[3.5] Favorite Obscure Prc, Feat, Spell etc.

[The Viscount]

Speaking of Nezumi, I quite like Nezumi as they appear in OA. Not exactly the most obscure source for a race, but they have the unique (as far as I know) ability to at any point spend a feat and gain scent. They have the peculiar ability of unarmed strikes that deal 1d4 lethal damage, though they don't seem to override the normal rules about provoking AoO. Might be some 3.0 oddity I'm missing.

[Troacctid]

Speaking of Nezumi, I quite like Nezumi as they appear in OA. Not exactly the most obscure source for a race, but they have the unique (as far as I know) ability to at any point spend a feat and gain scent.

Dragonlance minotaurs have the same ability.

[Bphill561]

Edit: Holy cow! I’d never heard of Crystal Master and it’s actually really neat.

The Crystal singer is pretty neat too. Played in an epic game where psionics were banned, but the DM allowed magic conversion of psionic Prestige classes. An Ur-Priest crafter advanced with epic Crystal singer made for some very cheap continuous magic items.

[Thurbane]

Not super obscure, but something I'd never noticed before: the Aereni Focus feat counts as Skill Focus for reqs. This puts it up with things like Expeditious Dodge, Kobold Endurance, Shadow Blade etc. as replacements for those req feats so many things require.

[Rijan_Sai]

Maybe not the most "obscure," but I am really partial to Legion of Sentinels from PHBII (Pg. 116). A sizable mass of flankers and AoOers, and a decent defensive spell for a good choke-point. (Even better with Widen Spell! Check out the 10' radius grid vs. the 20' radius grid in the DMG; and nothing in the spell indicates that it is only and the 2D plane... it certainly seems like it would be the 3D sphere!)

One PrC I also like is Escalation Mage from Faiths of Eberron (Pg. 52). Admittedly, I haven't really read much into the lore of Shadow in Eberron, but the class doesn't really require him/her/it anyway (per the "Adaptation" section).

[The Viscount]

Maybe not the most "obscure," but I am really partial to Legion of Sentinels from PHBII (Pg. 116). A sizable mass of flankers and AoOers, and a decent defensive spell for a good choke-point. (Even better with Widen Spell! Check out the 10' radius grid vs. the 20' radius grid in the DMG; and nothing in the spell indicates that it is only and the 2D plane... it certainly seems like it would be the 3D sphere!)

One PrC I also like is Escalation Mage from Faiths of Eberron (Pg. 52). Admittedly, I haven't really read much into the lore of Shadow in Eberron, but the class doesn't really require him/her/it anyway (per the "Adaptation" section).

I'd certainly give the spell some points for obscurity in that the sentinels themselves are statted up in the errata since they didn't include the full spell description.

Escalation Mage is really cool. "Lemon rains of Xoriat" is something that really sticks in my mind.

Eberron Campaign Setting has some extra rules and sort of ACFs for base classes in the front of the book. Maybe it's just that i'm used to seeing ACFs in full formatting, but these slipped by me for a while.

[Troacctid]

Escalation Mage is really cool. "Lemon rains of Xoriat" is something that really sticks in my mind.

And it's at will, right? That's pretty sweet.

[The Viscount]

I realize now that I was talking about Escalation Mage (which is still pretty cool), but was thinking about Cataclysm Mage, which mentions the lemon rains in its Cataclysm of Flesh ability, turning enemies into the guy at the end of I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream/that one episode of Batman Beyond (depending on your age and/or taste in media). It's indeed at will. The class is an excellent example of merging the lore in with mechanical features. Pity if you roll a 2 on that prophecy table and have to die, though.

[Thurbane]

I posted a thread about this a while back, but I'm honestly surprised I don't hear more about the "Mastery Of ..." feats in the PLayer's Guide to Eberron.

Admittedly, they can be a bit niche, but some of them are very good, IMHO.

So, I've just recently discovered the various "Mastery of X" feats (PgtE, p.125-126).

