Fun Finds v6.0

[phaedrusxy]

Wow, that's an amazing item! I can't believe I've never heard of that before...

[zook1shoe]

That's soo Fun Finds v4 ago :-p

[deadkitten]

That's soo Fun Finds v4 ago :-p

OH HO! Figures that would come back to bite me eventually.

[zook1shoe]

haha no worries.... it just brings it back into the attention of readers

[kirmaster]

Please do tell me if any of this is iffy and or wrong, i'm sure something can be fixed.
For those DM-versus-PC optimizing to win campaigns, i stumbled on something that might tip the balance squarely into the DM side using the normal DMG guidelines to make an encounter. PC's can't use this, since it needs HD advancement.
Namely, a CR7-8 grig that can cast epic psionic powers.

How do we do that? well, lets first check the epic manifestation feat's prereqs:
24 ranks in know:psionics and 24 ranks in psicraft
ability to manifest lv9 powers
(implicit)21 HD to pick an epic feat (without being a old age dragon)

well, we take a normal grig, replace it's first racial hd with a level in psion, or pick a level psion if we can't do that (CR is 2 anyways, option 2 nets us half a HD more but requires 1 CR more of fae HD). Stick max ranks in know:psi and psicraft, which are now class skills for your HD's past this.
then we take 5-6( based on previous answer) CR's worth of fey hit dice. The conversion of fey hd to cr is a whopping 4:1, so that's 20-24 hit dice. We now have a CR7-8 grig with 21/25 1/2 HD and 24+ ranks in know: psionics and psicraft.

Conditions 1 and 3, check.

Now we get a power stone of a random psion lv9 power without a xp/gp cost ( say, Assimilate). Now power stone states  that it needs quite a few requirements, namely:

Adress the stone with a dc15 psicraft check (check, we have 24+ in psicraft)
Power must be on your class's manifesting list ( check, as per previous statement)
The user must have the required ability score, INT 19 in this case. Well, we have this, since giving the grig a class level allows us to use the elite arrray, thus giving a 15 in INT, then we spend the points from 20-24 HD, which is at least 5 more points, giving a 20+ INT. Check.
 Now comes the important sentences-

"If the user meets these requirements and has a manifester level at least equal to the power's manifester level, she can automatically manifest the stored power without a check. If she mees both requirements but her own level is lower than the power stone's manifester level, she has to make a manifester level check (1d20 + user's level), against a DC equal to the power stone's manifester level+1, to manifest the power sucessfully. On a failure, do blah blah blah ( not relevant)"

So now we have the ability to manifest a 9th level psionic power, since the stone explitly calls out the user manifesting it, not the stone manifesting it like in the scroll description. Get another, and we can cast multiple lv9 powers.

number 2, check.

on HD 21 or 24 ( depending on how many HD you had to take because of psion), take Epic Manifestation. You now get 2 epic powers per day for no PP cost. per 10 HD you add (4 HD/CR) you gain another epic power plus more psicraft to make casting them a breeze.

This is primarily based about specific-beats-general, specifically that the power stone's entry is more specific then the wording of power completion items, which i think is the case- other power completion items would not count as manifesting.

Even if the spellcasting/manifesting thing is wrong, you can still make fey with epic feats with CRs of 6+, 1 CR per epic feat added, which is pretty sweet. five levels of abjurant champion would also net a ridiculous caster level for most blasty spells, which you can break the caps of with epic feats. so at CR15-ish you can do fireballs with base damage of roughly 40d6.

[phaedrusxy]

I think that's stretching it a bit, even for TO. You could totally use those extra HD to pump up your initiator level for any Tome of Battle classes, though. Every two HD gives you +1 IL, which means that you'll be advancing your IL faster than a single classed ToB NPC.  A similar "exploit" involves lycanthropes made from animals with lots of hit dice (like dinosaurs), since the template gives you a flat +CR based on the number of HD the animal has.

[kirmaster]

I think that's stretching it a bit, even for TO. You could totally use those extra HD to pump up your initiator level for any Tome of Battle classes, though. Every two HD gives you +1 IL, which means that you'll be advancing your IL faster than a single classed ToB NPC.  A similar "exploit" involves lycanthropes made from animals with lots of hit dice (like dinosaurs), since the template gives you a flat +CR based on the number of HD the animal has.

