Sacrificing Health

[EnnPeeCee]

Just for a character concept, I was looking for abilities that sacrificed health for some effect. The only two I could think of however are the Vicious weapon enchantment, and the Blade of Blood spell (PHB2). So are there any other abilities that gain effects or require the sacrifice of health?

[Zaq]

There are a few. My personal favorite is the feat Shocking Fist (I think that's the name . . . my book's closed), which is a warforged-only feat from PGtE (yes, there are feats in that book. Just not many). You get to deal extra d4s of lightning damage with your slam attack, but doing so costs you HP. Pretty cool.

There's the Lifebond Vestments soulmeld, which lets you heal an ally for [Meldshaper level] + [5 * essentia] HP, but you take half as much damage as you heal. I've found it very useful on my Incarnate.

I vaguely recall a feat in Dragon Compendium that has some kind of self-sacrificing effect, but I don't remember the specifics.

[NNescio]

Just for a character concept, I was looking for abilities that sacrificed health for some effect. The only two I could think of however are the Vicious weapon enchantment, and the Blade of Blood spell (PHB2). So are there any other abilities that gain effects or require the sacrifice of health?

Body Fuel, Psionic feat, sacrifice 1 point of Str, Dex, and Con (as ability burn damage) to recover 2 power points. Scalable.

Hellfire blast, class feature of the Hellfire Warlock, deal extra damage at the cost of 1 point of constitution (again, as ability damage).

[EnnPeeCee]

That warforged one sounds interesting. I'll have to take a look at it when I get back to my books.

[NNescio]

That warforged one sounds interesting. I'll have to take a look at it when I get back to my books.

There are various other warforged-specific feats which sacrifice health for daamge or some other utility. IIRC, there's one which gives you a built in crossbow and allow you to shoot bolts forged from your flesh and blood with materials from your own body (which translates into HP loss).

[Divide by Zero]

Speaking of psionics, there's also empathic transfer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/empathicTransfer.htm).

[Big Fau]

One of the item sets in the MIC has an ability that boosts melee damage at the cost of hit points.

[Madcrafter]

Keeping on the psionics, Overchannel. Burn hp for ML.

[Moriato]

Well there's the "Sanctified" spells from the BoED and some other sources. Any non-evil spellcaster that prepares spells can cast them, and they all include a "sacrifice" component, which is usually ability drain.

Fair warning: most of them are NOT worth the cost, but they do fit the theme.

[PersonMan]

One of the item sets in the MIC has an ability that boosts melee damage at the cost of hit points.

Raiments of the Blood Gift, I think. Although they boost spell damage, not melee damage, IIRC.

[gallagher]

there is a paladin spell that sacs HP for more damage

[Kaeso]

For spellcasters there's the "Blood mage" prestige class. It allows you to sacrifice some of your blood (1 hp) to replace spell components worth less than 1 gp (like eschew materials) and add a caster level to that spell.

[ericgrau]

The spell shield other
Arcane blood (DR350) makes you take an extra point of energy damage every time you get hit, but you deal 1d6 to the attacker.

[EnnPeeCee]

there is a paladin spell that sacs HP for more damage
Just looked that up, Divine Sacrifice (CD or BoED). Not a bad tradeoff, 2hp for 1d6 damage.


I guess I'm looking more for stuff like this, that are more useful on a not-so-much-a-caster. But I'm still curious about other things as well.

Edit:

The spell shield other
Arcane blood (DR350) makes you take an extra point of energy damage every time you get hit, but you deal 1d6 to the attacker.
Oooh, Arcane Blood is definitely something I'm looking for.

[ericgrau]

Checking the details... arcane blooded is a 2 LA template and the only other benefit is immunity to "person" spells (type becomes monstrous humanoid). Maybe you could ask the DM to make it 1 LA. A reflex save negates the damage (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + con mod), and it is only triggered by piercing or slashing attacks. You pick the energy type upon getting the template and it makes your veins glow. Besides the obvious ways to get around energy damage you can take the the feat Evolved to negate the drawback.

[Mordokai]

Stigmata (http://dnd.savannahsoft.eu/feat-2768-stigmata.html). Doesn't get more fitting thematically, if you ask me.

Of course, I also consider the benefit to be far to small for the trade offered, but that may be just me.

[NNescio]

Another spell, Lahm's Finger Darts, Book of Vile Darkness (so it's an Evil spell), shoots the caster's fingers at targets (for Dex Damage), at the cost of strength (corruption) damage and lost fingers. Fingers come back when the strength damage is healed.

The Dex damage can get horrifying brutal, especially against low Dex targets like dragons.

[EnnPeeCee]

Checking the details... arcane blooded is a 2 LA template and the only other benefit is immunity to "person" spells (type becomes monstrous humanoid). Maybe you could ask the DM to make it 1 LA. A reflex save negates the damage (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + con mod), and it is only triggered by piercing or slashing attacks. You pick the energy type upon getting the template and it makes your veins glow. Besides the obvious ways to get around energy damage you can take the the feat Evolved to negate the drawback.

Hm, 2 LA is definitely way too much for that. Its an interesting ability though, something to try to work in.

[Teron]

The Lady's Gambit feat, from Dragon 317, which lets you sacrifice HP to get attack and damage bonuses for a round. There's also the Greater Divine Surge maneuver in ToB, which lets you sacrifice Con to boost your attack roll and add loads of d8s.

[EnnPeeCee]

The Lady's Gambit feat, from Dragon 317, which lets you sacrifice HP to get attack and damage bonuses for a round. There's also the Greater Divine Surge maneuver in ToB, which lets you sacrifice Con to boost your attack roll and add loads of d8s.

Interesting, although costs a bit more health to use than the other things posted. 2 health for 1 attack and damage, not sure if thats worth it.
Edit: The Lady's gambit I mean.

[NNescio]

Interesting, although costs a bit more health to use than the other things posted. 2 health for 1 attack and damage, not sure if thats worth it.
Edit: The Lady's gambit I mean.

It gets better with Stone Power, which lets you take as much as a -5 penalty to your attack in return for 10 temporary hp. Using both together translates into a flat +5 damage on your 2nd round onwards.

Still, the opportunity cost is staggering, and you might as well just go for a Power Attack + Shock Trooper combo anyway.

[Divide by Zero]

Speaking of psionics, there's also empathic transfer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/empathicTransfer.htm).

Somewhat off-topic: I just realized that hostile empathic transfer ignores all regeneration. So what would happen if you killed the Tarrasque with it?

[Curmudgeon]

There's the Frail (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm#frail) flaw, which will get you a feat in exchange for lower hit points. The Quick (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm#quick) trait makes you faster in exchange for lower hit points.

[EnnPeeCee]

There's the Frail (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm#frail) flaw, which will get you a feat in exchange for lower hit points. The Quick (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm#quick) trait makes you faster in exchange for lower hit points.

True, but I'm more looking for things that utilize having an excessive amount of health or healing.

[Curmudgeon]

True, but I'm more looking for things that utilize having an excessive amount of health or healing.
I don't see the advantage there. Why would you want the HP in the first place if they're "excessive"?

[EnnPeeCee]

I don't see the advantage there. Why would you want the HP in the first place if they're "excessive"?

Maybe I used the wrong word. For example, the Hellreaver, who can heal 30 hp practically every turn. If you are at full, or close to full hp, why not sacrifice some health for a more powerful attack if you can heal it right back instantly? That's all I'm getting at.