Author Topic: Let's have fun with Kalamar!  (Read 15428 times)

Offline sirpercival

  • Epic Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 10855
  • you can't escape the miles
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #20 on: October 10, 2013, 11:37:42 AM »
Darklight Wizard?
I am the assassin of productivity

(member in good standing of the troll-feeders guild)

It's begun — my things have overgrown the previous sig.

Offline SorO_Lost

  • Epic Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 7197
  • Banned
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #21 on: October 10, 2013, 02:20:56 PM »
That may be the first post I've ever hit the up arrow on...

Offline PlzBreakMyCampaign

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 1962
  • Immune to Critical Hits as a Fairness Elemental
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #22 on: October 10, 2013, 09:36:38 PM »
The one at the top of the page? Um. Why?

But seriously I almost hit the +respect button to Soro's curb stomp of this entire thread before it started. He's done that to me [well before the boards got serious about actually using the 'fun finds thread(s)']. But yeah even I won't touch KoK (or cock). And I love hunting through obscure Dungeon Magazines. I mean, come on.

Offline SorO_Lost

  • Epic Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 7197
  • Banned
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #23 on: October 11, 2013, 09:08:59 AM »
Well first is misleading, but me caring to hit those buttons is out of a Handbook thread can be counted on one hand. In this case, I am running low on sleep and found the simply clean name to be rather houmous. Plus if you throught my post was a curb stomp let me educate you some more.

The Darklight Wizard it's a PrC that can be entered after the 2nd level assuming to can make a DC 30 Will Save and restarts you over at the 1st level. Except your old Ability Scores, Feats, and Skills remain. So the best abuse is to claim you were 20th level. Example, say you were a Human Rogue 20 with 18 Int, that's 260+ Skill Points, also 7 Feats and +5 Int for Leveling (unfactored). You now start over as a 1st level character with 23 Int, 8 Feats, and 260+ Skill Ranks. And this is your starting character, after all it's a legal 1st level Character in KoK.

Then, on top of all those free Skill Bonuses and Feats for starting anew it also grants Aura of Despair (like paladin of tyranny), Int-to-Saves, and several SLAs including Animate Dead At-Will, Create Undead 2/day and Control Dead 3/day. Mindful, SLAs do not have Material Components so you bypass the need to pay in Onyx Gems per HD. You also get this:
Quote
Death Touch: Once per day, a Darklight wizard of 4th level or higher may attempt to use this spell-like ability.  The wizard must succeed at a melee touch attack against a living creature.  If successful, the death touch causes 1d4 damage per caster level.  If the total equals the target's current hit points, it dies.  Death touch is a supernatural ability.
Just try to wrap your head around that.

Still not convinced?
It grants 9th level Spells and you cast like a Wizard (with that spiffy Int-To-Saves bonus). Spell List is pretty limited sure but this Class is only 10 levels long. Stop and reflect on that for a moment. 9th level Spells by the 9th level. I'm sure you have room to PrC out to expend your List a little ;)

Do you really need more More?
Like the Lightning Warrior. It has full BAB, but no Familiar.

Because that would break it right?
« Last Edit: October 11, 2013, 09:53:52 AM by SorO_Lost »

Offline Keldar

  • Legendary Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1032
  • What's this button do?
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #24 on: October 12, 2013, 12:55:04 AM »

You also get this:
Quote
Death Touch: Once per day, a Darklight wizard of 4th level or higher may attempt to use this spell-like ability.  The wizard must succeed at a melee touch attack against a living creature.  If successful, the death touch causes 1d4 damage per caster level.  If the total equals the target's current hit points, it dies.  Death touch is a supernatural ability.
Just try to wrap your head around that.

Oh noes!  It gets the Death Domain ability, only it does damage instead of being useless!  They should have given it that familiar instead!

Offline BearsAreBrown

  • Member
  • **
  • Posts: 53
  • I'm old!
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #25 on: October 12, 2013, 08:20:55 PM »
[well before the boards got serious about actually using the 'fun finds thread(s)']. But yeah even I won't touch KoK (or cock). And I love hunting through obscure Dungeon Magazines. I mean, come on.
Honestly when I made the first version of that thread I intended for it to be stuff hidden in the backs of officials books/magazines. My first post is a bunch of CoR stuff like (Ex) Destruction effects or an ability that says, "Tracks without fail at the speed of teleport." Things that aren't worth a topic per se, just interesting things that people might not know about.

It was never intended to be about rummaging through non-official books for overpowered shit because that's easy. I'm willing to be more games have been run based on BG or GitP homebrew then some of the books mentioned.

