Overlooked, underappreciated, spells and powers

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

As for produce flame, I've wondered whether there's anything preventing a druid from casting it on herself before wildshaping, and thereby having one paw attack that has a little bit of extra hey-hey to it.

I see nothing that prevents it - other than a potential lack of hands.

Flames as bright as a torch appear in your open hand. The flames harm neither you nor your equipment.

...

No sooner do you hurl the flames than a new set appears in your hand.

 

[KarinsDad]

Silent image. One of my favorite spells. One of my players who's a dwarven artificer UMD'd a scroll of this and put the main villain of the scene in an illusory cage, and when he tried to slice through it, completely blew his save while the party, who knew it was an illusion, simply attacked at him right through it...

Why didn't he just attempt to walk through it when he saw the swords go through it?

Silent Image only has a visual component.

It is not real.

This trick should have only worked for a single round.


"A failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. A character faced with proof that an illusion isn’t real needs no saving throw."

 

[beaver1024]

Yes, but each one thrown still counts toward reducing the duration. So if you want to maximize total damage, you would rather throw one per round, to avoid the -5 iterative attack penalty.

It's a ranged touch attack so with the druid's 3/4 BAB hitting shouldn't be a problem.

At 8th level, the druid can can throw 2d6 + 10 pts of damage per round for 4 rounds (avg. 17/round) . A wizard can only do this for magic missile at 9th level and only for 1 round. If produce flame is empowered, the druid can do an avg of 25.5/round. Not bad. Now think of all the way we can increase the druid's # of attacks/round and we can increase it even further. A hasted, rapid shot, empowered produce flame druid can do around 50/round whee! Lost of feats and magic items used though. Damage/round is getting up there with the cleric archer. Now add in TWF and a second produce flame and now you're talking 62/rnd dmage.

What's really funny is that if you add rogue levels for sneak attack, they stack! druid/rogue/daggerspell shaper is very nasty with the additional 4d6 for sneak attacks on each produce flame attack.

 

[Elemental]

Did you know that Plane Shift can be used offensively as a save or die spell? Will save or be sent to the elemental plane of fire or nine hells or the abyss.

My personal favourite for this is the Positive Energy Plane. No chance that the target will be impervious to fire or that he'll make a hasty deal with the locals to come back with demonic powers. And unlike the Negative, no risk of them turning into an undead, or being healed by it if they're already undead.

Lesser Orb of Acid is extremely effective when used against items, especially when you can cast level 4 spells and maximise it. Remember, acid damage isn't halved against objects.

Going over to Savage Species, Blindsight and Improved Blindsight are just awesomely useful. You detect everything within 30 or 60 feet. It's not a divination, so the Improved Invisibility / Nondetection combo won't work. Combine liberally with effects that will obscure the vision of your enemies (Deeper Darkness, Obscuring Mist or the spells below) and have fun.

Solid Fog (and it's cousins, Radiant, Freezing and Acid Fog) are beautiful. Slap the enemy in this, and they get slowed to a crawl. Meanwhile, pour the attacks in, either using Blindsight as above, or with area effect spells. Oncoming horde? Park it in a choke point, and watch them slow down as they struggle through it. Ranged fighter? Put him inside this and he's probably blinded with no save or SR.

 

[Prism]

Why didn't he just attempt to walk through it when he saw the swords go through it?

Silent Image only has a visual component.

It is not real.

This trick should have only worked for a single round.


"A failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. A character faced with proof that an illusion isn’t real needs no saving throw."

Absolutely. The trick with silent image is to try and make it less likely interaction will occur as quickly like covering an illusionary will with electrical motes or dripping goo etc.

Silent image as great if you don't fancy fighting a mindless creature like a golem. Surround it with a pit or wall.

 

[Thanee]

Phantom Steed

Bye
Thanee

 

[Targos]

Grease.

If you don't make a DC10 balance check you can't move. If you make the check you move at half speed. If you stay in the area you make reflex saves or fall down. If you fail the check by 5 or more you fall prone. Very rarely do I see a character in our campaigns have ranks in Balance that isn't a rogue.
You can also use it to grease a weapon/item and if they fail the first reflex save they need to make another reflex save every round or drop the weapon/item.

And if you don't have 5 ranks in balance you're considered flat footed while balancing.

NPC: Grease
PC: [Balancing] Ha, you rogues have to go melee now
Rogues: [Shoot bows again] Sneak attack
PC:[makes another balance check]

 

[Keepiru]

Phantom Steed is awesome. A flying mount that has a movement rate 240' at max level? heck yeah! My bard uses that for a lot of things. Very nice for staying out of reach while casting.

I'm just jealous that druids got a Phantom Stag that is the same spell except it has more hit points (40), +5 hp's every caster level, +10 BAB, ghost touch and wounding attacks, trample, etherealness, AC bonuses, AND MOVES FASTER!

 

[Pielorinho]

I'm just jealous that druids got a Phantom Stag that is the same spell except it has more hit points (40), +5 hp's every caster level, +10 BAB, ghost touch and wounding attacks, trample, etherealness, AC bonuses, AND MOVES FASTER!

What? Where? I must have this!

Daniel

 

[Thanee]

I only know the old Spectral Stag, which was a cleric spell in 3.0 FR and which my rogue/cleric archer made some good use of combined with Quicken Spell to stay away from melee combatants.

Found the Phantom Stag in Complete Divine. Yep, nice spell, tho it's 5th level and the Etherealness power comes at 18th caster level only. Still very nice.

Bye
Thanee