Optimize this Feat #19: Eldritch Corruption from Heroes of Horror p.122

[daremetoidareyo]

I Love Feats. They are little alterations to the rules and they interface with class features in some really fun and strange ways. Sometimes their utility is circumspect and sometimes they just stink. I'm looking at you Battle Dance. However, there is just something really satisfying about the interplay of feats and rules to produce illogical and unintended effects.

What is this?
So this is the "Optimize this feat" discussion, wherein we work together to plumb the clever and amazing uses for feats in ways the designers could have only dreamt of. Arbitrary credit seems to be important to sway people's incentives, so I have devised the following system to award credit to people who help explore the possibilities of how to use a feat. I'm developing this pseudo-contest on the fly, so rules are subject to change.


All participants in the optimization endeavor post directly into the thread. They may post as many times as they want, just like any thread where you volunteer your ideas. After a week or so, the thread will be evaluated and participants will be assigned a score. That score represents how helpful or novel the poster was in their analysis of a feat's uses, abuses, interactions, and limitations. The rubric by which points are assigned to posters is developed below. The poster's who are most helpful will be announced after a week, and have their name highlighted in bold and in a font color other than black! The guest judge will try to remain interactive in the process, because the contest element to me is secondary to extracting the maximum amount of versatility and power out of the feat resource.

Point Allocation Rubric
The following list is not exhaustive of how points will be allocated, as I imagine that there will be weird end cases.

Suggestion of a non-overtly obvious class feature, spell, feat, skill trick, psi-power, magic/psionic item, or monster that interplays with the feat to produce an exaggerated result.

Overt Obviousness will be judged by me, but I will generally allocate points generously, What I am trying to avoid is people suggesting feat interplays that are non-exceptional and thus cluttering the thread with lame and uninteresting things. 1 pt

If the suggestion is particularly powerful or clever, an additional point may be allocated to reward the optimizerly thinking. This decision is mine, although I will be swayed by what seems like genuine "co-signing," where other posters in the thread really glom onto the idea and develop it further.

A small build stub, between 5-12 levels, that includes a small write up of how the feat interplays with a few class features, racial features, spells, powers and feats to produce an effect that is far beyond the scope of what the feat of the week is capable of providing on its own. 5 points. +/- 1 point.

A rather undeveloped stub may only receive 4 points if it is a slightly modified rehash of a previous stub. A rather ingenious stub can earn an extra point. In some cases, you may actually do both! All of these are judgement calls as adjudicated by myself.

A fully functional optimization of the feat that ramps it up to its maximum power level where there is no way to possibly make it more amazing, including a 20 level build that follows the same format as iron chef dishes, but with minimal write up, is worthy of 10-12 points.

As the Chair, I will remain interactive throughout the thread, even suggesting a few builds. Commenting on these is fine and all of the rubric points apply to those as well. This means that the thread is not a totally objective competition.

A display of relevant rules expertise that shapes the discussion is worthy of 0 or 1 point. This is the "squishiest" criteria, and will only be allocated when it corrects part of the conversation that is going too far off the rails. Particularly nasty interchanges about RAW may lead to abdication of this point. Being incorrect isn't an immoral offense, so I want an atmosphere where suggestions are flying but staying generally within the real bounds of dnd play. RAW discussions tend to get a little too personal, and hopefully this arbitrary point system can circumvent that. Plus, seeing as how extensive the rules system is, it is easy for me to get excited about how to make an idea work and get lost about the details.

BIAS
I am not a perfect judge. I prefer mundane to magical. I prefer Tier 3 and below to Tier 2 and up. But I do love me some dysfunction. So optimization that requires a lot of high level spells or powers (anything level 4 or up) will be less impressive to me. Go ahead and make your suggestion, I will try to police these biases in myself, but understand that these are factors that are in play.

Other information
All of that said, I have an exhibited tendency to be more forgiving/rules lax, whereas some of you are far more RAW heavy. I really do appreciate ya'll, so don't be afraid to reign in some of the theory and ground it in what is explicitly allowed. Different tables play the game differently. And this forum tends to highlight super polarized ends of this permissiveness spectrum that spans from "RAW to a fault" - "So ridiculously theoretically unbalanced beyond any DM's willingness to allow". Most play tends to be in the middle, if not a little skewed towards RAW: but not all play. With that in mind, if requested, if you are asked to assume that the theoretical DM handwaves your criticism as a special exception, please update your approach and proceed from there if you would like to continue to parse the possibilities that a feat offers. In this way, we can develop the full spectrum of what a feat can do.

