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View Full Version : How would you turn Smoke Ladder into a good fight spell



Isiloki
2014-12-02, 05:11 AM
Hello there!
So I've came up to this idea.

Level: Wu Jen 1 (Fire),
Components: V, S, AF,
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Touch
Effect: A ladder of smoke
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You create a misty ladder up to 10 feet long per caster level, shaped from the smoke given off by a fire as you cast the spell. A smoke ladder weighs virtually nothing and can be easily handled at any length. Always steady and rigid, the ladder needs no support or object to lean against, but can simply be placed in the desired position and climbed.

By casting the spell again on an existing smoke ladder before it dissipates, you can reset its duration.

I thought about a funny way to use that : if it's weightless but is steady and rigid, you can probably use it to make the enemies fall by making it spin against their legs, etc. It needs no support, so you can climb on it to take advtange of the height to cast spells (given that they don't need somatic moves)

This is a basic idea, but I'd like to improve it to make it more efficient.

1/ How would you transcribe it into a die roll ?

2/ How can I improve the spell (usefulness, damage, trip chance etc) with metamagic feats or anything else?

Thank you!

heavyfuel
2014-12-02, 10:44 AM
I am of the mind that the thing spells can are an exhaustive list of things described in the long description of a spell, and those are not examples of what the spell can do.

Since this spell doesn't say it can do damage or trip people, it can't be used for such things

Elkad
2014-12-02, 11:58 AM
Weightless. So if you tried to trip with it, it would just bounce off the targets legs.
I guess you could try to jam it between someone's legs, but since it's weightless and fighting air resistance, it will move like swinging a balloon.

RolandDeschain
2014-12-02, 04:15 PM
climb it and Battle Jump!

Darrin
2014-12-02, 04:53 PM
Drunken Master with a 200' smoke ladder = 200' reach weapon. Even though it's weightless, he'd still do his unarmed damage + 1d4/1d8/1d12. Unfortunately, he's still not proficient with smoke ladders.

thematgreen
2014-12-02, 05:03 PM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrRFzwPE0d4

This way

Amphetryon
2014-12-02, 05:05 PM
I am of the mind that the thing spells can are an exhaustive list of things described in the long description of a spell, and those are not examples of what the spell can do.

Since this spell doesn't say it can do damage or trip people, it can't be used for such things

That mindset appears, from here, to read as indicating that you cannot, for example, throw a Fireball into a ship's rigging - as that particular use is nowhere in the long description - not to mention fundamentally reduce most Illusion spells to near total uselessness.

Emperor Tippy
2014-12-02, 06:38 PM
Seeing as it is indestructible (being always steady and rigid), it can be used to jam doors closed or open.

It is also a great way to get out of range of pesky melee characters. Cast one and have the party's ranged individuals climb it while having the party melee characters hand out at the base.

And technically as it needs no support it can just be hung in the air, which opens up its own interesting possibilities if your DM allows it.