Neat Finds

[ATHATH]

Yes, I know that Min/Max Boards has a thread like this, but I figure that adding an additional branch over here might bring in more finds. Also, I don't have a Min/Max Boards account.

Dragon Magazine #332 gives us the option to make a dragoncraft string instrument with draconic vocal chords. One of the properties that you can choose is "Extended Courage", which "extends the amount of time the effect lasts to 8 rounds after the bard ceases playing." I believe that this overrides the Bardic Sage's weakened duration for Inspire Courage, although Inspire Greatness and Inspire Courage will still have their reduced durations. The modification costs a mere 800 GP.

[Bad Wolf]

I don't know if this counts, but Savage Species says that a Lich can trade away their Fear Aura for a non-evil alignment.

[Inevitability]

Persistent Power, from the 3.0 Psionics Handbook, is pretty great. It allows you to use a power all day for eight little power points.

Fancy a Persistent Synesthete? Persistent Detect Psionics? Persistent Expansion? It's all possible for a small increase in cost.

I wish I knew about the feat when I made Brightness: it's an incredible cost reducer on a character forced to keep up three powers all day.

[danielxcutter]

Persistent Power, from the 3.0 Psionics Handbook, is pretty great. It allows you to use a power all day for eight little power points.

Fancy a Persistent Synesthete? Persistent Detect Psionics? Persistent Expansion? It's all possible for a small increase in cost.

I wish I knew about the feat when I made Brightness: it's an incredible cost reducer on a character forced to keep up three powers all day.

I bet most DMs would up that to 12 extra power points, as Persistent Spell is a +6 spell slot metamagic feat. On the other hand, Persistent Spell is still good even without metamagic reducers, so why not take it if you can?

[ben-zayb]

Fiendish Codex has a replacement option for Devils, trading the ability to summon one of its kind for 2 feats: Brand of the Nine Hells and a Mark of <X> corresponding to the Baator layer of the fiend's archduke. This would arguably an available option for Baatezu from the Summon Monster line, with Mark of Cania probably being your best option.

There are also alternate summons all over splatbooks. One of the better options would be the White Abishai replacing Fiendish Giant Wasp for Summon Monster IV, which has Telepathy and Regeneration/good among other great perks.

[Crake]

I bet most DMs would up that to 12 extra power points, as Persistent Spell is a +6 spell slot metamagic feat. On the other hand, Persistent Spell is still good even without metamagic reducers, so why not take it if you can?

I believe many metapsionic feats use less powerpoints than their equivilent metamagic counterpart, specifically because you must expend your psionic focus on them, meaning you can only ever apply a single metapsionic feat to anything, and it also limits the amount you can augment a power by that same amount, which for many powers counts as both an effective power level decrease (due to lowered save DCs) or CL (due to lowered spell effects).

Notable examples include: Twin power, which only uses 6 power points, despite the +4 spell level twin spell costs, and maximize power, which only costs 4 points, despite the +3 spell level maximize spell costs.

Plus, metamagic reducers exist, while metapsionic reducers do not, so honestly, I'd leave it how it is.

A neat find of my own is the countersong charm, which allows a bard to countersong as an immediate action (aka an epic feat (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#reactiveCountersong)), which is honestly how it should already work for an incredibly small cost (i think it was like 400 or 800 gold). Has come in handy for one of the bards in a game i ran, and I can't imagine a bard without one anymore.

[Mr Adventurer]

Where is the countersong charm found?

[Venger]

Where is the countersong charm found?

charm of countersong is on page 85 of the mic. it's 400gp and works 1/day.

[Mr Adventurer]

Cool, thanks.

[Thurbane]

I feel like this thread is a good reference point: D&D Adventures: A List of obscure 1st party sources (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?509781)

[Thurbane]

I recently discovered the Corrupt Arcane Studies feat in Ghostwalk: +1 DC and +1 CL to overcome SR on all spells for Sorcerers and Wizards.

The downsides are: -2 Wis (which is often a dump stat for arcanists anyway), and occasional nightmares. The nightmare effect says "If you fail this check, you are unable to prepare arcane spells for 24 hours". Now, unless I'm reading this wrong, this would have no effect on a Sorcerer, being a spontaneous caster?

[Jowgen]

The Truesilver WSA from Ghostwalk was updated from a +1 to a flat +1000 gp. This lets you make any weapon count as silver for the purpose of harming any creature with vulnerability for silver. Also, lets you crit & SA Ghosts, for what that's worth. It's a far better deal than the Gauntlets of Weaponry Arcane from MIC.

