Immortals Handbook - Ascension Discussion

[EarthSeraphEdna]

You're technically limited to +5, unless they came up with something new that I've yet to see.

Aside from that, nothing really, but at the point you reach demi-deity, +5 is such a petty little number that it's like throwing minnows to a great white.

Right, right, but the Perfect Body divine ability gives you a +5 inherent bonus to all of your physical ability scores and the Perfect Mind divine ability gives you a +5 inherent bonus to all of your mental ability scores. Also, a +5 inherent bonus isn't exactly a petty bonus for demi-deities, since an "average" ability score for a demi-deity is only 24 and a "good" ability score for a demi-deity is 30, and a demi-deity ideally wants to reach that golden 40 in his key ability scores so that he can meet the prerequisites for various divine abilities.

While we're on the topic of ability scores, I'd just like to say that the Lord of Perfection cosmic ability (which is incorrectly labeled "Lord of Individuality" for some reason, when that should be the name of the double-transcendental ability that grants you the Amidah template) is incredibly good for its value. It's worth taking Lord of Perfection for the +15 bonus to all ability scores alone, and the AC, attack, save bonus, and save DC bonuses make it all the more better. I can't imagine any immortal not taking this cosmic ability.

 

[EarthSeraphEdna]

I just noticed that in the Epic Level Handbook, the atropal has Weapon Focus (eye ray) and Weapon Focus (touch). Could a fighter deity with, say, Uncanny Cosmic Mastery take Weapon Focus (Uncanny Cosmic Mastery) and then build up the feat/ability chain to take Perfect Weapon Specialization (Uncanny Cosmic Mastery) so that his Beam and Hand, the two options that require both attack and damage rolls, deal maximum damage? Or could he simply work his way towards Perfect Weapon Specialization (Uncanny Cosmic Beam) so that his Beam deals maximum damage?

 

[mercucio]

Oh, and what's stopping an immortal from using his daily Wish spell-like abilities to gain permanent inherent bonuses on all of his ability scores? A demi-deity has 6 free Wishes per day, so over the course of just 6 days, he can grant himself a +5 inherent bonus to all of his ability scores.

U_K's statement that deities need to pay the XP cost of any SLA they use. It'd be much easier to note if U_K update the SLA section (*hint*) .

 

[dante58701]

Of course none of this answers my original question regarding positive energy damage affecting the living. =^.^=

 

[S'mon]

Hello again, me here!

Wait, wait, wait, doesn't that push it straight to the other end of the extreme spectrum, making immortals succeed at saving throws 95% of the time? A lesser deity with 55 HD (ECL 95) and 35 in all of his ability scores will have a save bonus of +47, but save DCs of only DC 40. Something's wrong there.

Yes its called 3E. The problem is unavoidable without ridiculous amounts of railroading. So either you have to take the lesser of two evils whereby immortals are almost certain to save (which in effect mimics previous editions), rather than almost certain to fail.

Also, how should the save DCs for spells be handled? As it is, an empowered x20 meteor swarm (a 49th-level spell) still has a save DC of only 19 + relevant ability score modifier, which is very low, needless to say. Perhaps Heighten Spell should be built-in for all spells modified by Automatic Metamagic Capacity, so an empowered x20 meteor swarm is automatically heightened to 49th-level?

I would allow a heighten spell to increase the DC by one per level (of the metamagic), but that of course means that you cannot add other stuff to the spell - which I think is pretty fair.

 

[S'mon]

Hiya mate!

So again i ask, why does ability scores from items remain intact? What makes them so superior to divine power that items are unaffected where divine(or better) powers are?

I see that as a secondary source thats not part of the immortal - though you could supposedly argue that artifacts were part of the deity I suppose.

 

[S'mon]

Hello!

I've noticed that in the book, there are two different kinds of DCs that are arbitrarily set for different abilities: (DC 10 + 1/2 Hit Dice + relevant ability score modifier + divine rank), and (DC 20 + relevant ability score modifier + divine rank). Negative Energy [Effect], for example, uses the former, whereas the disintegration aspect of Atomic [Effect] uses the latter. The book really needs some more editing.

The DC 10 + 1/2 is wrong on all accounts.

I hope you don't mind, U_K, but I've already removed the watermark on my PDF, and I've already begun to edit things that are obviously errors. Perhaps I can send it to you when I'm done?

The problem with that approach is that I cannot edit pdfs so I still have to make changes to the original document and I won't know what they are if you are editing freely.

So unless you are making a note of what changes you are making its not going to show up in future pdfs.

Also, about the Third Eye divine ability: if you use it to fire off a Beam (from an [Effect] ability) as a free action and then use a Hand as a standard action, do the Beam and the Hand each get their full damage, or is the damage for each halved? I'm thinking that the damage should be halved, because if both the Beam and the Hand get their full damage, then that would make Third Eye effectively double the overall effectiveness of an [Effect] ability.

Third Eye does indeed let you double the effectiveness of a Beam [Effect].

Oh, and what's stopping an immortal from using his daily Wish spell-like abilities to gain permanent inherent bonuses on all of his ability scores? A demi-deity has 6 free Wishes per day, so over the course of just 6 days, he can grant himself a +5 inherent bonus to all of his ability scores.

Wishes cost EXP and/or Quintessence unless you can get someone else to pay the cast and they won't if the wish is for you.

 

[S'mon]

Hey dude!

Positive Energy [Effect]...

Why does it inflict damage upon any target?

Shouldn't it heal the living, harm the undead, and really harm sunlight vulnerable undead?

Or is Positive Energy [Effect] disruptive positive energy?

Or is Positive Energy [Effect] partly a LIGHT [Effect]?

Maybe Positive Energy [Effect] is a disruptive positive energy blast that radiates pure light?

As is it strikes me as more of a Radiance [Effect].

I've seen examples of positive energy damage, but it always seems to effect undead.

Well I think you can do it a number of ways - there are no right or wrong answers.

Personally I see it as Radiant Damage, which means it is sort of like a Laser.

 

[S'mon]

I just noticed that in the Epic Level Handbook, the atropal has Weapon Focus (eye ray) and Weapon Focus (touch). Could a fighter deity with, say, Uncanny Cosmic Mastery take Weapon Focus (Uncanny Cosmic Mastery) and then build up the feat/ability chain to take Perfect Weapon Specialization (Uncanny Cosmic Mastery) so that his Beam and Hand, the two options that require both attack and damage rolls, deal maximum damage? Or could he simply work his way towards Perfect Weapon Specialization (Uncanny Cosmic Beam) so that his Beam deals maximum damage?

I think the easier of the two options (the first, off the top of my head).

Of course remember that using Beam and Hand in the same round will divide the damage...unless you had Third Eye of course.

 

[WarDragon]

The sun is made of positive energy in D&D terms, and it still burns. Anything is harmful if you get too much of it.