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View Full Version : Short-Term CL Boosts [3.5]



Twilight Jack
2010-02-21, 04:59 AM
What methods exist to boost caster level for a single event? My 9th level wizard has come into possession of a single scroll of teleportation circle. He intends to use it to evacuate an entire small city that is in the path of a massive army which the PCs have no chance of fighting.

I've already spoken with the DM and determined that the logistics of evacuating the entire city through a single teleporation circle are possible, even if unlikely. Essentially, the DM has agreed that the 5 ft. space taken up by a medium creature is only necessary if those creatures need enough room to defend themselves. Otherwise, only half that space is necessary, as provided in the SRD. Since a squeezed in character is capable of moving 15 ft. in a single round (difficult terrain), that means that with either 2 or 4 people in each 5-ft. square (depending on whether you view squeezing into a 2.5-ft. space as taking place on 1 dimension or 2), you can manage to march between 24-48 people into the circle every round under perfect conditions. I only need to be able to get @8 into the circle each round to evacuate the entire city in the time alotted (about 3 hours, once the circle is cast), so this can work if we can organize the city.

That's someone else's job.

My character's job is to bring the circle online once the population is properly organized. By my calculations, my character has a 60% chance of pulling this off. If he succeeds, the logistics are already worked out. If he fails, then the whole city of 11,000+ is at the mercy of a massacre.

60% isn't nearly good enough. How can I gain a temporary boost to my Caster Level to help ensure that I can make this damn thing work? Any ideas are appreciated, but it's a bit too late to start dipping into prestige classes or taking new feats. I need either an item to which I can try to convince the DM to grant access, or a spell that will make up the difference.

I don't need to get this to 100%; I just want my chances to be as good as possible.

Eloel
2010-02-21, 05:05 AM
Bead of Karma incrases your CL by 4 - essentially a 20% increase in your chances. It's expanded when used, which would reduce your DM's doubts about giving that to you.
An Orange Ioun Stone gives +1 to CL, effectively +5%.
If you're in Eberron, spend an Action Point to get the +1d6 to your roll - it can be worth it.

Twilight Jack
2010-02-21, 05:08 AM
Bead of Karma incrases your CL by 4 - essentially a 20% increase in your chances. It's expanded when used, which would reduce your DM's doubts about giving that to you.
An Orange Ioun Stone gives +1 to CL, effectively +5%.

Bead of karma is a good idea, but the ioun stone is unlikely to be within my character's ability to aquire. I wonder whether I can manage to get ahold of the bead.

In which book might I find the bead?

Eloel
2010-02-21, 05:09 AM
Bead of karma is a good idea, but the ioun stone is unlikely to be within my character's ability to aquire. I wonder whether I can manage to get ahold of the bead.

In which book might I find the bead?

DMG, I'd guess.
Right here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#strandofPrayerBeads)

PhoenixRivers
2010-02-21, 05:27 AM
Incidentally, beads of Karma are not expended when used. they're usable once per day, and function for 10 minutes.

Adumbration
2010-02-21, 05:31 AM
If I remember correctly, there's a drug in Book of Vile darkness that provides +2 alchemical bonus caster level. Terran brandy, I think it was.

BobVosh
2010-02-21, 05:31 AM
Are beads of karma divine only? Or is that a pathfinder change?

PhoenixRivers
2010-02-21, 05:34 AM
Are beads of karma divine only? Or is that a pathfinder change?

They normally are, but arcanists can use them via UMD. The CL boost they provide isn't restricted to divine only. Only their activation is.

jcsw
2010-02-21, 05:39 AM
You don't use your own CL for scrolls. You use the scroll's CL.

PhoenixRivers
2010-02-21, 05:42 AM
You don't use your own CL for scrolls. You use the scroll's CL.

You use your CL to make the caster level check to activate them, if your CL is lower than the scroll's.

Gorbash
2010-02-21, 05:49 AM
Ring of Arcane Might gives +1.

Create Magic Tattoo gives another +1.

tonberrian
2010-02-21, 05:56 AM
See if you can find a Bard that knows Harmonic Chorus (SpC) for another +2 to caster level.

Twilight Jack
2010-02-21, 05:57 AM
You know, there's a 60% chance that I get lucky and that this whole topic is moot, but it comes down to a single die roll.

What's my best bet for a decent CL boost for a single roll?

BobVosh
2010-02-21, 06:01 AM
If you have the UMD to work the beads, it is hard to find anything better than +4. Last 10 minutes even.

jcsw
2010-02-21, 06:26 AM
You use your CL to make the caster level check to activate them, if your CL is lower than the scroll's.


Caster Level

The next item in a notational entry gives the caster level of the item, indicating its relative power. The caster level determines the item’s saving throw bonus, as well as range or other level-dependent aspects of the powers of the item (if variable). It also determines the level that must be contended with should the item come under the effect of a dispel magic spell or similar situation. This information is given in the form "CL x," where "CL" is an abbreviation for caster level and "x" is an ordinal number representing the caster level itself.

This is not contradicted in any other part of the SRD.

tonberrian
2010-02-21, 06:31 AM
I think the point is to match the scroll's CL to guarantee activation of the spell.

Activate the Spell
Activating a scroll requires reading the spell from the scroll. The character must be able to see and read the writing on the scroll. Activating a scroll spell requires no material components or focus. (The creator of the scroll provided these when scribing the scroll.) Note that some spells are effective only when cast on an item or items. In such a case, the scroll user must provide the item when activating the spell. Activating a scroll spell is subject to disruption just as casting a normally prepared spell would be. Using a scroll is like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure chance.

To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must meet the following requirements.

•The spell must be of the correct type (arcane or divine). Arcane spellcasters (wizards, sorcerers, and bards) can only use scrolls containing arcane spells, and divine spellcasters (clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) can only use scrolls containing divine spells. (The type of scroll a character creates is also determined by his or her class.)
•The user must have the spell on his or her class list.
•The user must have the requisite ability score.
If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell’s caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell’s caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll’s caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a mishap (see Scroll Mishaps, below). A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/scrolls.htm)

PhoenixRivers
2010-02-21, 06:32 AM
This is not contradicted in any other part of the SRD.
I know that. I'm aware that, when cast, the scroll uses the minimum caster level.

HOWEVER:

Nor is this:

To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must meet the following requirements.
The spell must be of the correct type (arcane or divine). Arcane spellcasters (wizards, sorcerers, and bards) can only use scrolls containing arcane spells, and divine spellcasters (clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) can only use scrolls containing divine spells. (The type of scroll a character creates is also determined by his or her class.)
The user must have the spell on his or her class list.
The user must have the requisite ability score.

If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell’s caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell’s caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll’s caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a mishap (see Scroll Mishaps, below). A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers.
Emphasis mine.

In this instance, the caster is CL 9. The scroll is CL 17. The caster will need to make a Caster Level check, DC 18. For this, boosting your caster level is handy.

magic9mushroom
2010-02-21, 07:02 AM
I know you said it's a bit late for feats, but if you could get Psychic Reformationed, you could retrain a feat.

And get Arcane Mastery in order to take 10.

Which gives you surety.