ShurikVch
2016-09-06, 10:44 AM
We all know that spell...
Or, at least, we heard about it...
But what if it isn't as bad as people tell?
During my argument in another thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?498442-What-Abilities-Should-Players-Have/page3) I re-read the spell's RAW:
The ice assassin spell is in many ways an improved version of simulacrum. Developed by powerful frost mages who have more than their fair share of enemies to fight, an ice assassin is an effective way to destroy an enemy without putting yourself at risk.
An ice assassin spell creates a living, breathing creature that is a near-perfect duplicate of an existing creature. The duplicate is formed entirely out of ice, but once the spell is in effect, it appears as an exact duplicate to all but its source, who always sees the ice assassin as an animated ice statue of himself. The ice assassin possesses all the skills, abilities, and memories possessed by the original, but its personality is warped and twisted by an all-consuming need to slay the original. It also constantly uses locate creature on its duplicate at a caster level equal to your own. If its quarry is outside the range of this effect, the ice assassin must rely on its own cleverness or advice from you to track the original.
The ice assassin has the cold subtype. Creatures familiar with the original might detect the ruse with a successful Spot check. You must make a Disguise check (gaining a +10 circumstance bonus from the power of the spell) when you cast the spell to determine how good the likeness is.
The ice assassin is under your absolute command. You possess a telepathic link to the ice assassin, and when you concentrate, you receive a clear image of the area surrounding the ice assassin as if you were scrying it. Further, you can have any spell you cast on yourself affect the ice assassin as well; this includes spells with a target of "You" only. These benefits persist as long as you and the ice assassin remain within a mile of each other. If the ice assassin travels beyond this range, it continues to function and seek out its nemesis, but you have no direct control over it.
An ice assassin has no ability to become more powerful; it cannot increase its level or abilities. Damage caused to the ice assassin can be repaired only via a complex process requiring 1 day, 100 gp per hit point, and a fully equipped laboratory. If the ice assassin is reduced to 0 hit points by any damage except for fire damage, it explodes into a burst of icy shrapnel in a 20-foot radius that causes 1d6 points of cold damage for every two caster levels you possess; a successful Reflex saving throw halves the damage. An ice assassin slain by fire damage simply melts into a pool of water.
Heck, it's one poorly worded peace of RAW!
But OK, let's pretend spell actually do everything it says it do
But what exactly it says?
By the RAW, spell create living creature, which get:
all the skills, abilities, and memories possessed by the original
constant use of locate creature
cold subtype
telepathic link
death throes
Nothing of this is a problem - except the number one.
But let's look closer:
all the skills, abilities, and memories possessed by the original
What is all this things?
Skills are Skills (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/skills.htm) - nothing unclear about it
Memories? Don't codified anywhere in the RAW: Modify Memory (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/modifyMemory.htm) spell can't neither give you any new capabilities, nor remove those you already have
But abilities...
Abilities are Abilities (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#theAbilities):
One of the six basic character qualities: Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), and Charisma (Cha). See ability score.Link (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_ability&alpha=A).
And even Monster Manual don't disprove it:
Abilities
This line lists the creature's ability scores, in the customary order: Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha. Except where noted otherwise, each creature is assumed to have the standard array of ability scores before racial adjustments (all 11s and 10s). To determine any creature’s racial ability adjustments, subtract 10 from any even-numbered ability score and subtract 11 from any odd-numbered score. (Exceptions are noted in the Combat section of a creature’s descriptive text.) Humanoid warriors are generally built using the nonelite array: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8. Advanced creatures (such as the hound archon hero) are built using the elite array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.
Most abilities work as described in Chapter 1 of the Player's Handbook, with exceptions given below.
Strength: As noted on page 162 of the Player's Handbook, quadrupeds can carry heavier loads than bipeds can. Any creature with four or more motive limbs can carry a load as a quadruped, even if it does not necessarily use all the limbs at once. For example, dragons carry loads as quadrupeds.
Intelligence: A creature can speak all the languages mentioned in its description, plus one additional language per point of Intelligence bonus. Any creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher understands at least one language (Common, unless noted otherwise).
Nonabilities: Some creatures lack certain ability scores. These creatures do not have an ability score of 0 - they lack the ability altogether. The modifier for a nonability is +0. Other effects of nonabilities are detailed in the Glossary.
As we can see, Abilities are not, in fact, a Special Abilities (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_specialability&alpha=S) - and spell doesn't include any RAW about (Ex), (Su), (Sp), spellcasting, or manifesting
Thus, Ice Assassin is notably less potent spell than everybody, apparently, thought it is
Or, at least, we heard about it...
