unseenmage
2013-11-18, 04:17 AM
The Awaken Sand (Sa), and Control Sand (Sa) spell got me wondering where players might get dust. (Dust works with the spell as it is a "similar material".)
Which also made me realize that while collecting dust for later animation players could put it in a Portable Hole or Enveloping Pit (MIC).
According to the DMG page 304 dust can be drowned in, so drowning one's enemies in your Portable Hole just got that much more interesting.
On the upside, Awaken Sand is Instantaneous duration meaning no Dispel-ing (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagic.htm).
However, on the downside, it also creates a 4HD, Huge, intelligent Construct whose only compulsion to obey you is that it is created as Friendly towards you.
Meaning you need to influence it via Diplomacy or 'turn to command' it via the Warforged Domain in Faiths of Eberron page 150.
Suggestions for other creative uses for dust are more than welcome. Lets finally put all that wasted waste to good use.
Edit: Ash (thanks Totema), and sawdust (thanks sumkidy) could also be repeatable sources for dust, especially via various craft skills.
Sometimes Undead turn to dust when you destroy them. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16450490&postcount=2005) (thanks Curmudgeon)
Edit: The Ritual of Crucimigration that makes characters into Necropolitans (LM115) turns them to dust if it drains their xp to zero.
Sources for Dust
This list assumes a DM who knows some of the awesome powers of dust and limits it's availability.
Spells
- Disintegrate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/disintegrate.htm) spell
- Dust to Dust (RotW174) spell
- Sphere of Ultimate Destruction (CAr123) spell
- Polymorph Any Object (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorphAnyObject.htm) spell
- Water to Dust spell (3.0 PH page236 mentions it but it isn't there)
- the old 3.0 Minor Servitor (SS68) spell as written animates a volume of material, including dust or sand, Dispel-able
- Ashen Union (Sa110), is a save or die that turns the victim to ash. (thanks sleepyphoenixx)
- Blackfire (SC29), turns victims to ash as well. (thanks sleepyphoenixx)
Items
- used Scrolls (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/scrolls.htm), (I thought these turned to dust, but that must have been a house rule at some point because I cannot find rules text supporting it.)
- Spell Component Pouch (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm) and it's propensity to produce an infinite variety of various magic dusts and powders for various spells.
- Shrouds of Disintegration (DMG266), turns bodies to dust, reusable
- the various 'Dust of x' items (DMG 255, 275), prohibitively costed
- poison dusts, Lich Dust and Ungol Dust (DMG297)
- ground pepper or powdered chili as mundane Dust of Sneezing and Choking (thanks Zubrowka74), flour could also work, flour, sugar, and spices can be found in the Arms and Equipment Guide page 31.
Locales
- Plane of Arborea (DMG166), third layer, borderless desert of white dust, infinite supply for the low, low cost of Plane Shift (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/planeShift.htm).
- The Elemental Plane of Earth, in to Echolost chamber, "the Earthpool, is a basin of dust so fi ne that it
appears to be liquid..." (PlaH168)
- Quasielemental Plane of Dust is from Planescape, 2nd Ed.
Also, Quasielemental Plane of Salt and Quasielemental Plane of Ash (thanks ShurikVch)
- the Basin of Deadly Dust and its Deadly Stardust (Sa202), broken nanotech, acts like a disease, changes exposed creature into Dustblight (Sa) (thanks ShurikVch)
- Ash Willow (D347pg43)
Has dark red bark, can reach heights of 120 feet tall, thrives on heat, often grows in pools of lava, grows several feet a year, continually smolder and rain ash all around them, creates 1 lb of ash each day for every 10 feet of its height, fast growing roots grow runners that spawn 1d3 new trees each month, trees spread within lava pools and along rivers of lava, areas with Ash Willows are treated as areas with snow for movement and visibility. (thanks Hangwind)
Creatures
- used Vampires (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm), ew Animated Object (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/animatedObject.htm) made of old stale vampire dust, gross. (As with scrolls, the SRD doesn't support this for some reason.)
- Mummy Rot (MM191); Though that, "...blow away into nothing at the first wind.", clause might persist after you've turned said dust to your own purposes.
