How to grant others powers?

[SangoProduction]

Aside from having a divine rank, and being the thing of a cleric's convictions and beliefs, is there a way to "grant" someone else magical power?

Not simply in the form of magic items either. And basic buffs like Bull's Strength, while technically filling that condition, isn't what most people think of when you're trying to convince people of a D&D world that they've been granted magical powers.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Does enhancing another character's body count?

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?177889-Brainstorm-for-Psionic-Tricks-Tactics-and-Combos-Handbook&p=23285432&viewfull=1#post23285432

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?285801-Tippy-s-Terrifically-Terrible-Trial/page25&p=15474863#post15474863

Technically, they're magic items, but if the things being turned into magic items are parts of the character's body, that should count, right?

[Troacctid]

Does enhancing another character's body count?

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?177889-Brainstorm-for-Psionic-Tricks-Tactics-and-Combos-Handbook&p=23285432&viewfull=1#post23285432

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?285801-Tippy-s-Terrifically-Terrible-Trial/page25&p=15474863#post15474863

Technically, they're magic items, but if the things being turned into magic items are parts of the character's body, that should count, right?
Neither of those tricks works in the rules, but grafts are a thing, and it seems like they should fit the premise here.

The mineralize warrior spell grants power too, although it's not really magical power.

[reddir]

I know you said not just magic items, but...

Pearls of Power grant, effectively, extra spell slot usage which is nearly what the divines do.
Buy a bunch and maybe insert them under the skin for your favorite spellcaster - call it tribal markings.

[Doctor Despair]

Teleporting them to a magical location may be enough to fulfill the criteria, providing the location grants power. Iirc there's a free one that grants an abberant dragonmark.

Very technically, Bestow Curse could work.

Necromancy
Level: Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You place a curse on the subject. Choose one of the following three effects.

-6 decrease to an ability score (minimum 1).
-4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks.
Each turn, the target has a 50% chance to act normally; otherwise, it takes no action.
You may also invent your own curse, but it should be no more powerful than those described above.

The curse bestowed by this spell cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell.

Bestow curse counters remove curse.

Emphasis mine, there. Provided the magical power is no more powerful than a 50% chance to be dazed forever, or a -6 to an ability score (which is more powerful than the bonus a wish can bestow, which is notable for this discussion)... then Bestow Curse should be able to create that effect. Now, what constitutes an equivalent effect has a lot of room for debate, but if it can grant any magical power at all, then it fulfills the requirements of the OP. Multiple castings could create different effects to bootstrap together a ramshackle caster of some sort.

[reddir]

Can one use PAO and Familiars to do something like this?

Either start with a person, PAO them to a normal animal, make them a familiar, then let them return to normal and still be a Familiar?...

Or start with a Familiar, PAO them to a person who gets to keep the Familiar benefits including shared spells and such?

[Doctor Despair]

On that note, I suppose liberal use of the "Wish" spell (or its cousins) could do it

Applying templates through various rituals and replicable conditions could do it

[reddir]

If you could see your way to rejiggering the Sculpt Self feat into something like Sculpt Other... this would be a way to do it by spending your xp to give them abilities that don't come from actual magic items.

(Edit -- oops, don't know how I made that mistake, is Sculpt Self)

[Doctor Despair]

If you could see your way to rejiggering the Sculpt Spell feat into something like Sculpt Other... this would be a way to do it by spending your xp to give them abilities that don't come from actual magic items.

Maybe Scult Self + True Mind Switch or some other similar body-swapping ability?

[Psyren]

The Soul Crystal psionic power from MoI lets you hand out abilities like candy if you want.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Neither of those tricks works in the rulesSee, you've said that several times, but you're wrong.

The illithid humanoid skin graft is a magic item. Magic items can be combined via the MIC. There's nothing about it that wouldn't work.