This week's Feat is Eldritch Corruption from Heroes of Horror p. 122

This endeavor concludes at 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time on January 20th, 2017

Optimize this Feat 1:Wanderer's Diplomacy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?472308-Optimize-This-Feat-1-Wanderer-s-Diplomacy): VAZ
Optimize this Feat 2: Conductivity (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?473047-Optimize-this-Feat-2-Conductivity-from-Unearthed-Arcana&highlight=Conductivity): ben-zayb
Optimize this Feat 3: Swim-by Attack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?474225-Optimize-this-feat-3-Swim-by-attack-from-Stormwrack): WhamBamSam
Optimize this Feat 4: Contagious Paralysis (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?476019-Optimize-this-Feat-4-Contagious-Paralysis-from-Libris-Mortis) WhamBamSam
Optimize this Feat 5: Hammer and Piton (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?477681-Optimize-this-Feat-5-Hammer-and-Piton-From-Dungeonscape) Zetapup
Optimize this Feat 6: Residual Rebound (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?479041-Optimize-this-Feat-6-Residual-Rebound-from-Unearthed-Arcana&p=20493024#post20493024) ben-zayb
Optimize this Feat 7: Mark of Phlegethos (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?480323-Optimize-this-Feat-7-Mark-of-Phlegethos-from-Fiendish-Codex-2-Tot9H): Darrin
Optimize this Feat 8: Seelie Court Noble Kelir (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?492298-Optimize-this-Feat-8-Seelie-Court-Noble-Kelir-(web)): Jowgen
Optimize this Feat 9: Animal Friends (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?493792-Optimize-this-Feat-9-Races-of-Faerun-s-Animal-friends-p-161): Troacctid
Optimize this Feat 10A: Primary Contact (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?495860-Optimize-this-feat-10-Primary-Contact-plus-Einhander-lightning-round&p=21075488#post21075488): Jormengand & WhamBamSam
Optimize this Feat 10B lightning round: Einhander from PHB2 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?495860-Optimize-this-feat-10-Primary-Contact-plus-Einhander-lightning-round): Zaq

Optimize this Feat 11: Supremely Confident from Dragon #335 p.88 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?496731-Optimize-this-feat-11-Supremely-Confident-from-Dragon-335-p-88&p=21076906): To Be Determined
Optimize this Feat 12: Spirit Sense (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?498138-Optimize-this-feat-12-Spirit-Sense-from-Heroes-of-Horror-p-124) from Heroes of Horror p.124: Jormengand
Optimize this Feat #13: Cards Over Swords (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?501738-Optimize-this-Feat-13-Cards-over-Swords-from-Three-Dragon-Ante-web-supplement&p=21301495#post21301495) from the Three Dragon Ante Web: Darrin & Morcleon
Optimize this Feat #14: Dual Planes Summons (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?503445-Optimize-this-Feat-14-Dual-Plane-Summons-from-Dragon-313) from Dragon Magazine #313: To Be Determined
Optimize this Feat #15: Formation Expert (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?505193-Optimize-This-Feat-15-Formation-Expert-from-Complete-Warrior-p-110) from Complete Warrior: Darrin
Optimize this feat #16: Bloodspiked Charger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?506408-Optimize-this-Feat-16-Bloodspiked-Charger-from-PHB2): WhamBamSam
Optimize this Feat #17: Betrayal of the Spirit linked from Dragon Magazine #336 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?509597-Optimize-This-Feat-17-Betrayal-of-the-spirit-linked-from-dragon-magazine-336): Menzath
Optimize thie Feat #18: Truebond from DMG2 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?510434-Optimize-this-Feat-18-Truebond-from-DMG2&p=21574324): unseenmage

Upcoming Schedule:

