Rune Domain Woes

[Larcen]

My cleric of Mystra just became a Divine Disciple and for his bonus domain he is thinking of taking Rune for the Scribe Scroll feat alone. His second choice is the Knowledge domain. He also gets a feat at this level so he may just take both the Scribe Scroll feat directly and the Knowledge domain.

In order to finalize my decision, I read all the Rune domain spells in the new 3.5 SRD. Several questions came up:

1) Explosive Runes - Unlike Glyph of Warding, this spell doesn’t say that you cannot have more than one casting of this spell on a given item. Does that mean I can put as many Runes as I want on something?? Since they are free to cast (no expensive Material Component), that seems unlikely. For a tactic, I am envisioning going into the mist of my enemies while protected with a Spell Immunity and a bunch of Explosive Runes on an item in hand. Could get ugly.

2) Lesser Planar Binding - I asked this last night on the chat room and am repeating it here. According to the description of this spell if you use it to trap a good aligned creature, the spell is considered a GOOD spell?! Does that mean my NG cleric can get away with imprisoning celestials and then freeing them in exchange for services? Very weird. I am starting to think this spell was never meant for clerics. Can someone give me an example of how this negotiation would go between my cleric and the bound Good creature? Cleric: “Ok, Mr Archon, if I promise to release you, will you go and kill that pit field for me? It’s, uh, the right thing to do.” Archon: “Er, sure. But next time use Planar Ally and pay me instead.”

3) Dwamij's Instant Summons - Why in the heck is it this spell so frippin expensive? Am I missing some kind of earth-shattering killer tactic with this spell? Can someone give me examples of what this spell can be used for that would be worth 1000 GPs? Anything I leave at home I left there for a reason…that is, I don’t need it THAT bad. Plus, another thing: how convenient is it going to be to shatter a gem in the middle of combat? Seems like something difficult to do without some kind of hammer and a hard surface to put the gem on.

4) Symbol - Now that the Symbol spell has been broken up, which one do I get through the Rune domain? Did WOTC post a “fix” for this somewhere?

5) Teleportation Circle - No complaints here, just an observation: HOLY COW does this spell have the potential for some killer traps. Now THIS is worth 1000 GPs to cast.

Thanks in advance for all your responses!

 

[Thanee]

1) I tend not to overuse such things... another good example is Shrink Item... combined with flying you can make an armada of ships sink... as a 5th level wizard by dropping random heavy objects onto them from appropriate height!

2) Ok, it doesn't make much sense for a cleric to use this spell instead of Planar Ally. A good-aligned cleric surely wouldn't force a good outsider to perform a task for him. Note, that the called outsider does remember it and the clerics deity probably takes notice as well. I'd use the spell only to trap demons, devils and elementals, altho even that (especially with the evil outsiders) only if the situation warrants it (i.e. to slay a known individual demon).

3) Once you are captured and stripped of all your stuff, I'm sure you would be willing to pay 1000 gold for a holy symbol and some spell components in a lil pouch!

4) Well... no, havn't seen any updates for the FR stuff yet. I'd just choose one appropriate for your character maybe?

5) Looks like...

Bye
Thanee

 

[Larcen]

1) I tend not to overuse such things... another good example is Shrink Item... combined with flying you can make an armada of ships sink... as a 5th level wizard by dropping random heavy objects onto them from appropriate height!
Thanee

Ha! Hey, if the Dm allows it....

2) Ok, it doesn't make much sense for a cleric to use this spell instead of Planar Ally. A good-aligned cleric surely wouldn't force a good outsider to perform a task for him. Note, that the called outsider does remember it and the clerics deity probably takes notice as well. I'd use the spell only to trap demons, devils and elementals, altho even that (especially with the evil outsiders) only if the situation warrants it (i.e. to slay a known individual demon).
Thanee

Problem with Binding demons is that aren't good clerics banned from using Evil desciptor spells? So basically, this spell will be of little use to me then as well. Which brings me back to what was the Rune domain thinking?

3) Once you are captured and stripped of all your stuff, I'm sure you would be willing to pay 1000 gold for a holy symbol and some spell components in a lil pouch!
Thanee

But, since I have been stripped of all my stuff, they would most definately have taken that 1000 GP gem (material component) too! ...Unless I hide it somewhere very strange.

4) Well... no, havn't seen any updates for the FR stuff yet. I'd just choose one appropriate for your character maybe?
Thanee

Sounds good to me.

5) Looks like...

 

[Thanee]

3) Mmmkay... bad example, since you need the gem to summon the item!

Maybe if you replace one tooth with the gem someway...

Bye
Thanee

 

[strongbow]

If you take the Epic Feat Ignore Material Components, Instant Summons is great. You have to say a command word, per the spell, as you crush the gem. The gem is a material component, so all you have to do is say a special word.

With time and preparation, one can effectively have unlimited gloves of storing, as you can mark all of your stuff. Just a thought.

 

[Tywyll]

If you take the Epic Feat Ignore Material Components, Instant Summons is great. You have to say a command word, per the spell, as you crush the gem. The gem is a material component, so all you have to do is say a special word.

With time and preparation, one can effectively have unlimited gloves of storing, as you can mark all of your stuff. Just a thought.

Also, if you are going up against a caster that might hit you with Mord Disjunction, it might be nice to leave your staff of blasty hoozits back at the lab... after his emp pulse goes off, you summon it and "blam".

 

[green slime]

Also, if you are going up against a caster that might hit you with Mord Disjunction, it might be nice to leave your staff of blasty hoozits back at the lab... after his emp pulse goes off, you summon it and "blam".

But what about his emp pulse pulse? or his Electro-emp?

And here was me thinking that emp stood for Electro-Magnetic
Pulse...

Just being a know-it-all. Please disregard

 

[Larcen]

By the great sargasso sea! Here be some good ideas. HAR HAR. Thanks kindly mates! Keep 'em comin' if ye got any more.

 

[Norfleet]

1) Explosive Runes - Unlike Glyph of Warding, this spell doesn’t say that you cannot have more than one casting of this spell on a given item. Does that mean I can put as many Runes as I want on something?? Since they are free to cast (no expensive Material Component), that seems unlikely. For a tactic, I am envisioning going into the mist of my enemies while protected with a Spell Immunity and a bunch of Explosive Runes on an item in hand. Could get ugly.

Well, obviously, the object needs to have enough space for you to etch all of these runes onto. Once you have inscribed all these runes onto an item, you've produced....THE HOLY HAND GRENADE OF ANTIOCH!

 

[The Iron Mark]

From the 3.5 SRD

You and any characters you specifically instruct can read the protected writing without triggering the runes.

So it seems no matter what you can't trigger the spell, you would someone else to. Kamikaze summon monster perhaps? And notice it never says how much space the rune takes up...