Monk unarmed strikes count as manufactured weapons for the purposes of effects that improve them. If it's a masterwork unarmed strike (pay 300 gp upon character creation to make it such, since there's absolutely nothing indicating that this isn't possible, and it makes sense vis a vis paying for professional training), then you can most definitely magically enhance it as a manufactured weapon. It's not even against the designers' RAI, since the game has ways to pull this off explicitly -- see the kensai as an example.

Nothing prevents a magic item from being further enhanced as a magic item (which is what the MIC is all about), and unarmed strikes can most definitely be enhanced as magic weapons.

So please stop arguing, since repeating myself is getting both irritating and boring.

[Troacctid]

See, you've said that several times, but you're wrong.

The illithid humanoid skin graft is a magic item. Magic items can be combined via the MIC. There's nothing about it that wouldn't work.
It isn't, actually, and several problems were pointed out with the trick in the original thread that you never addressed. Meanwhile, nothing in the rules says or even implies that the wielder of a weapon benefits from the weapon's hardness, even if that weapon is attached to the wielder's body.

[Saintheart]

From memory the Hierophant can grant turning undead to others.

[Rebel7284]

From memory the Hierophant can grant turning undead to others.

Hierophant can also transfer most druid abilities, including Wildshape uses!

[MaxiDuRaritry]

It isn't, actually, and several problems were pointed out with the trick in the original thread that you never addressed. Meanwhile, nothing in the rules says or even implies that the wielder of a weapon benefits from the weapon's hardness, even if that weapon is attached to the wielder's body.The illithid humanoid skin graft requires a magic item creation feat and a spell to create, so it's definitely a magic item. Unless it's a golem somehow?

And if you enhance your body as a magic item it gains the properties of said magic item. Otherwise, it wouldn't function as a magic item and nothing would make sense. Give a magic weapon (or armor) an enhancement bonus, it gains bonus hp and hardness.

Making a magic item aligned is easily done via using a spell to give it an alignment. Make it Good via protection from evil or whatever. Or add a magic item property like an 8,000 gp banner of protection from evil in Heroes of Battle. It's now Good-aligned, so you can use Words of Creation as part of the creation process. Or you could make it [Evil] and use the rules in the BoED to purify it. There are lots of aligned magic item effects. Heck, give yourself the Item Familiar (Illithid Humanoid Skin Graft) feat. If anything can be said to be given to you by your ancestors, it's your own body. Now your skin is sapient and has your alignment. Just make sure you're Good, and you're set.

Did I miss anything?

[Troacctid]

The illithid humanoid skin graft requires a magic item creation feat and a spell to create, so it's definitely a magic item. Unless it's a golem somehow?

And if you enhance your body as a magic item it gains the properties of said magic item. Otherwise, it wouldn't function as a magic item and nothing would make sense. Give a magic weapon (or armor) an enhancement bonus, it gains bonus hp and hardness.

Making a magic item aligned is easily done via using a spell to give it an alignment. Make it Good via protection from evil or whatever. Or add a magic item property like an 8,000 gp banner of protection from evil in Heroes of Battle. It's now Good-aligned, so you can use Words of Creation as part of the creation process. Or you could make it [Evil] and use the rules in the BoED to purify it. There are lots of aligned magic item effects. Heck, give yourself the Item Familiar (Illithid Humanoid Skin Graft) feat. If anything can be said to be given to you by your ancestors, it's your own body. Now your skin is sapient and has your alignment. Just make sure you're Good, and you're set.

Did I miss anything?
Yes, most of those statements are factually inaccurate.

I realize a lot of your tricks run on "The rules don't say you can't!" logic, but the rules actually do say that grafts aren't considered magic items, and that items have to be made masterwork as part of the original crafting process. Several of your other assertions here extrapolate wildly to draw conclusions that aren't well-supported by the text, or switch between RAI and RAW in order to reach a more favorable outcome.

[Dr_Dinosaur]

In Pathfinder you could play a Drunken Master/Quinngong/Sensei Monk and hand out ki powers to your allies. Drunken Master is for recharging your ki, which drains quick when doing that

[Thurbane]

Has anyone mentioned Imbue With Spell Ability (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/imbueWithSpellAbility.htm)? I think there is a handful of other spells along similar lines, IIRC.

