Using Spells Creatively

[Darklion880]

Hey guys I've recently, in the campaign I'm running, been running a Mageduel Tournament it's a variant magic in the Magic of Faerun book. I'm not running my campaign in Faerun but it was pretty cool so I thought I'd use it in mine. So now what's the most creatively you have used or seen a spell used. Also any spell combinations that you have found to be exceptionally useful.

[weckar]

Are SLAs allowed? Warlocks want to play too :D

[Darklion880]

Yea, why not!

[weckar]

For a 1st level competitor, then, you should have a look at Mortalbane Scalding Gust.
Targets everyone in a line emanating from the caster. 2d6+1 damage (no attack roll, no save), Knocked prone/blocks advance (save). 5/day. Standard action.

Yeah, that's pretty fun at lv1.

[thematgreen]

Create Pit + Grease is fun.

Create Pit + Wall of stone shaped to cover the hole with a smaaaal hole in the middle of the wall is fun, and you get to see the Play Doh effect.

[Abd al-Azrad]

Stinking Cloud and Black Tentacles (or any spell which grapples targets) makes for a seriously nasty combo.

Stinking Cloud inflicts Nausea, which prevents foes from taking standard actions. They must leave the area to recover.

Grapple prevents movement, and to escape your foes must take a standard action to break free.

Somehow land both on an enemy, and it won't matter what their Grapple modifiers might be, nor their speed, nor teleportation. They can't take the action to break the grapple and they can't move out of the cloud. A druid buddy and I used to use this as a low-level area lockdown combo which wiped the floor with large groups of bad guys.

[Thiyr]

Want to be mean? Take eschew materials, then get Stone Shape ready. Want to know a fairly simple shape, no moving parts or fancy details? A box with a hollow just big enough for a medium sized creature in it. Fighting someone who's standing on stone? Touch the stone and you've got a instantaneous no-save way to take at least one person, potentially more, and make them unable to really -do- anything.

[Venger]

For a 1st level competitor, then, you should have a look at Mortalbane Scalding Gust.
Targets everyone in a line emanating from the caster. 2d6+1 damage (no attack roll, no save), Knocked prone/blocks advance (save). 5/day. Standard action.

Yeah, that's pretty fun at lv1.

you'd need infernal insight since it's a dragonfire adept invocation. it's 2d6+1/CL, not just +1.

very handy.

[Darklion880]

Wow alot of cool ones and that's one of the best uses of stone shape I've heard of. The do it yourself play doh maker sounds fun. That warlock one is pretty powerful especially at first level. Personally I found Blink and Mirror Image to be quite evasive even when against a wizard that was polymorphed into a 8 headed hydra especially when you roll good on the d% dice :D

[Milodiah]

Gust of Wind to aerosolize Alchemist's Fire, followed by an initiating flame source = fuel-air thermobaric explosive. Might wanna put Gust of Wind on a magic item, so you're not in the middle of a 50-foot radius thermobaric explosion. Or just go Globe of Invulnerability.

[AvatarVecna]

Maybe it's just me, but I've combined "Wall of Stone" and "Stone to Flesh" in the past for surprisingly effective results. Of course, my DM at the time was big on describing the combat, which made it more interesting for me, especially when the above combo came into play. It was especially interesting when "Stone to Flesh" was cast after enemies had already started trying to hack their way through the wall.

[Nibbens]

If we're talking PF there's Aboleth's Lung (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/aboleth-s-lung). The spell's not intended to be cast on enemies, but hell, a level 2 Save or Die (eventually) spell that targets Will. That's worth it's price in any wizards spellbook. I don't care how high your Constitution is, you're not holding your breath for 3+ hours.

[Hiro Quester]

The low level combination of Faerie Fire on the enemy then Obscuring mist is fun. Concealment for your friends, but not for the bad guy.

[aleucard]

If we're talking PF there's Aboleth's Lung (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/aboleth-s-lung). The spell's not intended to be cast on enemies, but hell, a level 2 Save or Die (eventually) spell that targets Will. That's worth it's price in any wizards spellbook. I don't care how high your Constitution is, you're not holding your breath for 3+ hours.

