is there any way to stop a shadow's strength damage ability? without having to buff yourself beforehand(ie. not casting death ward before you're attacked.)
my worry is that my strength 6, level 12 sorcerer will die in one hit to a cr3 shadow in one lucky, normal hit (from it coming out of the ground(5ft step) and touching me on the surprise round). i don't want to permanently raise my strength just for that though.
i was thinking the deathless quality from UE, but that seems questionable to me, because it seems to imply hp damage, but strength damage is damage caused by negative energy in this instance, and i'm not sure if it qualifies and/or is intended by the magic property it gives.
AURA moderate abjuration CL 7th WEIGHT —
This armor protects its wearer from harmful negative and
positive energy, including channeled energy. The armor
absorbs the first 10 points of positive or negative energy
damage per attack that the wearer would normally take. The
wearer has a 25% chance to ignore negative levels from any
attack. Deathless armor does not block healing of any kind
and does not protect against positive or negative energy
effects that do not deal damage or bestow negative levels.
The deathless ability can be applied to armor of any sort, but
not shields.
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS COST +1 bonus
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, death ward
Yes, there is a ring(fortitude i believe) that reduces ability damage.
Deathless won't work.
ah yes ring of inner fortitude , expensive but it works. although i can see an argument for deathless, even though i believe it shouldn't work either. (i bought it anyway because i liked it, and it's only 3000g to add it to my +1 armor)
There is the 4th level clerical spell Death Ward that might help.
yes i am aware of that, which is why i mentioned it in my post above. the problem though is that i cannot have that on myself at all times, and a single touch of a shadow can kill me in the surprise round.
Ability damage isn't negative energy damage.
Yup... Death Ward will not work with the Shadow's STR attack....
What about Bull STRENGTH potions? Probably the easiest way to offset at least one hit...
Also a normal shadow I would not worry about... its the Greater Shadow you need to worry
Or the Shadow Companion of an 8th level or higher Shadowdancer with iterative attacks...
remember this is for a surprise round or when i do not go first. i have lots of things i could do if i have an action, i'm a level 12 sorcerer. my worry was the first attack killing me.
'Normal' defenses like concealment would be effective (minor cloak of displacement being on of the easier ways to get it continually).
well concealment doesn't stop it from killing me in 1 hit, and that's what i'm looking for. concealment is no different than touch ac in that respect.
i am looking for ways to make sure, absolutely, that there is no possibility, ever, of a shadow killing me with its first attack. after i have a chance to respond i will be fine, as long as i'm alive.
Buying a belt of STR seems to be your only real option.
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Well it won't prevent the damage if you're hit, but force effects like mage armour and/or shield work against incorporeal touch attacks, so you'd at least have a higher AC if you had them running. Deflection bonuses work too, of course.
If you're playing a level 12 Sorcerer your best bet may be everyone's favourite game-breaking spell emergency force sphere (Cheliax book, page 23) for an immediate action defense of the force type which stops the shadow ever being able to touch you in the first place.
Buying a belt of STR seems to be your only real option.
well, no, the ring of inner fortitude i mentioned above would stop it
Well it won't prevent the damage if you're hit, but force effects like mage armour and/or shield work against incorporeal touch attacks, so you'd at least have a higher AC if you had them running. Deflection bonuses work too, of course.
If you're playing a level 12 Sorcerer your best bet may be everyone's favourite game-breaking spell emergency force sphere (Cheliax book, page 23) for an immediate action defense of the force type which stops the shadow ever being able to touch you in the first place.
yes i do have the emergency force sphere, but it is a 10 diameter sphere, which might not be able to stop it since it might alresdy be within the radius from coming up from the ground; and if youre surprised in the surprise round, you cannot take immediate actions.
Actually there is a difference, they could roll a natural 20 and still miss due to a concealment roll. It may not be exactly what you are looking for but it is still an effective defense for you situation.