Maybe the worst idea I've had all day...

[No brains]

:smile:

So I was going to roll a wizard who had a sea snake familiar with with Ability Focus (poison) and I wanted to use it as a weapon. Since clubbing people with a snake is not going to dish out that awesome poison, could I instead have my snake familiar be riding on me as a mount so that it gains my space and reach?

:biggrin:

[Greenish]

You don't gain your mount's reach.

There's a spell somewhere, probably in Serpent Kingdoms, that turns a snake temporarily into a sword. Attacking with said sword also inflicts the snake's poison on the enemy.


[Edit]: Not in SK. I still think I've seen it somewhere, but maybe I'm just deluded.

[BillyBobJoe]

You don't gain your mount's reach.

There's a spell somewhere, probably in Serpent Kingdoms, that turns a snake temporarily into a sword. Attacking with said sword also inflicts the snake's poison on the enemy.


[Edit]: Not in SK. I still think I've seen it somewhere, but maybe I'm just deluded.

Actually, I'm pretty sure the spell does the opposite, and turns a sword into a snake, but I may be wrong.

[Greenish]

Fang Blade, Dragon Magazine #330. 4th level transmutation spell, wiz/sorc, turns a snake into longsword (with which you have autoproficiency) for 1 min/level, attack deals normal damage + poison.

So yeah, clubbing people with the snake is going to deal out said poison. :smalltongue:

[BillyBobJoe]

I think I know what my next character is. :smallbiggrin:

[Greenish]

It's a 3rd level spell for druids and rangers, and clerics get it as a 4th level one like wizards. It works on any snake up to one size larger than you are.

[Edit]: I suggest using druid or cleric. Venomfire is just too good to pass. :smalltongue:

[Hazzardevil]

That leads to a question.
What happens if I summon a viper with summon monster and then when theres one round left you turn it into a sword?

[Greenish]

What happens if I summon a viper with summon monster and then when theres one round left you turn it into a sword?Then you have a sword for one round, I should think.

[Rion]

Can you cast it on someone who has wildshaped into a snake? To have a cleric using a Druid as a longsword.

[Eldan]

Can you cast it on someone who has wildshaped into a snake? To have a cleric using a Druid as a longsword.

Could you have your Ape animal companion use yourself as a sword if you are a druid? Somehow?

[The Succubus]

I recall recently making a post about the merits of having Weapon Focus: Owlbear. :smallyuk:

[Murmaider]

Could you have your Ape animal companion use yourself as a sword if you are a druid? Somehow?

If I remember that correctly, Arcane Hierophant from RotW combines his animal companion with his familiar, resulting in a creature of high enough intelligence to use weapons.

[Partysan]

I like where this thread is going. I might have to steal that idea.

[flabort]

Here's a question: If you have that feat that lets you cast spells while wildshaped, and wildshape into a snake, then cast it on yourself, can you still cast spells while you're a sword? :smallconfused:

[Lord.Sorasen]

Here's a question: If you have that feat that lets you cast spells while wildshaped, and wildshape into a snake, then cast it on yourself, can you still cast spells while you're a sword? :smallconfused:

I'm not sure about by RAW, but since the spell allows someone to substitute animal sound and movement for non-animal sounds and movement, I'd imagine it wouldn't work quite that way.

However, you could still cast powers if you were a psion or something like that.

[No brains]

Okay, it looks like I was patently wrong about riders gaining the mount's reach.

I just want to use a goddamn snake as a weapon to tide over my low level crappiness!

I almost have all the pieces... cool con damage, great save DC, I JUST NEED A WAY FOR THE SNAKE TO ACTUALLY BITE SOMETHING!

...mage hand the snake into an enemy square?:smallconfused:

[Greenish]

I almost have all the pieces... cool con damage, great save DC, I JUST NEED A WAY FOR THE SNAKE TO ACTUALLY BITE SOMETHING!Blood Wind, SpC page 33.

[TwylyghT]

So if your opponent polymorphed/wild shaped into a snake, and you turned the snake into a sword, do you win if you sunder it? When the effect ends do all the shards change into some sort of... hamburger?

[No brains]

So if your opponent polymorphed/wild shaped into a snake, and you turned the snake into a sword, do you win if you sunder it? When the effect ends do all the shards change into some sort of... hamburger?