Don't post your ideas for these on the wrong competition. Save em. Unleash your brilliance on us.
Optimize this feat #20: Imbued Healing (Complete Champion p.60)
Optimize this feat #21: Create spectral spawn from Dragons of Faerun Web Supplement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070425a) p.6
Optimize this feat #22: Pain Mastery from Savage Species p.37
Optimize this feat #23: Wingstorm from savage species p.40
Optimize this feat #24: Ragewild Fighting from Races of Eberron p.118

Other feats in the pool: detach from Savage Species, Elder Giant magic, stamp, battleshifter training, Multi-tasking, Tainted Druid (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030428a<br />
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030428a), Spell Mantle (LEoF p.112), Mastery of the dead (PGTE)

[daremetoidareyo]

The feat is here


Eldritch Corruption [Tainted]

You can add power to your spells or spell-like abilities at the expense of your companions' health.
Prerequisite Any one metamagic feat, moderate depravity
Benefit You can enlarge, extend, heighten, or widen a spell, as though you had the appropriate metamagic feat, without increasing the spell level or, for spontaneous casters, casting time. You can apply any number of these metamagic effects to a spell in this way; if you choose heighten, then that spell's level is heightened by up to two levels. For each level of metamagic you apply, one of your allies takes 2 points of Constitution damage. In this case, "ally" is defined as someone who knowingly and willingly fights alongside you against a common foe, or who otherwise considers you a trusted companion. You decide, when casting the spell, which ally takes the Constitution damage. You cannot select an ally immune to Constitution damage or an ally without a Constitution score. For purposes of this spell, you cannot designate a summoned or charmed being as your ally. You can use this feat three times per day.
Special You can select this feat more than once. Each time you do, you gain an additional three uses per day.

The definition of ally looks real breakable

[BaronDoctor]

Off the top of my head, Dominate and Planar Binding are not explicitly ruled out. An ally who binds Naberius could heal the Con damage really easy. An Animal Companion would be an easy mark. Oh. Thrallherd could abuse this pretty readily.

[Darrin]

Animal companion/familiar/special mount with Strongheart Vest and Share Soulmeld. Preferably all three. So:

Incarnate 1/Hexblade 4/Paladin of Tyranny 5/Beastmaster 1/Chameleon 9
Feats: Able Learner, Obtain Familiar, Natural Bond, Leadership, etc.

[daremetoidareyo]

Bonus points to anyone who figures out how to weaponize this feat to drain enemies that are actually allies' constitution

[WhamBamSam]

The Con damage for higher cost metamagic (so just Widen and maybe a 2 level Heighten) is significant enough that a Binder friend might be put at risk, unless the spell you're boosting ends the encounter.

Dominated creatures don't fight alongside you willingly, so they're out, though Mindraped ones are probably in. Planar Bindings/Allies are a grey area.

This appears to be a case where the Strongheart Vest actually works though, since it's "apply metamagic, then deal Con damage" rather than "take Con damage to do thing," like, say, Hellfire Warlock. It takes 5 essentia to fully block the damage from Widening, but if you build around it that's actually not unreasonable. A Cleric 1/Incarnate 3/X 2 with Expand Soulmeld Capacity and Divine Soultouch gets there, so it might even be possible to use a follower or hireling to tank the damage if you can find the right one.

If your ally is a Spellfire Channeler, you can use the Con damage to set off an 'involuntary' discharge, like I did with Dinklesworth using Chosen of Evil in that Iron Chef round.

[thethird]

Use spellguard to make personal spells work on other people (perhaps warweaver for extra range) and buff the enemy?

[daremetoidareyo]

bluffs + illusions to create "mutual enemies" that suddenly ally yourself with your opponents. Then proceed to eat away their con while you cast heightened extended spells?

[Troacctid]

This is one of the most effective early entry tricks in the game. It heightens your spell by 2 levels, and anyone with enough taint gets it for free as a bonus feat.

Here are some prestige classes that require 3rd level spells, but can be entered several levels earlier than normal through the use of this feat.