Offline Amechra

  • Epic Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4560
  • Thread Necromancy a specialty
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #26 on: October 13, 2013, 02:50:12 AM »

You also get this:
Quote
Death Touch: Once per day, a Darklight wizard of 4th level or higher may attempt to use this spell-like ability.  The wizard must succeed at a melee touch attack against a living creature.  If successful, the death touch causes 1d4 damage per caster level.  If the total equals the target's current hit points, it dies.  Death touch is a supernatural ability.
Just try to wrap your head around that.

Oh noes!  It gets the Death Domain ability, only it does damage instead of being useless!  They should have given it that familiar instead!

Well, it is both a Su and a Sp ability. Editing!
"There is happiness for those who accept their fate, there is glory for those that defy it."

"Now that everyone's so happy, this is probably a good time to tell you I ate your parents."

Offline linklord231

  • Epic Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 3352
  • The dice are trying to kill me
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #27 on: October 13, 2013, 12:27:06 PM »
We've talked about Darklight Wizards before.  They're obscenely good and obscenely terrible at the same time, but it's difficult to tell what their abilities actually are because of how terribly they're written. 

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8484.0  Skip to about the 4th or so post for where we start talking about Darklight Wizards.
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1736.40;msg=133625  Rant about Darklight Wizards
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1736.40;msg=133591  Rant about the Villain Design Handbook in general
I'm not arguing, I'm explaining why I'm right.

Offline JaronK

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
  • I'm new!
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #28 on: October 13, 2013, 01:40:05 PM »
That Darklight Wizard thing is downright confusing.  Were you supposed to just enter it with Feat Rogue or something, since you keep your skills and feats?  Were you expected to keep your old ECL (RAW, I think you wouldn't, but it's horribly written so who knows what they were aiming for)?  Not sure why people are making a big deal of that death touch ability, as it's just a 1/day CL/d4 damage touch attack (Wizards not being known for wanting to get hugely close) that kills you if it does exactly enough damage to disable you... or am I misreading that?  I mean, not horrible, but not insanely good, just horribly written and weird (interestingly, it's a supernatural ability that generates a spell like ability, evidently).  Animate Dead as an SLA is of course good, and it looks like that Aura ability just doesn't have a range (is it supposed to be like the Paladin of Tyranny ability?  I'd assume so). 

I suspect the intent was that you have lower Hit Dice but maintain your ECL, and that the Aura ability was supposed to be very close range, making this class essentially like the Ur Priest.  But as written... who knows?  There was never an errata for this one like there was for the core Kalamar books.  And note that you need an artifact to enter this class in the first place... you'd have to be level 10+ to even get access to it.  So, this actually might not be that powerful of a class, depending on how you were supposed to do that whole "restart at level 1" thing.  Ur Priest would get you 9th level spells faster.

Also, the Surprise spell from that book is insane.  The initiative one less so (standard action, short duration, so it's only when you absolutely know a fight is about to start), but Surprise doesn't even have a duration and it seems to help your whole darn party!

Surprise should have been brought up earlier.  That's an incredible spell.

JaronK
« Last Edit: October 13, 2013, 01:42:31 PM by JaronK »

Offline PlzBreakMyCampaign

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 1962
  • Immune to Critical Hits as a Fairness Elemental
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #29 on: October 13, 2013, 03:03:26 PM »
That's an incredible spell.
You mean awful. Casters do not need more game-breaking toys.

And yes, I was referring to outside the handbooks forum too. Btw anyone else noticing my prediction of cluttered stuff in there has become true? :)

Offline SorO_Lost

  • Epic Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 7197
  • Banned
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #30 on: October 13, 2013, 03:18:29 PM »
Surprise should have been brought up earlier.  That's an incredible spell.
It's faster to say "I submit Kingdoms of Kalamar's Villain Design Handbook."

Then when prompted which part, just bet them 5gp they'll find something every few pages.

Offline JaronK

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
  • I'm new!
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #31 on: October 13, 2013, 03:56:06 PM »
Since most people don't have access to that book, that's rather useless.  Part of the point of message boards and threads of this nature are to show people what the options are without forcing them to read through the endless stream of books to dig out the interesting stuff.

JaronK

Offline SorO_Lost

  • Epic Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 7197
  • Banned
    • View Profile
Re: Let's have fun with Kalamar!
« Reply #32 on: October 13, 2013, 08:31:07 PM »
Since most people don't have access to that book, that's rather useless.  Part of the point of message boards and threads of this nature are to show people what the options are without forcing them to read through the endless stream of books to dig out the interesting stuff.
Over your head and under your feet, maybe one day in between it'll meet.

Arrow of Piercing: 1k for +5 to attack, but deals 1d4 and you're compelled to chase after it.
Per ammo rules, adding +1 Spell Storing Returning would run you a total 1,357gp per arrow shot and awards +5 unnamed & +1 enhancement to the attack roll. Maybe not OP, but certainly useful when you can't afford to leave things to chance.

