VRDragon's page

I was poking around and enjoy ranged weapons in general. One item I found while on a wiki for some DnD stuff was a Great Crossbow. Its basicly a even bigger heavy crossbow, something I was thinking of adding to the weapons list for my games, along with the minotaur crossbow. And it got me to thinking of something.

As comp bows can be made to account for someone who is really strong, could it be possible to make a crossbow in some manor to take advantage of someone who is really strong? In game it would be by making the string harder to pull back due to it being very strong so it shoots the bolt out alot harder but you have to have the required strength (show by damage mod) to load. In form it works like the comp bow.

One other thing I read about was in anther thread how long it takes to load the bigger crossbows. Could one way to spead them up it enchanting them to shoot bolts of force (Craft Magic Weapon/Armor and the magic missle spell) thus it would be sped up some as a bolt appears as soon as the string is cocked back.

I was curious about others ideas about something like this. Imput?

I have some questions about elementals. It use to be that you had to have a magic weapon or spell to hurt an elemental and that where immune spell effects that where if their elemental group.

So would a normal weapon do any damage to a small elemental or medium one?

Also would a lightning bolt hurt an air elemental, cone of cold on a water element, or acid hurt a earth elemental since these are damage types tied to those elements?

Also do air elementals have the ability to turn invisible since generally elementals are invisible in their elemenal they are made of?

As far as making it intelligent all I can say on that one is maybe you can do something along the lines of "taking 20" but for the sake of the roll the check for an intelligent item. Only a result of 01 results in an intelligent item by chance... idk, purposefully making an intelligent item by yourself would require one hell of an RP investment for my games, not to mention the ego score on that thing would be INSANE.

You would have to count for the spell storing ability, the fact that it would know you are crippled with out it, all of the incidental enchantments you put on it, enhancements, all that.

You can just use the statblock for a quarterstaff man, it doesn't need to be that difficult. Yea it's a little shorter but no other weapon (That I am aware of) is meant to be used as a walking stick/aid.

To be honest I have never seen anyone have an intelligent item in any of my years of playing. What I posted would be an end result after my PC is lvl 18 or 20? its not a thing I just drop loads of money at one time on and say okay I have it.

Well if I wanted to min/max I would have to staff attack all the time. But its not what I had in mind. but Familars can attack in the same round as their wizards. Is that really much?

I was thinking it was be more along the lines of a rod not really a staff it just well looks like metal cane.

I would most like just treat it as a light mace and do 1d6+3 and may drop off the shocking stuff. I am more a fan of force effect magic like Magic Missile, Bigby's hand, wall of force and such.

Making it intelligent kind of makes it a famililar. So it keeps watch over me when my mage is sleeping or distracted.

As far as Ego problems and my character? Its a weapon so will most likely want to defend its creator/owner. Doesn't have a special purpose so it shouldn't get all pissy. It's his arcane bonded item so its not likely he will leave it behind and the weapon would most likely want to be with it's owner at all times so... win/win in concept.

And on the grounds of being a weapon. Its a rod/staff in the shape of a walking stick or such so its fashionable to be carried in public, doesn't draw as much attention as say a longsword, crossbow, etc.

I generally like to make characters and things that are somewhat interesting, different than you expect and don't follow a stiff unflexible model. I dislike cookie cutter crammed into a mold characters. They don't seem any more interesting to me than a sheet of paper with numbers and words like eyes: brown, hair: black... And I have always hated charges they work for general items like wands and such but didn't feel right for an item that is special to a player/character. It costs more but my gun don't go bang bang click click click.

I wasn't wanting to use it as double headed weapon. only 1 head, thats why I wanted to use a glorified metal club or mace. Yet according to the book while a sorcerer can use all simple weapons the wizard gets the short end of the stick. So house rule #1, wizards can use all simple weapons as these are not fancy and do not need years of training to brain something with a morningstar.

I have a universalist wizard and was wanting a item to spprentice hand around and smack stuff with. Also the item would be my arcane bonded item so I wanted to make sure is durable.

So we have my fancied up glorified heavy mace/staff/cane whatever.

Adamantium heavy mace.. er walking stick.

Damage 1d8 damage, hardness 20, Hp 80/120 (how thick/many HP would a Adamantium heavy mace have?).

The end result item I plan to craft with my wizard over the course of his long adventures will end up being something like this.

Staff of Wizardry.

Works as a + 3 shocking burst adamantium club.

Intelligent Item. Int 20, Wis 16, Char 10. Communication: Telepathy. Senses: Range 120' and darkvision. Skills: Perception + 5.

