop there. Because we don't change back. You see, while split, neither half can change shape. Polymorph turning off would change our shape.

Also, spellfire levels stored with spellfire wielder shouldn't be shared like spells, so we should grab it for even more stacking power.

[SorO_Lost]

Much more streamlined than the Changeling into Illithid Savant.
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=826.0

Not really. Minor Change Shape states it's based of Disguise Self and further explains is is an actual minor physical alteration of a changeling’s facial features, skin color and texture, and size, within the limits described for the spell such as you can seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change your body type but you could add or obscure a minor feature or look like an entirely different person. Not a single sentence in that paraphrased paragraph says or even suggests you grow additional limbs (tentacles), machine parts (effigy), or change your Type from Humanoid to something like "Robot Pirate Ninja". In turn; Racial Emulation only works on Humanoid forms. Aberrations, specially ones with prehensile face tentacles to make up for their lack of sexual organs, are excluded.

Now splitting your self and changing your form, that idea has merit.
Would it be considered masturbating through?

[Chemus]

I'll admit that I want this to work the way that I've posited it. I did say that you might have to look like a PS in order to take this ability, depending on your DM; YMMV.

As for the height of the Scourge; they're still medium creatures, so the fact that the changeling can only be 6'9" instead of 6'12" is largely immaterial. Those three extra inches only matter when hopping up for jump and... I think that's it. You would merely have the appearance of a shorter than normal Protean Scourge.

And jojo, are you arguing that the clause saying that "Neither half of the protean scourge can change shape as long as the creature remains split" prevents other forms of shapechanging instead of just the Scourge's own Change Shape ability? What about anyone else using PAO; does this ability make the Scourges immune to any shape altering transmutations while the effect persists? I read it in a more strict sense; it prevents the Change Shape ability coming from the Scourge's racial traits.

(click to show/hide)

Using this alien ability is disorienting. You take a –2
penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and
ability checks. Additionally, in a stressful or demanding situation (such as combat), you must succeed on a Will save
(DC 19) or be unable to use the ability.

I forgot about the Will save, and the already mentioned 'Shaken' status (without actually being named such) hurts a lot. What's unclear to me is when you take the penalties, and for how long. Now what I'm concerned about is whether the penalties would be cumulative; they're untyped, and it's nebulous when they're applied. The Attack/Save/Skill/Abil Check penalty is a lot like LA.

ASA is cool; Changelings can even get the Doppelganger's Detect Thoughts or Change Shape ability w/o having to go through the Cabinet Trickster class.

[zook1shoe]

A changeling with the Racial Emulation can emulate an incarnate dustform green slaad. Doing so allows it to slowly transform into an actual black slaad after 202 years (white 101yrs, death 101yrs).

Racial Emulation says you count as the race for ALL purposes beyond gaining the traits. Since the aging part is not trait-based, you emerge from isolation as an actual greater slaad!

but I wonder what happens to your original level-based stuff (class levels, etc.) ?

[spacemonkey555]

I'd say the protean scourge is only supposed to split once. All the rules refer to 2 of them, not an infinite army. You can look at the ability 2 ways, each time it's damaged it splits, or when damaged, as in any time it's at less than full hit points, it splits once. The second interpretation makes much more sense, imo.

[Chemus]

Reread Split: The two scourges have all the abilities of the original scourge, except that they cannot change shape (whether that means change shape at all, or only limits the scourges specific ability is slightly nebulous). Since each has the abilities, they each retain split and thus would each split when damaged.

[zook1shoe]

What does the Steel Dragon's Minor Arcane Shield do?

[spacemonkey555]

Reread Split: The two scourges have all the abilities of the original scourge, except that they cannot change shape (whether that means change shape at all, or only limits the scourges specific ability is slightly nebulous). Since each has the abilities, they each retain split and thus would each split when damaged.

I read it, I read it thoroughly, I just didn't read it with a bias towards what I wanted out of it. If the PS splits, and then one of the splits splits again, there are no longer 2 of them, as is repeatedly referenced throughout the description of the ability, there would be three. A pair is reasonable, fits the CR, passes the smell test, etc, while infinite PS just doesn't fly. 

A protean scourge’s deadliest surprise only becomes apparent when it has been damaged in battle: It splits into two protean scourges, each one with the strength and capabilities of a normal protean scourge. Many an unknowing foe has seen a protean scourge use this ability and assumed it to be some other illusion, only to learn too late how real the double really is.

When damaged, a protean scourge splits into two identical versions of itself.

Logically, if they're both still the same creature, anytime you hit either you just damaged the PS, so it would split again by your interpretation. So what would it split into? The PS in question, which is currently a pair of PS, would split into ... two identical versions of itself. Which leaves you with 2. Something that splits into 2 identical versions of itself splits into 2, not 3, even if it had 2 bodies pre split, because that's what the ability says it does. IF the creature is not the same creature and has a new PS split ability, then you don't have control over it, and have the black pudding issue of just making copies of yourself. Also obvious, if you're currently in 2 bodies and you split into 3, you just changed shape.

Neither half of the protean scourge can change shape as long as the creature remains split.

Rally, come on, READ. Neither half. There are 7 distinct references to 2, both, either, double, half, and not a single reference to three or more.

You can play it as you like, no doubt, but it's pretty clear what was intended.

[Nunkuruji]

What does the Steel Dragon's Minor Arcane Shield do?

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20040328a

[jojolagger]

Still, with the "can't change shape", either you have two you's locked into the protean scourge form (giving some cool immunities), or you let polymorph run out and have each of you change into a fresh protean scourge, allowing each of you to split. Slower and more costly, but still lets you out populate nations with some work.