You know, that actually brings to mind an interesting PO question. Namely, is it possible to be able to hold your breath for that long in-game pre-Epic? Some method of making Nat-1's not auto-fail you is obvious, but from what I vaguely remember, the DC to hold your breath bumps up by 1 every round or so you make it.

As far as creative spell ideas go, my favorite would have to be Shrink Item'd Boulders plus Flight Speed. Now you get to use the "Rocks Fall" maneuver yourself!

[Poranthi]

One of my favorite things to do when the party is with out a "sticky fingered" character in it is to use Summon Monster I (preferably in wand form) to summon a primate, normally a chimpanzee, (with DM permission of course) to check for traps on doors and floors. Better the monkey to get fried by a glyph of warding than anyone else in the party. The table refers to it as my wand of monkeys.

[Urpriest]

The low level combination of Faerie Fire on the enemy then Obscuring mist is fun. Concealment for your friends, but not for the bad guy.

The ballsier version involves the spells Obscuring Snow and Snowsight. Both last for hours.

[Fax Celestis]

Chain Spell chain missile has literally exponential damage based upon the number of legal targets.

[Rubik]

One of my favorite things to do when the party is with out a "sticky fingered" character in it is to use Summon Monster I (preferably in wand form) to summon a primate, normally a chimpanzee, (with DM permission of course) to check for traps on doors and floors. Better the monkey to get fried by a glyph of warding than anyone else in the party. The table refers to it as my wand of monkeys.A wand of Mount. Lasts for 2 hours/level, rather than 1 round/level.

You can also use Stone to Flesh + Animate Dead for some interesting effects. Turn statues into zombies. Turn walls into...a large zombie. I'm sure there are better higher-level spells for better undead out there.

Use Shrink Item + Fabricate to affect ten times as much material. Combine with Stone to Flesh and Animate dead to make really MASSIVE zombies.

Due to the wording on Explosive Runes, you can deal automatic damage to anything that can read the rune. Draw big runes for auto-damage on things a long ways away. If you want to deal said damage on things a half-mile away, cast Shrink Item on a tarp, cast Explosive Runes on the shrunken tarp, and blow up the tarp before blowing up your enemies. Want to blow stuff up on a planet-wide scale? Cast Teleport into space so the tarp weighs nothing, cast a massive Explosive Runes on it, and spread it over the surface of the moon. Combine with Explosive Spell to basically obliterate the whole planet.

[Venger]

One of my favorite things to do when the party is with out a "sticky fingered" character in it is to use Summon Monster I (preferably in wand form) to summon a primate, normally a chimpanzee, (with DM permission of course) to check for traps on doors and floors. Better the monkey to get fried by a glyph of warding than anyone else in the party. The table refers to it as my wand of monkeys.

there's a reason the spell's usually called "summon celestial dead monkey"

[Thiyr]

Chain Spell chain missile has literally exponential damage based upon the number of legal targets.

Trying to wrap my brain around how this works is making my brain itch from a "how does this work" perspective. Also, I don't think it works, as chain spell needs to be put on "Any spell that specifies a single target...", and chain missile has multiple targets. But if it does work...Ow.

[Fax Celestis]

Trying to wrap my brain around how this works is making my brain itch from a "how does this work" perspective. Also, I don't think it works, as chain spell needs to be put on "Any spell that specifies a single target...", and chain missile has multiple targets. But if it does work...Ow.

It does specify a single primary target, and multiple secondary targets.

It's a vaguery of the rules that won't fly in many games, but I can think of many things better to do with a 7th level slot.

[Seclora]

A wand of Mount. Lasts for 2 hours/level, rather than 1 round/level.

You can also use Stone to Flesh + Animate Dead for some interesting effects. Turn statues into zombies. Turn walls into...a large zombie. I'm sure there are better higher-level spells for better undead out there.