I'm primarily convinced this works because of the wording used- scrolls and such have "the player activates the item" instead of "the player casts the spell". Dorjes and other psionic items have "the player activates the item" as well, including in their description. Power stones explitly list manifesting, like a player manifesting a power of another psionic they've mentally adressed.

But it's still fun to make normal encounters with with those scrubby epic feats that no sane person would take, because it fits the CR and isn't overpowered either. I could've also buffed the manfester level up to 17 by psionic abjurant champ or something of the like, to make it more sane for a CR 15 or something, or even CR18 with full psion levels- still pre-epic CR epic casting.

[phaedrusxy]

Hmm.... another potential problem with this: the upper limits on advancement via racial hit dice. The grig only lists going up to 3 HD. The nymph goes up to 12, and has druid casting of its HD+1. So a 12 HD nymph with two levels of crusader would be about CR 9, but cast as a 13th level druid and have an initiator level of 8.

The satyr (no pipes) starts out at CR 2 with 5 HD and goes up to 10 HD.

For the lycanthropes, a dire tiger has 16 HD, but only adds +5 to the CR. So a human warblade 4 were-dire-tiger would have 20 HD, an initiator level of 12, but technically only be CR 9. If you start out as large somehow, you could go with the Tyrannosaurus or Dire Shark for 18 HD, but you'd probably have to also start out with some kind of giant for your base race, which might not be a bad way to go. A hill giant were-tyrannosaurus/warblade 2 would be CR 14, but have 30 HD and an IL of 17, giving it access to 9th level maneuvers. It would also have a +32 racial bonus to Str, and +18 to Con...

[TenaciousJ]

If you start out as large somehow, you could go with the Tyrannosaurus or Dire Shark for 18 HD, but you'd probably have to also start out with some kind of giant for your base race, which might not be a bad way to go. A hill giant were-tyrannosaurus/warblade 2 would be CR 14, but have 30 HD and an IL of 17, giving it access to 9th level maneuvers. It would also have a +32 racial bonus to Str, and +18 to Con...

I love silly werecreatures, and I want to point out the Dire Hippopotamus is also 18 HD and has even more Strength and Constitution than the T-Rex.

[phaedrusxy]

If you start out as large somehow, you could go with the Tyrannosaurus or Dire Shark for 18 HD, but you'd probably have to also start out with some kind of giant for your base race, which might not be a bad way to go. A hill giant were-tyrannosaurus/warblade 2 would be CR 14, but have 30 HD and an IL of 17, giving it access to 9th level maneuvers. It would also have a +32 racial bonus to Str, and +18 to Con...

I love silly werecreatures, and I want to point out the Dire Hippopotamus is also 18 HD and has even more Strength and Constitution than the T-Rex.

It has to be a meat eater. No herbivores allowed.

[Ithamar]

Unlike its smaller cousin, a dire hippopotamus is not content to dine on plants.  It is a carnivore, subsisting mainly on fish and small mammals - or even big mammals, if they venture too close to the rivers, ponds, and lakes in which dire hippos dwell.

Actually, it will work.  Pretty nasty lycan really.

[altpersona]

If you start out as large somehow, you could go with the Tyrannosaurus or Dire Shark for 18 HD, but you'd probably have to also start out with some kind of giant for your base race, which might not be a bad way to go. A hill giant were-tyrannosaurus/warblade 2 would be CR 14, but have 30 HD and an IL of 17, giving it access to 9th level maneuvers. It would also have a +32 racial bonus to Str, and +18 to Con...

I love silly werecreatures, and I want to point out the Dire Hippopotamus is also 18 HD and has even more Strength and Constitution than the T-Rex.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su7GkqwxG08

Sandstorm has Dire Hippos, its one of my favorite screwed up things in 3.x

[TenaciousJ]

If you start out as large somehow, you could go with the Tyrannosaurus or Dire Shark for 18 HD, but you'd probably have to also start out with some kind of giant for your base race, which might not be a bad way to go. A hill giant were-tyrannosaurus/warblade 2 would be CR 14, but have 30 HD and an IL of 17, giving it access to 9th level maneuvers. It would also have a +32 racial bonus to Str, and +18 to Con...

I love silly werecreatures, and I want to point out the Dire Hippopotamus is also 18 HD and has even more Strength and Constitution than the T-Rex.

