PDA

View Full Version : How to Reliably Survive a Tornado, Pre-Epic [3.5]



Deepblue706
2008-11-14, 05:37 PM
Greetings and Salutations, friends! The manuscript you’ve just no doubt purchased from your local vendor (or found in his trash) is a recounting of how one can reliably survive an encounter with the mother of all foes; the dreaded Tornado.

Most balk at the idea of crossing paths with this fearsome enemy to man, and most should. Tornadoes are as dangerous as they are windy. Now, you may encounter this beast one day on a journey of your own, so it is necessary to pay heed to what it is capable of.

A Tornado is CR 10, however, it is capable of killing just about any PC that may cross it. According to the SRD:

“Those who come in contact with the actual funnel cloud are picked up and whirled around for 1d10 rounds, taking 6d6 points of damage per round, before being violently expelled”.

Falling damage may apply afterwards, which can deal as much as 20d6 damage. All things considered, one who gets sucked into a tornado can be dealt a grand total of 80d6 damage; which is not a boat you want to be in, my friend. This baby can deal up to 480 points of damage to you, which is nothing to scoff at (the odds of this are approximately 5.596 × 10^(-63)).

With the proper character structure, you will never have to worry about this absurdly unlikely event ever happening to you. Your character must own all of the following:

- 20 levels of d12 HD class
- an effective CON of 46
- A Potion of Aid

A Dwarf Barbarian does the trick very well (starting CON 20, +8 from mighty rage (gained at level 20), +6 from a CON-boosting item, +5 from levels, +5 inherent bonus from 5 consecutive wishes, and Improved Toughness).

On average, a d12 HD will grant you 6.5 HP. Add average HP each level (with max at first), drink your potion (get average roll), and you will have 471 HP. This means that at the very worst, you will be knocked to -9 HP at the end of your encounter (unless it picks you up again).

Now, should you expect to join a tornado-heavy game, and have drawn the ire of the cosmos, you know how to stay alive. Take that, universe!

Eldritch_Ent
2008-11-14, 05:53 PM
A ring of Feather Fall or the like will also help a lot, removing that pesky 20d6 falling damage.

ChaosDefender24
2008-11-14, 05:59 PM
Or be a Master of Many Forms 7, and turn into something with regeneration... Be sure to pick up steadfast determination (you get Endurance as a bonus feat if you enter the class right, anyway) to avoid death from massive damage!

Stupendous_Man
2008-11-14, 06:01 PM
Rope Trick

monty
2008-11-14, 06:34 PM
Control Weather. Fight fire with fire.

Emperor Tippy
2008-11-14, 06:42 PM
Turn ethereal or incorporeal.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-11-14, 06:45 PM
Interestingly enough, it turns out objects are mentioned nowhere in the Tornado's entry. A Necropolitan or similar undead is fine. :smallbiggrin:

tonberrian
2008-11-14, 06:47 PM
Control Winds will tame wicked tornadoes four levels and 10 minutes earlier than Control Weather ever will.

Douglas
2008-11-14, 07:01 PM
Cast Stormrage.

arguskos
2008-11-14, 07:09 PM
Don't tell your DM to roll for weather. No seriously! My group told me to (said it could be fun), and I rolled a tornado. I nerfed it (they are level 3) so everyone lived, but really, it was a TPK waiting to happen. :smallannoyed:

Also, by a Frenzied Berserker. When it damages you, fly into a deathless frenzy. There, you outlast the tornado. :smalltongue:

Vorpal word
2008-11-14, 07:10 PM
How about using stone shape on self? How would that affect damage?

Of course, the barbarian plan works better than spellcasting because of Concentration problems inside a 300+ km/h whirlwind!

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2008-11-14, 07:17 PM
Alter Self/Polymorph/Wild Shape/Metamorphosis into something with a Burrow speed. Cast Stone Shape to make a shelter of solid rock. Cast Meld Into Stone and wait for it to pass. Be capable of outrunning it.

bosssmiley
2008-11-14, 07:39 PM
Rope Trick

2nd level spell > CR10 environmental threat. :smallamused:

UglyPanda
2008-11-14, 08:17 PM
I agree that rope trick works quite well.