Secondly, the Ritual of Faith from DMG II (requires Knowledge (religion) 3 ranks and ability to
cast 2nd-level divine spells) can explicitly be used to create Phylacteries, and as long as one can pay the EXP and GP, one can "ignore the normal prerequisites for creating the item (such as the ability to cast a certain spell). This means you can apply the Lich template to any humanoid creature capable of performing this ritual, as the only requirement for becoming a Lich is to create the required phylactery.

[Lazymancer]

can explicitly be used to create Phylacteries
I'm quite certain this supposed to refer to the head slot magic item, nit lich phylactery.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I'm quite certain this supposed to refer to the head slot magic item, nit lich phylactery.
Wait, are we going by RAW or RAI RAMFS?

[Thurbane]

I'm also a fan of the Heartache spell (Cleric 1, BoVD): Will save or helpless for 1 round. As a 1st level spell, easy to Extend. A second level spell that renders an enemy helpless for 2 rounds is pretty nice. Hello, coup-de-grace!

It's mind affecting, so the usual defenses block it, but since the spell comes online at level 1, still pretty handy.

[danielxcutter]

I'm also a fan of the Heartache spell (Cleric 1, BoVD): Will save or helpless for 1 round. As a 1st level spell, easy to Extend. A second level spell that renders an enemy helpless for 2 rounds is pretty nice. Hello, coup-de-grace!

It's mind affecting, so the usual defenses block it, but since the spell comes online at level 1, still pretty handy.

Wait, is this better than Sleep, or is it just surprisingly good?

[thorr-kan]

I recently discovered the Corrupt Arcane Studies feat in Ghostwalk: +1 DC and +1 CL to overcome SR on all spells for Sorcerers and Wizards.

The downsides are: -2 Wis (which is often a dump stat for arcanists anyway), and occasional nightmares. The nightmare effect says "If you fail this check, you are unable to prepare arcane spells for 24 hours". Now, unless I'm reading this wrong, this would have no effect on a Sorcerer, being a spontaneous caster?
Love this feat. Love it.

Errata from GHOSTWALK UPDATE FOR D&D V.3.5, p2:
Page 29, Corrupt Arcane Studies:
Add to the end of the last sentence “(sorcerers do not recover spent spell slots for 24 hours).”

[Venger]

Wait, is this better than Sleep, or is it just surprisingly good?

Depends.

Sleep's advantage at low levels is it can clip more than one guy. while heartache is better at higher levels since it doesn't have an hd cap, at very low levels, it loses out to sleep in that regard. its short duration means you're also unlikely to be able to kill your target yourself depending on his position on the battlefield

plus it's Evil for no reason, so depending on your game, it might not be accessible.

[Thurbane]

Love this feat. Love it.

Errata from GHOSTWALK UPDATE FOR D&D V.3.5, p2:
Page 29, Corrupt Arcane Studies:
Add to the end of the last sentence “(sorcerers do not recover spent spell slots for 24 hours).”

Damn you errata!

Well, all you need now is the ability not to sleep (i.e. Elf, Warforged, Necropolitan etc.). Although the nightmare description doesn't technically say the nightmares hit you while you sleep...

[Dagroth]

Damn you errata!

Well, all you need now is the ability not to sleep (i.e. Elf, Warforged, Necropolitan etc.). Although the nightmare description doesn't technically say the nightmares hit you while you sleep...

I am a waking nightmare!

[GreatWyrmGold]

Errata from GHOSTWALK UPDATE FOR D&D V.3.5, p2:
Page 29, Corrupt Arcane Studies:
Add to the end of the last sentence “(sorcerers do not recover spent spell slots for 24 hours).”
What about bards and other spontaneous casters?

[Venger]

What about bards and other spontaneous casters?

well, it says sorcerers only, so RAW, you're in the clear. what an awful feat .

[Agahnim]

Nah, it wouldn't work. The feat requires you to be a Sorc or Wiz 3, and only applies to Sorc and Wiz spells.
Doesn't seem like a very good feat to be honest, as your typical Sorc/Wiz has little chance to stave off the nightmares. I'd allow warforged and elves to ignore that part though.