It has to be a meat eater. No herbivores allowed.

Unlike its smaller cousin, a dire hippopotamus is not content to dine on plants.  It is a carnivore, subsisting mainly on fish and small mammals - or even big mammals, if they venture too close to the rivers, ponds, and lakes in which dire hippos dwell.

Actually, it will work.  Pretty nasty lycan really.

You know you want to describe in great detail the hill giant's arms and legs getting fatter as its skin thickens and grays, its ears rounding and traveling up its head as its face elongates and widens as it smiles to reveal those tusky pearly whites.  Such a terrifying beast!

[zook1shoe]

So basically looks like a normal hill giant ;-)

[deadkitten]

If you start out as large somehow, you could go with the Tyrannosaurus or Dire Shark for 18 HD, but you'd probably have to also start out with some kind of giant for your base race, which might not be a bad way to go. A hill giant were-tyrannosaurus/warblade 2 would be CR 14, but have 30 HD and an IL of 17, giving it access to 9th level maneuvers. It would also have a +32 racial bonus to Str, and +18 to Con...

I love silly werecreatures, and I want to point out the Dire Hippopotamus is also 18 HD and has even more Strength and Constitution than the T-Rex.

It has to be a meat eater. No herbivores allowed.

Unlike its smaller cousin, a dire hippopotamus is not content to dine on plants.  It is a carnivore, subsisting mainly on fish and small mammals - or even big mammals, if they venture too close to the rivers, ponds, and lakes in which dire hippos dwell.

Actually, it will work.  Pretty nasty lycan really.

You know you want to describe in great detail the hill giant's arms and legs getting fatter as its skin thickens and grays, its ears rounding and traveling up its head as its face elongates and widens as it smiles to reveal those tusky pearly whites.  Such a terrifying beast!

I know its not really the right animal, but hippopotamus seems like a good way to make a were"Barney the Dinosaur". Just saying. 

[Jackinthegreen]

Power of Faerun page 53:  Bane of Infidels feat

Prereq: Worship of a specific deity.
Benefit: You acquire a favored enemy.  This benefit function like the ranger class feature of the same name, except that the exact type of creature you oppose, usually followers of another deity, is determined by your faith.  See Player's Guide to Faerun, page 50, for a list of appropriate enemies of your deity.

PGtF has quite the list, and for deities not mentioned then it recommends the DM figure an opposed deity out or consult FR: Faiths and Pantheons.

I might end up doing an index of "This deity hates that deity" for the sake of both roleplay/fluff and for certain mechanics that require or otherwise benefit from that knowledge.


Page 58 has another interesting feat:

Initiate of Amaunator
Prereqs: Cleric or paladin 4th; Heretic of the Faith (Risen Sun), Heretic of the Faith (Three-Faced Sun), or Servant of the Fallen (Amaunator)
Benefit:  You can spontaneously cast any spell on your spell list that has the fire descriptor.  This ability works like spontaneously casting cure spells does. 
In addition, you also add the following spells to your cleric or paladin spell list:
2nd-- augury
3rd-- haste
4th-- order's wrath
8th-- sunburst
9th-- time stop


And looking at PoF, I'm tempted to make an index of the pain in the ass books that don't have their own feat, prestige class, or other rules sections and instead opt to scatter those things around in the book.

[linklord231]

I think it was Captnq who had a build using Initiate of Amuanator along with a trick to give all spells the fire descriptor (possibly Snowcasting + Energy Substitution) to spontaneously cast the entire cleric list.

[deadkitten]

I think it was Captnq who had a build using Initiate of Amuanator along with a trick to give all spells the fire descriptor (possibly Snowcasting + Energy Substitution) to spontaneously cast the entire cleric list.

It couldn't be that, you would have to prepare the spells for you to use the metamagic I believe.

However, actually knowing how that would be done would be kinda interesting.

[phaedrusxy]

Eyes of the Zombie = drone combat for D&D. It looks like to me you could even cast spells through these things... It's like a much safer, and lower level, version of Magic Jar. Combine with (Persistent) Whispercast for those non-humanoid body types.

[deadkitten]

I just realized while typing  that this is probably old news but I am WAY too committed to posting at this point buuut:

The old Boomerang Daze and Aptitude combo doesn't actually work since Boomerang Daze works with 2 specific weapons.