Prestige Class
Source


Arachne
FP


Arcane Trickster
DMG (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/arcaneTrickster.htm)


Bane of Infidels
MW


Boge of Nomog-Geaya
D315


Candle Caster
TB


Cerebremancer
XPH (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/cerebremancer.htm)


Deathstalker of Bhaal
D322


Deathwarden Chanter
Gh


Demonwrecker
EDP


Demonwrecker Arcane
EDP


Devilwrecker
EDP


Devilwrecker Arcane
EDP


Dragon Mystic
D296


Dreadmaster
FP


Durthan
Una


Eldritch Knight
DMG (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/eldritchKnight.htm)


Geomancer
CD


Goldeye
FP


Gray Sage
D298


Halruaan Magehound
ShS


Hathran
PG


Imaskari Vengeance Taker
Und


Knight of the Skull
DCS


Magical Trickster
CS


Medani Prophet
Dra


Mind Mage
D313


Mystic Theurge
DMG (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/mysticTheurge.htm)


Nightcloak
CD Web (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20040522a)


Nightmare Spinner
CM


Noctumancer
TM (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060303a&page=6)


Oozemaster
MW


Paragnostic Apostle
CC


Rainbow Servant
CD


Raumathari Battlemage
Una


Savant Aboleth
LoM


Sea Mother Whip
Und


Shadowcraft Mage
RS


Shadowcrafter
Und


Silverwood Arcanist
Web (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031209a)


Spelldancer
Mag


Stormlord
CD


Swift Wing
DM


Thrall of Graz’zt
BV/D360 (http://web.archive.org/web/20090217155017/http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drigg/20071024)


Unbound Scroll
Dra


War Weaver
HB



As for the Con damage, the feat is only usable three times per day, which means you don't even need to do any shenanigans to mitigate the damage—just get yourself a rod of bodily restoration (MIC 173). It has 3 charges/day to heal 4 Con damage each, which lines up perfectly. Only 3100 gp.

Of course, another option is to use a called creature. The feat forbids you from using summoned creatures, but not called creatures, so it's a handy loophole if you have access to calling effects.

[Darrin]

Bonus points to anyone who figures out how to weaponize this feat to drain enemies that are actually allies' constitution

Mirror of Opposition.

Other thoughts:

Distracting Ember (Desert Wind 1) conjures (but does not summon) a small elemental for a round.

Spellthief 1/Wu Jen 13 can cast body outside body. Steal all your spells from your duplicate (including body outside body), then suck his Con dry. If we start off with at least two copies of body outside body, we can always grab a duplicate from our double and repeat the process. However, we're still limited to only 3 uses of Eldritch Corruption per day, so let's fix that by becoming an illithid (via polymorph shenanigans).

Spellthief 1/Wu Jen 13/Illithid Savant 2

Cast body outside body, steal double's spells, drain off some Con to cast some metamagic spells, eat your double's brain, gain another copy of Eldritch Corruption (it can explicitly be gained multiple times), rinse & repeat.

[Flickerdart]

You can use affinity field (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/affinityField.htm) to bomb your enemies with the CON damage.

[Segev]

If you've an ally who can manifest mind switch or cast magic jar, the body they're in isn't charmed, dominated, or summoned. Have your buddy hop into an enemy body and suck 'em dry of Con before he hops back out.

[daremetoidareyo]

rules clarification:
What constitutes a use of this feat? Is it per metamagic applied to a spell, or per spell, upon which you can pile all of the metamagics for like a -10 hit to con?

[WhamBamSam]

rules clarification:
What constitutes a use of this feat? Is it per metamagic applied to a spell, or per spell, upon which you can pile all of the metamagics for like a -10 hit to con?The feat says "you can apply any number of these metamagic effects to a spell in this way," so it appears that you can use all of the different metamagics within a single use of Eldritch Corruption. That's 14 Con damage for an Enlarged Extended Widened Heightened 2 levels spell, which is pretty significant.

Piggybacking on the Body Outside Body and Affinity Field suggestions, a high level Psion (perhaps a Cerebremancer, Psychic Theurge, or maybe even someone with the Magic Mantle) could combine Affinity Field with Fission to weaponize the Con damage.

[ATHATH]

I'd like to submit the Mastery of the Dead feat and the rest of the mastery feats from the Player's Guide to Eberron. For those of you who don't know what it does, it allows you to raise a ghost that is under your control as a free action from an enemy (or friend!) that you have slain with a [death] spell that will last for [CL] turns if you succeed on a CL check.