I think that having a dig speed and/or getting underground would work pretty well, not as easy as having the party spellcaster cast a single 2nd level spell, but still.

Ivius
2008-11-14, 08:36 PM
Cast Teleport.

ericgrau
2008-11-14, 08:48 PM
On average a tornado deals 115.5 plus 70 falling damage. The tornado advances at 250 feet per round. Casting it and getting the party inside takes 1 round plus a round per party member. Not to mention concentration checks in high wind. The DM has a 1% chance of rolling severe weather.

And beating it with a 2nd level spell? On a 3rd level caster? Did you really prepare that in your highest level spell slot? Plus it takes 1 round per party member to enter plus a round to cast. If the tornado's that far away you might be able to run for cover or just get lucky and it won't even come for you. That hardly seems like a challenge anyway.

Psssh, how about I do it with a level 1 character, with no special prep?
Ranger 1
Max survival w/ 14 wis => +6 mod.
gear: rations, camping stuff, etc.

Take a 10 on the DC 15 survival check to predict weather a day in advance. Walk 24+ miles away whenever a tornado is predicted. No special prep necessary.

With 2 levels, an 18 wis, feats, knowledge(nature) and knowledge(geography) bump you can get survival up to 18, allowing you to predict the tornado 3 days in advance.

Avoiding the tornado really isn't that hard. I think it's CR 10 when you actually defeat it or accidentally walk right into one.

Stupendous_Man
2008-11-14, 08:57 PM
2nd level spell > CR10 environmental threat. :smallamused:


i lol'd :smallbiggrin:

Jack_Simth
2008-11-14, 09:01 PM
I agree that rope trick works quite well.

I think that having a dig speed and/or getting underground would work pretty well, not as easy as having the party spellcaster cast a single 2nd level spell, but still.
For a Druid, that's not a problem - Summon Nature's Ally II (you'll also need Speak with Animals) can get you a Dire Badger, which has a special Dig speed - it leaves a usable tunnel. For another caster, you'll need Summon Monster III, for a Celestial Dire Badger - with the bonus that the Speak With Animals spell isn't needed, as Celestial Dire Badgers technically understand Common.

Chineselegolas
2008-11-14, 10:41 PM
Stormcaster Capstone. Immune to being blown away, knocked down or checked by winds.
But that takes so much effort to get to 15th level to beat a CR 10 challenge without trying

Stormlord is much more fun (And involves worshiping Talos for extra fun). At 3rd level storms have no effect on you (Anything thrown by them even... They somehow miss you). 6th level, you can fly during storms.

And if you want to claim these abilites don't affect tornado's, they are listed under "Powerful Storms" in the DMG, and are in the table "Wind Effects"
Tornado, who needs to worry.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-11-14, 10:43 PM
Stormcaster Capstone. Immune to being blown away, knocked down or checked by winds.
But that takes so much effort to get to 15th level to beat a CR 10 challenge without trying

Stormlord is much more fun (And involves worshiping Talos for extra fun). At 3rd level storms have no effect on you (Anything thrown by them even... They somehow miss you). 6th level, you can fly during storms.

And if you want to claim these abilites don't affect tornado's, they are listed under "Powerful Storms" in the DMG, and are in the table "Wind Effects"
Tornado, who needs to worry.I feel not enough attention is being given to my "Be a horrid undead monster" suggestion.

Signmaker
2008-11-14, 10:46 PM
Stormcaster Capstone. Immune to being blown away, knocked down or checked by winds.
But that takes so much effort to get to 15th level to beat a CR 10 challenge without trying

Stormlord is much more fun (And involves worshiping Talos for extra fun). At 3rd level storms have no effect on you (Anything thrown by them even... They somehow miss you). 6th level, you can fly during storms.

And if you want to claim these abilites don't affect tornado's, they are listed under "Powerful Storms" in the DMG, and are in the table "Wind Effects"
Tornado, who needs to worry.