- the Bralani (MM93) can assume a form of dust or sand, could be funny to get one to hold said form long enough to Awaken Sand or Transmute Sand to Glass them.
- Dust-Stuffed Template (EH114) creatures are filled with dust when they're turned into Constructs (thanks supermonkeyjoe)
- The Unraveler (PlH130) might make dust with it's Disjoin attack but it's just as likely to make lumps of rocky material, (thanks ShurikVch)
- Dust Wight (MM3pg47), "A dust wight is surrounded by a cloud of dusty particles.", (thanks ShurikVch)
- Dustform Creature template (Sa161), crumbles to dust when dies, dies to critical hits, (thanks ShurikVch)
So there are lots and lots of sources for RAW dust. With next to no way to know how much it takes of any given one to either a) Animate a minion or b) drown a victim.
Best thing on the list is probably the third layer of Arboria as its infinite volume is accessible via a simple Plane Shift spell.
--------------
Sand Options
- Black Sand (Sa111) spell, Awakening this sand could be interesting, non-conjured sand made from victims slain by conjured sand, or via Plane Shift to "...the scoured surface of Minethys in the Tarterian Depths of Carceri (where the Plane of Shadow overlays the Elemental Plane of Earth)..." (Sa20), (thanks Totema)
- Transmute Stone to Sand (Sa125) spell, Permanent duration so its Dispel-able? Not sure how that works if you Awaken it or toss someone in it to drown.
- Slipsand (Sa121) spell, creates sand, another Permanent duration means it's likely Dispel-able too.
- Vitrify (Sa125) spell, makes crude glass
- Transmute Sand to Glass (Sa124) spell
- Sandstorm (Sa119) spell, (thanks eggynack)
- the Shapesand (Sa 77, 102) alchemical item, would be somewhat costly but could also have some interesting interactions with the various spells here.
- Slumber Sand (Sa103), does exactly what you'd think
- Whispering Sand (Sand128) spell, long distance communication, (thanks eggynack)
- Bottle of Endless Sand (Sand132) item (thanks Vedhin)
- Sand Blaster (MM3 pg58) exotic weapon (thanks Rubik (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444154-MM3-Sand-Blaster-Exotic-Weapon-Optimization))
Which also made me realize that while collecting dust for later animation players could put it in a Portable Hole or Enveloping Pit (MIC).
According to the DMG page 304 dust can be drowned in, so drowning one's enemies in your Portable Hole just got that much more interesting.
On the upside, Awaken Sand is Instantaneous duration meaning no Dispel-ing (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagic.htm).
However, on the downside, it also creates a 4HD, Huge, intelligent Construct whose only compulsion to obey you is that it is created as Friendly towards you.
Meaning you need to influence it via Diplomacy or 'turn to command' it via the Warforged Domain in Faiths of Eberron page 150.
Suggestions for other creative uses for dust are more than welcome. Lets finally put all that wasted waste to good use.
Edit: Ash (thanks Totema), and sawdust (thanks sumkidy) could also be repeatable sources for dust, especially via various craft skills.
Sometimes Undead turn to dust when you destroy them. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16450490&postcount=2005) (thanks Curmudgeon)
Edit: The Ritual of Crucimigration that makes characters into Necropolitans (LM115) turns them to dust if it drains their xp to zero.
Sources for Dust
This list assumes a DM who knows some of the awesome powers of dust and limits it's availability.
Spells
- Disintegrate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/disintegrate.htm) spell
- Dust to Dust (RotW174) spell
- Sphere of Ultimate Destruction (CAr123) spell
- Polymorph Any Object (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorphAnyObject.htm) spell
- Water to Dust spell (3.0 PH page236 mentions it but it isn't there)
- the old 3.0 Minor Servitor (SS68) spell as written animates a volume of material, including dust or sand, Dispel-able
- Ashen Union (Sa110), is a save or die that turns the victim to ash. (thanks sleepyphoenixx)
- Blackfire (SC29), turns victims to ash as well. (thanks sleepyphoenixx)
Items
- used Scrolls (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/scrolls.htm), (I thought these turned to dust, but that must have been a house rule at some point because I cannot find rules text supporting it.)
