Re: What can you do with... (Current topic: BRISTLE)

[ZeroSpace]

Really looking forward to seeing new spell reviews. Gave me a lot of stuff to think on for a variety of characters.

[skydragonknight]

Vampiric Touch is also a "Necromancy" spell. Necromancy, as in, things that go "Bump" in the night!

[Captnq]

I gotta get back around to this. The Skills Handbook and Warlock guidebook are eating up my free time.

[Craiconn]

This is still one of my favorite threads, Captnq.

I would think some good candidate spells to add to this thread would be ones where there's a lot of various game mechanic adjustments within the spell's parameters and stats (that make for more metamagic feats capable of affecting it).

Maybe spells like Sinsabur's Baleful Bolt and Howling Chain, perhaps?

Threesteel would be another interesting addition.  Especially in regards to all the different weapon types you could use (like improvised weapons, giant's boulders that are shrunk via Shrunk Item, condition-granting weapons like harpoons or nets and cursed weapons [which is one way to get rid of them]).

[Captnq]

FRIEND TO FOE

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- PLAYER’S HANDBOOK 2 (3.5)
Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Bard 5, Beguiler 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature/level, none of which are more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 round/level (D); see text
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Your enemies transform into what they each hate the most, suddenly turning against each other.
You overlay phantasmal images over your enemies, making them appear to each other as loathsome and despicable, implanting an urge to kill and destroy the object of their ire. Orcs might see each other as elves or dwarves, demons might see angels, and so on. All subjects receive a Will save to see through the phantasm. Each individual failing its save turns on the closest ally and attacks until the first time it deals damage, which causes the spell to end for that attacker.
Material Component: A swatch of white silk.
Editor (Save-or-Suck): This illusion could be easily labeled an enchantment spell. Some claim this to be one of the best spells ever. I think for the level, it’s good, but par for the course. Not a big fan of the will save or mind-affecting spells. Too many defenses, especially when you get into the double digits, as you are want to have with a 5th level spell. Still, it eats up your enemy’s action economy as well as causes them to inflict damage on one another. It also is likely to break up enemy formations. The problem is, the spell is really up to DM interpretation. For example, do you attack with your most POWERFUL attack? We all keep something up our sleeve. A wand of fireballs with three charges is something you use in an emergency. Or do you get to choose the method of attack. A sadist might enjoy a slow death and want to cut his most hated enemy with a thousand papercuts. A rogue needs to set up properly to use sneak attack, so does he try? All choices for the DM, which frankly leaves enough wiggle room that it could cause a group of wizards to detonate impressively, or everyone whips out a dagger to stab for 1d4 damage, and chances are spend several rounds missing each other, because they don’t have the BAB to hit one another.
Metamagic
Earthbound: This is exactly the sort of spell I would leave in a trapped square on the floor as I was running away from a crowd of critters. A 30 foot area can be up to 12 critters in a 10 foot wide corridor. If half of them fail the will save, that will still buy you lots of time as they try to murder one another.
Invisible: No real advantage, other then it strikes me as funny. Nobody actually appears to change form, but they still want to murder each other as hard as they can, unless you can see invisible, then you see the invisible illusions.
Repeat: Now here is one of the few spells I would use repeat on. There’s a good chance most of the targets made a will save. Also, if your targets have ANY chance of hitting anyone, they will be free of the spell in one round. A repeat spell is usually a waste if everyone is killed by the first casting, but this is likely to have survivors.
Forceful: If you are playing with dragon magazine metamagic, then I love this one with forceful. Only one target will fall down, but if you think about it, that’s like putting blood in the water when you are surrounded by sharks. The prone target has a -4 to melee attacks. A stunned target is just screwed. Tell me, who do you think the group is going to gang up on?
Scrolls
Alas, the spell is too high level from wands, so scrolls is all you are going to get.
Friend to Foe (SL5/CL9): 1125 gp
Friend to Foe Earthbound (SL7/CL13): 2275 gp
Excellent spell to keep in reserve for when you are running away or leading a group into a trap. Much harder to escape a trap when everyone starts murdering each other.
Friend to Foe Repeat (SL8/CL15): 3000 gp
Much more likely to take out a large group, since most will survive the first round.
Friend to Foe Repeat/Forceful (SL9/CL17): 3825 gp
Pick the target you hate the most with the worst fortitude save. Watch everyone beat the crap out of him for the next two rounds, minimum.

By request. trying to do these more.

[Captnq]