Use Shrink Item + Fabricate to affect ten times as much material. Combine with Stone to Flesh and Animate dead to make really MASSIVE zombies.

Due to the wording on Explosive Runes, you can deal automatic damage to anything that can read the rune. Draw big runes for auto-damage on things a long ways away. If you want to deal said damage on things a half-mile away, cast Shrink Item on a tarp, cast Explosive Runes on the shrunken tarp, and blow up the tarp before blowing up your enemies. Want to blow stuff up on a planet-wide scale? Cast Teleport into space so the tarp weighs nothing, cast a massive Explosive Runes on it, and spread it over the surface of the moon. Combine with Explosive Spell to basically obliterate the whole planet.

Insufficient!

Fell Animate Explosive Runes so it also creates zombies.
If only we could somehow convert the whole planet to flesh so we could animate it as a zombie too...

[Venger]

Insufficient!

Fell Animate Explosive Runes so it also creates zombies.
If only we could somehow convert the whole planet to flesh so we could animate it as a zombie too...

circle magic + stone to flesh = one big meatball.

[Milodiah]

...so, Ghroth?

Congrats, guys, we made an Outer God.

[Venger]

...so, Ghroth?

Congrats, guys, we made an Outer God.

I think I've truly arrived.

[Thiyr]

It does specify a single primary target, and multiple secondary targets.

It's a vaguery of the rules that won't fly in many games, but I can think of many things better to do with a 7th level slot.

I suppose, though i'd say that because of how its worded, it was pretty clearly talking about things that only have a single target, specifically because of that interaction. And if we can't think of better things to do with 7ths, well...(worst case? Prep stone shape :D)

[ben-zayb]

Shrink Item (using pointed boulders) + Launch Object is pretty damaging
Greased weapons/wand-wielders for a Save or Suck 1rd/CL
Suppress Magic (lowest level item dispel) + Shatter for destroying magic weapons

Also a high level trick but being ~20ft above opponent + Prismatic Sphere + Telekinesis or Reverse Gravity is slways fun. Prismatic Wall or Sphere also works with Melf's Unicorn Arrow or Bigby fists that can bull rush.

Maze + Dimnsional Lock / Greater Anticipate TP for battlefield removal shenanigans. Use the lesser version + Scattering Trap at lower levels.

[Necroticplague]

Flesh to stone+stone shape+stone to flesh. Because plastic surgery to old fashioned way takes forever. Of course, use fabricate instead of stone shape if you want fine details (or, if you modified the joints, mobility).

[weckar]

you'd need infernal insight since it's a dragonfire adept invocation. it's 2d6+1/CL, not just +1.

very handy.

Worth it, so worth it. And 50% of DMs probably wouldn't even care.

[hifidelity2]

For the illusionist Pimp

2D illusion’s on a desk of cards – chose you “model”
Programmed illusion of what they have chosen


And

Illusionist / Cleric Pimp

As above but Cause Disease and then charge extra to cure them


Both are great money makers

[Auron3991]

Shrink Item + separated sections of Wall of Iron + Telekinesis. Have lots of very small iron slabs over your opponent, then release the Shrink Item spells. It requires prep, but it's hilarious when done right. I also highly suggest using Tenser's Floating Disk as a trip spell.

If you're feeling mean, you could always make silent image just so happen to resemble a multi-hued glowing wall.

[Fax Celestis]

Neat trick with shapeable spells called "Lion's teeth".

http://i.imgur.com/FdilvnU.png

Since leaving and reentering the spell's area retriggers its effects, setting up the spell in a lion's teeth pattern forces multiple saves and/or effects, thereby increasing the efficiency of shapeable long-duration defensive spells (such as forbiddance.

[BaronDoctor]

Bit pricey, but Dimensional Lock / Anchor + Forcecage is a pretty solid "you must be this tall to ride".