- Spell Component Pouch (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm) and it's propensity to produce an infinite variety of various magic dusts and powders for various spells.
- Shrouds of Disintegration (DMG266), turns bodies to dust, reusable
- the various 'Dust of x' items (DMG 255, 275), prohibitively costed
- poison dusts, Lich Dust and Ungol Dust (DMG297)
- ground pepper or powdered chili as mundane Dust of Sneezing and Choking (thanks Zubrowka74), flour could also work, flour, sugar, and spices can be found in the Arms and Equipment Guide page 31.
Locales
- Plane of Arborea (DMG166), third layer, borderless desert of white dust, infinite supply for the low, low cost of Plane Shift (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/planeShift.htm).
- The Elemental Plane of Earth, in to Echolost chamber, "the Earthpool, is a basin of dust so fi ne that it
appears to be liquid..." (PlaH168)
- Quasielemental Plane of Dust is from Planescape, 2nd Ed.
Also, Quasielemental Plane of Salt and Quasielemental Plane of Ash (thanks ShurikVch)
- the Basin of Deadly Dust and its Deadly Stardust (Sa202), broken nanotech, acts like a disease, changes exposed creature into Dustblight (Sa) (thanks ShurikVch)
- Ash Willow (D347pg43)
Has dark red bark, can reach heights of 120 feet tall, thrives on heat, often grows in pools of lava, grows several feet a year, continually smolder and rain ash all around them, creates 1 lb of ash each day for every 10 feet of its height, fast growing roots grow runners that spawn 1d3 new trees each month, trees spread within lava pools and along rivers of lava, areas with Ash Willows are treated as areas with snow for movement and visibility. (thanks Hangwind)
Creatures
- used Vampires (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm), ew Animated Object (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/animatedObject.htm) made of old stale vampire dust, gross. (As with scrolls, the SRD doesn't support this for some reason.)
- Mummy Rot (MM191); Though that, "...blow away into nothing at the first wind.", clause might persist after you've turned said dust to your own purposes.
- the Bralani (MM93) can assume a form of dust or sand, could be funny to get one to hold said form long enough to Awaken Sand or Transmute Sand to Glass them.
- Dust-Stuffed Template (EH114) creatures are filled with dust when they're turned into Constructs (thanks supermonkeyjoe)
- The Unraveler (PlH130) might make dust with it's Disjoin attack but it's just as likely to make lumps of rocky material, (thanks ShurikVch)
- Dust Wight (MM3pg47), "A dust wight is surrounded by a cloud of dusty particles.", (thanks ShurikVch)
- Dustform Creature template (Sa161), crumbles to dust when dies, dies to critical hits, (thanks ShurikVch)
So there are lots and lots of sources for RAW dust. With next to no way to know how much it takes of any given one to either a) Animate a minion or b) drown a victim.
Best thing on the list is probably the third layer of Arboria as its infinite volume is accessible via a simple Plane Shift spell.
--------------
Sand Options
- Black Sand (Sa111) spell, Awakening this sand could be interesting, non-conjured sand made from victims slain by conjured sand, or via Plane Shift to "...the scoured surface of Minethys in the Tarterian Depths of Carceri (where the Plane of Shadow overlays the Elemental Plane of Earth)..." (Sa20), (thanks Totema)
- Transmute Stone to Sand (Sa125) spell, Permanent duration so its Dispel-able? Not sure how that works if you Awaken it or toss someone in it to drown.
- Slipsand (Sa121) spell, creates sand, another Permanent duration means it's likely Dispel-able too.
- Vitrify (Sa125) spell, makes crude glass
- Transmute Sand to Glass (Sa124) spell
- Sandstorm (Sa119) spell, (thanks eggynack)
- the Shapesand (Sa 77, 102) alchemical item, would be somewhat costly but could also have some interesting interactions with the various spells here.
- Slumber Sand (Sa103), does exactly what you'd think
- Whispering Sand (Sand128) spell, long distance communication, (thanks eggynack)
- Bottle of Endless Sand (Sand132) item (thanks Vedhin)
- Sand Blaster (MM3 pg58) exotic weapon (thanks Rubik (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444154-MM3-Sand-Blaster-Exotic-Weapon-Optimization))