Stormsinger. Literally dispel the tornado with your voice. And then in the next round, make it your own. >D

Deepblue706
2008-11-14, 10:47 PM
Did...nobody understand the point? I...I'm...this...idfbgspkjgf

I can take "Dude, that's just not a funny joke" but, this...actually depresses me.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-11-14, 10:55 PM
Did...nobody understand the point? I...I'm...this...idfbgspkjgf

I can take "Dude, that's just not a funny joke" but, this...actually depresses me.You presented a way to survive a tornado, a task that quite a few of my friends have done, that required level 20. We decided to find much easier ways of doing it. It's not depressing, it's the playground. :smallbiggrin:

u-gotNOgame
2008-11-14, 11:02 PM
It's not depressing, it's the playground. :smallbiggrin:

can i sig that? because that is just pure win...

-UGNG

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-11-14, 11:07 PM
Sure. my subliminal messages will be spread by you forever!!!1!

Deepblue706
2008-11-14, 11:42 PM
You presented a way to survive a tornado, a task that quite a few of my friends have done, that required level 20. We decided to find much easier ways of doing it. It's not depressing, it's the playground. :smallbiggrin:

Finding an easier way to do it completely misses the idea. I was trying to provoke "lol, tornadoes".

And I wanted a way to set up a joke that involves grappling your foes and dragging them with you into a tornado as viable means of dealing damage.

You know, good old nonsense.

monty
2008-11-14, 11:43 PM
You know, good old nonsense.

Nonsense? This. Is. PLAYGROUND!

Yeah, I know. Close enough.

Chineselegolas
2008-11-14, 11:44 PM
Did...nobody understand the point? I...I'm...this...idfbgspkjgf

I can take "Dude, that's just not a funny joke" but, this...actually depresses me.
I love to take jokes literally for precisely this reason.

monty
2008-11-14, 11:44 PM
Anyway, if you're looking for nonsense, just head over to the weekly monk thread.

Vinotaur
2008-11-14, 11:55 PM
Anyway, if you're looking for nonsense, just head over to the weekly monk thread.

lol, monks.

Stupendous_Man
2008-11-15, 01:18 AM
Did...nobody understand the point? I...I'm...this...idfbgspkjgf

I can take "Dude, that's just not a funny joke" but, this...actually depresses me.

Fine.

Barbarian with max ranks in UMD, and a wand of Rope Trick.

monty
2008-11-15, 01:22 AM
Fine.

Barbarian with max ranks in UMD, and a wand of Rope Trick.

Hey, that's the monk's job! They're supposed to be the cross-class UMDer!

FMArthur
2008-11-15, 01:31 AM
But as the party face, Barbarians will have a notably higher charisma to pump cross-class UMD.

Stupendous_Man
2008-11-15, 01:33 AM
But as the party face, Barbarians will have a notably higher charisma to pump cross-class UMD.

He will also be able to grapple better, and survive grapple due to high hitpoints.

And let's not forget the famed barbarian scouting! Stealthy and deadly!

FMArthur
2008-11-15, 01:35 AM
If only his impenetrable armor and magically-enchanted weapons could make up for the lack of Wis-to-AC and unarmed strike progression. :smallfrown:

monty
2008-11-15, 01:38 AM
If only his impenetrable armor and magically-enchanted weapons could make up for the lack of Wis-to-AC and unarmed strike progression. :smallfrown:

Barbarians don't need no armor! The best defense is a good offense.

FMArthur
2008-11-15, 02:47 AM
More importantly, where would a stereotypical savage get armor?

Stupendous_Man
2008-11-15, 03:09 AM
More importantly, where would a stereotypical savage get armor?

By killing people for it.

Duh.

BobVosh
2008-11-15, 03:58 AM
Obviously you need a level 17 wizard. Teleport away with the party. Use COP to find out where the tornado is going to be in 10 minutes and 3 rounds. Teleport there. Cast gate, gate in as big of a dragon with burrow as you can. Walk into the tunnel, and have it guard the entrance.

(1 round to teleport, 10 minutes to cast, 1 round to burrow, 1 round to get everyone in and the dragon out.)

Pie Guy
2008-11-15, 01:13 PM
Now these are all good ideas, but the fact with tornados is that if you put a stake in the ground, there's a 1 in a 100,000 that that stake will get hit in a year. So now we have to tie our enemies to stakes and make a wait check!