D&D 3e/3.5e/d20The forum for conversations specifically related to the rules and procedures of Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition, 3.5 Edition, or any fantasy game using the d20 system or a variant thereof (commercially published or not).
what are some of your favorites? for example, "mount" can call up a horse for you to get where you're going a bit faster, but it could also be used to call up a horse to separate you from your enemies while you run away on foot... effectively making it a meat shield.
Our Paladin has the ability to summon a celestial mount. We found it useful to load it up to its maximum carrying capacity when looting treasure. I mean, to the point where the beast could no longer move.
Then he dismissed it.
Days later, when we were back in town, he re-summoned it and we unloaded the treasure.
Things I have gotten away with in the past: Grease on a giant's boots (took a little doing, and there was a saving throw as an 'attended item'). Freezing Ray for ice-cold drinks. Prestidigitation to prevent a noble being poisoned (re-flavoured the meal to taste positively revolting).
I've used dancing lights to create a spot light effect on someone, who was shield surfing down a course of his own design. I then also used it to create a "ghost" version of someone similar mirroring his movements to make it look as if he had competition on his run. Crowd loved it and only inflated the elf's ego even more than need be.
It was an interesting trick, and once the duskblade was done with that, she immediately went back to her research, researching a DM made disease for your race is no fun.
Last edited by HunterColt22 : 10-01-2012 at 08:01 AM.
Ghost Sound. Normally I only ever find this little spell useful for minor mood music and entertaining children. But on one occasion, while trying to sneak past a clan of Hill Giants, a party member stubbed his toe and cursed out loud, attracting the Giants' attention. My sorcerer, thinking on his feet, fired off a Ghost Sound of a man shouting behind the giants. The giants proceeded to pound the bush that seemed to have cried out to pieces and left the area without ever noticing us.
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78% of all DM's start their first campaign in a tavern. If you're among the 22% who didn't, copy and paste this into your signature and tell us where you DID begin.
The docks of a small fishing village.
Quote:
Originally Posted by navar100
What the DM says goes. If he says enough stupid stuff, the players go too.
Rope trick can suspend a significant amount of weight. Therefore you can use it in place of Immovable Rods to create temporary architectural supports for rope constructions of various sorts. I've got a player who used this trick to win a magical bridge-building competition.
I also like the idea of a computer made of Magic Mouths (they can respond to auditory signals, so you can use them to make auditory circuits).
The Dwarf fighter was badly wounded during a hard fight when he was grappled by a Hook Horror. Fearing that he was about to be rent asunder I said "I Grease the Dwarf". Dwarf waived the save and ended up ungrappled and on the floor.
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π = 4
Consider a 5' radius blast: this affects 4 squares which have a circumference of 40' — Actually it's worse than that.
Yeah, no. Eschew materials only works if the bolts cost less than 1gp, which colossal bolts definitely do not. And don't come at me with "But bolts' only listed price is 1sp", because that table only accounts for small/medium weapons, who use very different weapons than someone Colossal.
Yeah, no. Eschew materials only works if the bolts cost less than 1gp, which colossal bolts definitely do not. And don't come at me with "But bolts' only listed price is 1sp", because that table only accounts for small/medium weapons, who use very different weapons than someone Colossal.
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Even if it did work, you would take a major penalty to your attack roll.
I use Detect Animals or Plants as part of a chain of spells that allow my druid to move around the world fairly freely.
At his home he has a garden with plants gathered from all over the world. Regular uses of Plant Growth keep them all prospering. When abroad, he uses Commune with Nature to get a general idea of where there are plants of any of the types he keeps in his garden. When he gets close to those areas he uses Detect Animals or Plants to locate the specific plants needed, then uses Trasport via Plants to teleport back home through those plants.
It doesn't always work to rely merely on ranks of Survival and Knowledge (nature) to find useful plants for the Transport spell, so the lowly Detect Animals or Plants can be extremely useful to have for this purpose.
__________________ “No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.” ― Steven Brust
"In God we trust. All others we investigate." - United States Army Military Police Corps
Yeah, no. Eschew materials only works if the bolts cost less than 1gp, which colossal bolts definitely do not. And don't come at me with "But bolts' only listed price is 1sp", because that table only accounts for small/medium weapons, who use very different weapons than someone Colossal.
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Actually, Launch Bolt only lists a Verbal and Somatic component. There is no material component to the spell. As Pilo stated, the target of the spell is "one crossbow bolt in your possession."
__________________ “No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.” ― Steven Brust
"In God we trust. All others we investigate." - United States Army Military Police Corps
We usually just use the Druid for this. Load him up way beyond encumbrance limits, then he wildshapes and it all disappears until he resumes his real form. Good use of the celestial mount for those times when it's not actually useful to have around, though (ie any dungeon).
Actually, Launch Bolt only lists a Verbal and Somatic component. There is no material component to the spell. As Pilo stated, the target of the spell is "one crossbow bolt in your possession."
You want me to quote books? I will quote books.
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Originally Posted by Spell Compendium pg. 130
"Material Component: The crossbow bolt to be fired (1sp)"
Earlier it also cites it works off a Light Crossbow, but again without citing size.
I did not realize this spell was reprinted in the Spell Compendium. It does indeed have a material component in that version, which would interact correctly with Eschew Materials.
__________________ “No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.” ― Steven Brust
"In God we trust. All others we investigate." - United States Army Military Police Corps
Earlier it also cites it works off a Light Crossbow, but again without citing size.