Spell Like abilities.

The head of the staff can glow and creates light like a torch. The effect can be surpressed and reinstated as a swift action.

With a Command word the staff's owner can cast magic missle as a 9th level wizard. Unlimited charges. The intelligent weapon can also invoke this ability itself to protect its wizard.

While holding the staff the wizard is under the permenent effect of a shield spell. ( +4 AC and immune to the magic missle spell ).

Spell Storing as the weapon effect. stores one 3rd lvl or lower spell with can be cast. The weapon can invoke this spell if needed to protect its wizard.

It's something I plan to use as a weapon to help conserve spells for bigger threats. And after so many levels unlimited crantrips just don't cut it any more.

Okay one thing I have been curious about in the book it says wizards are gimply limited to a small portion the simple weapon list.

One thing gets me is wizards can use a Quarterstaff, yet this is a 2 headed weapon.

Anther thing is it ways wizards can use clubs. the book shows what a club looks like and list stats. but it doesn't talk about them in the description part.

I am making a wizard with arcane bond to a staff (not QS) and I was wondering what kind of damage does it do?

Also could a wizard's staff be made out of metal, say adamantium? I was wondering for sake of crafting rods later.

Is there some master list of abilities for creating your own races and how they would effect that races CR or LA or such?

Say you wanted to make a Human but it has wings and that was the only difference from the standard.

Also When creating a new race if you pice its type or group. Does each group have its over CR mod or something?

I am still considering the Dragon Disciple Option, but I am not overly impressed by it. Just slapping a half-dragon template on my critter seems to have the same effect as I use a house rule of Hit Dice = to Class Lvl dice so his breath weapon will grow some.

So far this is what I've considered to build him as.

Kobold Half-dragon, Dragon Blood Sorcerer.

Half-dragon makes him less weak. But I may just make a version of a dwarf critter minus the giant stuff and give him tone down half-dragon abilities. I want him small and a slow speed is fine. but I would like it if he wasn't a weakling in strength other small critters suffer from. Kobold traps stuff wasn't really something I wanted to bother with. I would see him being turned into a trap making tool for the party if abused.

So he now looks like a giant sized (for a kobold) Kobold, with a thick body and such. Wings that don't turn him into a humming bird on a caffine rush. Killed the light-blindess and I can build him with the point buy system instead of trying to balance the stat stuff ( half-dragon + monster using class levels)

I am still weighting Dragon Disciple vs. H/D though. Prestige classes are find but I've always had aversions to multi-classing for some reason.

I also made a comment about wasting feats and such. This was in reference to someone's suggestion of making him a dragonwrought kobold from Races of the dragon. Burning a Feat for wings, breath weapon, etc Its less paper work for me. But I am looking at all the options I have.

Well this is a small group of friends. just 2 players and 1 GM. They are playing a fighter and a bard so.... magic shouldn't hurt would it?

I kind of want to have something for them to do things with other than the usual crawl dungeon, kill things, loot and sell. I read alot of the stuff in the games today and its always lacking in the RP area save for what I consider a Token gesture at it.

If he doesn't turn out to be a good thing for the group I'll just have him die or run off.

Well I've never really been a fan of multi-classing. Feats are to rare for the magical types I would rather not waste them.

Anther option I was toying with was making something of my own. Some kind of dragonkin like thing. Take the half-dragon template and reverse engineer it into a critter.

Now I have the problem of trying to figure out how to make the party willing to let him tag along and not kill him when they first come along him.

Would lowering the Immunity to select energy type down to a ER 5/energy or something help lower the CR level?

If your DM and the rest party members are ok with the fact that you will be by far, far , far more powerful with no penalties then its a wonderful idea.

By the way KOBOLDS RULE :D

Well this is actually for a GM NPC I wanted to have tag along and kind of be be there for springboarding and other fun stuff. Remember the old "Black Cauldron" movie? I'm making more interesting Gurgy.

Other ideas and stuff, keep'em coming.

What would be a good way to "Improve" a Kobold so its equal to such a human character? Would the Advanced or Giant Templete be better to beaf the little sucker up enough without going off scale?

I had the silly idea that a kobold with a half dragon temp. would be on par with a standard PC human.

I was curious, would adding the half-dragon temp to a Kobold raise it's power level to be higher than a normal human hero class with 1 class lvl? I am confused on how changes in CR and such would equate with normal adventurer party members. Anyone willing to enlighten me please?

