Igor von Uberwald's page

Hi,
what do you think would be the most efficient one hit wonder = character who does most damage in his first combat turn?

Restrictions:
Only based on D&D 3.5 WotC official material in books (no dragon, dungeon etc.).
No special settings / worlds (forgotten realms, eberron etc.)
Character to be level 9 and has access to equipment fitting to that level (max. 36.000 gold), no custom items, no relics, no intellignet items.
Allow max. 2 Flaws. Attributes built with point buy system 28 points.

Targets to kill:
1 young adult black dragon CR 9
1 fire giant CR 10
positioned in 30 meters distance, 20 meters apart.

My reference:
Female Elf (Fire); Medium Humanoid; Kineticist9
Special Qualities: 108 Power Points

Abilities: STR 8 (-1), DEX 12 (+1), CON 12 (+1), INT 26 (+8), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 6 (-2)

Feats: Privileged energy, Empower Power, Feeble, Noncombatant, Meta power (Empowered Energy Missle), Overchannel, Psicrystal Affinity, Psionic Body, Psionic Meditation, Talented

Possessions: Headband of Intellect +4; Psionatrix of Psychokinesis

Level 1: Attraction, Demoralize, Force Screen, Mind Thrust, Vigor
Level 2: Energy Adaptation (Specified), Energy Missile, Levitate (Psionic), Share Pain
Level 3: Dispel Psionics, Psionic Blast, Time Hop, Touchsight
Level 4: Control Body, Death Urge, Dimension Door (Psionic), Energy Ball
Level 5: Energy Current, Power Resistance

What can the girl do?
Create up to 7 fire missiles (5 empowered *1,5) which are empowered at no additonal cost (metapower) and overchanneled to manifester level 9+2=11. Range is medium = more than 60 meters. Thge 7 targets can be objects and must be spaced maximum 4,5 meters apart, so you can target pebbles on the floor in between, allowing the two targets to be spaced 30 meters apart, thus hitting both targets.
The missiles hit for sure and only a Reflex save is allowed at DC = 10(base) + 8(INT) + 2(power level) +1 (psionatrix) +8 (augmented) = 29.
Dmagae of each individual missile is 11*(d6+1(fire)+1(privileged))*1,5(empower) making it a whopping 90,75 damage potential per missile.

Other than spell resistance not a lot to go wrong. For that could replace psicrytsla affinity and psionic body with two power penetration feats adding +8 to caster level checks making it d20+9+8, which is good enough for most enemies.

On the defensive side, has about 50 HP and the psicrystal 25. Manifest share pain on the psicrystal and keep it in the pocket. Then manifest vigor augmented to level 11, sharing power with the psi crystal, adding 55 temporary HP each to herself and the psicrystal. Allowing the girl to tolerate max. 185 HP damage on her own side.

I don't think any other class can come up with something similar.

Ideas?

Hi,

if a play a wizard character who has a spell active which does put him alone in a magic concealment, granting him total concealment, but he himself can look through the magic without distraction then how do I rule gaze attacks from monsters?
Basically this spell creates a one-way-mirror without the reflection part.

Somehow I feel that a gaze attack (as follows from the word attack) must be coming FROM the attacker and as his gaze has no way of locking onto the target, this is not working.

On the other side I see the two parts of gaze attacks: One part where you as the victim have to make saves on your own and the second part where the attacker forces additional saves on the victim by actively "gazing around".

The whole thing in my iew is a little messed up by the fact that the rules of this RPG do not really account for any character direction / facing. And staring at the neck of a medusa from behind in my view can never be an issue. So the argument that just watching a medusa from behind a mirror is lethal is a little weak. I'd assume that any character at any given time gazes out one of his four square sides thus leaving a max. 25% of someone in that direction looking him into the eyes.

Basically what I have difficulties with is that especially for a "gaze attack" the attacker needs no "line of sight", which sounds ridiculous.

So I would think that either gazes are not working at all or at least the "active" gaze attack would be stopped.

Any ideas?

Hi,

the polymorph subschool description explicitly lists vermin as a type of creature I could polymorph into: "When you cast a polymorph spell that changes you into a creature of the animal, dragon, elemental, magical beast, plant, or vermin type, all of your gear melds into your body."

Did I miss something or is there no spell which actually allows to transform into any vermin?

b) is the correct answer.