[ninjamaster1991]

A way to make sure a character in a mid-op party stays dead:

1) Kill a person in the party, preferably with Flesh to Stone.
2) Craft a Contingent Sonic Snap onto a badger, set to go off when it's True Resurrected. Alternatively, Mind Rape a creature into completely and utterly hating the party.
3) Kill the badger with negative levels, whether through Enervation or Fell Drain X.
4) Cast Sculpt Corpse on the badger several times, making it look like the petrified party member.
5) Wait until the badger rises from the dead as a Wight, then order it not to resist, and to attack the party.
6) Flesh to Stone the Wight.
7) Turn the statue into a Stone Golem. Order it to attack the party when it sees them.
8) Cast Soften Earth and Stone on the real party member, and bury the fake statue under the real one. Add a tombstone for style.

Ideally, the party should Scry on their missing member and see the spot where you presumably buried them. They would dig up the stone golem, and have to fight it off. Then, they'd repair the damage they did to the statue, and cast Stone to Flesh - then get clawed by a Wight. Finally, after shelling out the money for it, they'd True Resurrect the creature, only to get a slap in the face by a rabid badger.

Meanwhile, you'd be scooping out and dumping (or Wishing) the dead party member into a volcano.

[Venger]

A way to make sure a character in a mid-op party stays dead:

1) Kill a person in the party, preferably with Flesh to Stone.
2) Craft a Contingent Sonic Snap onto a badger, set to go off when it's True Resurrected. Alternatively, Mind Rape a creature into completely and utterly hating the party.
3) Kill the badger with negative levels, whether through Enervation or Fell Drain X.
4) Cast Sculpt Corpse on the badger several times, making it look like the petrified party member.
5) Wait until the badger rises from the dead as a Wight, then order it not to resist, and to attack the party.
6) Flesh to Stone the Wight.
7) Turn the statue into a Stone Golem. Order it to attack the party when it sees them.
8) Cast Soften Earth and Stone on the real party member, and bury the fake statue under the real one. Add a tombstone for style.

Ideally, the party should Scry on their missing member and see the spot where you presumably buried them. They would dig up the stone golem, and have to fight it off. Then, they'd repair the damage they did to the statue, and cast Stone to Flesh - then get clawed by a Wight. Finally, after shelling out the money for it, they'd True Resurrect the creature, only to get a slap in the face by a rabid badger.

Meanwhile, you'd be scooping out and dumping (or Wishing) the dead party member into a volcano.

Nope.

Undead are immune to fort saves unless they also affect objects, which FtS does not (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fleshToStone.htm)

[Blackhawk748]

Cast Shrink on a tree, cast Anti magic field on target. Fire "arrow" at target. Watch as target is squashed by a tree.

On a similar note: put Explosive Runes on an Arrow. As many as you can fit. Now fire your Nuclear Arrow of Ultimate Destruction at the poor schmuck and make pink mist.

Also Pierce Magical Concealment and Blink are fun.

Now if we are talking crazed uses of Metamagic...... Arcane Thesis Energy Admixture (Acid) Energy Substitution (Cold on one side) Energy Substitution (Electricity on the other side) Lord of the Uttercold Born of Three Thunders Practical Metamagic Twin Spell Repeat Spell Practical Metamagic Fell Animate Scorching Ray. Its a 5th level slot and it REALLY hurts when you nail someone with it as its 6 rays of 8d6 split between Cold, Electric, Negative Energy, and Sonic as well as a negative level. Oh and it does it again next round.

[Venger]

use invisible spell on some of the fog spells (fog cloud, obscuring mist, acid fog, solid fog, etc)

use them against enemies like demons who have true seeing.

they're inconvenienced by the fog. you and your pals are not.

[Rubik]

use invisible spell on some of the fog spells (fog cloud, obscuring mist, acid fog, solid fog, etc)

use them against enemies like demons who have true seeing.

they're inconvenienced by the fog. you and your pals are not.I did something like this with my anti-Elder Evil warforged monk. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=15474863#post15474863) I paid for a casting of Permanencied Invisible Solid Fog on my tooth of Leraje and installed it in my mouth, and combo'd it with a ring of Freedom of Movement and Improved Invisibility. It protects against anyone with True Seeing or See Invisibility, anyone without True Seeing or See Invisibility, anyone targeting me directly, anyone using ranged ammo, anyone attacking me physically, and anyone I attack in melee. Basically, anything but AoE attacks (to which I have both lots of immunities and Improved Evasion). And good luck pinning my space down, since I'm excessively mobile.