Hello everyone. I am new around here and so I beg your pardon on my stupidity when it comes to all things D&D/Pathfinder related. I was looking through different books and stuff and I know the ideas I had pop into my little mind aren't knew or inventive to the general world of gaming. But to me the old saying goes "If I haven't seen it then its new to me" fits. So I ask forgiveness before hand if this it a sore tooth topic or such. But I want to bring my little ideas to light so I can actually see and feel them out.

So my project I want to work on is making a Kobold/ half dragon who is just starting out as a Sorcerer. I was hoping to ask those in the know of such rules and such how this builds. Please help walk me through it?

Starting off.

Kobold is a monster I know. But I wanted to run with the idea.

Base Stats are -4 Str, + 2 dex, - 2 con. Also according to my books is a CR 1/4. It also talks about Kobolds being a -3 to CR instead of -2, head scratcher there sorry.

Next I wanted to drop the half dragon template on it. Effect Raises CR by +2. So what would that make the end CR for a standard Kobold? I have gathered that half dragon is as loved as the redhead stepchild that stole your money. This adds + 8 str, + 6 con, + 2 int, + 2, Cha. I thought it would help even out the -3 CR thing a standard Kobold has. Or would I be better to just make it a Giant Temple then add levels of dragon Deciple?

Next I wanted to make it a starting out Sorcerer. With this tacked on to the above mess how does it all come out in comparison to a lvl 1 human sorcerer? more powerful or roughly same? I am sorry to be both dumb and thick on all this. Please feel free to throw in any other info I should consider. Thanks for the help.

All the CR Stuff I wasn't sure about. They are a 1/4 Cr critter. Then it says a character would be a -3 CR but adding half dragon gives a + 2 CR resulting in still a -1 Cr which is removed by adding 1 lvl of Sorcerer right ? so -3 +2 +1 = 0 CR? DnD math not so good.

I was curious why it seems that as the game progresses its seems to become less magical as far as the number of items that once were craftable are now thrown into the artifact pile?

An example, why is the staff of magi forgoten? Anyone else ever ponder why this trend has been creaping slowly forward?

And while alot of there other classes have become more interesting over time and new ways of being a arcane caster have even come about ( ala Sorc. ) The wizard hasn't really changed much. It seems there is some fear of fiddling with magic or some such. I like the new flavor that has been given to mages they haven't really changed much really. Their Familars are not really worth investing in since its pretty static and growthless. Almost would be better to just tweek up a sorc's power level and chop of the Wiz from the list. No one else uses brains anymore for magic after all.

Anyone else notice or think something along these lines? I would like to know what others thought on the matter.

Okay So if I wanted to make ring of fire balls or lightning bolts but have it do a lower set of dice instead of 5d6 of a lvl 5 caster, how would I do go about scaling a ring thus?

Okay, I think I came at this from the wrong approach vectors.

Since all the other types of companions are based on the animal companion chart and such. How would one GM go about adapting familars to use the same chart for growth?

Ideas and such please? Looking forward to input.

VRDragon wrote:

I was curious mainly because familars seem so static, they get a little smarter and get some natural AC and the like as normal familar progression. but this is something Animal companions get as well but they get a little more detailed and advance in skills and abilities.

Familliars get the MASTER's skill ranks. So they advance in skills when thier masters do. And they have a lot more skills than some dumb animal.

So as a Master gains level and the Familiar's Hit Dice thus increase does it also gain bonus feats, etc like any other improving critter?

Alot of this is kind of focuses towards the more preditory familiar base animals like hawks or the improved familars.

I was curious mainly because familars seem so static, they get a little smarter and get some natural AC and the like as normal familar progression. but this is something Animal companions get as well but they get a little more detailed and advance in skills and abilities.

Improved Famiiliar is great step up. But do familar advance up like characters and get new skill points, feats and such like a Animal Compaion does?

I was also curious since reading over familars and the Animal Compaion info they share alot of some basic stuff in common on the table but Familar advancement info seems to fall off, while paladin mounts, ranger companions and such all use the Animal Ccompanion chart I wasn't sure if/why a familar would be left out. I could see using a different BaB and saves given a familars magical nature.

I can see where metagaming-munchkins could go ape crazy and make some nasty rules/templte mutation nightmares. But I was looking for option to give familars more bells and whistles not turn them into godzilla eating japan.

Just ideas I was hoping something fruitfull might grow out of.

Thank you everyone for the input, I wasn't aware of such limitations. I haven't spent any feats for point blank shot or any or such attack options. Wasn't looking to use meta magic stuff with it either I wasn't looking to create a wizard who goes all warrior weapon focus like with shooting rays and such. Never really understood the thinking to do such.

