Ways to increase Latern Archon Light-ray damage

[Jowgen]

Lantern Archons have an (Ex) 30 ft ranged touch attack that deal 1d6 of untyped damage that overcomes all types of damage reduction. As part of another project, I am looking for ways that this damage might be increased.

Any ideas much appreciated :smallsmile:

[Bucky]

General damage buffs like Inspire Courage work, of course. So do a few specialized ones like Magic Fang.
Buffing a Lantern Archon's Strength arguably also increases its attack's damage, since the relevant RAW on natural attacks doesn't appear to exclude ranged ones.
You can magically increase the Lantern Archons' size category.
You can advance them with Rogue levels, adding Sneak Attack dice.
An advanced Lantern Archon can take the Improved Natural Attack feat.

[Inevitability]

Ninja or Scout can give Sudden Strike or Skirmish.

Also, an amulet of natural attacks with the flaming enchantment on it should add fire damage to the ray.

[Troacctid]

It's not a natural attack. Natural attacks are physically part of the creature's body. It's a supernatural ability.

[Zanos]

It's actually an Extraordinary ability.

[Jowgen]

It's not a natural attack. Natural attacks are physically part of the creature's body. It's a supernatural ability.

It's actually an Extraordinary ability.

This is where some of the trouble stems from. The ray is Ex and is listed as its only option for both attack and full attack, but it doesn't quite fit the standard defintion of a natural weapon/attack. A physical creature whose only attack option is an Ex ranged attack is such a curiosity that I'm struggling to find applicable rules.

Attempt at reconciling this mess: The lantern might actually be made of light made into a gas-like form (or light might otherwise constitute a physical part of its body), so the ray might actually just be part of its body extending; letting it count as a natural attack/weapon, thus allowing appropriate effects to be applied.

EDIT: the Harpoon Spider (MMIII p. 80) and the regular manticore provide examples of what are clearly ranged Natural Weapons that are also designated as Extraordinary abilites.

[Gallowglass]

I'm just amused at the idea of a lantern archon using its ray attack as a sneak attack.

"Why is that lampshade floating over in that corner?"

"Ah-HA!" *flash*

[Tiri]

There's Psionic Shot. It has a Greater version, too. You need to be psionic in some way, though. Obviously.

[Flickerdart]

There's Psionic Shot. It has a Greater version, too. You need to be psionic in some way, though. Obviously.
Becoming psionic is pretty simple - taking the feats Wild Talent or Hidden Talent is easiest, but acquiring any psi-like abilities or SLAs named "psionics" works. You might also be able to wish for the psionic subtype, since you can wish for other subtypes and Psionic doesn't even grant you any special ability beyond being able to take the feats.

[Zaq]

It's not exactly a game-changer, but I see no reason that a Lantern Archon with Fighter levels couldn't take Weapon Specialization for its rays. (If nothing else, I think CArc specifically allows WF/WS with rays.)

I'd need to look up the rules on what soulmelds a Lantern Archon could use, but maybe the Sighting Gloves or something could work, assuming you can fast-talk a GM into agreeing that a sphere of light somehow has a Hands chakra? AFB, so I forget if Bluesteel Bracers work only on manufactured weapons or not, but that might also work (assuming that the same GM also grants an Arms chakra to that sphere of light).

It's only a +1, but Point Blank Shot should apply. It specifies "ranged weapons," but as many, many people have discussed ad nauseam, there's not a great ironclad definition for what is and isn't a weapon.

[charcoalninja]

Best bet would be things like Inspire Courage, an Inquisitor's Judgement or a Paladin's Smite (if PF). Greater Heroism would work as would Divine Favour. Tome of Battle Maneuvers should work as well I would think / Path of War stuff.

[Jowgen]

Is there any way to take a bunch of Lanterns and make them into a Swarm or Mob; or just generally allow them to occupy a smaller space?

[ExLibrisMortis]

You can use some maneuvers, like Flashing Sun and Dancing Mongoose, to attack twice in one turn.

[Inevitability]

You can use some maneuvers, like Flashing Sun and Dancing Mongoose, to attack twice in one turn.

Flashing Sun only works with melee attacks, though, and I'm pretty sure the 'any weapon you wield' line on Dancing Mongoose prohibits natural attacks.

[MilleniaAntares]

Tome of Battle Maneuvers should work as well I would think / Path of War stuff.
For Path of War, the lantern archon will likely need to take Weapon Adaptation (Rays) to be able to use the ranged maneuvers.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Flashing Sun only works with melee attacks, though, and I'm pretty sure the 'any weapon you wield' line on Dancing Mongoose prohibits natural attacks.
Right, I didn't check the description for those properly, just the target line (most maneuvers having 'melee attack' as target). I guess you'd have to port Path of War, then.

Unless you can get your natural attack enhanced as aptitude weapon, and treat it as greatsword for a bunch of Martial Study feats - it's a tortured reading of the rules, but the results aren't particularly offensive in-universe.

[Prime32]

Is there any way to take a bunch of Lanterns and make them into a Swarm or Mob; or just generally allow them to occupy a smaller space?Pathfinder lantern archons can fuse together (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/archon/lantern-archon), I guess.

Speaking of PF, you could take levels in warpriest or gain an ability that grants their Sacred Weapon damage progression.

[Tiri]

Is there any way to take a bunch of Lanterns and make them into a Swarm or Mob; or just generally allow them to occupy a smaller space?

IF you can get them down to Tiny, they can be a swarm.

[Cirrylius]

Is there any way to take a bunch of Lanterns and make them into a Swarm or Mob; or just generally allow them to occupy a smaller space?

Convince, trick, or force a superior Archon into convincing or ordering them to do it.

If you do, given the many dozens of Lantern Archons needed for a Mob, though, you might as well just go to Mt. Celestia and make acquiring and organizing them a whole miniquest, rather than bother Summoning them manually.

[Deadline]

Is there any way to take a bunch of Lanterns and make them into a Swarm or Mob; or just generally allow them to occupy a smaller space?

Well, you could just use a Ghaele Eladrin in globe form instead. It's got longer range light rays that ignore all DR and do ... 2d12 damage each? Plus it can use a ton of spells and spell-like abilities.

[charcoalninja]

Yeah... Binding a Ghaele is the far better answer.

[Jowgen]

For clarification, I am dealing with Latern Archons specifically because this is part of a Create Lantern Archon + Brainwashing optimization thing I'm working on. The Lantern Archons are available, do what they're told and there's a bit of customization room in their stats.

In case people are curious, the overall thing is about breaking Levistus out of his coolbox (it also invovles mass Fire-Souled template-application and a Submarine inviltrating Stygia via the Styx). I was gonna make a thread about that, but the whole thing needs a lot more work before its good enough.

[Jowgen]

In the end, I've decided that old Point Blank Shot is a decent choice, but more than that I am now looking for ways to utilize the light-ray beyond damage.

As the Natural Weapon categorization seems likily to be accepted, I decided to tack on Touch of Golden Ice, in combo with Flyby Attack. A squad or Lanterns don't need to hit hard if they have the numbers to force enough Fort saves with strafing runs. Even better with hit n run tactics to wait out secondary saves. For an evil creature of any level, enough of these things seem like a nightmare to fight.

Anybody got anything that might go well with this?