[Venger]

I did something like this with my anti-Elder Evil warforged monk. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=15474863#post15474863) I paid for a casting of Permanencied Invisible Solid Fog on my tooth of Leraje and installed it in my mouth, and combo'd it with a ring of Freedom of Movement and Improved Invisibility. It protects against anyone with True Seeing or See Invisibility, anyone without True Seeing or See Invisibility, anyone targeting me directly, anyone using ranged ammo, anyone attacking me physically, and anyone I attack in melee. Basically, anything but AoE attacks (to which I have both lots of immunities and Improved Evasion). And good luck pinning my space down, since I'm excessively mobile.

I remember that thread. It was amazing.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Cast Shrink on a tree, cast Anti magic field on target. Fire "arrow" at target. Watch as target is squashed by a tree.

On a similar note: put Explosive Runes on an Arrow. As many as you can fit. Now fire your Nuclear Arrow of Ultimate Destruction at the poor schmuck and make pink mist.

Also Pierce Magical Concealment and Blink are fun.

Now if we are talking crazed uses of Metamagic...... Arcane Thesis Energy Admixture (Acid) Energy Substitution (Cold on one side) Energy Substitution (Electricity on the other side) Lord of the Uttercold Born of Three Thunders Practical Metamagic Twin Spell Repeat Spell Practical Metamagic Fell Animate Scorching Ray. Its a 5th level slot and it REALLY hurts when you nail someone with it as its 6 rays of 8d6 split between Cold, Electric, Negative Energy, and Sonic as well as a negative level. Oh and it does it again next round.

Underlined is a problem.


Antimagic Field
Abjuration
Level: Clr 8, Magic 6, Protection 6, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 10 ft.
Area: 10-ft.-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: See text

Emphasis mine.

[ben-zayb]

Arcane Archer?.

[Milodiah]

Underlined is a problem.



Emphasis mine.

Anti-Magic Field can be the effect of a magic item, yes? Chuck said magic item at them first.

[Blackhawk748]

Emphasis mine.

Ah crap, guess i need to Occular Spell that (which i hope i can do)


Anti-Magic Field can be the effect of a magic item, yes? Chuck said magic item at them first.

Or i can do this

[ninjamaster1991]

Nope.

Undead are immune to fort saves unless they also affect objects, which FtS does not (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fleshToStone.htm)

Flesh to stone does work on objects - corpses are objects, and are made of flesh.

EDIT: Or at least it should. RAW vs. RAI. Although, there is a cheesy way:



A creature can voluntarily forego a saving throw and willingly accept a spell’s result. Even a character with a special resistance to magic can suppress this quality.
Two RAWngs make a RAIght, I guess.

[Venger]

Flesh to stone does work on objects - corpses are objects, and are made of flesh.

EDIT: Or at least it should. RAW vs. RAI. Although, there is a cheesy way:


Two RAWngs make a RAIght, I guess.

that's not the reason it doesn't work on undead:



Target: One creature

meaning it does not work on objects, ergo, undead are immune.

[ninjamaster1991]

that's not the reason it doesn't work on undead:



meaning it does not work on objects, ergo, undead are immune.

And the undead can technically supress its immunity, letting it be petrified.

[Fax Celestis]

And the undead can technically supress its immunity, letting it be petrified.

No it can't. The only thing you can do that with is SR.

[Rubik]

No it can't. The only thing you can do that with is SR.I seem to recall that elves could suppress their sleep immunity when desired.

[Fax Celestis]

I seem to recall that elves could suppress their sleep immunity when desired.