[Segev]

May only be neat to me, but Horror Adventures for PF has the Undead Master archetype for wizards in it. Replace your familiar with an undead minion (a la the Unearthed Arcana swap for 3e), gain some free undead-creating spells as you level up, and make all the undead-creating spells a wizard gets one level lower for you. Also improves the PF Necromancer's command undead power, and makes the wizard suffer a -2 to knowledge and diplomacy checks for non-undead in return for a +(half wizard level) bonus on those checks when dealing with undead.

[The Viscount]

A little benefit I use whenever I can: Dastana and Chahar-aina from OA for +1 to AC each, very cheap so helps out in early levels when AC actually matters.

[Thurbane]

A little benefit I use whenever I can: Dastana and Chahar-aina from OA for +1 to AC each, very cheap so helps out in early levels when AC actually matters.

Ia actually want to try an make a build one day where I can get the highest AC possible without using anything that actualyl counts as "armor" (i.e. for monk purposes).

I mean, you can get arbitrarily high AC abusing Cancer Mage and the disease that gives you natural AC, but where's the fun in that? :smalltongue:

[Venger]

Ia actually want to try an make a build one day where I can get the highest AC possible without using anything that actualyl counts as "armor" (i.e. for monk purposes).

I mean, you can get arbitrarily high AC abusing Cancer Mage and the disease that gives you natural AC, but where's the fun in that? :smalltongue:

vile rigidity for your edification

[Thurbane]

vile rigidity for your edification

Thank you kindly.


Nah, it wouldn't work. The feat requires you to be a Sorc or Wiz 3, and only applies to Sorc and Wiz spells.
Doesn't seem like a very good feat to be honest, as your typical Sorc/Wiz has little chance to stave off the nightmares. I'd allow warforged and elves to ignore that part though.

If you want a RAW way to benefit from the feat without worrying about the nightmares, play a Kalashtar:


Kalashtar sleep but they do not dream. As such, they have immunity to the dream and nightmare spells, as well as any other effect that relies on the target's ability to dream.

...might be a decent feat on a Psionic theurge build. :smallsmile:

[Uncle Pine]

Ia actually want to try an make a build one day where I can get the highest AC possible without using anything that actualyl counts as "armor" (i.e. for monk purposes).

Buy every hidden blade in the Complete Scoundrel, two gauntlets, a tail scythe (if you have a tail) and a mouthpick weapon. Make them +1 and defending, then cast chain Greater Magic Weapon: your AC (even contact AC) should be around 100 at this point. Then you can add all your other AC bonuses on top of that.

[Khedrac]

Buy every hidden blade in the Complete Scoundrel, two gauntlets, a tail scythe (if you have a tail) and a mouthpick weapon. Make them +1 and defending, then cast chain Greater Magic Weapon: your AC (even contact AC) should be around 100 at this point. Then you can add all your other AC bonuses on top of that.
And watch the DM say "why would the bonus from Defending stack with itself?"...

Anyway, to go with whatever defending AC you can get, quite a good starting point is polymorph or wildshape.

Consider an Arcane Hierophant with the Dragon Wildshape feat...

Start with the Dragon's AC (which is mainly natural armor) and then cast barkskin, mage armor, shield etc., put on a Dex item, and so forth.

[Keral]

I'm not sure if this counts, but should a caster poymorph himself into an extraplanar creature you get to banish him.

Granted, most extraplanars are probably elementals/outsiders and the caster would need a workaround for that, but still :smalltongue:

[Venger]

I'm not sure if this counts, but should a caster poymorph himself into an extraplanar creature you get to banish him.

Granted, most extraplanars are probably elementals/outsiders and the caster would need a workaround for that, but still :smalltongue:

though somewhat well known, if a truenamer zaps you with exaltation of angels, you can be banished.

where do you go?

[Uncle Pine]

And watch the DM say "why would the bonus from Defending stack with itself?"...
Because it's what the Defending property says:

Defending
A defending weapon allows the wielder to transfer some or all of the sword’s enhancement bonus to his AC as a bonus that stacks with all others.
Emphasis mine. As an exception to the general rules that bonus with the same name (enhancement in this case) and source don't stack, Defending explicitly stack with anything else. This would include other Defending weapons.

[Khedrac]

Because it's what the Defending property says:

Emphasis mine. As an exception to the general rules that bonus with the same name (enhancement in this case) and source don't stack, Defending explicitly stack with anything else. This would include other Defending weapons.