[daremetoidareyo]

I put mastery of the dead in the feat pool.

[daremetoidareyo]

Off the top of my head, Dominate and Planar Binding are not explicitly ruled out. An ally who binds Naberius could heal the Con damage really easy. An Animal Companion would be an easy mark. Oh. Thrallherd could abuse this pretty readily.

4 points



Animal companion/familiar/special mount with Strongheart Vest and Share Soulmeld. Preferably all three. So:

Incarnate 1/Hexblade 4/Paladin of Tyranny 5/Beastmaster 1/Chameleon 9
Feats: Able Learner, Obtain Familiar, Natural Bond, Leadership, etc.

5 point build stub
1 point strongheart vest


The Con damage for higher cost metamagic (so just Widen and maybe a 2 level Heighten) is significant enough that a Binder friend might be put at risk, unless the spell you're boosting ends the encounter.

Dominated creatures don't fight alongside you willingly, so they're out, though Mindraped ones are probably in. Planar Bindings/Allies are a grey area.

This appears to be a case where the Strongheart Vest actually works though, since it's "apply metamagic, then deal Con damage" rather than "take Con damage to do thing," like, say, Hellfire Warlock. It takes 5 essentia to fully block the damage from Widening, but if you build around it that's actually not unreasonable. A Cleric 1/Incarnate 3/X 2 with Expand Soulmeld Capacity and Divine Soultouch gets there, so it might even be possible to use a follower or hireling to tank the damage if you can find the right one.

If your ally is a Spellfire Channeler, you can use the Con damage to set off an 'involuntary' discharge, like I did with Dinklesworth using Chosen of Evil in that Iron Chef round.

Binder compassion
1 pt, Dominated clarification/minerals suggestion
4 pt stub
2 pt spellfire wielded


Use spellguard to make personal spells work on other people (perhaps warweaver for extra range) and buff the enemy?

Not sure if that works. 2 points if you can make your case, you have 24 hours (until 2 pm on the 27th)



This is one of the most effective early entry tricks in the game. It heightens your spell by 2 levels, and anyone with enough taint gets it for free as a bonus feat.

Here are some prestige classes that require 3rd level spells, but can be entered several levels earlier than normal through the use of this feat.



Prestige Class
Source


Arachne
FP


Arcane Trickster
DMG (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/arcaneTrickster.htm)


Bane of Infidels
MW


Boge of Nomog-Geaya
D315


Candle Caster
TB


Cerebremancer
XPH (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/cerebremancer.htm)


Deathstalker of Bhaal
D322


Deathwarden Chanter
Gh


Demonwrecker
EDP


Demonwrecker Arcane
EDP


Devilwrecker
EDP


Devilwrecker Arcane
EDP


Dragon Mystic
D296


Dreadmaster
FP


Durthan
Una


Eldritch Knight
DMG (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/eldritchKnight.htm)


Geomancer
CD


Goldeye
FP


Gray Sage
D298


Halruaan Magehound
ShS


Hathran
PG


Imaskari Vengeance Taker
Und


Knight of the Skull
DCS


Magical Trickster
CS


Medani Prophet
Dra


Mind Mage
D313


Mystic Theurge
DMG (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/mysticTheurge.htm)


Nightcloak
CD Web (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20040522a)


Nightmare Spinner
CM


Noctumancer
TM (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060303a&page=6)


Oozemaster
MW


Paragnostic Apostle
CC


Rainbow Servant
CD


Raumathari Battlemage
Una


Savant Aboleth
LoM


Sea Mother Whip
Und


Shadowcraft Mage
RS


Shadowcrafter
Und


Silverwood Arcanist
Web (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031209a)


Spelldancer
Mag


Stormlord
CD


Swift Wing
DM


Thrall of Graz’zt
BV/D360 (http://web.archive.org/web/20090217155017/http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drigg/20071024)


Unbound Scroll
Dra


War Weaver
HB



As for the Con damage, the feat is only usable three times per day, which means you don't even need to do any shenanigans to mitigate the damage—just get yourself a rod of bodily restoration (MIC 173). It has 3 charges/day to heal 4 Con damage each, which lines up perfectly. Only 3100 gp.