Silliest yet, could you turn many snakes into may swords to unassumingly smuggle them onto an ship so that when the duration expires the wild snakes will kill everyone inside?

Blood wind is okay, but it still requires the casting of a spell. The idea of my snake was a powerful backup when a spell isn't available/ quite worth it.

Also, I want to do this specifically for a wizard or sorcerer. If I try this with a druid, the snake might not be able to have ability focus as a different feat, and as a Druid I have the option for a medium viper which would murder everything even if it wasn't a sea snake.

[BIGMamaSloth]

Silliest yet, could you turn many snakes into may swords to unassumingly smuggle them onto an ship so that when the duration expires the wild snakes will kill everyone inside?

Better yet, do it on a plane, and then have a solo adventure with samuel l jackson :smallwink:

[LaughingRogue]

Better yet, do it on a plane, and then have a solo adventure with samuel l jackson :smallwink:

lol >.> Though Ray Charles could have seen that joke coming --- it's still funny...

[Darrin]

Actually, I'm pretty sure the spell does the opposite, and turns a sword into a snake, but I may be wrong.

Yep. Viper property, +1 enhancement, can only be applied to bladed weapons.

If you want a sea snake that can take feats, you're better off swapping your familar for an animal companion via the Simple Sorcerer/Wizard variant in Unearthed Arcana. Then you can either add the Warbeast template (MMII) to a medium sea snake (2HD), which adds +1 HD and it can thus take Ability Focus as its feat (3HD = 150 GP), or you can wait until 3rd level when it gains +2 HD as an animal companion.

[twas_Brillig]

If you want a sea snake that can take feats, you're better off swapping your familar for an animal companion via the Simple Sorcerer/Wizard variant in Unearthed Arcana. Then you can either add the Warbeast template (MMII) to a medium sea snake (2HD), which adds +1 HD and it can thus take Ability Focus as its feat (3HD = 150 GP), or you can wait until 3rd level when it gains +2 HD as an animal companion.

Note that warbeast is a very thoroughly contested template, however. Check with your DM about (and make sure they understand the implications of) training your pets into further badassery. Also, even without warbeast you can buff your companion-familiar somewhat by taking...what was it? That feat that raised your effective druid level by 3, up to your hit dice? (The alternate class feature counts you as a druid of half your level, taking the feat in E6 therefore makes wizards and sorcerers even sillier.)

[Pika...]

Fang Blade, Dragon Magazine #330. 4th level transmutation spell, wiz/sorc, turns a snake into longsword (with which you have autoproficiency) for 1 min/level, attack deals normal damage + poison.

So yeah, clubbing people with the snake is going to deal out said poison. :smalltongue:

Is that a Fang Bladed snake, or are you just happy to see me? :smallbiggrin:

[Captain Six]

Yep. Viper property, +1 enhancement, can only be applied to bladed weapons.

So you can have a sword that turns into a snake that can be transformed into a sword? There has got to be some loop shenanigans possible there.

[Acanous]

Going Wizard/Druid/Arcane Heirophant/Mystic Theurge could net you some fairly amazing returns, if you have a dual-wielding Gorilla familiar companion, wild shape into a snake, have your sword turn into a snake, then turn your sword-snake into a sword along with yourself. (So it can autodeliver the venom)

Still/silent/eschew spell, you can still cast as a sword. Now your opponents don't know which sword to sunder, and your gorilla has some fun duel-wielding longsnakes with Monkey Grip.

[Greenish]

So you can have a sword that turns into a snake that can be transformed into a sword? There has got to be some loop shenanigans possible there.Well, the sword->snake->sword might keep it's enhancements, and would also deliver poison every strike. There's probably something more shenanigan-y to be done, but that's something.

[BobVosh]

Go the other way around. Aid another in grapples, and have him bite! Stone fist will give a decent str (enhancement I think) to let you do this.

[No brains]

Go the other way around. Aid another in grapples, and have him bite! Stone fist will give a decent str (enhancement I think) to let you do this.

Is this back to a low level wizard tactic or are you talking about the druid craziness?

So the wizard would aid the snake in grapples to deliver the poison? Risky, but interesting...