Greater Spirit Totem: While raging, the spirits that surround the barbarian become dangerous to any enemy adjacent to the barbarian. Living enemies adjacent to the barbarian at the start of her turn take 1d8 points of negative energy damage. In addition, the spirit wisps can now attack foes that are up to 15 feet away from the barbarian and the slam attack deals 1d6 points of negative energy damage.
A couple of quick clarifications:
So if I'm granting this ability to everyone in my party via Raging Song, every enemy adjacent to a party member takes 1d8 negative energy damage on each player's turn. In other words, if four of us had a foe surrounded, that foe would be taking 4d8 negative energy damage/rd plus be potentially subjected to four additional spirit attacks per round? Admittedly those spirit attacks would be pretty weak at that level but its still something.
And similarly, if one member of my party was surrounded by four foes, each of those foes would take 1d8 negative energy damage per round?
Finally, if I am granting the ability, do each of the attacking wisps use my BAB with my CHA bonus regardless or do they each use the BAB & CHA of the particular character they are surrounding?
Thanks in advance!
Yes, each person deals 1d8 negative energy damage to each adjacent living creature.
Yes, a creature can be affected more than once.
The wisps use the skald's BAB and CHA
A strong option is Linnorn Death Curse, Tor combined with summoned stirges.
Greater Spirit Totem is decent for the investment, but not overpowered.
If the skald used a rage power to grant his allies a bite attack whose bab would it use? Why should spirit totem attacks be different? It uses the skald's cha mod because it says so, bab is never mentioned.
If the skald used a rage power to grant his allies a bite attack whose bab would it use? Why should spirit totem attacks be different? It uses the skald's cha mod because it says so, bab is never mentioned.
With a bite attack, the ally is making the attack.
With Spirit Totem, the spirits are making the attack.Or, to refer back to RAW:
These spirits make one slam attack each round against a living foe that is adjacent to the barbarian.
Lesser Spirit Totem differentiates between the spirits and the character. It does not say, "the barbarian makes one slam attack" it says, "these spirits make one slam attack."
To put this in a different perspective: if using Lesser Spirit Totem and the opponent were under the affect of a Fire Shield spell, would you have the character take damage when the spirits attacked?
That is a fair distinction to make, I would rule it as using the ally's bab in the absence of rule text stating it to be the skald's bab, but I will concede the lack of certainty to the rules as written.
Fair enough.
Actually I'm planning on using this as part of an all half-orc party rebuild for the Giantslayer AP. Figured that Spirit Totem would help with the inevitable reach attacks and then realized that the other powers in the chain offered a pretty fair amount of effectiveness as well. Adding 1d8 AoE x4 and +1d6 Sonic damage/attack as well as the benefits of Skald's Vigor, additional Rage Powers and a Rogue Talent all on top of Raging Song really makes this character the party 'engine'... and that's before I've cast a single spell or taken a single swing.
Thanks again for the responses.
Sounds like you have a coordinated plan to use group synergi effekts.
Oh, definitely - the builds are actually already set (presuming the characters max out at 17th in the AP):
Skelsgard, Half-Orc 17th level Red Tongue & Fated Champion
Molgrim and Molgrin "Grim" & "Grin", Half-Orc 2nd level Pack Rager & Wild Rager / 1st level Brawler / 14th level Guide & Skirmisher
Half-Orc 1st level Bloodrager (Arcane) / 16th level Scarred Witch Doctor (original version, Healing Patron)
The backstory borrows heavily from the movie 'Four Brothers' and the characters will already have strong ties built in, both to one another and to the town of Trunau (if you're familiar with the AP, I'd be happy to expound). The characters will all be taking Amplified Rage at 1st level and the twin brothers (identical builds) will be taking a number of additional teamwork feats as well.