FearlessGnome
2011-09-10, 10:22 PM
Heya again. More musings about the Shadowaster.
Now, Mage Hand can be used to move objects weighing up to 5 pounds.
Shadowcasters get the Mystery Umbral Hand, which is slightly better, in that it can lift 5 pounds per caster level (And is supernatural, but whatever).
Occasionally useful, and it's not like Shadowcasters get that many other exciting Fundamentals (0th level spells). But then it occured to me that the spell Reduce Person divides your weight by 8. And while very few PCs weigh less than 40 pounds, I think a fair few weigh less than 800. So at some point before you reach level 20 (Level 2 for many naked Small characters, and likely level 3 with all their stuff)) Shadowcasters get to a point where if they are shrunk one size category they can lift something their own weight with a 0th level spell.
Question, then. Is there some limitation I'm not aware of that prevents a Small low-level Shadowcaster from shrinking themselves one size category and lifting themselves with their Umbral Hand, and so gaining Supernatural flight for a few rounds at level 2-3?
The Umbral hand moves slowly, and has a short duration, but is this not basically free out of combat flight for Small and smaller Shadowcasters who can get a teammate to cast Reduce Person for them?
And by the time Umbral Hand is strong enough to lift your unshrunken body weight, Fundamentals are already at will, so isn't this at that point free all day out of combat supernatural flight for Small and smaller characters?
Or is it "understood" that even though at level 20 this hand can likely lift more than your character can, it's not allowed to pick up living beings? Because a maximum size for the object is not mentioned, and there is no cap on how strong the hand can eventually get.
Now, Mage Hand can be used to move objects weighing up to 5 pounds.
Shadowcasters get the Mystery Umbral Hand, which is slightly better, in that it can lift 5 pounds per caster level (And is supernatural, but whatever).
Occasionally useful, and it's not like Shadowcasters get that many other exciting Fundamentals (0th level spells). But then it occured to me that the spell Reduce Person divides your weight by 8. And while very few PCs weigh less than 40 pounds, I think a fair few weigh less than 800. So at some point before you reach level 20 (Level 2 for many naked Small characters, and likely level 3 with all their stuff)) Shadowcasters get to a point where if they are shrunk one size category they can lift something their own weight with a 0th level spell.
Question, then. Is there some limitation I'm not aware of that prevents a Small low-level Shadowcaster from shrinking themselves one size category and lifting themselves with their Umbral Hand, and so gaining Supernatural flight for a few rounds at level 2-3?
The Umbral hand moves slowly, and has a short duration, but is this not basically free out of combat flight for Small and smaller Shadowcasters who can get a teammate to cast Reduce Person for them?
And by the time Umbral Hand is strong enough to lift your unshrunken body weight, Fundamentals are already at will, so isn't this at that point free all day out of combat supernatural flight for Small and smaller characters?
Or is it "understood" that even though at level 20 this hand can likely lift more than your character can, it's not allowed to pick up living beings? Because a maximum size for the object is not mentioned, and there is no cap on how strong the hand can eventually get.