Even if that's the case, that's still repressing a racial feature instead of a type-based trait. Can a magical beast turn off their darkvision? Can an animal voluntarily suppress their immunity to INT greater than 2? Can a construct voluntarily lower its immunity to healing? How about outsiders: can they voluntarily lower their immunity to resurrection?

[ninjamaster1991]

I seem to recall that elves could suppress their sleep immunity when desired.

Yup, that's actually the given example from my quote.

Also, keep in mind that

The subject, along with all its carried gear, turns into a mindless, inert statue.

So, is your gear items?

[hoverfrog]

A good way for a druid to escape when being attacked by an overwhelmingly powerful enemy is to Summon Nature’s Ally on several very weak creatures (snakes, eagles, owls, bats, etc are ideal). Wild Shape into the same creature type and order them to scatter. This worked better when Sticks to Snakes was a spell and you could have dozens of snakes. These dang new editions and their updated spell descriptions, grr!

Actually Snake Staff in pathfinder does this now.

It would work just as well with summon monster and polymorph if you don't happen to be a druid or even with a bag of tricks and simple illusion spells. Great for a fast getaway or to hide yourself by creating a diversion.

[Fax Celestis]

Yup, that's actually the given example from my quote.

Also, keep in mind that


So, is your gear items?

Doesn't matter. The saving throw line doesn't say "Fortitude negates (object)", it says "Fortitude negates". Therefore, undead are immune, because it is a spell that doesn't specifically affect objects.

[heavyfuel]

A good way for a druid to escape when being attacked by an overwhelmingly powerful enemy is to Summon Nature’s Ally on several very weak creatures (snakes, eagles, owls, bats, etc are ideal). Wild Shape into the same creature type and order them to scatter.

You can only order them if you can talk to animals, otherwise they just attack.

Also, enemies would probably get a (easy) Spot check to know which is the Druid and which isn't, especially considering he transformed either before or after summoning the snakes, but certainly not during.

[hoverfrog]

You can only order them if you can talk to animals, otherwise they just attack.

Also, enemies would probably get a (easy) Spot check to know which is the Druid and which isn't, especially considering he transformed either before or after summoning the snakes, but certainly not during.Ah but Summon Nature's Ally has a casting time of 1 round which means that the animals appear just prior to the druid's action in the following round. That means that, although there will be a short time difference, it may not be noticeable in the heat of combat. What kind of self respecting druid can't talk to animals anyway?

[Kelb_Panthera]

Even if that's the case, that's still repressing a racial feature instead of a type-based trait. Can a magical beast turn off their darkvision? Can an animal voluntarily suppress their immunity to INT greater than 2? Can a construct voluntarily lower its immunity to healing? How about outsiders: can they voluntarily lower their immunity to resurrection?

It's in the magic overview section. A creature can voluntarily allow magical effects to bypass its immunities when voluntarily forgoing a saving throw. PHB 177; voluntarily giving up a saving throw.

None of your examples are applicable. The darkvision and maximum int don't have anything to do with saving throws and the latter two aren't immunities. Constructs aren't immune to positive energy, they're simply unaffected by it. Outsiders aren't immune to being brought back to life, they just require specific spells for it.

[Fax Celestis]

What, this?


Voluntarily Giving up a Saving Throw
A creature can voluntarily forego a saving throw and willingly accept a spell’s result. Even a character with a special resistance to magic can suppress this quality.

Immunity != Resistance. And "special resistance to magic" doesn't jive with "Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless)", since the immunity isn't to magic but to effects with Fortitude saves, which would include natural and extraordinary abilities that carry Fortitude saves.

EDIT: And per FAQ:


Can a corporeal undead be affected by a flesh to stone spell? What about a wizard’s homunculus?

Both undead and constructs are immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless (italics added). Flesh to stone falls into neither of those categories, as indicated by its Target entry (“One creature”) and its Saving Throw entry (“Fortitude negates”).


