Fun Finds v7.0 - Now with +15% more reposts!

[snakeman830]

It turns out living objects, like plants, are immune to the Disintegrate spell!

Disintegrate
Transmutation
Level:    Destruction 7, Sor/Wiz 6
Components:    V, S, M/DF
Casting Time:    1 standard action
Range:    Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect:    Ray
Duration:    Instantaneous
Saving Throw:    Fortitude partial (object)
Spell Resistance:    Yes

A thin, green ray springs from your pointing finger. You must make a successful ranged touch attack to hit. Any creature struck by the ray takes 2d6 points of damage per caster level (to a maximum of 40d6). Any creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this spell is entirely disintegrated, leaving behind only a trace of fine dust. A disintegrated creature’s equipment is unaffected.

When used against an object, the ray simply disintegrates as much as one 10-foot cube of nonliving matter. Thus, the spell disintegrates only part of any very large object or structure targeted. The ray affects even objects constructed entirely of force, such as forceful hand or a wall of force, but not magical effects such as a globe of invulnerability or an antimagic field.

A creature or object that makes a successful Fortitude save is partially affected, taking only 5d6 points of damage. If this damage reduces the creature or object to 0 or fewer hit points, it is entirely disintegrated.

Only the first creature or object struck can be affected; that is, the ray affects only one target per casting.
Arcane Material Component

A lodestone and a pinch of dust.

Emphasis my own.  Given that it only says what happens if you hit a creature or, specifically, a nonliving object, Disintegrate does nothing to living trees or vines, assuming they aren't creatures.

[kitep]

Sounds interesting, but plants are a type of creature.

PHB, p306

creature type: One of several broad categories of creatures. The
creature types are aberration, animal, construct, dragon, elemental,
fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze,
outsider, plant, undead, and vermin. (See the Monster Manual for full
descriptions.)

[linklord231]

Sounds interesting, but plants are a type of creature.

PHB, p306

creature type: One of several broad categories of creatures. The
creature types are aberration, animal, construct, dragon, elemental,
fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze,
outsider, plant, undead, and vermin. (See the Monster Manual for full
descriptions.)

Plant is a type of creature, but not all plants are creatures.

Plant Type

This type comprises vegetable creatures. Note that regular plants, such as one finds growing in gardens and fields, lack Wisdom and Charisma scores (see Nonabilities) and are not creatures, but objects, even though they are alive.

Emphasis mine

[Nanashi]

Plants blocking Disintegrate is a fairly famous exploit.

[snakeman830]

Fun weapon property find in Forge of War (Eberron)

Intercepting
Price: +1 bonus
Property: Melee weapon
Caster level: 8th
Aura: Moderate (DC 19) transmutation
Activation: Free (command)
Weight: --

This weapon grants you one extra attack in a round.  If a foe attempts to charge, bull rush, overrun, or grapple you, you make a single melee attack against that foe before he attempts his action.  This attack is not an attack of opportunity, which means it functions against foes who do not provoke attacks of opportunity when they attempt these maneuvers.
If you make a successful attack against a charging, bull rushing, or overrunning opponent, the weapon deals double damage.  In addition, if the attack lands against a charging opponent, that foe loses the normal +2 bonus to hit due to the charge, but retains the associated armor class penalty.

I'm certain it's not supposed to work like this, but as written, this behaves like the Speed quality with additional upside for a fraction of the cost.  Even if you take it as the extra attack specifically means the one special action against charging etc. foes, this is still pretty decent against a number of enemies that like those maneuvers.  Lots of monsters have Improved Grab or Pounce and this works against all of them.

A second item of note from the same book is a great find for those max-range archery builds.  The Archer's Standard will likely require someone else to carry it for you (thri-kreen and other 4-armed archers can manage it solo) but it lets you ignore all penalties associated with an additional range increment and also extends your maximum range by 1 increment (11 normally, 16 for Cragtop Archer).

[snakeman830]

Ring of Silent Spells (MiC page 127) doesn't get enough recognition.  Once per day, you can cast a quickened Silence spell at caster level 5 centered on yourself.  This already makes it fantastic for stealthy types, but it also allows the wearer to cast up to 3 spells of 3rd level or lower as though they had applied Silent Spell to them.  It's only 2,000 gold, making it one of the cheapest magic rings.