How was I not aware of the before? They grant free metamagic (and other) effects to certain types of spells. Free maximize on Cures/Inflicts, free enlarge on Cold/Fire spells, free extend on Enchantment spells etc.

One of the standouts for me is Mastery of Twisted Shadow: free action to give yourself concealment every time you cast an Illusion spell. Essentially, you're getting a quickened Displacement on yourself. Actually, better than quickened, since it's a free action. The duration is only 1 round per spell level, but still...

Just honestly surprised I haven't seen more mention of these feats. Is it because they're "campaign specific", or the source is a little obscure?

Cheers - T

[Venger]

Maybe not the most "obscure," but I am really partial to Legion of Sentinels from PHBII (Pg. 116). A sizable mass of flankers and AoOers, and a decent defensive spell for a good choke-point. (Even better with Widen Spell! Check out the 10' radius grid vs. the 20' radius grid in the DMG; and nothing in the spell indicates that it is only and the 2D plane... it certainly seems like it would be the 3D sphere!)

One PrC I also like is Escalation Mage from Faiths of Eberron (Pg. 52). Admittedly, I haven't really read much into the lore of Shadow in Eberron, but the class doesn't really require him/her/it anyway (per the "Adaptation" section).

It's a wonderful candidate for your arcane thesis. Talk to your adviser:

invisible spell
sculpt spell
endless hilarity

[Ellyth]

On the subject of Invisible Spell, there’s a line in Complete Arcane that says “because” sudden metamagic spells have no level adjustment, warlocks can use them on their invocations. Some unreasonable generalization later, and Invisible Spell can apply to invocations (yes, I know this is really dubious RAW when you consider the utterly-not-primary status of the line in question).

I mention this because it’s obscure, and because invisible eldritch glaive is one of my favorite conceptual ideas in 3.5e.

Another, this one ironclad as far as RAW is concerned: half-dragons get wings and flight speed if they are Large or larger. A goliath barbarian is only truly Large while using their mountain rage. To wit, a half-dragon goliath barbarian can get so angry they spontaneously sprout massive dragon wings and take to the sky. I have never quite managed to convince myself that this absurdity was worth actually trying to play an LA +4 character, but it certainly is tempting.

Oh! That reminds me of another: Tome of Magic has a creature called “murder of crows,” which is a “Tiny Animal (Swarm).” That’s exciting, because swarms are not usually Tiny, they’re usually Fine or Diminutive, and for that matter they’re usually Vermin rather than Animals. Being a Tiny Animal means that a murder of crows is a legal choice for the lycanthrope template for a Small character. Another one I have never quite been willing to actually try to play, since 4 RHD and LA +2 is brutal, but it is an awesome image.

Also, I totally would have mentioned cataclysm mage and escalation mage if they hadn’t been already. Those are great.

[WhamBamSam]

I posted a thread about this a while back, but I'm honestly surprised I don't hear more about the "Mastery Of ..." feats in the PLayer's Guide to Eberron.

Admittedly, they can be a bit niche, but some of them are very good, IMHO.

What's the one that works on Fire/Cold? Any spell can be [Cold] with Snowcasting, so that's a potentially interesting thing I wasn't previously aware of.

[Venger]

What's the one that works on Fire/Cold? Any spell can be [Cold] with Snowcasting, so that's a potentially interesting thing I wasn't previously aware of.

that'd be mastery of ice and fire. spontaneous enlarge.

[animewatcha]

" murder of crows " Can it be combined with vampire template or something for the whole 'turn into bats/crows' thing?

[unseenmage]

A friend pointed this little gem out to me. Am already trying to weaponize it.

Spoiler: Halaster’s Drifting Portals

Show

Halaster’s Drifting Portals

Waterdeep book page 154:

The mad archmage of Undermountain long ago devised a number of unique properties for the portals he created in his terrible dungeon, including the odd drifting portals.
A drifting portal has its origin or terminus tied to a general area, not a specific fixed location. The creator of the portal must specify whether this spell affects the origin of a portal or the terminus of a portal during the creation of the device. Such portals drift continuously and randomly within the radius specified by the portal builder (anything from 10 to 1,000 feet from the focal point) at a rate of 10 feet per round. To determine the random motion of a drifting portal, roll 1d6 three times per minute to determine a portal’s movement; 1–2 means up, left, or forward; 3–4 means no change, no change, or no change; 5–6 means down, right, or backward).
A portal’s creator can direct its path through active concentration, which requires a standard action. Once the creator ceases concentration, the portal resumes its random drift until concentration is resumed. A portal with the drifting property costs 50% more than it otherwise would.

