What is the best beast shape II form for my transmuter?
For melee or for utility?
For melee, I'd think either a giant octopus or a dire tiger (perhaps).
For melee or for utility?
For melee, I'd think either a giant octopus or a dire tiger (perhaps).
Mostly looking for a combat form.
Dire Tiger is the best with 2d4 claws and 2d6 bite+grab and the pounce and rake ability.
Beast Shape II doesn't give you Rake. Pounce is still good, though.
Giant octopus looks promising for battlefield control with its 20-foot reach.
I've leveled up and am now looking for the best beast shape 4 forms (for combat). Anyone care to help me find them?
I've leveled up and am now looking for the best beast shape 4 forms (for combat). Anyone care to help me find them?I am curious regarding the efficiency of your character.
Can you really fight with beast shape form?What are your character stats?
It seems to me that the base attack bonus of the wizard is too low to be really efficient, isn't it? I understand that damage can be ok with arcane strike and huge strength but because of size penalty, all beast shape give only +1 bonus to attack.
Here's the character at 10th-level.
I'm currently updating the sheet to 11th, so I haven't uploaded it to the web yet, but the stats are about the same.
At 11th, I have 116 hp, beast shape IV, and the Multimorph arcane discovery from Ultimate Magic (which lets me change forms several times during one casting).
I've leveled up and am now looking for the best beast shape 4 forms (for combat). Anyone care to help me find them?I am curious regarding the efficiency of your character.
Can you really fight with beast shape form?What are your character stats?
It seems to me that the base attack bonus of the wizard is too low to be really efficient, isn't it? I understand that damage can be ok with arcane strike and huge strength but because of size penalty, all beast shape give only +1 bonus to attack.
Here's the character at 10th-level.
I'm currently updating the sheet to 11th, so I haven't uploaded it to the web yet, but the stats are about the same.
At 11th, I have 116 hp, beast shape IV, and the Multimorph arcane discovery from Ultimate Magic (which lets me change forms several times during one casting).
Damn, you've got some nice gear! Your character looks pretty tough for a wizard, nice job.
So how does he fair in melee? Curious to see if a melee wizard is even possible without multiclassing.
So how does he fair in melee? Curious to see if a melee wizard is even possible without multiclassing.
It's very possible. We have a melee-focused wizard illusionist in our current TT game who's been working out great. Of course, melee is a young man's game, and as we're crossing into level 10+ territory his buff/debuff capabilities are starting to have a much greater impact on a fight than any amount of melee damage ever could. Pre-10 it works well though.
Catoblepas looks astounding! That breath weapon is FEARSOME, plus it has great reach and natural attacks for a large creature AND trample.
It's very possible. We have a melee-focused wizard illusionist in our current TT game who's been working out great. Of course, melee is a young man's game, and as we're crossing into level 10+ territory his buff/debuff capabilities are starting to have a much greater impact on a fight than any amount of melee damage ever could. Pre-10 it works well though.
So how does he fair in melee? Curious to see if a melee wizard is even possible without multiclassing.
Can you give me some more details? I'm planning on playing a high strength sorcerer who does some meleeing from time to time, and would love to hear some details about the illusionist and how he pulls it off.
WTF? You have a ballista? In your pocket?
WTF? You have a ballista? In your pocket?You seem shocked?? they go along with the 5-foot patches of lava (shrunk via shrink item, 5)
What can I say? He's something of a hoarder.
What can I say? He's something of a hoarder.WTF? You have a ballista? In your pocket?You seem shocked?? they go along with the 5-foot patches of lava (shrunk via shrink item, 5)
Blarg. Double post.
What can I say? He's something of a hoarder.WTF? You have a ballista? In your pocket?You seem shocked?? they go along with the 5-foot patches of lava (shrunk via shrink item, 5)
You never know when you'll need a ballista. Or a 5ft patch of lava shrunken via Shrink Item.
You never know when you'll need a ballista. Or a 5ft patch of lava shrunken via Shrink Item.What can I say? He's something of a hoarder.WTF? You have a ballista? In your pocket?You seem shocked?? they go along with the 5-foot patches of lava (shrunk via shrink item, 5)
That's right! A ballista's extreme range, the impassibility of a temporary lava river, or the noise generated by a shrieker mushroom may be invaluable at some point. You just never know. :P
How do you keep the lava hot and stop it burning everything else?
Giant Octopus. Mix in fly/levitate with that 20ft reach, or party buffs, and you have a crazy combat machine. I was able to solo lv +3 encounters as a arcane heirophant in LG.
With the 3p revision spelling out available abilities, it looks like Roper is no longer an option for the higher level beast shape, the (ex) ability to shoot 6 strands under 3.5 to sap str per hit was also effective.