For the purposes of this thread that is definitely a good method, but actually I think you might want to look up the definition of "others" - as you say, defending explicitly stacks with anything else, nothing there says it stacks with itself... Anyway I accept it is subject to debate and just wanted to warn that a DM may not agree.

[arclance]

The Arcane Savant prestige class from Pathfinder is suprisingly good. (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/a-b/arcane-savant/)
Despite it's name both arcane and divine casters can qualify for it and advance their casting.
It lets you add six spells to your spell list from any spell list but makes those spells one level higher for you.
It also lets you use your caster level instead of the scrolls caster level when using a scroll or other spell completion item.
And you can spontaneously convert any prepared spell to Dispel Magic or Greater Dispel Magic (or add them to your spell list if you are a spontaneous caster).

It gives you more things but those are the high points.

[Thurbane]

Good news for all those Undead Barbarians, you can use Cha in place of Con to see how long your rage lasts. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?520603-3-5)

[sleepyphoenixx]

I'm a big fan of the Imbued Staff ACF (Dragon #338). It lets a wizard trade their familiar for a staff that gets more abilities as they level, but the main benefit is the Recharge Staff feat from the same issue.
It lets you sacrifice spell slots to restore charges, with 1 charge restored for every 5 spell levels. No matter what spells the staff contains.

Get a staff with Miracle and turn all your slots 5th level and above into any 8th lvl or lower cleric spell or any 7th level or lower spell from any list?
That's a lot better than a stupid raven that costs me XP if it dies! (You can also still get a familiar with a feat if you want one). Pretty much the only familiar trade that's on-par with Abrupt Jaunt imo.

[remetagross]

Good news for all those Undead Barbarians, you can use Cha in place of Con to see how long your rage lasts. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?520603-3-5)

This one is really neat, it ends the debate fair and square. I'm pretty sure I've seen that controversy pop up in some Barbarian Handbook or something.

My own find would be the Touch of Juiblex spell from BoVD: it's a level 3 save or die, no [Fear], no [Mind-affecting] and no [Death]! Sure it's Fort negates, allows for SR, requires touch and only kills after four rounds, but that early! Meaning you can spam it even in E6, or make some wands out of it as a 3rd level Artificer...

[daremetoidareyo]

page 97 of dragonlance campaign setting: Epiphanies! Change from one type of caster into another. Sorcerer to wizard, cleric to mystic. Real weird stuff.

While Im at it, the shadowstaff has some real potential as an optimize this weapon contestant on page 220 something in the shadowpeople creature entry.

Shining south: a star snake can be a 12th level casters improved familiar.

Return to the temple of elemental evil p.70 has mushroom elixers:
Mushroom Elixir: Heals 2d8+3 hp. After 10 minutes, the drinker suffers a –1 penalty on attacks, saves, and checks for 1 hour due to dizziness.
Puffball Wafer: Grants 1d4+1 additional points of Strength for 1 hour. Inflicts 1d4+1 temporary points of Intelligence.
Gray Moss Brew: Allows drinker to see in the dark with darkvision with a 60-ft. range for 12 hours, but during that time she acts with a –2 penalty on Spot and Search checks because her vision gets slightly blurry.

I sure hope that the puffball wafers inflicts 1d4+1 temporary points of intelligence bonus.

Red Hand of Doom has the dragonchain, an exotic weapon that does constrict damage.

Speaker in dreams allows for the summoning of alien squids: p.12 & 27:
"If he casts the summon monster 2 spell successfully, he summons an alien squid (summarized in the appendix). The squid is a nightmarish, land-dwelling version of its common cousin, with a writhing mass of translucent tentacles and a gaping, lampreylike mouth. It has seven eyes scattered across its pale body, and blue green veins are visible underneath its rubbery skin.
CR 1: Medium size magical beast, HD 3d8, Init +3, spd 20 ft; AC 16(+3 dex +3 natural); atk +5/+0 melee (0 plus grab, arms; 1d6+1 bite; SA improved grab; SQ: ink cloud, acid resistance 5; SR 6; AL CN;SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +2; str 14, dex 17, con 11, int 3, wis 12 cha 2. Lister +8, Spot +8, alertness
Improved grab: on a hit with arms attack, attempts grapple as a free action without incurring attacks of opportunity, on a hold, deals automatic bite damage each round.
Ink Cloud, gaseous cloud 10' high and 10ft wide by 10' long that creates total darkness (once per minute, free action.