Amber amulet of vermin over powered?

**awa** · 2009-10-19, 01:36 AM (ISO 8601)

I was looking at this item (the huge scorpion version specifically) while looking for stuff for my pc and it just seemed to good. Its cheap less than a thousand gold and strong enough that it could probably kill my pc in a head to head fight. is their some aspect im not getting.

**Harperfan7** · 2009-10-19, 01:42 AM (ISO 8601)

In a straight up fight yes, but vermin are retarded and have no magic defenses or abilities. They literally cannot think.

There are gems in the DMG that let anybody summon an elemental.

Also, I love the amber amulets. Lizardfolk shamans and these things go together so well.

**PhoenixRivers** · 2009-10-19, 01:42 AM (ISO 8601)

Limited in use, but yes, it is a bit on the strong side. However, as you progress, it becomes less useful.

**Kosjsjach** · 2009-10-19, 01:45 AM (ISO 8601)

I thought similarly when I first saw them; they're pretty powerful for their price.

Another thing to consider is that it's effectively cheap flight 1/day for a lightweight character: a Giant Wasp can carry 200 lbs. as a light load.

**awa** · 2009-10-19, 01:46 AM (ISO 8601)

it just seems like a level 2 party could pool their gold and get this thing.
also the scorpion seems much better then the others

**Kosjsjach** · 2009-10-19, 01:53 AM (ISO 8601)

Quote from the errata:

Originally Posted by Magic Item Compendium Errata

Page 68 – Amber Amulet of Vermin
(table) [Substitution]
The scorpion size is incorrect. The Vermin entry on line five should read: Large monstrous scorpion

So it's not exactly as overpowered as you immediately suspect.

**Zaydos** · 2009-10-19, 01:57 AM (ISO 8601)

I had a PC with the mantis one in my game. They had it for 2-3 adventures at the level it should have been quite useful (they leveled quick). They used it once to beat an ogre that was in a relatively small room. It got AoO'd and then the two fought and the ogre barely won. This was already one or two levels after they'd gotten the item and it was used in a subomptimal place, but it did make a possibly deadly battle into one in which only the dread necromancer got knocked out and they got him to 1 hp from which he could charnel touch himself to full.

Broken? Not from my one experience, but it wasn't used optimally (they kept forgetting it).

**Killer Angel** · 2009-10-19, 02:55 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Kosjsjach

Quote from the errata:

So it's not exactly as overpowered as you immediately suspect.

My problem with the errata, is that many players buy the books, but don't know the existence of the errata.

**PhoenixRivers** · 2009-10-19, 03:36 AM (ISO 8601)

The alternative is recalling every book printed?

People who look for errata will find it. Those that don't? Well, they're playing their own game, and if they enjoy it, more power to them. If it's not official rules? Eh, these things happen.

**Killer Angel** · 2009-10-19, 03:49 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by PhoenixRivers

The alternative is recalling every book printed?

People who look for errata will find it. Those that don't? Well, they're playing their own game, and if they enjoy it, more power to them. If it's not official rules? Eh, these things happen.

I was just pointing out that, Errata exists and did matter only when we discuss about RAW.
But if Awa didn't post on this forum, his group would have played with the printed version, believing that the item was overpovered (ad it was, otherwise it wouldn't have been corrected).

bah, nevermind. It's monday morning, my brain is still sleeping...
(and yes, it's silly to pretend to have every book riprinted. That said, many groups believe to play by raw with their books and with things which are no more raw)

**PhoenixRivers** · 2009-10-19, 03:54 AM (ISO 8601)

Yeah, I was just trying to illustrate that it's hard for WotC to go beyond published errata online. The resources are there, in one spot. If players wish to be current with their errata, they can be. If they choose not to, that's ok too.

Stating that errata is difficult... Well, it is what it is. And I think that's as good as it can be, short of mailing lists (that most people opt out of) and factory recalls (that few would oblige).

Well, that and published books of errata. Ahem, Rules Compendium.

**awa** · 2009-10-19, 11:06 AM (ISO 8601)

okay a large scorpion is a lot weaker and more reasonable

**Darrin** · 2009-10-19, 07:55 PM (ISO 8601)

These were originally printed in one of the FR books... don't recall which one. In the FR version, they are one-shot items with the same prices as listed in the MIC.

When they were included in the MIC, someone added "once per day", either because they weren't aware the originals were one-shots, or they thought the one-shots were too weak.

As once per day items... eh... ok, a huge centipede is SMIII, so 3 x 5 x 2000/5 = 6000 GP, so yeah, definitely a bargain at 700 GP. Overpowered, probably, particularly at low levels, mid to high they'd be just an annoying bookkeeping hassle.

**Akal Saris** · 2009-10-19, 08:58 PM (ISO 8601)

Yeah, I got the huge scorpion version banned in an arena where I got it by lvl 2 and had a CR 7 monster on my side. It caused some bad blood ^^;;

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