Yeah, Cantrips worked fine on low level stuff but don't quiet cut the mustard at the middle to upp stuff. And I wasn't looking to create all these rings, just some ideas I had and wanted to ask my GM about.

I thought I read use activated as meaning the item user only has to use the item, in this case do so with desire for ring to work kind of mental command. No magic words, or any such thing. Just think "Burn" and point then its bacon time (Core book P 458, bottom right side).

I was aware of the ring limit of 2, change rings wouldn't have been view by me as no different than swaping out a weapon. I will keep up with my research. Any other things to keep in mind please let me know your thoughts.

Your math is correct. The problem is that most items you are mentioning really shouldn't be rings. Rings generally provide a constant effect onto the wearer (basically the equivalent of range:personal).

Items which cast offensive spells are usually scrolls, wands, rods, or staves. All of which are either uses per day, or number if charges.

I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it's an odd choice, would likely merit increased arbitration by your DM.

While rings normally are as you said passive and long lasting in effect.

The reasons I was looking into rings are:

1: Rings go on the finger and made sense for ray or touch attack rolls.

2: I drew from already listed items like the ring of ram and ring of telekinesis for effect ideas.

3: I was looking for something that I use as a weapon (Magic) and that I can use more often like a fighter can swing a sword and such. In my party, everyone has their little pet weapon that kind of defines them. My GM is running purely from publish modules so if I want something special I have to make it. Well I wanted to make something thats special.

A big step was mainly looking at the costs so I can ask my DM about such things and see which if any he will allow me to make. I am kind of partial to the ring of scortching idea. Low projected cost to make, decent damage, requires a attack roll so as not to be undefendable damage, is an energy effect of fire which has uses of its own.

Besides, my wizard hads wands out the rump but any item of limited uses causes the nomral "Should I save the charges for later" mind set.

I am currently in a pathfinder game and playing a elven wizard. I took the craft ring feat and was wanting to make a magic item to help him when he is out of spells. Yes I know I can use wands but hey don't quiet go with what I was wanting to do.

I was wanting to craft some items that are basicly not limit use litte things but something more special to my character. Also not sure if my cost math is correct. Let me Know?

Example Items:

Ring of Shocking Grasp.

CL 5: Effect 5d6 Electrical Damage on touch attack, Use Activated.

Cost Spell lvl 1 X Caster Lvl 5 X 2000 for a use activated item with no charges limit? so 1 X 5 X 2000 = 10,000 GP?

Ring of Vampiric Touch:

CL 6: Effect Drains 2d6 HP from target of touch attack and transfers them to ring's user. Standard 1 hour duration. Use Activated.

Cost SL 3 X CL 4 X 2000gp = 24,000gp

Ring of Magic Missles:

CL 9: Effect casts Magic Missle at 9th lvl effect (5d4+5 damage), Use Activated. Maybe Command Word?

Cost Spell lvl 1 X Caster Lvl 9 X 2000 gp for a total of 18000 gp?

Ring of Lighting Bolt or Fire Balls:

CL 3, Effect Wearer can cast a 3rd Lvl Fire Balls or Lightning Bolt depending on the spell it was made from. Use Activated no charge Limit.

Cost SL 3 X CL 3 X 2000 gp =18,000 gp ?

Ring of Scortching Ray:

CL 2: Effect casts a lvl 2 Sortching Ray (4d6 fire damage 1 ray only). Use Activated, unlimited charges.

SL 2 X CL 2 X 2000 gp = 8000 gp ?

Are something like this okay to want to create, are these types of items allowable, and am I doing the cost math right?

Advice, etc, please?

Basicly I was looking to make an item or something that I can use as a main weapon for my wizard. Wands are always an option and good for anyman. But I wanted to make something that says, Hey I am a wizard and my weapon is Magic.

Hello,

New to the game but not very experienced with the rules in general. One thing I was curious about is/are Familars. Many people have said they never take them due one reason or anther, alot was to do with the old death penalty and such.

I was wondering if it would be possible and not unbalancing to treat familars as animal companions and advance them as such. Now this isn't to make mages have pet tanks and such as the rangers and druids do. I was mainly looking at ways to evlove them beyond wearable skill buffs.

Any ideas or two cents to throw in? I am looking over the Ani Comp stuff and thinking on it being reflected as a sneaky sneaky type of critter not a full blown combat aid. Keep the low Hit points and such but open up options. I personally think it will open up RP options as well as give a spell caster some not so glass cannon feel.