Axe of Slaughter: Each time you hit someone with it, DC 15 Fort or die. If they succeed then you need to make a save or die.
It's a +3 weapon with a minimum 5% auto-kill rate for 30k. with Death Ward or the like, it's superior to Vorpel.

Fail of Domination: Each hit bestows a stacking -1 penalty to Will Saves for two rounds.
1,308gp weapon that like the arrow sports no enhancement bonus, upgrade how you wish. Great for any build.

Ghostmaker: 30k weapon and anyone it kills comes back as a ghost.
Because how much can guarantee on coming back as a Ghost really worth?

Spear of Channeling: 1/day Channel like a Cleric (see KoK:Core).
For 8k. Now trek back to the 2nd post on page 1 by me and look up a few of those Channel Divinity things.

Ring of the Grand Incinerator: [Fire] Iron Golem healing.
WotC has Mantle of the Fiery Spirit which bestows the [Fire] Subtype, you're immune to fire damage but +100% from cold, ritual costs around 10k per Hirelings and requires a 6th level Druid. This is is 6.7k and can be taken off prior to the white dragon battle. Also instead of immunity it grants healing, +1 hp per 3 damage to be precise and any excess healed above your maximum is stored as temp hp for an hour. While wearing the ring you cannot benefit from conjuration healing spells, like a warforged titan. But as noted you can take it off. So like the slayer weapon, it's better than WotC's options and cheaper too.

Rod of the Necromancer: Unlike normal rods, these has cool-downs not charges. At-Will Control Undead, 1/day Animate (CL 15), etc.
Best part is you gain a Lich's Fear Aura until someone casts Remove Curse. Even if you resell the weapon (unusable by anyone but you through) or Sunder it. Depending on how your DM enforces WBL, this is cost free source of a fear based Aura after level up.

Armband of the Orc: +4 Str, Darkvision 60ft, Speak Language(orc), all for 1,200gp.
Fracking amazing! Super cheap +4 Str but omg it gets better. Each month it raises or lowers an ability score one point closer to a standard Orc's. Removing the armbands stops this process and Lesser Restoration lets you recover the lost attributes. Means this thing can potential turn a starting 8 Str base into 15 Str base and you cure any negatives incurred after doing this. On top of using that +4 Str bonus. Because everyone should have 19 Str after level 4...

Cloak of the Forsaken: +2 unnamed to attack/damage, +2 to Save DCs & Turn Undead, At-Will Alter Self. 30k.
2 weeks after wearing it DC 25 Will or he goes out and commits evil acts, or does he? Exact rules state you feel tired and sore and have a nightmare, not that you actually did anything. A month in your alignment shifts and these nightmares are so vivid there is "no question to his role in the recent rash of crimes". And if destroy, you are free from it's curse but not the crimes. But here is the thing, it never really says or forces you to comment any real acts of evil making it operate like the ending to Brainscan or something. OR just say who cares and take ranks in Lucid Dreaming so you really are murdering people in your sleep, with increased bonuses!

Crown of False Majesty: 4.1k for +6 Enhancement to Intimidate/Diplomacy.
Weekly DC 15 Will or your Alignment bumps towards Evil. This isn't a bad thing, join Team Evil. We have cookies.

Flute of the Dead: Grants Immunity to Fear for the rest of your life after a failed DC 15 Will Save.
And no downsides! Just fine print like use it once to fail the Save then sell it.

Orb of Golem Command: Command any Golem until you fail a Concentration Check.
DC 10+CR_Total_Controlled. Yeah, I said CR. Not HD like Turn Undead, but CR. And yes, Golems get +1 CR per 4 HD so you can get some pretty heavy tanks well above your CR as soon as you can afford the 18k on this.

Robe of Multi-Hues: 10k, anyone looking at you makes a DC 16 Will Save or suffer a Moral Penalty to Attack for 10 rounds.
Initally I was going to skip this, DC 16? Moral? Blah. But then upon second look the penalty flat out doubles for every three levels. Up to -64 by 18th, holy crap! All hung up on that DC 16 Will. Proper debuffage yields immunity to Attack Rolls. There is got to be a way to use this, and Will Saves are not exactly the best among Monsters.

War Banners: There are four of them, allies gain the bonus if within 50ft of it and they all cost around 5k.
Defense is +2 Luck to AC & Protection is +2 Luck to Saves, these are unslotted luck bonuses for the entire party and costs less than 11k. But the real gem is Righteousness which makes everyone auto-succeed on any Will Save DC 20 or lower. You could have a -5 Will Bonus, but someone hits you with a DC 19 murderyou Spell, you Saved. You Flawlessly Saved. And now you need to start back up at the top of the Magical Items in this book, because everything that required a Will Save to avoid was less than DC 20, and now you'll never fail it.


All of these are from KoK:VDH. And I damn near mentioned everything printed in their Magic Item section.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2013, 11:25:35 PM by SorO_Lost »