Custom divine abilities, portfolios, etc.

[Nezkrul]

does Uncanny Weapon Focus divine ability lessen or even remove the penalty for using Manyshot feat? (the -2 per arrow)

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi there Nezkrul!

I've seen all your questions and I'll try to respond to all of them tomorrow (working tonight).

 

[Nezkrul]

Has anyone submitted an Incarnum Portfolio? (the Incarnum domain is in the Magic of Incarnum supplement)

 

[Nezkrul]

how about this for Incarnum Portfolio:

Disciple- Spell-like abilities- use any spells from incarnum domain.
Aversion to Magic- any soulmeld that you shape takes up the slot on your body associated with it so that you cannot also benefit from a magic item on that body slot.
Chakra Dependency- you take a competence penalty (equal to divine rank) on all rolls if you do not have a soulmeld bound to a chakra
Prophet- Incarnum Mastery- increase your essentia capacity by your divine rank for all incarnum abilities/feats/class features, and you gain bonus essentia points equal to your divine rank
Hero-Deity- Scion of Incarnum- Whenever you have a soulmeld bound to all of your chakras open to you, you gain a competence bonus equal to divine rank on attacks, saves, and armor class.
Quasi-deity- Incarnate Servants- any creature you summon gains the benefits of a soulmeld, that you know, shaped by you, at maximum essentia capacity based on the summoned creature's HD/level
Demi-deity- Embodiment of Incarnum- whenever you gain power points for slaying enemies, you gain an extra share (or twice as much if you alone slay the enemy)
Lesser deity- Superior Divine [effect]- assault your enemies with divine based attacks
Intermediate deity- Uncanny Divine Mastery- pick and choose which potential targets are affected by your Superior Divine [effect]
Greater deity- Cerulean Soul- As long as you have a soulmeld bound to a chakra, you gain regeneration equal to half your hit dice/levels.
Elder One- Incarnum Messiah- creatures with the [incarnum] subtype with a divine rank lower than yours cannot harm you (no save)
Cosmic Imperfection (Entropy)- One artifact in the universe can defeat your cosmic string ability
Old One- Pariah of Entropy- necromantic spells/effects cease to function in your divine realm

Single Portfolio gives your manifestation a visible aura whose color is based on your mood, red for anger, blue for sad, green for arousal, etc.. you cannot hide the aura, and if you change shape you retain it.

-still working on the double portfolio

 

[Mr.Satan]

I've never liked Incarnum.

It's basically just a watered down and mutilated variation of magic item creation blended with the soulknife class to make it seem all spiritual, with the words chakra and essentia thrown around a lot.

It's probably the most poorly thought out book that WOTC ever created. When I bought it, I got it so others could use it. It never once saw use in any of the campaigns I was in. Waste of money IMO.

Why would anyone waste class levels on weak little built in magic items, when they can just take real classes and purchase magic items that don't suck or build their own?

Sure...at low levels it might be ok, but once you get past level 5, it becomes increasingly more sensible to take ordinary class levels. :\

Not saying this to be a jerk. I just really never found much of a way to feasibly employ Incarnum. It seemed too tacked on of a system.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Howdy Nezkrul!

apologies for taking so long to get back to you on this - it was a bit daunting.

Half-Dragon (Dragon Lord divine ability) gives 4 ac and +8 str +2 con +2 int +2 cha, sleep/paralysis immunity, and a energy type immunity of your choice (no vulnerability); IMO Woodling is in line with the power gain of that one, hence why I presented it (natural ac doesn't help against the unerring weapon special ability; nor any other types of touch attacks)

I probably bent a few rules to squeeze in the Half-Dragon template but the Woodling does look better on paper (because of the Plant Traits I think). I guess its up to individual DMs.

Thanks for the answers though; but on to more questions

Fire away.

1. Spell Shot divine ability; only requires 25 spellcraft ranks and 11 int (+1 per time you take the ability); what spells can you shoot? I see no prerequisite of "must be able to cast the spell you want to shoot as ammo"; is it literally what ever spell the character knows to exist that can feasibly be used as an "attack"?

You need to be able to cast the spell (as a spell or spell-like ability)

what about spells that don't use attack rolls? (charm person, grease, fireball, magic missile, etc.) Ranged touch attack spells are still ranged touch?

You attack with the bow - if you hit, the spell goes off. That said, for something like fireball, you may not need to hit the target to catch them in the blast of course.

Does your ammo allow spell resistance if the spell it emulates allows it?

Its SU (IIRC?) so you would get Spell resistance against the magical effect.

Saves (if any) and how are they calculated?

Same as for the spell.

What is the caster level for your "ammo"?

Same as your level.

What is the range of the spell shot?

Same as your bow range.

Can you shoot buffs at your allies? Healing spells at your allies?

Yes.

This ability is really intriguing to me

Glad you like it.