5 minute duration, swift action to activate, and 20ft radius is also enough to ruin the day of enemy spellcasters.

Honestly, I would recommend it as an addition to Bunko's.

[Nytemare3701]

I cast raise thread, using Swarmbane Clasp as a focus.

Cheap item that fixes a REALLY annoying pair of issues, namely swarm immunity and swarm nausea.

[linklord231]

I would expect a "clasp" to be slotless, but apparently it's neck slot.  Still very good though!

[nijineko]

Plants blocking Disintegrate is a fairly famous exploit.

I see your Disintegrate and raise you a readied action with Quall's Feather Token: Tree!

[nijineko]

A second item of note from the same book is a great find for those max-range archery builds.  The Archer's Standard will likely require someone else to carry it for you (thri-kreen and other 4-armed archers can manage it solo) but it lets you ignore all penalties associated with an additional range increment and also extends your maximum range by 1 increment (11 normally, 16 for Cragtop Archer).

Arcing shot allows one to ignore ranged penalties anyway, and Farsight reduces the penalties to -1 per increment all the time. Still, nice for those times where there is a ceiling to account for, and for the extra increment.

Wonder if there is a shield that can hold a standard... then make it dancing for those who are not Thri-Kreen.

[Theaitetos]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it before, but I think I found a new exploit that opens up a ton of possibilities: Alter Summoned Monster!

The spell is already famous for its exploits with stuff like using it on Heightened Mount, but today I noticed that it is a very rare summoning spell in that it is not based on Summon Monster/Summon Nature's Ally. These latter two spells contain a well-known limiting rule for any creature summoned with these spells (or their derivatives):

Creatures summoned using this spell cannot use spells or spell-like abilities that duplicate spells with expensive material components (such as wish).

Alter Summoned Monster does not contain this limitation, thus you are able to summon creatures and have them use their (expensive) spell-like abilities as you want (except innate summoning spells).


For example, with Summon Evil Monster you can use Alter Summoned Monster on a 6th-level summon spell and summon an Efreeti to fulfill your Wish without paying any material costs, a full spell-level lower than Limited Wish.

[linklord231]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it before, but I think I found a new exploit that opens up a ton of possibilities: Alter Summoned Monster!

The spell is already famous for its exploits with stuff like using it on Heightened Mount, but today I noticed that it is a very rare summoning spell in that it is not based on Summon Monster/Summon Nature's Ally. These latter two spells contain a well-known limiting rule for any creature summoned with these spells (or their derivatives):

Creatures summoned using this spell cannot use spells or spell-like abilities that duplicate spells with expensive material components (such as wish).

Alter Summoned Monster does not contain this limitation, thus you are able to summon creatures and have them use their (expensive) spell-like abilities as you want (except innate summoning spells).


For example, with Summon Evil Monster you can use Alter Summoned Monster on a 6th-level summon spell and summon an Efreeti to fulfill your Wish without paying any material costs, a full spell-level lower than Limited Wish.

The limitation on summoned creatures not being able to use their own summoning abilities is actually built in to the Conjuration (Summoning) subschool, not part of any particular spell.  Altered Summoned Monster is still Conjuration (Summoning), and so "A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it may have, and it refuses to cast any spells that would cost it XP, or to use any spell-like abilities that would cost XP if they were spells."

[Theaitetos]

I'm talking Pathfinder 1e, not DnD 3.5. Check all the links (D20PFSRD/Archives of Nethys).

[kitep]

FYI, there's a separate thread for Pathfinder to help avoid confusion. Called "Fun Pathfinds".

[8wGremlin]

Well looking back at my buddy George the Huge Awakened Blacksand buddy got me thinking about other things

A 20'-radius patch of black sand can heal

• who is undead
• anyone with tome tainted soul
• anyone under the 2nd level cleric spell: Shroud of Undeath

At 3rd level - the lowest you can cast Blacksand (5th if pure cleric and not domain)
will heal* 1d4/round to the above list, for 3 minutes which is roughly 30*2.5 = 75hp of healing.
If you maximised the Blacksands it would heal 120hp

Note that its 20' radius is about 50 odd squares, so if you had a small army in there, 1 creature per square your healing 3750hp (maxed 6000hp)
Not bad for a 2nd level spell, that is also a column of darkness.

Some one check this out, and I'm not going mad?