Of course, another option is to use a called creature. The feat forbids you from using summoned creatures, but not called creatures, so it's a handy loophole if you have access to calling effects.

Wow.
8 points for chart
1 pt called vs summoned distinction
1 pt rod



Mirror of Opposition.

Other thoughts:

Distracting Ember (Desert Wind 1) conjures (but does not summon) a small elemental for a round.

Spellthief 1/Wu Jen 13 can cast body outside body. Steal all your spells from your duplicate (including body outside body), then suck his Con dry. If we start off with at least two copies of body outside body, we can always grab a duplicate from our double and repeat the process. However, we're still limited to only 3 uses of Eldritch Corruption per day, so let's fix that by becoming an illithid (via polymorph shenanigans).

Spellthief 1/Wu Jen 13/Illithid Savant 2

Cast body outside body, steal double's spells, drain off some Con to cast some metamagic spells, eat your double's brain, gain another copy of Eldritch Corruption (it can explicitly be gained multiple times), rinse & repeat.

1 pt mirror of opposition. Source?
1 point distracting ember (it's a swift action too!)
12 pt build



You can use affinity field (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/affinityField.htm) to bomb your enemies with the CON damage.

1 pt
What's the lowest level that you can access a portable affinity field in a party that has all characters of the same level, and standard wbl? 5 points to the person who gets the lowest level method. Y'all got 24 hours, (til 2pm eastern time on the 27th.


If you've an ally who can manifest mind switch or cast magic jar, the body they're in isn't charmed, dominated, or summoned. Have your buddy hop into an enemy body and suck 'em dry of Con before he hops back out.

3 points


The feat says "you can apply any number of these metamagic effects to a spell in this way," so it appears that you can use all of the different metamagics within a single use of Eldritch Corruption. That's 14 Con damage for an Enlarged Extended Widened Heightened 2 levels spell, which is pretty significant.

Piggybacking on the Body Outside Body and Affinity Field suggestions, a high level Psion (perhaps a Cerebremancer, Psychic Theurge, or maybe even someone with the Magic Mantle) could combine Affinity Field with Fission to weaponize the Con damage.

1 pt Rules clarification
2 pt clever piggyback

Two last 24 hour challenges, for 150% POINTS, rounded up.

1. can a synad be his own ally?
2. Symbionts, parasites, or posessing entities, any easy route to exploit them as allies with this?

Anyways, this gauntlet concludes tomorrow at 2 pm Eastern, (jan 27)

I'll tally then.

In the meantime, The new gauntlet is up: imbued healing (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?512996-Optimize-this-Feat-20-Imbued-Healing-from-Complete-Champion-p-60)

[Darrin]

1 pt mirror of opposition. Source?


DMG p. 262.



1. can a synad be his own ally?


As per the PHB p. 304, yes: "In most cases, references to 'allies' include yourself." If you mean, with regards to this feat, no.

Complete Psionic p. 139: "A synad's threefold mind is composed of parts that are often referred to as the overmind, the collective, and the oracle. In most activities, the overmind controls the synad's actions. However, sometimes the collective or the oracle - the parts known as the submind - rises to the surface, either bypassing the overmind or mentally advising it on topics the submind is more suited to understand."

By that reading, there may be three drivers, but only one steering wheel. Even when using Multitask (Su), the rules don't differentiate between the synad and the other parts of his mind: "Once per day, a synad can spend 1 power point to gain a swift action that he can use to take any purely mental action." (emphasis added)

So even when one mind partition takes over, the rules don't mechanically differentiate any difference between the synad or the other parts of his mind as acting separately. They're all treated as one creature.



2. Symbionts, parasites, or posessing entities, any easy route to exploit them as allies with this?


Symbionts, yes, that's pretty straightforward cheese. Any Nasty Gentleman or Hive build could abuse this feat. Parasites... I'm not sure they qualify as knowingly and willingly fighting alongside you. Do you mean things like rot grubs? Possessed entities... creatures yes, objects no. (I think objects don't have a Constitution score, but I'm not entirely sure about that.)

