Broken Spells in SC and Broken Items in MIC?

[Vegepygmy]

What Items/Spells do you consider broken from these two books?

Goggles of Foefinding.
2,500 gp to ignore cover bonuses to AC.

 

[AnonymousOne]

Goggles of Foefinding.
2,500 gp to ignore cover bonuses to AC.

Why is this broken again? You still can't Make AoO against an enemy with cover, they still get reflex saves and hide bonuses....

 

[brehobit]

The Shirt notifies you whenever a Level 4 or lower healing spell is cast within 30 feet. If a healing spell (any, not just 4th level or lower) is cast within 30 feet, 3 times a day you can have it affect you instead of the intended target. 8000gp.

The potential exploit I see with this is that it allows the party cleric to heal the wearer at range (admittedly only 30 feet) by healing himself or the character standing next to him and having the wearer steal it. Still, close-ranged healing on one party member 3/day isn't game-breaking. It would be if it was unlimited- but it isn't.

The intended use- stealing the enemy's healing spells- isn't broken either, for these reasons:
It's only 3/day, so may tip the balance of one encounter per day- but probably won't.

Dude. That's huge. Just auto-negating a "Heal" spell is a big deal in a higher-level fight. _taking_ the spell is also handy. It's like being able to re-target any evocation 3/day. Sure it's not that great as most fights don't have the baddies throwing one around. But when you do, it makes an overwhelming difference.

It it only allowed the re-direction of healing spells level 4 and down, then *eh*. But at 15th+ level the 8K is nothing for such an overwhelming power. I can't think of a party that wouldn't cry foul were it used against them.

Mark

 

[Mistwell]

Dude. That's huge. Just auto-negating a "Heal" spell is a big deal in a higher-level fight. _taking_ the spell is also handy. It's like being able to re-target any evocation 3/day. Sure it's not that great as most fights don't have the baddies throwing one around. But when you do, it makes an overwhelming difference.

It it only allowed the re-direction of healing spells level 4 and down, then *eh*. But at 15th+ level the 8K is nothing for such an overwhelming power. I can't think of a party that wouldn't cry foul were it used against them.

Mark

I can't imagine a 15+ party using a 4th level or lower spell in the midst of a big battle that often. If you are burning a standard action to heal during a high level battle, it's usually not going to be a 4th level or lower spell. I also think the close range makes it unlikely as well. And while you can use it on any healing spell, you have to know it's a healing spell being cast. And it takes up the torso slot (which means no vest of resistance, for example). And it costs 4% of your wealth to have this item at 15th level. I really think you are exaggerating the usefulness of the item. I can imagine MOST people wouldn't care about this item.

 

[DeathOfRats]

If a healing spell (any, not just 4th level or lower) is cast within 30 feet, 3 times a day you can have it affect you instead of the intended target.

You can get it to work with Heal too though, which is an awesome spell to steal from that nasty dragon wanting to keep itself alive...

 

[Zurai]

Dude. That's huge. Just auto-negating a "Heal" spell is a big deal in a higher-level fight. _taking_ the spell is also handy. It's like being able to re-target any evocation 3/day. Sure it's not that great as most fights don't have the baddies throwing one around. But when you do, it makes an overwhelming difference.

To steal a heal spell, you have to know the heal spell is being cast, which means you have to be able to make a (trained only) DC 20+ spellcraft check (and that's if it's an NPC Adept casting the spell; it's DC 21 for clerics and DC 22 for druids casting). That means, presumably, you need to be a spellcaster of some sort within 30' of the caster of the spell, so probably within 25' of the target of the spell (during the enemy's turn), and you have to give up casting a quickened/swift action spell on your next turn, and it's only 3/day.

I don't see a major problem with it.

 

[Mistwell]

If a healing spell (any, not just 4th level or lower) is cast within 30 feet, 3 times a day you can have it affect you instead of the intended target.

You can get it to work with Heal too though, which is an awesome spell to steal from that nasty dragon wanting to keep itself alive...

Only if you know the spell is being cast, and only if it is cast within 30 feet of you. How often is an older dragon casting a healing spell within 30 feet of you on itself, given it's flight and flight speed? How often do you know it is doing it?

 

[Elethiomel]

Only if you know the spell is being cast, and only if it is cast within 30 feet of you. How often is an older dragon casting a healing spell within 30 feet of you on itself, given it's flight and flight speed? How often do you know it is doing it?

There was an aspect of parties of PCs crying foul as NPCs used this against them. In a fight against a buff-happy Cleric, for instance, this could tip the balance of the fight. "So, you want to Heal your meatshield? Well, no. You'll Heal me instead."

 

[brehobit]

There was an aspect of parties of PCs crying foul as NPCs used this against them. In a fight against a buff-happy Cleric, for instance, this could tip the balance of the fight. "So, you want to Heal your meatshield? Well, no. You'll Heal me instead."

Yep. This really should have a caster level check. Otherwise it's just scary-powerful.

And a caster giving up a swift action to negate a heal spell is a low price. Again, would you allow this with a class of attack spells? Say all evocations? It's pretty similar from a power-level viewpoint.

Mark

 

[Zurai]

And a caster giving up a swift action to negate a heal spell is a low price. Again, would you allow this with a class of attack spells? Say all evocations? It's pretty similar from a power-level viewpoint.

Mark

But is being within easy attack range of the person casting the heal spell a low price? 30 feet is 6 squares! 4 on a diagonal. Hell, some monsters can do a full melee attack from that distance without even moving. From an NPC shirt-user perspective, you're within close-range spell range, charging power attacking barbarian range, etc. I'm sorry, I really am not very frightened by this item.

And yes, I'd allow a shirt that allowed you to re-target any evocation cast within 30' of you to yourself. Hell, I'd even call it a cursed item.