Node of Blasting and valid ways to trigger / avoid triggering it

[ShieldLawrence]

So here is a fun little spell out of Occult Adventures (p. 178):

Node of Blasting
School abjuration [mind-affecting]; Level medium 3, mesmerist 3, occultist 2, psychic 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range touch
Target one touched object weighing no more than 10 lbs. Duration permanent until discharged (D)
Saving Throw Will partial; see text; Spell Resistance no
You imbue an object with psychic energy. The node of blasting unleashes a mental blast when a creature with a mind touches the object, dealing 6d6 points of damage to the creature touching the object and causing the creature to be staggered for 1 minute. A successful saving throw halves the damage and negates the staggered condition.
Magic traps such as node of blasting are hard to detect and disable. A character with the trapfinding class feature can use Disable Device to thwart node of blasting. The DCs to find a node of blasting using Perception and to disable it using Disable Device are both equal to 25 + the spell’s level. Additionally, a creature with the read aura occult skill unlock (see page 197) can attempt the same Perception check to notice a node of blasting.

So after I cast this on an object, how can I forcibly trigger it onto an opponent? If I load a stone into a sling, then cast the spell on the stone, Is a successful attack roll enough to blastify my opponent with mental energy? Can I choose to aim at their touch AC and forgo the stone's damage?

After casting, how can I avoid triggering it? If I am wearing gloves/other clothing, am I considered to touch it? Can I use some sort of tool to pick it up? Can I use a cloak or blanket to pick it up?

Would love some ideas on how to use this fun spell! A bagful of marbles seems pretty killer after a few weeks of preparation.

[technarken]

Tube arrow shooter with a marker dye arrow. You don't set it off yourself (or else you'd get zorched as soon as you cast), so keep a tube arrow shooter on each arm with a blast noded dye arrow. Compete with gunslingers.

[carroll42]

Caltrops would work...

Mage Hand wouldn't activate it, but gloves, blanket, cloak, etc would...

Nothing mentions in the spell caster doesn't set it off, so it would be armed as soon as you cast the spell but wouldn't go off unless you left your hand on it. So, Mage Hand or some form of telekinesis would be the easiest.

We ruled it couldn't be used offensively based on...

- Node of Blasting "...6d6 points of damage to the creature touching the object..."
From Symbol of Death: "You can't use a symbol of death offensively; for instance, a touch-triggered symbol of death remains untriggered if an item bearing the symbol of death is used to touch a creature. Likewise, a symbol of death cannot be placed on a weapon and set to activate when the weapon strikes a foe."

*emphasis mine

Also, I think it is worth noting that it is one of the very, very, very few spells that you cast on an object (not a target) that has both a permanent duration and no material cost.

[Lludd]

So Node of Blasting only has verbal spell component. Casting time of standard action.

So if you had a bow in your hand when you start the round. You could cast it on the arrow head. Then next round you attack with the bow normally, the arrow head touches(defined: to come into or be in contact with) creature with a mind. Touch initiates node of blasting.

Damage would be Normal Arrow Damage + 6d6(will save for half, bypasses SR) then staggered for 1 round if fails the save.

It's a 3rd level spell(2nd occultist). Never gets better than 6d6, single target, and takes 2 rounds to pull off. WORSE than a fireball or equivalent.

As a GM I'd allow it. As a player, I'd probably never use it unless I'm fighting a tough spell resistant big bad and the party is out of options.

But I would use it if I was running from something and could get a round ahead of the chaser. Either cast on a door or a floor panel as I run by. If you have a generous GM the chaser will trigger it.

Play on Player!

[Ridiculon]

Lludd wrote:

It's a 3rd level spell(2nd occultist). Never gets better than 6d6, single target, and takes 2 rounds to pull off. WORSE than a fireball or equivalent.

As a GM I'd allow it. As a player, I'd probably never use it unless I'm fighting a tough spell resistant big bad and the party is out of options.

mm, i actually had an idea about this spell. I would spend several weeks preparing pebbles (the toon was a stone oracle / occultist) and leaving them on a 5x5 piece of cloth, being careful not to touch them and get mind blasted. After i thought i had enough, or ran out of time, id use the treasure stitching spell on the cloth, then id sew the cloth up into a crude sack and hit the road.

Whenever i ran into the biggest baddie around id roll CMB's until i could slip the sack over the dude's head, then undo the treasure stitching and viola! arbitrary amounts of mind blasting damage 4u

[Velisruna]

Planning on using this on my minion occultist. The necromancy implement has a focus power that lets you summon a human skeleton or zombie for 10 minutes/level and the minion scales as you level. Since its mindless you can give it a weapon then cast Node of Blasting on the weapon so the first enemy it hits (that isn't mindless) gets blasted and possibly staggered. It's not major but it is a buff that can be cast before combat and is guaranteed to last until your next combat; plus the chance of staggering an enemy for an entire combat is nice.