[Segev]

An oft-overlooked source of potential extra actions (or simply aid another actions) is the Handle Animal feat. Buy a few goats or dogs and train them to fight alongside you. They're not free, but they're not horribly expensive, either. Use them up in fights as distractions for the enemy and fuel for your metamagic. If you're a necromancer-type, animate their corpses to fight for you again.

A diplomancer can also induce fanaticism in people he meets on the street. Or on the road. Or hires as simple drovers or hireling guards. Fanatics are willing to die for you; surely they'd spare some (or most, or all) of their Constitution so that you can use more destructive magics in lower level spell slots.

As long as you don't kill them, you could also abuse Followers. Arguably, you could abuse Believers (the Thrallherd-granted followers) without worrying about killing them, except that a DM might argue they're not "willing." Even though they are. Because your psychic impulse attracts them and induces fanatic loyalty, but doesn't count as a Charm effect.

[daremetoidareyo]

DMG p. 262.
Thanks.



As per the PHB p. 304, yes: "In most cases, references to 'allies' include yourself." If you mean, with regards to this feat, no.

Complete Psionic p. 139: "A synad's threefold mind is composed of parts that are often referred to as the overmind, the collective, and the oracle. In most activities, the overmind controls the synad's actions. However, sometimes the collective or the oracle - the parts known as the submind - rises to the surface, either bypassing the overmind or mentally advising it on topics the submind is more suited to understand."

By that reading, there may be three drivers, but only one steering wheel. Even when using Multitask (Su), the rules don't differentiate between the synad and the other parts of his mind: "Once per day, a synad can spend 1 power point to gain a swift action that he can use to take any purely mental action." (emphasis added)

So even when one mind partition takes over, the rules don't mechanically differentiate any difference between the synad or the other parts of his mind as acting separately. They're all treated as one creature.

I'm convinced. 4 points.




Symbionts, yes, that's pretty straightforward cheese. Any Nasty Gentleman or Hive build could abuse this feat. Parasites... I'm not sure they qualify as knowingly and willingly fighting alongside you. Do you mean things like rot grubs? Possessed entities... creatures yes, objects no. (I think objects don't have a Constitution score, but I'm not entirely sure about that.)

Symbionts for sure. Like on an existential level, a parasite is invested in your continued survival. Although you do make a good point: If you have a leech attached, it may just as easily be considered an enemy. I reckon that you got to handle animal (vermin) them to make them into allies...

2 points.


An oft-overlooked source of potential extra actions (or simply aid another actions) is the Handle Animal feat. Buy a few goats or dogs and train them to fight alongside you. They're not free, but they're not horribly expensive, either. Use them up in fights as distractions for the enemy and fuel for your metamagic. If you're a necromancer-type, animate their corpses to fight for you again.

3 points


A diplomancer can also induce fanaticism in people he meets on the street. Or on the road. Or hires as simple drovers or hireling guards. Fanatics are willing to die for you; surely they'd spare some (or most, or all) of their Constitution so that you can use more destructive magics in lower level spell slots.

As long as you don't kill them, you could also abuse Followers. Arguably, you could abuse Believers (the Thrallherd-granted followers) without worrying about killing them, except that a DM might argue they're not "willing." Even though they are. Because your psychic impulse attracts them and induces fanatic loyalty, but doesn't count as a Charm effect.

You could make an awards ceremony for your followers so that they want to volunteer to be drained. Maybe like a karate belt system: "I'm Elrick's black belt magic enhancer! It was tough going all out on that fireball for my 30th go, but he gave me 10 gp, free healing, and the honor of training the blue belts!"

4 points.

Ok. Let's tally the bananas

BaronDoctor: 4 pts
Darrin: 26 pts
WhamBamSam: 10 pts
Troacctid: 10 pts
Flickerdart: 1 pt
Segev: 10 pts

By a Musa-slide, the Corrupt Eldritch King, bedecked in Bolded Tainted Black Franklin gothic with a Comic Sans taint, (the most tainted of Fonts) is
Darrin.

Congratulations! May your children be born without mutations! But if they are, perhaps they'd like to see what a little imbued healing (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?512996-Optimize-this-Feat-20-Imbued-Healing-from-Complete-Champion-p-60&p=21632245#post21632245) feat optimization can do for them.