How do you keep the lava hot and stop it burning everything else?
Well, when it is shrunk, it's like a bit of cloth, which is harmless.
Once I bring it forth, however...
...I don't. It will burn everything it touches until it cools down. :P
I threw a patch on a sailing ship to set it on fire once.
Aah - missed the clothlike part of it. Nice DM to let you cast it not on just items, but on liquids / solids, et al.
Aah - missed the clothlike part of it. Nice DM to let you cast it not on just items, but on liquids / solids, et al.
"Even a burning fire and its fuel can be shrunk by this spell."
I'd say that gives a lot of leeway in what can and cannot be shrunk. What is lava, but super heated rock? You'd be hard press to argue that it isn't a form of "fire and fuel."
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RD, you are my hero.
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"Even a burning fire and its fuel can be shrunk by this spell."
I'd say that gives a lot of leeway in what can and cannot be shrunk. What is lava, but super heated rock? You'd be hard press to argue that it isn't a form of "fire and fuel."
Shrink item is glorious. Back in 2nd edition, we had a wizard use it on a pool of green slime, and then, later, drop it on some enemies.
Even just using it on a stone section of wall or floor can be fun. Every *ton* of stone becomes a half lb. of weight in your Haversack, and you can easily chuck it at people (or at the ground, to create a portable 'wall of stone' or debris field), or, in one memorable instance, have the party Rogue use Pick Pockets to slip it into someone's clothing or backpack, and then cause it to turn back into a couple of tons worth of whatever.
We've never done a solo game with a wizard, but I did run a solo game for a friend playing a low-level orc-hating Ranger, in which he used traps and guerilla tactics and his faithful war-dog companion to eliminate an entire tribe of 40 orcs. In the final battle, it was him versus the chieftan, while his dog took out all three of the chief's bodyguards. (The orc chief was way tougher, but still, it looked funny that the dog had taken out three times as many foes in that fight.) It gave the Ranger enough exp to catch up with the others (he'd missed some sessions, because of work), and pretty much made up for the fact that there hadn't been any orcs (his favored enemy) in the adventure so far.
I've seen good solo use of a Rogue in such a situation as well, using traps and poison and some subterfuge, as well, but would be challenged to come up with a suitable Cleric or Fighter oriented solo challenge against a tribe / army of foes, and there's always a need for the GM and player to be willing to work together to tell a good story, without it becoming pointlessly adversarial (nothing works, because the GM doesn't want it to) or a meaningless cakewalk (everything works, and the bad-guys do *nothing* to challenge and upset the players plans and force some hasty improvisation).
I'd say that gives a lot of leeway in what can and cannot be shrunk. What is lava, but super heated rock? You'd be hard press to argue that it isn't a form of "fire and fuel."
Leeway but not carte blanche. I'll just re-state what I said to start.
Nice for you that your DM is into that sort of thing. I'm not :)
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Aah - missed the clothlike part of it. Nice DM to let you cast it not on just items, but on liquids / solids, et al."Even a burning fire and its fuel can be shrunk by this spell."
I'd say that gives a lot of leeway in what can and cannot be shrunk. What is lava, but super heated rock? You'd be hard press to argue that it isn't a form of "fire and fuel."
I would think that lave made tiny would cool quite quickly and become a big chunk of basalt. Most of the dangers presented by lava are when it is in an uncrusted, molten form. I also find it hard to see it as fuel, as nothing is being consumed, nor it it on fire. It is simply rock in a liquid state.
Here's the character at 10th-level.Character Hook: Shall I devour you too?
That sounds interesting indeed, care to elaborate?
...You'd be hard press to argue that it isn't a form of "fire and fuel."
Yes, but how did you retrieve it after shrinking it? Shrinking a patch of lava in a river/sea of lava I would say the shrunk item simply is "destroyed" the moment it is created by being drenched in the lava that rushes in to close the gap.
...You'd be hard press to argue that it isn't a form of "fire and fuel."Yes, but how did you retrieve it after shrinking it? Shrinking a patch of lava in a river/sea of lava I would say the shrunk item simply is "destroyed" the moment it is created by being drenched in the lava that rushes in to close the gap.
It's magic. * ta da!!!* *spirit fingers*
MicMan: I like to think Haylannar dug a hole in the ground near a lava pool. He then dug a small channel allowing the lava to slowly "river" down the channel into his little hole. He then closes off the channel and cast's energy resistance/protection from energy or something.
He then casts shrink item, touches the very small magma pool, and shrinks it.
He picks up the cloth out of the now empty hole and sticks it into his pocket.
Easy for someone with 28 Intelligence. I'm not surprised a non wizard couldn't think up such an elegant solution. :P