Using Arrows to Cast OP Spells at Range

[unseenmage]

I've been fiddling with an Arcane Archer (Evidently doesn't do the trick. Suggestions?) who fires spells like Incarnate Construct and Awaken. Basically messing with minions from range. Very nasty if I can get it to work.

Can you imagine? One minute an Artificer is walking along with his Dedicated Wright or a Techsmith and his Gondsman (FaP), the next an assassin's arrow comes out of nowhere and the mechanical minion is suddenly a real person via Incarnate Construct (SS)/Awaken Construct (SC) who is friendly to whoever just gave them life. (shudders)

Same goes for necromancers and their suddenly Awaken Undead-ed (LM) minions.

For normal followers there's Mineralize Warrior (Un), makes them an earth element creature and they serve the caster for a 'year and a day'.

Or a hail of arrow rains into the forest and suddenly the trees are alive with the sound of wanting to kill you via simple Awaken. Gets even worse with Contingency shenanigans. Start dropping unwanted Contingency spells on the players. They go for healing and BAM! They're polymorphed into a demon in the middle of a church or something.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Imbue Arrow only works with area spells.

[Xerlith]

Mineralize Warrior explicitly wouldn't work, since it explicitly states

The subject (...) must be restrained in a coffinlike enclosure of stone for the duration of the casting.

Other than that, Imbue works with area spells only.

EDIT: Damn, swordsaged.

[unseenmage]

Other means of accomplishing the above hilarious affects are more than welcome.

As for Mineralize Warrior, it also says willing target I believe. But there's little reason why several spells couldn't be used in succession to accomplish the goal. Dominate Person,Wall of Stone, Fabricate, then Mineralize Warrior maybe? :smallbiggrin:

[Forrestfire]

There is always the option of crafting arrows of one-use magic traps, that trigger the moment they pierce through someone or pass through their square.

[Techwarrior]

There is always the option of crafting arrows of one-use magic traps, that trigger the moment they pierce through someone or pass through their square.

Oh, my players hated when I did that to them so badly... Blows through the gp so quickly though, unless you can find a way to make them reset and return. Raptor Arrows, and a Self-Resetting magic trap combine pretty well for that BTW, if you don't mind a PHB thrown at your head.

[Rubik]

I had an idea for an artificer archer that used returning (PHB) spell storing (PHB) aurorum (BoED) dye arrows (Pathfinder) and regular/raptor arrows to fire spells and infusions at friends (using debuffs and direct damage) and at foes (using damaging abilities) alike. I've never actually played the character or built him, but it seems like it could be quite fun.

Don't forget Sanctum Spell to increase the level of spell you can store in your arrows by one.

[NoACWarrior]

If you are simply trying to cast a touch spell at range you can do thinks like reach spell - but thats kinda costly as a metamagic.

If you are a wizard or sorcerer and don't mind 2 castings you could use Spectral Hand to deliver touch spells at a medium range.

[Techwarrior]

If you are simply trying to cast a touch spell at range you can do thinks like reach spell - but thats kinda costly as a metamagic.

If you are a wizard or sorcerer and don't mind 2 castings you could use Spectral Hand to deliver touch spells at a medium range.

Or you could have your familiar do it. You did remember to share your buff spells right?

[NoACWarrior]

Nah - I gave up the familiar for a feat.

Thank goodness for toughness :smalltongue:

But yes, familiars can deliver touch spells for you, but they don't really have that much reach unless you go the improved familiar route.

[N. Jolly]

I had an idea for an artificer archer that used returning (PHB) spell storing (PHB) aurorum (BoED) dye arrows (Pathfinder) and regular/raptor arrows to fire spells and infusions at friends (using debuffs and direct damage) and at foes (using damaging abilities) alike. I've never actually played the character or built him, but it seems like it could be quite fun.

Don't forget Sanctum Spell to increase the level of spell you can store in your arrows by one.

This intrigues me. How were you planning on doing this with Infusions, and what purpose does the Aurorum provide to this? I'm not sure how you'd put infusions into the arrows (closest way I can think of to do something like this is with an injection spear)

[Techwarrior]

My understanding is that Infusions specifically affect items naturally. The Aurorum is likely to keep the arrows from breaking (assuming I'm remembering the right property).

[Rubik]

This intrigues me. How were you planning on doing this with Infusions, and what purpose does the Aurorum provide to this? I'm not sure how you'd put infusions into the arrows (closest way I can think of to do something like this is with an injection spear)Don't artificer infusions basically count as spells for most purposes? If so, adding them to spell-storing weapons would work just fine. And ammo breaks when it successfully hits (and 50% of the time if it misses). Since you have +1 returning, spell-storing arrows, you might as well make them out of aurorum so you can reconstruct them and reuse them later, so you never have to worry about them breaking permanently (unless they're dissolved or disintegrated or something).

And don't forget, dye arrows are designed to hold liquids, so you could add potions/oils to them for long-distance Cure X Wounds or something on top of the spells you're firing off. Isn't there a spell that creates a temporary potion of another spell, for little to no cost? It's called Quick Potion, lasts 1 hr/lvl, and costs nothing. It's from the Spell Compendium. I know you can use (Psionic) Minor Creation to create alchemical healing, tanglefoot bags, poisons, highly flammable tar, and similar. Pop those into the dye arrows for additional effect.

[ShurikVch]

How about the Gem Magic from MoF?
Attune Gem (http://dndtools.eu/feats/magic-of-faerun--20/attune-gem--136/), stick it to arrow, shoot...