Why do I never hear about...

[Jeff the Green]

...companion spirits (DMGII 196)? They seem a really good deal, particularly the Magical Storage option.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Obscure source and xp cost would be my guess.

[Phelix-Mu]

Yeah, I can count what I know about that book on one hand, mainly being weapon/armour templates, quill of rapid scrivening, and maybe slippers of battledancing. Everything else has escaped over the years, lol.

[SiuiS]

They occupy this weird place where they don't feel like they are on the same level of rules as everything else. I've tried getting my parties to use them and they just never manifest.

[torrasque666]

Because people never crack the book unless its to use the incredibly rare (in world at least) combo of Gith-Feycraft for armor/weapons.

[Phelix-Mu]

Because people never crack the book unless its to use the incredibly rare (in world at least) combo of Gith-Feycraft for armor/weapons.

Lol, yeah, most creatures of combined Gith and fey ancestry die of anorexia-like wasting long before they have the chance to do any quality crafting.:smalltongue:

[Jeff the Green]

Lol, yeah, most creatures of combined Gith and fey ancestry die of anorexia-like wasting long before they have the chance to do any quality crafting.:smalltongue:

Just have a githyanki craft it while under the influence of a Dryad's charm person. Feycraft can be applied by a fey or someone in thrall to a fey.

[torrasque666]

Just have a githyanki craft it while under the influence of a Dryad's charm person. Feycraft can be applied by a fey or someone in thrall to a fey.

And the chances of a Dryad traveling to the Astral Plane to Charm a Githyanki are slim to none, given that as soon as a Dryad is farther than 300 yards from their tree begins to die. And then there's the relatively low DC for the Dryad's Charm Person. I'll also remind you that as soon as the settlement hits 901 people Feycrafting can no longer be done within its boundaries. And besides, what would Dryad have need with githcraft armor?

Hence why I said that the combo is likely incredibly rare outside of the crazy theorycrafting that occurs here. And why no-one actually reads the book as the only thing people ever want from it are so frequently posted about here.

[Jeff the Green]

And the chances of a Dryad traveling to the Astral Plane to Charm a Githyanki are slim to none, given that as soon as a Dryad is farther than 300 yards from their tree begins to die. And then there's the relatively low DC for the Dryad's Charm Person. I'll also remind you that as soon as the settlement hits 901 people Feycrafting can no longer be done within its boundaries. And besides, what would Dryad have need with githcraft armor?

Hence why I said that the combo is likely incredibly rare outside of the crazy theorycrafting that occurs here. And why no-one actually reads the book as the only thing people ever want from it are so frequently posted about here.

Eh, it's rare, but hardly impossible to find. I used dryad as an example; there are plenty of fey that would be more likely to do it (though I think because time doesn't flow on the Astral a Dryad wouldn't die). The low DC on the charm person is easily explainable too: the Gith is a willing partner and accepts the charm so he can use it to fuel his armor-smithing. As for motivation? Selling it to wizards with an odd desire to protect themselves with metal armor rather than spells.

[nedz]

Because it contains no classes or spells, and only six feats.

[SiuiS]

And the chances of a Dryad traveling to the Astral Plane to Charm a Githyanki are slim to none, given that as soon as a Dryad is farther than 300 yards from their tree begins to die. And then there's the relatively low DC for the Dryad's Charm Person. I'll also remind you that as soon as the settlement hits 901 people Feycrafting can no longer be done within its boundaries. And besides, what would Dryad have need with githcraft armor?

Hence why I said that the combo is likely incredibly rare outside of the crazy theorycrafting that occurs here. And why no-one actually reads the book as the only thing people ever want from it are so frequently posted about here.

One of my favorite concepts has always been the free dryad. I found someone's setting around here years ago, and one of the races a dryad who, due to circumstance and ill luck, had cut down her own tree for freedom, eyes haunted and trunk wracked with scars.


Because it contains no classes or spells, and only six feats.

Truth.

[The Random NPC]

There's also the Acorn of Far Travel (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040710a), and that one tree that doesn't die when you cut it down. It even explicitly says if your new table came from a tree with Dryad, you get a new roommate.

[JBPuffin]

There's also the Acorn of Far Travel (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040710a), and that one tree that doesn't die when you cut it down. It even explicitly says if your new table came from a tree with Dryad, you get a new roommate.

Now I want to know why I haven't seen these spells around...and why can't ranger have Splinterbolt? It would be a great boost for them.


One of my favorite concepts has always been the free dryad. I found someone's setting around here years ago, and one of the races a dryad who, due to circumstance and ill luck, had cut down her own tree for freedom, eyes haunted and trunk wracked with scars.

That sounds fricken' awesome, and also like that dryad went more than a little mad.

[Phelix-Mu]

A very popular dryad npc I had in a 3+ year campaign of mine had sold her soul for freedom from her tree. A traveling bard had played a fragment of the Song for her one night, and it ground itself into her consciousness so deeply that she became a bard to study it, eventually prestiging into Seeker of the Song. But she couldn't learn more of the Song without leaving her tree, so she decided to sell her soul to be free of it, so she could pursue her obsession with music quest.