BRISTLE

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- SPELL COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Suit of armor touched
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
With a word and the sudden opening of your hand you complete the spell. Touching a suit of armor instantly causes the armor to sprout long, deadly-looking spines.
The bristle spell temporarily enhances one suit of armor, causing it to grow long hard spikes that stick out in all directions. This spell does not work on clothing other than armor, but it does function with armor that already has spikes built in. The spikes are flexible enough not to hamper the creature wearing the armor. Each round, the first time the armor wearer attacks a target in melee, the spikes strike out as well, growing in length and hardness. The spikes have an attack bonus equal to your caster level and deal 2d6 points of damage. Your Strength modifier does not apply to this damage.
Editor: Well, here’s a little gem that gets over looked. Read it CAREFULLY. That’s a free attack, son. That’s a free attack from anyone wearing a suit of armor. At second level, you grant a FREE attack. When does that ever get old? Now, the real question is, can I cast this multiple times? For the sake of sanity, I’m saying NO. Otherwise I’d cast this five hundred times on the same fighter and watch him murder things just by waving his hand in the general direction of his enemies. And also read the spell again about reach. Doesn’t say anything about it, does it? So any melee attack gets a free 2d6 damage attack that rides along. Got a whip with a 15 foot reach? The target gets a 2d6 poke at the same time. Damn scary if you ask me.
Editor (Synergy): There are a number of damage aura spells out there. Anything that increases your base damage adds to this. Nothing says that sneak attack doesn’t apply to it, or any other number of extra forms of damage. There are some interesting grafts that would create synergy with this as well. Keep an eye out for what your DM will allow.
Metamagic
Chain/Reach: Grant an entire platoon extra attacks. WHEE!
Empower: Extra damage is extra damage.
Energize: Makes killing undead easier.
Extend: Chances are the spell lasts long enough.
Fell Animate: So if your 2d6 free attack kill someone, they rise up as a zombie. Fun for the whole family!
Fell Drain: Level drain. Whee!
Fell Frighten/Weaken: General Debuffs, but not worth the level adjustment.
Maximize: Max damage is nice, but the level adjustment doesn’t work well with this.
Persistant: Have it last all day long? Very nice. Extra 2d6 attack for your friendly damage sponge. He will thank you.

I'm skipping my usual data analysis. Way too tired.

Addendum: Someone asked for an example as to why this is cool. The BBEG is a 14th level wizard:

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How to murder your players:
1. Get a hoard of Gerbils. (any diminuative critter will do. It must have an int of 1)
2. Outfit each diminuative gerbil with a diminuative suit of leather.
3. Train each gerbil in Armor use trick. Attack Trick. Fly Trick.
4. Get the reach metamagic feat and Extend metamagic feat.
5. Learn the spell Bristle, a second level wizard spell, Fly, a third level wizard spell, and Invisibility Sphere, a 3rd level wizard spell.
6. Buy two Rods of chaining.
7. Memorize Ranged Bristle 3 times. (3 4th level slots), and memorize ranged Fly three times.
8. Make sure you have at least 1 minute before the PCs arrive.
9. Have your 14th level wizard cast ranged bristle with the chain metamagic rod three times. That's 45 Gerbils with Bristle for the next 13 minutes, give or take.
10. Have your 14th level wizard cast ranged fly with the second chain metamagic rod three times. Now your gerbils can fly at 60 feet a round.
11. Cast Invisibility sphere on the leader gerbil.
12. Keep the flying gerbils in a giant cage with a huge door you can throw open when you need to.

13. When the PCs arrive threaten to open the cage if they don't surrender at once. When the PCs laugh, throw open the cage and cry, ATTACK MY MINIONS!

14. As the players snicker, a cloud of Leather Clad, spike covered gerbils attack the nearest target within 60 feet and appear as the invisibility spell ends. Each gerbil does nothing, but just the act of TRYING to attack triggers the Bristle spell, which results in a free attack at 2d6 damage. Uptyped SPELL damage, I might add. (add fell drain if you are so inclined to turn the PCs into wights in short order.) The spikes have an attack bonus equal to your CASTER LEVEL (which is 14.) Plus, being diminuative critters fighting Medium Sized critters, they get +4 to hit (or if you can fine a Fine sized critter that you can put leather armor on, you can increase this to hit bonus to +8)

15. Witness the PC's horror as they realize that the gerbils, being diminuative size can each bunch up flying into your square, 16 at a time. (Make it 3 groups of 15 to be easy on the DM) Hope you got a whole bunch of AoOs. Once in your square, you will get hit with 15 +18 to hit, 2d6 attacks. Assuming the PCs have an AC of 29, Each Gerbil will still hit 50% of the time. That's 7 successful hits. At 7 points of damage, that's 49 points of untyped damage a round to three PCs.

Of course, one fireball or what have you will dramatically change the outcome, but one round of flying, leather clad, spiked Gerbils turning your PCs into pin cushions should be enough to establish this as a night they will NEVER forget.

16. ???

17. Profit.

[Amechra]

I want to get it as a SLA.

So I can Mortalbane it. Sweet, sweet Mortalbane.

1 min/level of free 4d6 damage pokes? I dig it.

[Garryl]

That attack bonus is rather mediocre for Bristle. They add your CL, but nothing else; no BAB, no ability score, no enhancement bonuses, and no way to buff it up through other spells and items. It might start off as kind of okay, but there are few threatening foes that it can hit on a 10 or so; a quick skim of Optimization by the Numbers says that AC is usually around CR+12, give or take.

[Captnq]

That attack bonus is rather mediocre for Bristle. They add your CL, but nothing else; no BAB, no ability score, no enhancement bonuses, and no way to buff it up through other spells and items. It might start off as kind of okay, but there are few threatening foes that it can hit on a 10 or so; a quick skim of Optimization by the Numbers says that AC is usually around CR+12, give or take.

Flying Death Gerbils: +18, 2d6.

[Unbeliever]

That attack bonus is rather mediocre for Bristle. They add your CL, but nothing else; no BAB, no ability score, no enhancement bonuses, and no way to buff it up through other spells and items. It might start off as kind of okay, but there are few threatening foes that it can hit on a 10 or so; a quick skim of Optimization by the Numbers says that AC is usually around CR+12, give or take.

^ this.  Which is why I usually pass on Bristle outside of certain combo cases, e.g., if there's a solid IC Bard in the party.