Immovable Rodchucks (3.5)

[Frog Dragon]

I read a link from the worst rules interpretation thread about Immovable Rods and their weapon potential and decided I could pull this on my players. Changing the move action to a command word and making a nunchuk out of them would prove to be an interesting weapon, but what are it's potential uses?
I've figured out:
Very effective trips, cavarly dismounting, usual immovable roddery. And some nice mobility with the right skill points. Anything else you playgrounders could come up with?

[lsfreak]

Command Word isn't what you want. It takes a standard action to activate a Command Word-activated item. Don't ask why or how, it just does

[jiriku]

Command Word isn't what you want. It takes a standard action to activate a Command Word-activated item. Don't ask why or how, it just does

You have to say the command word r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w-l-y.

[Irreverent Fool]

Doesn't the MIC have items that are activated via command words as swift action as well?

obnoxious
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[IonDragon]

You have to say the command word r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w-l-y.

Or the 'Command Word' is actually reeaaaaaaalllllyyyy loooooooooongggggg.

[Volthawk]

Or the 'Command Word' is actually reeaaaaaaalllllyyyy loooooooooongggggg.

Like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

[raitalin]

Assuming you can activate them as a swift action, I think you want a longer chain than nunchucks. More like spear length. Then you can use it to set against a charge or change your elevation in combat if you've got enough climb or balance.

[lsfreak]

Doesn't the MIC have items that are activated via command words as swift action as well?

obnoxious
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They're not Command Word. As far as I remember, MIC doesn't use 'Command Word' at all. There's things that are Standard (command), Move (command), Swift (command), and Free (command), but none are Command Word, which is the SRD/DMG phrasing and is exclusively a standard action.

So I was wrong/right. Just make sure you don't go by the SRD's definition of command word, which is exclusively a standard action.

[alisbin]

its not rodchucks, but i'd make crossbow bolts with shafts made of immovable rods that activate just after they hit. a little damage AND sorry you won't be moving until you tear that thing out (add lots of nasty barbs for added effect), probably be an evil act to use one but DAMN if it wouldn't be useful.

[jindra34]

Assuming you can activate them as a swift action, I think you want a longer chain than nunchucks. More like spear length. Then you can use it to set against a charge or change your elevation in combat if you've got enough climb or balance.

So like a three section staff made of immovable rods?

[Eldan]

If you could activate them as swift actions or even faster, preferably free actions, you could tie one to each shoe and use them to walk on air.

[Irreverent Fool]

If you could activate them as swift actions or even faster, preferably free actions, you could tie one to each shoe and use them to walk on air.

In that case, I think the swift verbal commands would need to be "left foot" and "right foot".

obnoxious
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[awa]

with swift action you could only move one foot per round which is probably not really worth it.

[Godskook]

Immovable tridents would be plain wrong.

[Darius Rae]

I am planning on using a harpoon with an immovable rod in the next campaign that I am playing in... As for the Rodchucks , I feel that they would make an awesome weapon in a grapple as far as pinning is concerned.

[Divide by Zero]

I once considered making a monk-like prestige class centered around immovable rods (including the ability to summon them, so it's not totally item-dependent), but I suck at homebrew, so it never got anywhere.

[Ashram]

Immovable Rods have a button on them. It's not a command word, you just press the button (Still a move action, it must be a hard button to find) and wherever you have the rod, it stops.

[Frog Dragon]

Ashram: I know that. However, changing it to a free action command word is no trouble, seeing as I'm the GM of that particular game.

[Lycanthromancer]

Give each rod a button for the other rod (in addition to its own). If you have a nice long chain to go between them, you can swing one out, hit the button, swing across a chasm or pull yourself up, then release. Likewise, you could swing one rod around on the chain, wrap it around an enemy, hit the button, and entangle (and anchor) your foe.

It encourages creativity.

[BobVosh]

Bonus points for making them Immovable Flindrods.

[Frog Dragon]

Is there a nunchuk like weapon with a long chain. If not..

Exotic Two Handed Weapon

How's that?

[Yora]

What use would rodchucks be? Except twisting the chain around a wrist and locking the rods in place. But how do you attack with them?

[Eldan]

I like the idea of an immovable harpoon. Make a barbed harpoon difficult to remove from the body without extensive damage. Impale your enemy. Make it immovable.

Alternatively: immovable crossbow bolts.

[Frog Dragon]

What use would rodchucks be? Except twisting the chain around a wrist and locking the rods in place. But how do you attack with them?

As normal. The Rod parts would function as the smashy parts. It's simply that the immovability option allows for great versatility.

[Lycanthromancer]

It could make for some new and interesting grapple options, and would grant really high bonuses to pin checks. And if you're swallowed whole, you can anchor the critter that ate you in place while you jaunt out via a teleportation effect.

And if you had buttons on both ends, and/or had a button on either end that also controls the opposite end (as I mentioned earlier), you could effectively climb the sky without anything else to anchor to; just toss one end up, hit the button to anchor it, climb up, pull up the chain, throw the other rod and anchor it, release the bottom rod, and so on.

[Ravens_cry]

Ashram: I know that. However, changing it to a free action command word is no trouble, seeing as I'm the GM of that particular game.

But by making it an item, that means your players can loot it. Just remember that.

[Lycanthromancer]

But by making it an item, that means your players can loot it. Just remember that.

...Aaaaand...now it's time for them to start hiding from those rust monsters stalking them.

[subject42]

And if you had buttons on both ends, and/or had a button on either end that also controls the opposite end (as I mentioned earlier), you could effectively climb the sky without anything else to anchor to; just toss one end up, hit the button to anchor it, climb up, pull up the chain, throw the other rod and anchor it, release the bottom rod, and so on.

Not only that, but by pressing the button for one end at the right time and using it as a pivot point, you could probably justify changing direction during a charge by swinging around on it without losing any momentum.

[ZeroNumerous]

[Idea for climbing the sky with chains]

You know... That idea sounds a lot like webslinging. I think you've created Spiderman.

But by making it an item, that means your players can loot it. Just remember that.

Sure, but if it's only usable by the third son of a baker's wife and a half-orc with 10 skill points in Profession(Thumb Twiddling) and Perform(Evil Laughter)...

[Frog Dragon]

Actually, part of the point of this thread is finding the potential uses for this thing so the players don't throw an absolute curveball at me at some point after they get it.