The entries for all the golems in the MM say that golems have magic immunity, which is supposed to allow golems to completely resist most magical and supernatural effects except for specific ones listed in each golem’s description. (Most of those heal, slow, or damage the golem.) Can you cast beneficial spells on a golem? For example, can you turn a golem invisible? Can you teleport one? Could you cast darkness on a golem? How about fly or reverse gravity? To put it another way, if you are not trying to directly cause damage or drastically alter the golem (such as with polymorph), will the spell work? Clearly, if you cast darkness on yourself and the golem attacks you, once it moves into the area of darkness, it can no longer see you. But can you cast darkness on the golem? Could a golem use a magic item, such as a ring of invisibility?

As noted in each golem’s entry, a golem resists any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. (In previous versions of the D&D game, golems were impervious to most supernatural effects as well, but that is no longer the case.) In most cases, you can tell if a spell or spell-like ability works on a golem simply by looking up its spell resistance entry. Let’s take a quick look at the effects you’ve listed:

Invisibility: You cannot turn a golem invisible with any version of the invisibility spell. (They all have spell resistance entries of “yes.”) This immunity to being made invisible doesn’t mean the golem has any special ability to see or detect invisible creatures or objects.

Teleport: The spell resistance entry for the various versions of the teleport spell is “no,” at least for creatures. Note that when you’re using the teleport spell, you teleport yourself and other willing creatures. Unless you can command the golem (and you probably don’t unless you created the golem), it probably isn’t willing to accompany you and receives a saving throw to resist.

Darkness: You can’t cast a darkness spell on yourself, on a golem, or any other creature—only on an object (see the spell description). Golems have no special ability to see through darkness (and the spell resistance entry is “no”). The silence spell provides a better example of how a golem’s magic immunity (and spell resistance in general) works. You can cast silence on a creature, and when you do so, spell resistance applies (see the spell description). A silence spell automatically fails if you try to cast it on a golem. Once a silence spell is operating, silence reigns throughout the emanation the spell creates. If a golem moves into the emanation, the golem still cannot hear or make any noise.

Fly: You can’t use a fly spell to make a golem fly (the spell resistance entry is “yes”).

Reverse Gravity: The spell resistance entry is “no,” so it affects a golem as readily as it affects any other creature or object.

Note that a golem cannot voluntarily lower its magic immunity so that it can receive a harmless spell, but a golem’s magic immunity does not extend to magic the golem uses on itself (just as spell resistance doesn’t apply to such effects). A golem can make use of any magic item that works continuously or is use activated (provided whoever commands the golem is on hand to put the item on the golem or order the golem to pick it up). Being mindless, a golem cannot use any item activated by command, spell, or spell completion.

[Kelb_Panthera]

What, this?



Immunity != Resistance. And "special resistance to magic" doesn't jive with "Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless)", since the immunity isn't to magic but to effects with Fortitude saves, which would include natural and extraordinary abilities that carry Fortitude saves.

Yes, that. In the actual book, the example given is an elf's immunity to sleep effects. So, at least in this particular case, immunity = special resistance.

[atemu1234]

Maybe it's just me, but I've combined "Wall of Stone" and "Stone to Flesh" in the past for surprisingly effective results. Of course, my DM at the time was big on describing the combat, which made it more interesting for me, especially when the above combo came into play. It was especially interesting when "Stone to Flesh" was cast after enemies had already started trying to hack their way through the wall.

Sounds like something I'd use against the PCs.


there's a reason the spell's usually called "summon celestial dead monkey"

My players once did this with a celestial dog.

[ninjamaster1991]

Doesn't matter. The saving throw line doesn't say "Fortitude negates (object)", it says "Fortitude negates". Therefore, undead are immune, because it is a spell that doesn't specifically affect objects.

Undead are immune to FtS by RAW. That was settled a while ago. However, also by RAW, undead can voluntarily forego their immunity and save against it to become instantly petrified.

[Zubrowka74]

Cast Shrink on a tree, cast Anti magic field on target. Fire "arrow" at target. Watch as target is squashed by a tree.

