Banner of the Storm's Eye Cheese

[YellowJohn]

I have been pondering the following item out of the MIC:



Banner of the Storm's Eye

As long as it is held aloft, the banner
automatically suppresses (but does not
dispel) fear effects on all creatures within
20 feet. It also prevents any creature
within 20 feet from becoming confused
or stunned.


Note that the banner does not specify that it requires Line of Sight or Line of Effect. It just says it effects everyone within 20'

I am considering Permanently (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/permanency.htm) Animating (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/animateObjects.htm) a toy soldier and giving it a diminutive Banner of the Storm's Eye to Hold Aloft.

Where can I put this Toy Soldier and still receive the banner's benefits? I am interested in answers from both a TO standpoint, but also from the perspective of 'How much cheese will I tolerate at my table'.

Possible answers I can think of, from more to less cheesy:

1) Inside an Extradimensional Storage Space
2) In a Familiar Pocket (won't work with an Animated Object, but if I had a familiar...)
3) Inside a mundane pouch or bag
4) In the cone of my Norman-style Helmet/under my Top Hat
5) Standing on my shoulder (with mechanisms to prevent it falling off)

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Get a Psicrystal (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psion.htm#psicrystals), have it carry the banner, and keep it in your athletic cup.

[sreservoir]

I'm not sure this is particularly cheesy when the item goes out of its way to explicitly give you the option to put it in a shoulder slot and is also in a book that suggests that non-"common" effects can be added to the same body slot at a +half markup.

What are you actually trying to accomplish?

[Khedrac]

1) Inside an Extradimensional Storage Space
Even without live of effect, the distance from inside and extradimensional space to outside is best stated as "undefined" and thus not within 20'.
This also rules out number 2 - in a Familiar Pocket effect as that is also a non-demnsional space.

Personally I think the absence of text stating that line of effect is not required means that it still is, but ignoring that for the point f this exercise:

3-5 should all be fine, though be careful of space, a miniature figure may not have room to hold the banner "aloft" in a pouch or bag. Making some sort of box for it to ensure it has pace and putting that in your bag will solve this one, though it is unlikely to fit in a pouch then.

Sadly, I think it is also dubious whether these come in diferent sizes - the weight is stated as base amount, but let's ignore that too.

If you have a familiar, such as a small bird, letting the toy soldier ride the bird might be a good way to keep it untargetted.
Also although we thing of "aloft" as implying holding it up, a flying bird simply has to carry the banner in its talons for it to be aloft - any flyign creature is aloft pretty much by definition.

If you really want to get silly, and have a large (or better huge) entity in the party, having it eat the toy soldier will also work for a while!
Which leads to the concept of fighting a dragon which recognises the banner for what it is and bites the toy soldier off your shoulder and swallows it leading to the entertaining result where dragonfear has no effect within 20' because the banner is still being held aloft...

[YellowJohn]

Get a Psicrystal (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psion.htm#psicrystals), have it carry the banner, and keep it in your athletic cup.

What is an Athletic Cup?




I'm not sure this is particularly cheesy when the item goes out of its way to explicitly give you the option to put it in a shoulder slot and is also in a book that suggests that non-"common" effects can be added to the same body slot at a +half markup.

What are you actually trying to accomplish?

While not as cheesy as many TO tricks, it still feels cheesy because I'm pretty sure having a tiny soldier wave a tiny banner in a box in your backpack wasn't the designer's intent.
I'm trying to accomplish Immunity to Stun without spending Body Slots. While I suppose it's technically possible to combine it with other cloak effects, a banner and a cloak feel sufficiently different to me that I don't like combining them. The most obvious workaround is to have a minion wave the banner for me, but then how do I ensure the minion isn't accidentally wiped out by the first Fireball someone throws at me?




Personally I think the absence of text stating that line of effect is not required means that it still is, but ignoring that for the point f this exercise...

Sadly, I think it is also dubious whether these come in diferent sizes - the weight is stated as base amount, but let's ignore that too.

If you really want to get silly, and have a large (or better huge) entity in the party, having it eat the toy soldier will also work for a while!

If you ruled LoE was necessary, would you accept 'attached to the inside of my shirt' as a viable answer?

Huh, I was sure there was a rule that magic items re-sized themselves to the user (except weapons & armour), but I've just checked my DMG and it seems there isn't. Hum. That throws a spanner in the works...

Swallowing the figurine is a wonderfully silly answer :smallbiggrin:

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

What is an Athletic Cup?

Google has your answer. A Psicrystal is also intelligent, so give it a Healing Belt and it can use that on you when needed.

[Maat Mons]

An athletic cup is basically the modern equivalent of an armored codpiece. And if your character isn't already wearing an armored codpiece into battle, you haven't been playing right.

https://thumbs2.imgbox.com/e1/4d/Put8HmDl_t.jpg