The Gift of Grace feat (BoED) allows a Paladin/Champion of Gwynharwyf/Divine Mind/Holy Liberator, to share some (or all) of their Divine Grace bonus with others, for up to 24 hours at a time.

[Gruftzwerg]

Void Disciple's "Moment of Clarity"-ability can grant other character powers in form of temporary "skillranks" (ranks!!!) or feats. Combine with Body outside Body (spell) to become BoBaFeat (see signature).
BoBaFeat can with his loophole buff himself or anyone else into nirvana.


_________________________

atm I am working on an anime villain adaptation that is related to this topic. All I want to say now, there are more option within RAW(-abuse) to achieve this goal. They also require combing several abilities and would break the sanity check on many high TO tables. After all the goal is to be to ultimate villain build.

If you are in a hurry, I can send the stuff as personal message. Otherwise you'll have to wait until I finish the write-up and reveal it (I hope in the next days/week.. I'm already working to long on this freaking build -.-).

[ShurikVch]

PrC from Fiend Folio:
Fiend of Blasphemy - Transfer Spell-Like Ability and Sponsor Worshiper
Fiend of Corruption - Fiend's Favor, Fiendish Graft, and Grant Wish

Dragon Overlords of Krynn are able to grant Dragonspawn template, which include CL 1 Sorcerer casting

Princes of Shade can grant Shade template

Ritual of Shadow Walking bestows Shadow-Walker template

Sanctify the Wicked spell inflicts Sanctified template (with Light Ray and Aura of Menace)

The Brotherhood of the Burning Heart allow to get Fire-Souled template

Hooded Pupil template is, presumably, granted to "apprentices" of intelligent Undead

Ingesting mixture of certain venom, roots, and herbs will turn you into Tainted One (and Yuan-Ti Anayhema can brew it; also, can create and attach yuan-ti grafts)

Sibriex obyrith demon can create and attach fiendish grafts

[SangoProduction]

Has anyone mentioned Imbue With Spell Ability (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/imbueWithSpellAbility.htm)? I think there is a handful of other spells along similar lines, IIRC.

The Gift of Grace feat (BoED) allows a Paladin/Champion of Gwynharwyf/Divine Mind/Holy Liberator, to share some (or all) of their Divine Grace bonus with others, for up to 24 hours at a time.

Precisely the style of thing I'm looking for.

[Thurbane]

Probably not what you are looking for, but Spellguard of Silverymoon (PGtF) can share certain types of spells with others that are normally limited to personal only.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Yes, most of those statements are factually inaccurate.

I realize a lot of your tricks run on "The rules don't say you can't!" logic, but the rules actually do say that grafts aren't considered magic items, and that items have to be made masterwork as part of the original crafting process. Several of your other assertions here extrapolate wildly to draw conclusions that aren't well-supported by the text, or switch between RAI and RAW in order to reach a more favorable outcome.So if you further enhance a graft as a magic item which is a magic item prior to being grafted, it's no longer considered magic once grafted? Could you quote that? Because with that little tidbit, the magic item effects function in an antimagic field or a dead magic zone, even though they otherwise couldn't. That makes the magically and psionically enhanced illithid humanoid skin graft even better. Nice.

Also, I don't see any RAW out of you, just baseless assertions, as it's clearly possible to enhance items as magic items, even nonmagical ones (as well as ones that require magic item creation feats, like the skin), and monk unarmed strikes clearly can, as well, and are here and there even in the rules. I even pointed out where and how earlier.

[SangoProduction]

OK, so let's not get into arguments like this on an unrelated thread, and drop that line of conversation.

[Thurbane]

Has anyone mentioned Imbue With Spell Ability (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/imbueWithSpellAbility.htm)? I think there is a handful of other spells along similar lines, IIRC.

Precisely the style of thing I'm looking for.

There's also the Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability spell, which is much more specific and less general.