Making Inflict spells Vampiric?

[Xhosant]

So MM V has the Greenspawn Zealot, who has a rather interesting ability: inflict spells he casts heal it (or nearby dragonblood creatures) for the damage dealt.

But, after having the ensuing build planned out, I realised it packs a crateful of HD along with its LA, for a prohibitive cost.

Are there ways to duplicate the GSZ' ability, or 'cheaper' creatures that have it?

[Necroticplague]

A Psion could use the classic Fusion+Astral Seed trick to get it.

[Troacctid]

Just use Healing Sting and Vampiric Touch instead? Or Hostile Empathic Transfer, if you want to go psionic.

[Xhosant]

There's all sorts of support for Inflict. Like slot scaling, spontaneous auto-maximised inflicts :p

Plus, they are not innately vampiric, so their numbers are tailored up, accordingly.

[GilesTheCleric]

If your character is undead and you use repeat spell, chain spell, echoing spell, etc, you could have a similar ultimate effect, though probably not as you had wanted. You could use the Ocular loophole to stick Ray Coning onto it, and then just cast it with yourself in the ray.

[Xhosant]

Ocular loophole? Please elaborate!

(I'm working with Nosomatic so no undead healing, but still a fun avenue to explore)

[GilesTheCleric]

Ocular Spell converts non-personal non-ray spells into rays, allowing you to apply metamagic to spells that you couldn't otherwise. LoM 181.

[sleepyphoenixx]

There's all sorts of support for Inflict. Like slot scaling, spontaneous auto-maximised inflicts :p

Plus, they are not innately vampiric, so their numbers are tailored up, accordingly.

Even auto-maximized a 4d8+7 from a 4th level slot at level 7 doesn't really cut it, and they barely scale at all. That's less than a Fireball, which is already weak.
And despite their already pathetic damage when you get them they scale worse, they're still touch range, single-target, will-save half and SR:yes.
So no, their numbers are not tailored up.

I'm pretty sure the Inflict line are the worst damage spells in the whole game, or at least a close contender for the spot.
The ability to cast them spontaneously and heal your undead minions with them is probably the only reason they're cast at all.

If you really want the ability you can get it by using Polymorph/Metamorphosis and taking Assume Supernatural Ability or Metamorphic Transfer, but i don't think it's remotely worth it.

You can get stronger self-healing while attacking any number of ways, without filling your spell slots with crap.

[GilesTheCleric]

Even auto-maximized a 4d8+7 from a 4th level slot at level 7 doesn't really cut it, and they barely scale at all. That's less than a Fireball, which is already weak.

If you want graphs of different inflict power-ups and how they scale against player HP, I have those. And yes, they're pretty underwhelming.

[Xhosant]

Hmmm, the idea was to build for a ghestalt. I'd combine the Zealot with Duskblade//Archivist/Nosomatic.

How would you guys build something like that?

[sleepyphoenixx]

Hmmm, the idea was to build for a ghestalt. I'd combine the Zealot with Duskblade//Archivist/Nosomatic.

How would you guys build something like that?

As i've said, if all you want is healing yourself while attacking at the same time there are plenty of options.
The easiest is probably the Crusader from ToB. Focus on the Devoted Spirit discipline and you can kill your enemies while healing yourself and your party at the same time. And he can do it all day.

If all you care about is healing yourself there's a whole bunch of items for that. The Vampiric, Wrathful Healing and Bloodstone weapon enhancements and the Vampiric Torc come to mind.
Alternatively you can combine shapeshifting and the ability to get monsters (Ex) abilities to get fast healing or regeneration or even the ability to heal from some kinds of elemental damage.

The third option involves just getting temporary HP. Minor Shapeshift is rather popular for gishes in that function. A lot of divine spells add tons of temp hp too, if you're playing an Archivist anyway.

The short of it is that healing isn't really something you need to specifically build for. It's plentiful.
You're better off building for good defenses and killing or incapacitating your enemies quickly so you're not damaged in the first place, because hp damage is generally the least of your worries when it comes to enemy attacks.

[Ruethgar]

There is a spell template for it, AFB ATM though.

Edit: nvm, it is only 1d6 leach and costs 25g ruby per casting.

[Xhosant]

So, if you guys had access to all divine spells (through, say, archivist) for your duskblade, what spells would you go after?

[Pyromancer999]

So, if you guys had access to all divine spells (through, say, archivist) for your duskblade, what spells would you go after?

Harm is a good go-to for that from what I hear.

Also, if you want to be a pseudo-necromancer, Hunger domain 5 gets you Ghoul Gauntlet, so not bad for a DoT spell that can also turn enemies it kills into ghoul minions.

[Xhosant]

Oooh, that can be an exploitable one! Taking note!

Any more ideas?