Would it be related to the Wizard's size, though - as in, would the Wizard, if under the effects of Enlarge Person, fire Large Light Crossbow bolts instead of Medium Light Crossbow bolts? The "as a Light Crossbow" suggests that size does matter, unfortunately.
I like to aim damage spells at floors or ceilings against magic immune opponents. Better than nothing.
On that note, our DM was getting into the impossible situations phase for our high level party one time. He threw a monster he created at us with all kinds of immunities, including magic 10' radius. The party wizard just disintegrated(not that low level, I know) the floor and the monster fell a few stories before landing on a rival adventuring party in the same dungeon... As for low level spells: a member of my group had a story of when he was playing a gnome illusionist and there was a giant in his party. They were really playing up the gnome/giant racial enmity. The party was about to have an important meeting with the king. Just before the doors of the grand hall opened for them the gnome whispers 'glitter' as in the glitterdust spell. Making tough guy giant all sparkly during the meeting.
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Spoiler
‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’ What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Cantrips in Pathfinder (for sorcerers anyway) are endless. Meaning that I can indeed use Acid Splash as often as I want.
Acid typically bipasses all hardness on objects unless the object has a specific property to deal with that.
Using it to create marks on walls in a dungeon where we know that the walls are shifting from time to time, certainly makes it easy to keep track of where one has been or where one is. The real trick was coming up with a labeling system to corrispond with the map we were drawing, but one linguistics skill check and Craft: Cartography later we had something to work with.
As for walls which one thinks may be illusionary, Acid Splash tends to be an excellent test. No marking? Probably an illusion.
Need to get rid of some evidence? Melt it in acid.
Want to ranged sunder someone's weapon? Acid arrow can do the trick, though not ideal. Aiming for another caster's spell component pouch or spell book? Now we're talking. Sure, there are better options for this sort of thing, but it works in a pinch.
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~~Courage is not the lack of fear~~
Quote:
Originally Posted by gooddragon1
If the party wizard can't survive a supersonic dragon made of iron at epic levels it's his own fault really.
Magic Missile homing beacon. Mr. Wizard has the lovely See Invisible spell buff up, and the party is fighting an invisible enemy. Wizard casts Magic Missile via a wand (doens't have to, but easier for spell spam), the party knows the targets location square every round. Not ideal, but for low level where Invisibility is awesome, a great counter.
Magic Missile homing beacon. Mr. Wizard has the lovely See Invisible spell buff up, and the party is fighting an invisible enemy. Wizard casts Magic Missile via a wand (doens't have to, but easier for spell spam), the party knows the targets location square every round. Not ideal, but for low level where Invisibility is awesome, a great counter.
This one's only relevant if there is also a silence effect in the area. The wizard could just tell the party where the invisible enemy is.
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If you haven't, you should give League of Legends a try.
yeah, but this way he's telling them AND dealing 1d4+1 damage at the same time.
My favorites... Command. Our ship was being attacked by pirates. They pulled alongside. We started to attack. I leapt across the 10' gap effortlessly (rogue). The cleric didn't stand a chance. So he made them come to him. They tried a standing jump from the edge of the ship. Orc pirates in splint mail... not making a standing 10' jump. Instant KO. Burning hands. Same campaign, different pirates. Invisibility to sneak into their cargo hold (where they stored black powder for cannons). Stand in window, light floor on fire. Immediately leap out window. Watch in amusement as enemy ship explodes. Flaming sphere. Having a celebration? Why not make 5' bonfires which moved at will? Oh, and just for flavor make them look like animals. Pyromancer now leads a troop of dancing otters, foxes, dogs, and bobcats. You want to put on a show? That's a good way to do it.
Acid typically bipasses all hardness on objects unless the object has a specific property to deal with that.
I don't believe that's the case. Hardness and Energy Attacks, combined, indicate that sonic and acid do normal damage (with hardness subtracted, if applicable), and other types do half or quarter damage (before hardness is subtracted). Certainly it could be clearer, but there's no specific language saying that acid and sonic ignore hardness, only that they are not reduced prior to that.
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Originally Posted by Water_Bear
That's RAW for you; 100% Rules-Legal, 110% silly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hamishspence
"Common sense" and "RAW" are not exactly on speaking terms
Anyone knows blue is for sarcas'ing in · Use of gray may indicate nitpicking · Green is sincerity · "Take 10 SAN damage from Dark Orchid"
I often hop into threads for just one thing
It was the first session of a seafaring campaign, and one of the players fell over the edge and drowned. After quickly recovering the body, my 1st level sorcerer proceeded to use shocking touch as a defibrillator.
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Soooooo... About that elf lady.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shadow_archmagi
Remember kids: Stabbing someone in the gut five times is peaceful if you previously hit them over the head.
Regal Procession (Spell Compendium) - It's Mount/CL. When used in naval combat it can fill the enemy's deck with horses. It's good in any situation when you need to block off passages or confine movement. Or if you're being tracked cast it jump on the horses you need and send the rest off in random directions.
I don't believe that's the case. Hardness and Energy Attacks, combined, indicate that sonic and acid do normal damage (with hardness subtracted, if applicable), and other types do half or quarter damage (before hardness is subtracted). Certainly it could be clearer, but there's no specific language saying that acid and sonic ignore hardness, only that they are not reduced prior to that.
Yeah, not sure how I got that quite so bass-ackwards. Consider my suggestion retracted for the time being.
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~~Courage is not the lack of fear~~
Quote:
Originally Posted by gooddragon1
If the party wizard can't survive a supersonic dragon made of iron at epic levels it's his own fault really.
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unconventional uses of low level spells.