Better still: cast the AM / Dispel after the target has several "arrows" sticking out of him...

[unseenmage]

Create Water + Water to Acid (St) is nice though it takes two castings of Create Water to really get as much out of Water to Acid as possible.

[Rubik]

I rather like hiring a wizard to cast Polymorph Any Object on me to turn myself permanently into, say, a sarrukh, for a nice plump 30 Int + bonuses, then using a hat of disguise to look human (or whatever). I refuse to go Pun Pun, but it's a great way for a wizard to massively boost Int, even at early levels. Spellcasting services are relatively cheap, after all.

[BaronDoctor]

Simple, low-level solution to cavalry, especially anybody trying to use a horse to escape: Cast Grease on the saddle (or, that failing as an attended item, on the part of the horse under the saddle).

[ben-zayb]

I rather like hiring a wizard to cast Polymorph Any Object on me to turn myself permanently into, say, a sarrukh, for a nice plump 30 Int + bonuses, then using a hat of disguise to look human (or whatever). I refuse to go Pun Pun, but it's a great way for a wizard to massively boost Int, even at early levels. Spellcasting services are relatively cheap, after all.Hehe, kinda like Shapechanging (or Polymorphing transmogrifying) into a Zodar for the Invulnerability (Ex).

[SiuiS]

You know, that actually brings to mind an interesting PO question. Namely, is it possible to be able to hold your breath for that long in-game pre-Epic? Some method of making Nat-1's not auto-fail you is obvious, but from what I vaguely remember, the DC to hold your breath bumps up by 1 every round or so you make it.

As far as creative spell ideas go, my favorite would have to be Shrink Item'd Boulders plus Flight Speed. Now you get to use the "Rocks Fall" maneuver yourself!

The first module I ever saw had players fighting a green dragon, back when they had poison breath. They couldn't get anything from their patrons to avoid poison, so the patrons did the next best thing; the party started play with a helmet designed to be airtight, a scroll of water breathing, and a "we're sorry".

Water breathing doesn't actually burn trough the water or it's oxygen at all. Hit me with aboleth lung? I'll chug my entire gallo of water into my lungs and belly, "hold my breath" to fight, and gargle it back up before inhaling again in a few rounds. I'll be upset, but I'll survive.

[heavyfuel]

Using Dark Way (MoF) to create a barrier is a classic. When the spell becomes available at lv 5, it can create a 10ft wide bridge, more than enough to cover most doors. Arguably, you can go through the barrier/bridge by applying a force of over 200 pounds per CL, though by RAW, this only applies for creatures that are being supported by the Dark Way.

[Fitz10019]

You can only order them if you can talk to animals, otherwise they just attack.

Also, enemies would probably get a (easy) Spot check to know which is the Druid and which isn't, especially considering he transformed either before or after summoning the snakes, but certainly not during.

Easy or not, that Spot check is a standard action during combat, unless you have Quick Reconnoiter.

Also, in games I've played, animals of the same type can talk to each other. Maybe that's a just houserule, though.

[unseenmage]

Use the Mirror Walking (MotP) spell to go to a Plane of Mirrors (MotP) demiplane and then use Planar Ring Gates (Pl H) to bring in a resetting magic trap of Programmed Amnesia set to convince your mirror duplicate that either a) it already killed you or b) it is another person/creature entirely.
A bit of creative enchanting on yourself before you enter should allow you to force yourself to follow this plan even after you wipe your memory of it so your mirror duplicate doesn't instantly know what the plan is.

You wind up with a minion trapped on the Plane of Mirrors but that the plane creates creatures instantly allows you to have other minions enter so you can farm their souls or devotion or manual labor or whatever.

[heavyfuel]

Easy or not, that Spot check is a standard action during combat, unless you have Quick Reconnoiter.

No it isn't. Reactive spot checks isn't an actions, and active spot checks are a move action.



Varies. Every time you have a chance to spot something in a reactive manner you can make a Spot check without using an action. Trying to spot something you failed to see previously is a move action.