Soulfire [3.5]

[herrhauptmann]

Well I have a question regarding the Soulfire enchantment (BoED).

It states 'This armors wearer is immune to all death spells, magical death effects, and energy drain, and any negative energy effects (such as from chill touch or inflict spells.'

Now, our DM has shown an eagerness to use things like level drain or stat loss as an easy method to kill us off. The psion has a method to avoid level drain (worked great against a BoVD Monk. Flurry of blows, each hit drains a level or two).
Me, best I can find is the soulfire for a catch-all protection. The other option is to buy multiple items, each of which takes up different body slots, works only a few times a day, or only works so many times before breaking.

edit: Forgot to ask. Are there other easy ways to for DM to kill off a level 15 dwarf that don't rely on hitpoint damage? And if so, what can I buy to protect against that?

[The Glyphstone]

Level 15 is putting you within reasonable range of Holy Word and its ilk - and if he really wants to instasplat you, he can just throw a cleric with CL-buffing effects like a Bead of Karma/Ioun Stone and of the appropriate alignment to swat you, and you're toast unless you are A) deaf or B) have a Spell Immunity vs. that particular spell.

[NEO|Phyte]

Sadly, deafening yourself does NOT stop a Holy Word, as that trick only works with [Mind-Affecting] sonic attacks.

[The Glyphstone]

Source? By a strict reading it should stop it - the spell descriptor is [Sonic], and the text of the spell says it affects any non-Alignment X character who hears it.

[NEO|Phyte]

Source is Special Abilities, but I suppose the [Alignment] Word spells ARE otherwise noted, so hey.

[olelia]

Holy Word
Evocation [Good, Sonic]
Level: Clr 7, Good 7
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 40 ft.
Area: Nongood creatures in a 40-ft.-radius spread centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

Any nongood creature within the area that hears the holy word suffers the following ill effects.
HD Effect
Equal to caster level Deafened
Up to caster level -1 Blinded, deafened
Up to caster level -5 Paralyzed, blinded, deafened
Up to caster level -10 Killed, paralyzed, blinded, deafened

The effects are cumulative and concurrent. No saving throw is allowed against these effects.
Deafened

The creature is deafened for 1d4 rounds.
Blinded

The creature is blinded for 2d4 rounds.
Paralyzed

The creature is paralyzed and helpless for 1d10 minutes.
Killed

Living creatures die. Undead creatures are destroyed.

Furthermore, if you are on your home plane when you cast this spell, nongood extraplanar creatures within the area are instantly banished back to their home planes. Creatures so banished cannot return for at least 24 hours. This effect takes place regardless of whether the creatures hear the holy word. The banishment effect allows a Will save (at a -4 penalty) to negate.

Creatures whose HD exceed your caster level are unaffected by holy word.

Bolded for convenience

dang ninjas >.<

[herrhauptmann]

So if we get slapped with an unholy word (same thing really) I can expect a blind and deafen. If he gets the paralysis too, maybe that fight was a little too tough for us. Seriously, Caster level 20+ will wreck our day.

Anything else to watch out for?

Character build can be found on page 2 of http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...t=98804&page=2. As you can see, fort saves won't be a problem (20 base) will saves have a 10 or 11 base. Ref is a +3, so putting 'agility +3' on my called armor.

[UserClone]

By the way, your character is a level 15 Dwarf...what? Fighter? Cleric? Wizard?

[herrhauptmann]

bbn2, ftr 2, Dwf Paragon 3, Deepwarden 2, Pious templar 4, Dwf Defender 1, Cleric 1

As you can see, fort saves won't be a problem (20 base) will saves have a 10 or 11 base. Ref is a +3, so putting 'agility +3' on my called armor.

[Glimbur]

The ring of Negative Protection from MiC is ok, but you probably already have two rings. It'll block negative levels and damage from the Negative Plane.