From PRD -> Magic -> Spell Descriptions -> School (Subschool):

"Polymorph: A polymorph spell transforms your physical body to take on the shape of another creature. While these spells make you appear to be the creature, granting you a +20 bonus on Disguise skill checks, they do not grant you all of the abilities and powers of the creature. Each polymorph spell allows you to assume the form of a creature of a specific type, granting you a number of bonuses to your ability scores and a bonus to your natural armor. In addition, each polymorph spell can grant you a number of other benefits, including movement types, resistances, and senses. If the form you choose grants these benefits, or a greater ability of the same type, you gain the listed benefit. If the form grants a lesser ability of the same type, you gain the lesser ability instead. Your base speed changes to match that of the form you assume. If the form grants a swim or burrow speed, you maintain the ability to breathe if you are swimming or burrowing. The DC for any of these abilities equals your DC for the polymorph spell used to change you into that form."

Now, since an Eagle is a small animal with a Fly speed of 80 ft. (Average Maneuverability), and Beast Shape I allows you to assume the shape of a Small Animal but grants you only a Fly speed of 30 ft. (Average Maneuverability), you can indeed take such a shape - but you would gain only the lesser form of movement among the two (in this case, Fly 30 ft. Average).

As a counter, if you would use Beast Shape III to assume the same Eagle form, you would end with a Fly speed of 80 ft. Average - the lesser between that of the Eagle form and the 'Fly 90 ft. good' granted by the spell.

(as a final case, with a Beast Shape II you would end with a mix of the two, taking the lesser among each one - between '80 ft. Average' from Eagle and '60 ft. Good' from the spell you would end with '60 ft. Average')

Thanks! I wasn't reading these "abilities" as also meaning movement speeds, but as you mention it, it's clearly correct what you say. They talk about "movement types" and "benefits".

So now I can morph into the famous slow motion eagle... :-)

Hi,
if I Beast Shape I into an eagle (original fly speed 80 ft.):
a) can't I do this, because the Spell only confers fly speeds up to 30 ft.? So no shapechange at all?
b) or it works, but I only get an exceptionally slow eagle with fly speed 30 ft.?

I personally would assume a) is correct, but is there any hint on how to read this?

Natural Attacks do not use BAB to determine their number. As these are natural attacks, you gert all of them.

Full text of Natural Attacks
** spoiler omitted **...

Great, thanks. I wasn't aware of that, but yes, it's clear now. :-)

Hi,
reading the lot of posts on beast shape I wonder how many attacks you have after shaping:
If my wizard only has a single +3 BAB and shape changes into a giant octopus:
a) either I interpret the rules in a way that he now still has a single +3 attack, but he can chose between bite and tentacle. OR
b) I give him one bite ad 8 tentacles at +3 each.

In my view both interpretations are in line with the rules "you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature, including proficiency in those attacks. These attacks are based on your base attack bonus, modified by your Strength or Dexterity as appropriate, and use your Strength modifier for determining damage bonuses."

Usually the number of attacks is absed on my BAB (every +5 I get another one).

Is there anything to clarify this?

Hi,

can a creature be affeted by a gaze attack if the creature just is using "alternative" vision methods, such as
- blindsight
- touchsight
- smell
- etc.
Anything which fully replaces ordinary sight (still works with eyes closed) and allows a creature to locate another creature eactly enough to attack it.

Second question: would it work through scrying type spells such as remote viewing?

Hi,
sorry to add one more question to the lot, but is there any public / official rules FAQ on the subject of Polymorph spells such as Beats Shape and if yes, where could I find it?

I basically need to confirm my understandung on three topics:
1. attacks
2. armor class
3. skills

Background:

Lets assume I play a character WIZZARD with 8 STR and +3 BAB. He wears a magic power armor ring which grants him +6 armor bonus and he has a large shield (shield bonus +2) and is under effect of a spell which grants him deflection bonus +3. He also has a tough skin and natural armor bonus +1. Total AC =10+6+2+3+1=22. His climb skill is 5 ranks plus -1 attribute modifier = +4.

He polymorphs with Beast Shape III into a medium size animal FNORD, +2 STR, +2 natural armor bonus. All FNORDS have a +8 climb bonus. They also sport 1 bite attack (+5/1d6+6 damage) and 2 claw attacks (+9/1d8+8).

I currently assume the following:
1. WIZZARD gains 1 bite attack (+3/1d6+6 damage) and 2 claw attacks (+3/1d8+8) = I just have to exchange the attack bonus with WIZZARD'S.
2. WIZZARD gains no other change to his skills than the changed STR, so his climb skill as FNORD now is +5. He doesn't get the racial +8.
3. WIZZARD loses both his ring's armor bonus of +6 and his own natural armor of +1. The latter is replaced by non stacking +2. Thus his total AC drops by -6+1=-5 to 17, since shield and protectice magic still work.

Would this be correct?

Any help appreciated.