But what if it isn't as bad as people tell?
During my argument in another thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?498442-What-Abilities-Should-Players-Have/page3) I re-read the spell's RAW:
The ice assassin spell is in many ways an improved version of simulacrum. Developed by powerful frost mages who have more than their fair share of enemies to fight, an ice assassin is an effective way to destroy an enemy without putting yourself at risk.
An ice assassin spell creates a living, breathing creature that is a near-perfect duplicate of an existing creature. The duplicate is formed entirely out of ice, but once the spell is in effect, it appears as an exact duplicate to all but its source, who always sees the ice assassin as an animated ice statue of himself. The ice assassin possesses all the skills, abilities, and memories possessed by the original, but its personality is warped and twisted by an all-consuming need to slay the original. It also constantly uses locate creature on its duplicate at a caster level equal to your own. If its quarry is outside the range of this effect, the ice assassin must rely on its own cleverness or advice from you to track the original.
The ice assassin has the cold subtype. Creatures familiar with the original might detect the ruse with a successful Spot check. You must make a Disguise check (gaining a +10 circumstance bonus from the power of the spell) when you cast the spell to determine how good the likeness is.
The ice assassin is under your absolute command. You possess a telepathic link to the ice assassin, and when you concentrate, you receive a clear image of the area surrounding the ice assassin as if you were scrying it. Further, you can have any spell you cast on yourself affect the ice assassin as well; this includes spells with a target of "You" only. These benefits persist as long as you and the ice assassin remain within a mile of each other. If the ice assassin travels beyond this range, it continues to function and seek out its nemesis, but you have no direct control over it.
An ice assassin has no ability to become more powerful; it cannot increase its level or abilities. Damage caused to the ice assassin can be repaired only via a complex process requiring 1 day, 100 gp per hit point, and a fully equipped laboratory. If the ice assassin is reduced to 0 hit points by any damage except for fire damage, it explodes into a burst of icy shrapnel in a 20-foot radius that causes 1d6 points of cold damage for every two caster levels you possess; a successful Reflex saving throw halves the damage. An ice assassin slain by fire damage simply melts into a pool of water.
Heck, it's one poorly worded peace of RAW!
But OK, let's pretend spell actually do everything it says it do
But what exactly it says?
By the RAW, spell create living creature, which get:
all the skills, abilities, and memories possessed by the original
constant use of locate creature
cold subtype
telepathic link
death throes
Nothing of this is a problem - except the number one.
But let's look closer:
all the skills, abilities, and memories possessed by the original
What is all this things?
Skills are Skills (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/skills.htm) - nothing unclear about it
Memories? Don't codified anywhere in the RAW: Modify Memory (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/modifyMemory.htm) spell can't neither give you any new capabilities, nor remove those you already have
But abilities...
Abilities are Abilities (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#theAbilities):
One of the six basic character qualities: Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), and Charisma (Cha). See ability score.Link (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_ability&alpha=A).
And even Monster Manual don't disprove it:
Abilities
This line lists the creature's ability scores, in the customary order: Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha. Except where noted otherwise, each creature is assumed to have the standard array of ability scores before racial adjustments (all 11s and 10s). To determine any creature’s racial ability adjustments, subtract 10 from any even-numbered ability score and subtract 11 from any odd-numbered score. (Exceptions are noted in the Combat section of a creature’s descriptive text.) Humanoid warriors are generally built using the nonelite array: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8. Advanced creatures (such as the hound archon hero) are built using the elite array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.
Most abilities work as described in Chapter 1 of the Player's Handbook, with exceptions given below.
Strength: As noted on page 162 of the Player's Handbook, quadrupeds can carry heavier loads than bipeds can. Any creature with four or more motive limbs can carry a load as a quadruped, even if it does not necessarily use all the limbs at once. For example, dragons carry loads as quadrupeds.
Intelligence: A creature can speak all the languages mentioned in its description, plus one additional language per point of Intelligence bonus. Any creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher understands at least one language (Common, unless noted otherwise).
Nonabilities: Some creatures lack certain ability scores. These creatures do not have an ability score of 0 - they lack the ability altogether. The modifier for a nonability is +0. Other effects of nonabilities are detailed in the Glossary.
As we can see, Abilities are not, in fact, a Special Abilities (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_specialability&alpha=S) - and spell doesn't include any RAW about (Ex), (Su), (Sp), spellcasting, or manifesting
Thus, Ice Assassin is notably less potent spell than everybody, apparently, thought it is