[herrhauptmann]

Actually don't have any rings yet. I've spent 185k between weapons, armor, and bracers.
Can reduce the enchantment on some things like my armor or weapon to get extra cash, though Soulfire (by my reading) also protects from negative energy like inflict spells, and negative levels.

edit:
Current items
Large urgrosh
+2, Blessed, everbright, shadowstrike= 25522
Mithral interlocking plate
+2 Soulfire, blueshine called agility 3 = 54400
+1 Mty3 composite longbow 2700
Strongarm bracers(MIC) 6000
Retribution amulet (BOED) 56000
with amulet health 2 stacked on top (per MIC) +4000
Quiver of ehlonna 1800
Hewards handysack 2000
Wand restoration (5 charge) 2600
5 Scroll lesser restoration 750
Belt giant str 2 4000
Healing belt stacked on top +750

Total cash spent 195,955

[martyboy74]

If your Dm allows custom items and psionics, you could se about getting an item of Synesthete, which would give you Holy Word protection, and, if you need it, protection from gaze attacks.

[herrhauptmann]

He does, I've used boots of endure elements for 1000, boots haste 27k.

How much do you think this synesthete item would cost? ( I don't know psionics)

[Douglas]

The Retributive Amulet is one of the most brokenly powerful magic items ever published. It was, quite deservedly, heavily nerfed in the Magic Item Compendium.

With custom items allowed, you could base one on the Sheltered Vitality spell from Spell Compendium to give immunity to ability damage.

[martyboy74]

He does, I've used boots of endure elements for 1000, boots haste 27k.

How much do you think this synesthete item would cost? ( I don't know psionics)

By the standard magic item creation rules, only 3K gp. I can see your DM bumping this up though; those are really useful abilities.

[Flickerdart]

edit: Forgot to ask. Are there other easy ways to for DM to kill off a level 15 dwarf that don't rely on hitpoint damage? And if so, what can I buy to protect against that?

Rocks fall, everyone dies. The only magical item you can buy to protect you from that is pizza for the DM.

[Keld Denar]

Omg, you have a dwarf who uses an Urgrosh, and you DON'T have levels in Exotic Weapons Master? Wowzers. Take 2 levels and pick up Flurry of Strikes and Uncanny Blow. Urgroshes qualify for both.

And yes, Soulfire is worth it, if you can get it. I'd put it on an Animated shield, if I was you. If not, Deathward (MIC) will defeat the first 1-2 attacks per day on yourself, long enough hopefully for an ally to enchant you with the full Deathward Spell.

And don't underestimate Blasphemy shanananananananananagens. At level 15, you could EASILY be facing a level 18 cleric baddie. This cleric baddie could have the Evil domain, could have an Orange IWIN Stone, could have activated a Bead of Karma, and could have maxed out a Divine Spell Power roll to hit you with a caster level 28 blasphemy. Even without a maxed roll on DSP, he'd easily hit the CL25 mark to instagib you, no save (well, actually, if you were on a foreign plane, you'd GET a save to avoid banishment, and due to your Pious Templar's Mettle ability, if you made the save, you'd wholey avoid the entire spell, but that would involve being on a foreign plane or changing your type to Ousider [Elisian Fields] or something.

I'd also suggest an Energy Immunity enhancement if you can nab it. Sure, reflex saves usually result in mere HP damage, but I've seen cases where that HP damage can reach triple digit numbers by that level, and complete immunity is occasionally VERY helpful.

[herrhauptmann]

Yes Keld, I realize the problems with not having EWM, it was my old thread you told me about the urgrosh build. If you haven't noticed, it's based on that build.
I don't think an urgrosh qualifies for uncanny blow, since the urgrosh is listed as a 2 handed weapon, and uncanny requires a 1 handed wielded in 2 hands (like a waraxe)
Turns out though, according to DM, Melee weapon mastery from a battleaxe doesn't qualify me for EWM. And the 3 levels of paragon for an extra +2 con meant I was down an extra feat. Hence cleric, for free weapon focus. But if you can find a god (forgotten realms or core) who has the urgrosh or d. waraxe as a favored weapon, I'll drop the level in barbarian for a level in EWM.
And since I can't use the extra abilities from melee mastery for the piercing end, I'm thinking of just carrying a large d. waraxe for more damage per hit.

edit: Is energy immunity a flat cost like 'called,' 'blueshine,' 'everbright' etc? Or does it cost more with other enhancements like holy or sonic?