[Mr Adventurer]

" murder of crows " Can it be combined with vampire template or something for the whole 'turn into bats/crows' thing?

Libris Mortis already has a Swarmform template for undead - though I can't remember whether animal swarms are legitimate under the template

[The Viscount]

Libris Mortis already has a Swarmform template for undead - though I can't remember whether animal swarms are legitimate under the template

The Swarmshifter template restricts you to a list, though bat and rat are among the swarm forms you can take.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Speaking of templates, the Symbiotic Creature template from Savage Species is incredibly cool. Unfortunately, even the most conservative reading of its LA value is supremely abusable. Look no further than my Siege Tower build for proof of that. Flight, dragon breath, maneuvers, and 22 attacks per round at level 8. (That's before the E8 epic feats, too).

[Anthrowhale]

Another, this one ironclad as far as RAW is concerned: half-dragons get wings and flight speed if they are Large or larger. A goliath barbarian is only truly Large while using their mountain rage. To wit, a half-dragon goliath barbarian can get so angry they spontaneously sprout massive dragon wings and take to the sky. I have never quite managed to convince myself that this absurdity was worth actually trying to play an LA +4 character, but it certainly is tempting.

If you are using level buy-off and savage progressions, this seems feasible as a late-blooming ability. At level 3 buy off Goliath and then take a level of half-dragon, buying it off at level 6, take a level of half-dragon buying it off at level 9, and then take the last level of half-dragon buying it off at level 12. Since experience is a river, you'll only be a level-or-so behind throughout the progression and you end up with rage wings as a mid-level character.

[Mr Adventurer]

If you are using level buy-off and savage progressions, this seems feasible as a late-blooming ability. At level 3 buy off Goliath and then take a level of half-dragon, buying it off at level 6, take a level of half-dragon buying it off at level 9, and then take the last level of half-dragon buying it off at level 12. Since experience is a river, you'll only be a level-or-so behind throughout the progression and you end up with rage wings as a mid-level character.

Even better: be a Web Enhancement kobold, take 3 levels of Stoneblessed (Goliath), then take the Goliath Barbarian sub levels. You're Small, but count as Tiny when that is more beneficial, unless you Rage, when you become Large (but possibly still count as Tiny if that would be beneficial?).

[Velaryon]

I always thought the Recurring Villain Ghostwalker from Sword and Fist was really cool. It isn't particularly powerful, it has garbage prerequisites, and its abilities would not be terribly useful for most PC characters, but it very much looks like it was custom-built to provide a recurring martial antagonist for a fairly low-optimization campaign.

The Ghostwalker gets big bonuses in combat against enemies they've fought before (if they lost more than 50% of their max hp in a previous encounter anyway), two ways to escape combat (feign death and etherealness), and a way to move fairly quickly over long distances. It's even got a story hook disguised as a class feature, in that most of their class abilities turn off if their opponents know their true name.

This just screams "BBEG's lieutenant" to me.

[Thurbane]

I always thought the Recurring Villain Ghostwalker from Sword and Fist was really cool. It isn't particularly powerful, it has garbage prerequisites, and its abilities would not be terribly useful for most PC characters, but it very much looks like it was custom-built to provide a recurring martial antagonist for a fairly low-optimization campaign.

The Ghostwalker gets big bonuses in combat against enemies they've fought before (if they lost more than 50% of their max hp in a previous encounter anyway), two ways to escape combat (feign death and etherealness), and a way to move fairly quickly over long distances. It's even got a story hook disguised as a class feature, in that most of their class abilities turn off if their opponents know their true name.