She eventually became the lover of one of the party members (not entirely my idea, this character was a sucker for chicks in trouble), who went on to help her recover her soul from the Nine Hells. Totally one of the best bits of role playing that of which I've had the privilege to be a part.

The dryad is actually going to get a brief reprise tonight as we pick up the epic campaign where we left off several years ago (with some plot kitties in there to mend the gaps), somewhere around 25th.

Good times.

In any case, I agree that DMG2 was not terribly impressive. Some interesting ideas and fodder for building off of, but mostly odds and ends that aren't really vital. PHB2 is a much better investment, and I'm guessing more people bought that. DMs already have enough books on their wishlist; DMG2 would be way, way down my personal list of priorities.

[Fax Celestis]

Because it contains no classes or spells, and only six feats.

Oh, but those feats are doozies.

[Phelix-Mu]

Oh, but those feats are doozies.

I'll have to look this up now, but humour me; what feats? I don't remember any feats at all, though it has been literally years since I cracked open a copy.

[Fax Celestis]

Apprentice gives you two class skills, two skill points to put in those skills, and a fringe benefit based on your mentorship. Mentor gives you a cohort.

Favored in Guild gives you a ton of flexible front benefits and a skill boost. Guildmastet makes those benefits even better.

Truebond is cool, if not powerful. It's like legacy weapons that don't make you suck.

And Business Savvy is dumb, because no one uses the business rules.

[Pyron]

...companion spirits (DMGII 196)? They seem a really good deal, particularly the Magical Storage option.


Obscure source and xp cost would be my guess.

Kelb nailed it with the XP Cost. I was in a campaign where the party tried it. However, when we had the option to level up, nobody wanted to shell out the cost. Either some members were close to leveling, and didn't want to chip in the XP. Plus the DM ruled that the magical storage could only be used once.

So, over time, it was forgotten.

[Extra Anchovies]

Apprentice gives you two class skills, two skill points to put in those skills, and a fringe benefit based on your mentorship. Mentor gives you a cohort.

Favored in Guild gives you a ton of flexible front benefits and a skill boost. Guildmastet makes those benefits even better.

Truebond is cool, if not powerful. It's like legacy weapons that don't make you suck.

And Business Savvy is dumb, because no one uses the business rules.

Apprentice (Spellcaster) is of particular note; it adds Use Magic Device and any one Knowledge skill as permanent class skills.

[Jeff the Green]

Kelb nailed it with the XP Cost. I was in a campaign where the party tried it. However, when we had the option to level up, nobody wanted to shell out the cost. Either some members were close to leveling, and didn't want to chip in the XP. Plus the DM ruled that the magical storage could only be used once.

So, over time, it was forgotten.

Really? I mean 1050 XP at 7th level isn't nothing, but it's only 15%—and less than one encounter—of what you need to get to 8th.


Apprentice (Spellcaster) is of particular note; it adds Use Magic Device and any one Knowledge skill as permanent class skills.

Also, nearly free spells for a Wizard (totally free with an Aureon's spellshard) and an extra one known for spontaneous casters.

[Pyron]

Really? I mean 1050 XP at 7th level isn't nothing, but it's only 15%—and less than one encounter—of what you need to get to 8th.

Yeah. However, I think the problem was that the party couldn't come to a consensus on when to upgrade it. There were times when some of them were about 900 away from level, and they didn't want to pay at that time. Or they just leveled, and didn't have the XP to spend. It was something we were never about to agree upon.

[The Random NPC]

Didn't the DMG II introduce teamwork benefits? I also like the NPC unique ablilities, we'd roll for a random one for our character to add to the story.


Now I want to know why I haven't seen these spells around...and why can't ranger have Splinterbolt? It would be a great boost for them.

I think they were only ever posted online.

[ahenobarbi]

Those things are costly. Buying them all the way up costs 6000 XP, which if used for crafting it would be worth 75'000 gp. With that much cash you should be able to easily duplicate those abilities. And crafting isn't considered particularly powerful choice.

So it seems to be simply overpriced.

Also the abilities seem to escalate too slowly to be useful.

[nedz]

Now I want to know why I haven't seen these spells around...and why can't ranger have Splinterbolt? It would be a great boost for them.

Splinterbolt was reprinted in the SpC, but now it's Druid only (it was Wizard/Sorcerer too in the online source).

Ranger's have too few spell slots for spamming Splinterbolt anyway.

[Venger]

Splinterbolt was reprinted in the SpC, but now it's Druid only (it was Wizard/Sorcerer too in the online source).

Ranger's have too few spell slots for spamming Splinterbolt anyway.

that's what wands are for. or would be for, if it was on their list.

[Greenish]

that one tree that doesn't die when you cut it down. It even explicitly says if your new table came from a tree with Dryad, you get a new roommate.Livewood, ECS material. Might also be in A&EG.

[nedz]

that's what wands are for. or would be for, if it was on their list.

But at min CL you only get one bolt for 4d6, your Ranger would be better off firing his bow.

Rangers not have much in the way of CL mitigates against this spell even if it was on their list.