2. How do you adjudicate VSC's for weight gain when the character in question ends up weighing as much as the earth? (+24 VSC's from having 370 base strength as a medium creature) Should I just say "he weighs 100 tons" or something? Mjolnir effect (no one can lift him if he doesn't want them too)? Does he have his own gravitational field (ala the living room objects floating around Peter Griffin's gut)?

In theory they would have their own gravitational field but could 'switch' it on or off (more specifically by reversing polarity to push, pull or neutral.

3. If opposing combatants both have Seventh Sense (or Eighth/Ninth/etc.) do those abilities negate each other for the purposes of making combat faster?

For those characters yes.

4. clarifying Unbridled Rage divine ability increases the duration of the rage/frenzy ability? IOW does it count the +2 con bonus it gives each round for making the rage/frenzy last longer?

I'd say yes, but remember the limit is x2 the original Rage bonus.

5. Robilar's Gambit feat; PHB2 for 3.5e; in your opinion can that feat be used if the character who has it is raging/frenzying?

I don't have the PHB2.

6. Tome of Battle question; Thicket of Blades stance, in your opinion can this stance be maintained (assuming he was already using it at the time, which is allowed by the book's rules) if the character enters rage/frenzy?

I don't own the Tome of Battle.

7. Can the (Ex) ability "Scent" be used by a character that is in rage/frenzy?

It could still smell, but I don't know if it would be in its right frame of mind to act upon it. Personally I would allow it.

8. Can [Effect] divine abilities be used against targets that would normally be immune to their effects because of the target's base creature type? (can you withering strike (str.) a vampire's strength score or is he immune?)

A vampire has strength and thus could have its strength withered. By the same token, any Undead with intelligence could be subject to fear.

9. Stronger Soul (double Strength portfolio ability for greater deity); does it add to your regeneration score AND fast healing score if you happen to have both or do you have to pick one?

Both.

10. Since deities are Outsiders, do they gain their alignments as creature subtypes? For instance, would a Lawful Good Halfling character who ascends to hero deity from prophet have the creature type: Outsider (augmented Humanoid (halfling, good, lawful)? or would he just be Outsider (augmented Humanoid (halfling))? If yes, then this would translate into them bestowing their alignment upon their natural and weapon attacks yes? (normal outsiders with alignment subtypes do this, that's why I'm asking)

I'd add subtypes once the deity EITHER takes up residence in the outer planes OR is first killed (and thus its spirit returns to the outer planes).

11. Been wondering this for a while but can't find any evidence to support or deny it; but; do deities gain the Domain Ability(ies) associated with their portfolio domains?

Yes.

just as a funny little excerpt but that berserker deity I'm working on has 484 strength not raging/frenzying; his LIGHT LOAD is:
107,081,813,398,185,393,778,774,245.376 tons (thats in units of 2000lbs.) (one hunred seven septillion, eighty one sextillion, eight hundred thirteen quintillion, three hundred ninety eight quadrillion ... tons)
I suppose that massive weight would only apply if earth's gravity were in effect on it, but according to science the earth weighs 2,200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 lbs (thats only two septillion two hundred sextillion pounds).

Sounds like he will be carrying the party loot then.

 

[Omeganian]

just as a funny little excerpt but that berserker deity I'm working on has 484 strength not raging/frenzying; his LIGHT LOAD is:
107,081,813,398,185,393,778,774,245.376 tons (thats in units of 2000lbs.) (one hunred seven septillion, eighty one sextillion, eight hundred thirteen quintillion, three hundred ninety eight quadrillion ... tons)
I suppose that massive weight would only apply if earth's gravity were in effect on it, but according to science the earth weighs 2,200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 lbs (thats only two septillion two hundred sextillion pounds).

You're a number name off, actually. It starts with octillion.

A puny god. Barely capable of carrying a few dozen good sized stars.

 

[Nezkrul]

he's only a greater deity, he'll leave the juggling of stars to the supernals. And no, it's septillion (10^24 = septillion, 10^27 = octillion, only 24 digits behind 107 (.376 is at the end, a dot not a comma))

 

[Azulan47]

I actually have a followup question to Eighth Sense; how do you handle the creature existing one minute into the future? Would a Fireball that is delayed 1 minute affect his present form (i.e. would you deal damage in the current round because it affects him a minute later)? Would the players require certain spells that allow them to precog his future location to accurately target the creature?

 

[Nezkrul]

I actually have a followup question to Eighth Sense; how do you handle the creature existing one minute into the future? Would a Fireball that is delayed 1 minute affect his present form (i.e. would you deal damage in the current round because it affects him a minute later)? Would the players require certain spells that allow them to precog his future location to accurately target the creature?

Seventh, Eighth, and beyond, senses must be handled with care since it requires the DM to record everyone's actions taken every round, and every round for minutes at a time, so you can go back and change your actions

difficult to adjudicate and apply to the game, so I usually don't allow anything beyond seventh sense to have a tangible effect on the game... essentially I make eighth sense act as permanent foresight but the bonus is +10 instead of +2, with twice as many rounds of replay allowed than for seventh sense.