|
OK, here's the plan.
I'm exploring a weird idea for my wizard character: Portable traps.
The Shrink Item spell used on a device that is a quick-to-deploy or even "toss it, and stand back" way of laying a trap on an active battlefield.
Yes, it's a weird idea I know, but that's what makes it cool.
___________________________________________________________________
In game terms, this idea springs from the following strategy:
A) Craft a headband of vast intellect (+2) that has the craft-trap making skill on it. Or if you like, spend your own skill points as normal.
B) Add your big INT bonus and the Crafter's Fortune spell. At level 10 and Taking 10 on the roll this will get you an easy 34 on the roll, a 36 if your familiar helps.
C) Make the trap in 1 minute's time using the fabricate spell.
This means the cost of making the trap is 1/3 normal and the time cost is negligible.
______________________________________________________________________
Here are the rules:
1) It should take no more than a minute to deploy (after being un-shrunk)
2) Shrink Item only works on non-magical items, so if there is a magic component to it, this must be added after the it is un-shrunk.
3) Alchemical components are allowed and encouraged
4) Extra points are given for "toss and stand back" devices that can be deployed as a standard action, or with familiar assistance.
5) The device MAY be manually operated.
6) Remember that there is a 2 cubic feat/level limit to shrunk items, but that fires can be effected by the shrink Item spell.
Example: A loaded Ballista that can be deployed by the wizard and triggered by the wizard's familiar. Give it an alchemical warhead if you like.
NOTES:
1) Best entries will get added (with credits) to a follow-up thread that will condense all ideas for community use.
2) The damage done by the trap should be proportional to the amount of money spent. Use a scroll of equivalent cost to roughly gauge the power of the trap.
3) Summoned monsters may be deployed to operate the device.
Might want to fix that title though.
Not a trap per-se, but someone else came up with the idea of a portable fire bead (magic item). Toss in enemy's square and activate. They are now in difficult terrain and over a fire.
/cevah
Build a bonfire. Shrink it. Insert it into a flask of oil. Shrink the flask of oil. Insert it into another flask of oil. Rinse, repeat.
I'm curious now. Can you use shrink item on a mechanical or magical trap? It isn't a creature, but does it count as an item?
Also of note: throw a shrunken cage/net, issue command word while airborne. Would it even allow a save?
...Right off the bat you got some problems with your understanding of shrink item, it says very specifically it only works on non-magical items, so no you cant put a shrunken flask into a flask and shrink it again...
As much as I enjoy being told that I'm wrong without any attempt being made to help me understand the subject, perhaps someone else could clear this up for me...
Which part of this spell states that every object that you shrink with it becomes magical, or should be treated as magical?
You are able to shrink one nonmagical item (if it is within the size limit) to 1/16 of its normal size in each dimension (to about 1/4,000 the original volume and mass). This change effectively reduces the object's size by four categories. Optionally, you can also change its now shrunken composition to a clothlike one. Objects changed by a shrink item spell can be returned to normal composition and size merely by tossing them onto any solid surface or by a word of command from the original caster. Even a burning fire and its fuel can be shrunk by this spell. Restoring the shrunken object to its normal size and composition ends the spell.
Shrink item can be made permanent with a permanency spell, in which case the affected object can be shrunk and expanded an indefinite number of times, but only by the original caster.
|
|
@ Abonics:
Hmm, well I would say if the item has been enchanted or has an active spell on it then it is "magical" for the purpose of shrink item. So no shrunk item in a shrunk item (neat idea though).
@Baalbamoth:
First off, nice ideas! Also, thanks for the link.
I would say that fabricated items are NOT magical because it has a duration of "instantaneous," so the magic is gone by the time the item is created.
Similarly, an item crafted using a craft skill is not magical unless it is subsequently enchanted. thus, alchemical items are just fantasy chemistry, so they don't count as magical.
Now either of you guys can argue these points, but if you can argue them, then so can my DM, and at the end of the day it's his opinion that matters, so let's just put that down as "your mileage may vary."
So that said: My contest, my rules:
Alchemical and Fabricated items CAN be shrunk.
Objects with spells cast on them CANNOT be shrunk.
@ spaceballs:
Throwing a shrunk item and issuing the command is not going to work, because:
1) Throwing the item is a standard action
2) Issuing the command is ANOTHER standard action
Therefore, you must either:
1) Have the effect go off when it lands (meeting the “tossed on a solid surface” requirement)
2) Fly over the target and say the magic word dropping it from the air
3) Both 1&2 – fly up to the ceiling and toss it onto the ceiling. This trick is necessary to have your familiar activate the item for you.
Note that if a trap is going to be aimed at a target (like the ballista) it usually CANNOT be tossed onto the ground since this will cause it to land with a random facing and/or orientation. So shrunk items come in the following categories:
1) Items that must be deployed to be properly oriented – these require a command-word activation to be set up properly (example – a ballista).
2) Items that must be command-word activated AND placed to drop on a target, usually by the wizard flying to position (example – a cage or a net).
3) Items that can simply be dropped on the target if anyone tosses them on the ceiling (example – a boulder).
4) Items that can be tossed by anyone to cause the effect (example a REALLY BIG flask of alchemist’s fire).
Some items can be reasonably moved from category 1 to category 4 by putting a heavy weight on the bottom and having a area of effect.
For example, a bomb-shaped device that is nose-heavy, so it lands nose down. When it strikes it’s nose-cone, a fusillade of poison darts fires off in all directions.
A more low-tech example would be a simple “porcupine” of wooden spikes, sticking out of a pallet in all directions. Bolt this onto a rock. Toss it in a square, and you fill that square with a big spikey barricade, that is treated as rough terrain.
My contest, my rules:
Alchemical and Fabricated items CAN be shrunk.
Objects with spells cast on them CANNOT be shrunk.
Works for me. Moving on then:
Flask of poison with a shrunken campfire in it = Instant cloud of poisonous steam.
Use your shrink ray on any of the following:
Walls/doors/portcullises
Boulders
A cloud of boiling hot steam
Any object of Large size or larger
A burning cart/house/tower
A pallet of 16 tuns of beer/wine/oil/alchemical grease/glue etc.
Any piece of siege equipment
Any of the above, once thrown in the right place and thus returned to the right size is a scene-changer. As far as mechanical traps go, any external non-magical trap will do. A statue with a scything blade trap built in; another statue with a Wyvern Arrow trap in the mouth; heck you might even shrink down a Chamber of Blades trap if high enough level so that, when thrown on the ground your enemies in a 20' area are surrounded by a cage of whirling blades making attacks on them constantly.
|
|
Some good ideas, but I'm not sure about the steam, and some of those items look like they exceed the size limit of the spell unless VERY high level.
On second thought, I really like that steaming idea -
create a blown glass orb full of water, boil it and make a steam bomb.
Heck, attach it to a tanglefoot bag.
@PSusac: Well now I feel silly. Should have realized that was two standard actions. Thanks for catching that.
Assuming we fly up and drop the object then use the command word, are there rules for how a falling cage like that would work though? I'm not even sure where to begin looking in the rules for examples of things like this. Sorry if this is an obvious one that i'm missing.