This just screams "BBEG's lieutenant" to me.

I love the flavour of this PrC. For some reason I always get it mixed up in my head with Ghost Faced Killer, and, bizarrely, Black Dog.

It made an interesting Iron Chef round - Iron Chef XXI: Ghostwalker. Gossamer Knights was the winning entry.

[Miss Disaster]

A friend pointed this little gem out to me. Am already trying to weaponize it.

Spoiler: Halaster’s Drifting Portals

Show

Halaster’s Drifting Portals

Waterdeep book page 154:

The mad archmage of Undermountain long ago devised a number of unique properties for the portals he created in his terrible dungeon, including the odd drifting portals.
A drifting portal has its origin or terminus tied to a general area, not a specific fixed location. The creator of the portal must specify whether this spell affects the origin of a portal or the terminus of a portal during the creation of the device. Such portals drift continuously and randomly within the radius specified by the portal builder (anything from 10 to 1,000 feet from the focal point) at a rate of 10 feet per round. To determine the random motion of a drifting portal, roll 1d6 three times per minute to determine a portal’s movement; 1–2 means up, left, or forward; 3–4 means no change, no change, or no change; 5–6 means down, right, or backward).
A portal’s creator can direct its path through active concentration, which requires a standard action. Once the creator ceases concentration, the portal resumes its random drift until concentration is resumed. A portal with the drifting property costs 50% more than it otherwise would.

I'd be curious to see what UnseenMage makes with this ....

[unseenmage]

I'd be curious to see what UnseenMage makes with this ....

So far all I've got is making it an Intelligent Magic Item, Wish -> transporting it to an enemy, then moving it to an advantageous position or even swallowing the enemy with it.

Trouble is, b the level such an unorthodox use of a portal is possible it's easier to just Greater Plane Shift.

EDIT Another idea, us the item combining rules in MIC to combine the portal with a Figurine of Wondrous Power. Boom. Mobile portal.

[Particle_Man]

Oh I got another spell: Wall of Eyes. A weird wall that lasts until destroyed and can absorb people and thus add to its eye collection. And you can see through it even if on another plane. An evil conjugation spell I had thought of taking with a Malconvoker just because they can cast it without affecting their alignment.

[noce]

Oh I got another spell: Wall of Eyes. A weird wall that lasts until destroyed and can absorb people and thus add to its eye collection. And you can see through it even if on another plane. An evil conjugation spell I had thought of taking with a Malconvoker just because they can cast it without affecting their alignment.

Well, you have to fail 10 will saves in a row in order to die. And you could just pew pew it with a bow.
Still, a fun spell for the BBEG.

[Bphill561]

Oh I got another spell: Wall of Eyes. A weird wall that lasts until destroyed and can absorb people and thus add to its eye collection. And you can see through it even if on another plane. An evil conjugation spell I had thought of taking with a Malconvoker just because they can cast it without affecting their alignment.

Also fun to drop in your genesis plane if want to look in from time to time while traveling. Even states you can see across planes with it.

If you are using level buy-off and savage progressions, this seems feasible as a late-blooming ability. At level 3 buy off Goliath and then take a level of half-dragon, buying it off at level 6, take a level of half-dragon buying it off at level 9, and then take the last level of half-dragon buying it off at level 12. Since experience is a river, you'll only be a level-or-so behind throughout the progression and you end up with rage wings as a mid-level character.

Not sure if this is obscure, but I am always a fan of advancing savage progressions with Uncanny Trickster or Legacy Champion. It might take you an extra level, but you can end up with only 1 LA.

[daremetoidareyo]

just found this doozy: free draconic feat! Dragon magic p.143

[Thurbane]

just found this doozy: free draconic feat! Dragon magic p.143

Wow, that's some pretty neat affiliation benefits!

Also, in addition to a bonus feat, an extra arcane spell or invocation known (of your highest level)!

[Jowgen]

The text reads weird with that semi-colon, do you gain a draconic feat OR dragontouched; or do you gain a draconic feat, PLUS dragontouched if you didn't have dragonblood before?