[3.5] How Many Auras?

[Thurbane]

Just a little TO idea: how many "always on" auras can you get on one character? I'm talking about auras that either benefit allies, or harm enemies.

Assume this is for an IC build: official 3.5 sources only.

If we can avoid extreme cheese, infinite loops etc. would be good.

Marshal seems natural for 2; and the double draconic aura feat...

Cheers - T

[ExLibrisMortis]

Divine Mind gets you an extra aura, two at level 10, or three at level 20.

A crusader's Iron Guard's Glare is sort of like an aura (an AoE debuff centered on the crusader).

Heroes of Battle has commander auras, which don't require a class level, but they do require a commander rating. With five levels in Legendary Leader, you can have two commander auras active at once.

I believe that brings the total up to nine auras at once, for a build like marshal 2/divine mind 10/crusader 1/legendary leader 5/dragon shaman 1.

[Falontani]

Definitely going to want dilate aura. Iirc there is an aura from devil touched feats. One from vile feats. Probably one from binder.

[GrayDeath]

Dont forget Paladins, that could put us at 10? (can take the Crusaders one as a feat)

Paladin 1/marshal 2/divine mind 10/legendary leader 5/dragon shaman 1.

Edit: Dang forgot that the 1st Level one doesnt do anything.

Since we would need 3rd Level, thisc annot b done together with LEgendary Leader getting 2, so its still 9, just either 2 Combat ones, or the Aura of Courage of a Paladin with :

Paladin 3/marshal 2/divine mind 10/legendary leader 4/dragon shaman 1

[Venger]

Clerics, incarnates, and soulborns all radiate auras of their relevant alignment components.

[Doctor Despair]

Clerics, incarnates, and soulborns all radiate auras of their relevant alignment components.

If that's on the table, Flexible Mind emulates that

[Thurbane]

Clerics, incarnates, and soulborns all radiate auras of their relevant alignment components.

If that's on the table, Flexible Mind emulates that

No, not for this excercie:


I'm talking about auras that either benefit allies, or harm enemies.

[Venger]

Blackguard's aura of despair fits.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Unseelie Fey has one.

And the rest of these are from the Fear Handbook (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?389244-Caedrus-Art-of-War-vol-1-Fear-Handbook).

Dread Witch 5 has a fear aura, but it only affects creatures of 6 or less HD.

Dread Necromancer 5; 5ft fear aura.

A Binder who has a pact with Vanus gets a fear aura.

The aura of fear spell is a 30ft emanation centered on you, and acts like Frightful Presence (so when you attack or cast a spell). However, it also enhances any Frightful Presence and fear aura abilities you already have; with even one fear aura it's considered a fantastic pick; if you've got lots of them it's probably even better.


Oh, one more. Each of the paladin variants also gets an aura at 3rd level; you can stack these with the Blackguard 3 Aura of Despair by being a Paladin of Slaughter.

[Adamantrue]

Would you count something like Holy Radiance from BoED?

[Thurbane]

Would you count something like Holy Radiance from BoED?

Well, it wouldn't technically count as an aura for things like Dilate Aura, but I'll take it into consideration.

[The Viscount]

Dragon Lord from Dragon Magic also has auras, but since they're draconic auras I'm not sure how it interacts with double draconic aura. Dragon Shaman also can project auras, the most powerful being the exclusive healing one.

Binders also get auras with Focalor and Chupoclops.

[Buddy76]

In case you don't want three levels of Paladin, Dragonslayer 1 gets aura of courage.

Dread Commando from Heroes of Battle has an aura that gives a competence bonus equal to the Commando's class level to initiative (the class is five levels long, bout you can dip for a +1).

Bluesteel Bracers bound to the arms chackra gives allies a +2 to initiative. There might be more soulmelds that grant things like that, I haven't checked that book in a while.

You can also pickup Frightful Presence as a feat (it's in the Draconomicon), though you do have to attack for it to go into effect.

The List of Stuff (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?454553) has a bunch more in the "Aura" section.

[Doctor Despair]

Did some quick digging, and here are some class-based options (a few of which have been mentioned already).

Base classes that reference "aura":
Abjurer Variant
Artificer
Battle Dancer
Cleric
Cleric Variant
Divine Mind
Dragon Shaman
Dread Necromancer
Healer
Hexblade
Incarnate
Marshal
Paladin (Base, Freedom, Slaughter, Tyranny, Eternal Order, Golden Cup, Lion Legionnaire, Wary Swordknight)
Sha'ir
Soulborn

Prestige classes that reference "aura":
Abolisher
Akodo Champion
Apostle of Peace
Argent Fist
Black Dog
Black Flame Zealot
Blackguard
Bone Knight
Celestial Mystic
Cyre Scout
Death Delver
Death's Chosen
Defender of Sealtiel
Demonwrecker
Diamond Dragon
Disciple of Ashardalon
Dispassionate Watcher of Chronepsis
Divine Agent
Divine Crusader
Dragon Ascendant
Dragon Lord
Dragonslayer
Dread Witch
Eldritch Disciple
Elemental Warrior
Enlightened Spirit
Exalted Arcanist
Eye of Lolth
Fatemaker
Gatecrasher
Ghostwalker
Hammer of Moradin
Hellreaver
Holy Liberator
Incandescent Champion
Inquisitor of the Drowning Goddess
Jade Phoenix Mage
Justiciar of Tyr
Knight of the Chalice
Knight of the Crown
Knight of the Pearl
Knight of the Sacred Seal
Legendary Leader
Loredelver
Master of Radiance
Morninglord of Lathander
Mythic Exemplar
Nar Demonbinder
Nentyar Hunter
Occult Slayer
Outcast Champion
Prestige Paladin
Purifier of the Hallowed Doctrine
Radiant Servant of Pelor
Ravager
Rimefire Witch
Risen Martyr
Sacred Exorcist
Sacred Warder of Bahamut
Shade Hunter
Shadow Sun Ninja
Shadowspy
Soulguard
Spymaster
Stalker of Kharash
Storm Disciple
Sublime Chord
Thrall of Orcus
Triadic Knight
True Necromancer
Unholy Ravager of Tiamat
Vassal of Bahamut
Warpriest
Warrior of Darkness
Wild Mage
Witch Hunter
Yuan-ti Cultist

[Thurbane]

Great input everyone! Very nice list Doctor Despair :smallsmile:

I wonder if there is a workable build among all of this?

[Efrate]

I'm sure there is just how workable. Hexblade dark companion acf I believe is an aura but I do not know for sure. Familiars are another possibility, i am certain there are some outsiders that you can have that have one.

[darkdragoon]

The Crown of Cyre (Forge of War) has 3 auras, although you can only pick one to use at a given time.

[zfs]

Start of a build would probably be something dragonblooded that takes the unseelie Fey template - I'm not great with templates but I think you should retain your dragonblood subtype. That way you can take the Draconic Aura feat and have it improve by class level, so it can scale with your Marshal level. Take one of the evil Paladin variants and either Binder levels or the binding feats to grab Focalor for Aura of Sadness. Pump Charisma for your Marshall minor auras and unseelie Fey aura, also has good synergy with Paladin variants since you're getting Divine Grace. You could pick up a level of Divine Mind, probably not worth more than one.

[Falontani]

Are we only talking about aura like effects that take no action on the user for as long as they are active?

[Thurbane]

Are we only talking about aura like effects that take no action on the user for as long as they are active?

Ideally, yes.