Sneaky Binder Tricks

[lukelightning]

"Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?"
Given preperation a binder can speak any language: Bind Naberius; use his "Naberius's skills" power to select the Speak Language skill, pick the language you want.

"Why, yes, I do have a PhD in the Dietary Habits of Pseudonatural-Half-Dragon Shriekers."
Again, by binding Naberius a binder can have any knowledge skill (albeit untrained). But if you bind Dantalion as well you can really be a smarty pants with Dantalions bonus to knowledge skills.

"Round round, get around, I get around...despite my huge armor check penalty."
Savnok's armor: great for defense, not so good for getting past obstacles (because of the armor check penalty for full plate). However, by teaming up with a more mobile ally you can get out of pits, up walls, across gaps, etc. Have your jumpy/climby/fly-y friend move to the position you need (e.g. at the top of the wall that's in your way, or at the top of the pit that you just fell down) and swap places with him with Savnok's special switcharoo power. And if you bind Malphas you can swap with your summoned bird (or with Agares' summoned elemental, etc.).

You can also use this for less mobile allies, e.g. bind Geryon and fly where you need to go, then switch places with an ally. Useful for getting horses across pits, etc.

"If looks could kill, and since it's D&D they can."
Bind Balam and Geryon for Double-Icy-Acid-Gaze-Combo technique!

"Sorry if I broke your toys"
(Only works at relatively high level): Bind Aym to get Improved Sunder, and then bind Eurynome to get the super-duper adamantine hammer (which bypasses the hardness of enemies' weapons) for a super sunder combo.

"Whirlwind of Whirling Wind"
Bind Paimon and Otiax to get a whirlwind touch attack on everyone within 10 feet.

"Eat me. C'mon, I dare you!"
We've all had the experience of watching helplessly while your friend the wizard is getting mauled by a bear or chomped by a t-rex. Luckily for your friend you are immune to fear and have bound Savnok and Eurynome. You fearlessly use your Move Ally ability to swap places; now the bear or dinosaur or chuul or mind flayer is now chomping on you....and getting a mouthful of poisonous blood. Also works with Aym's Halo of Fire.

 

[Piratecat]

Yoink! Great list. Any more?

 

[Nail]

More?

 

[Asmo]

"Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?"
Given preperation a binder can speak any language: Bind Naberius; use his "Naberius's skills" power to select the Speak Language skill, pick the language you want.

"Why, yes, I do have a PhD in the Dietary Habits of Pseudonatural-Half-Dragon Shriekers."
Again, by binding Naberius a binder can have any knowledge skill (albeit untrained). But if you bind Dantalion as well you can really be a smarty pants with Dantalions bonus to knowledge skills.

"Round round, get around, I get around...despite my huge armor check penalty."
Savnok's armor: great for defense, not so good for getting past obstacles (because of the armor check penalty for full plate). However, by teaming up with a more mobile ally you can get out of pits, up walls, across gaps, etc. Have your jumpy/climby/fly-y friend move to the position you need (e.g. at the top of the wall that's in your way, or at the top of the pit that you just fell down) and swap places with him with Savnok's special switcharoo power. And if you bind Malphas you can swap with your summoned bird (or with Agares' summoned elemental, etc.).

You can also use this for less mobile allies, e.g. bind Geryon and fly where you need to go, then switch places with an ally. Useful for getting horses across pits, etc.

"If looks could kill, and since it's D&D they can."
Bind Balam and Geryon for Double-Icy-Acid-Gaze-Combo technique!

"Sorry if I broke your toys"
(Only works at relatively high level): Bind Aym to get Improved Sunder, and then bind Eurynome to get the super-duper adamantine hammer (which bypasses the hardness of enemies' weapons) for a super sunder combo.

"Whirlwind of Whirling Wind"
Bind Paimon and Otiax to get a whirlwind touch attack on everyone within 10 feet.

"Eat me. C'mon, I dare you!"
We've all had the experience of watching helplessly while your friend the wizard is getting mauled by a bear or chomped by a t-rex. Luckily for your friend you are immune to fear and have bound Savnok and Eurynome. You fearlessly use your Move Ally ability to swap places; now the bear or dinosaur or chuul or mind flayer is now chomping on you....and getting a mouthful of poisonous blood. Also works with Aym's Halo of Fire.

I´m sorry I´ve no idea what you are talking about. Aym? Paimon?
Is this some new game?

Asmo

 

[Nyeshet]

He's referring to 'The Tome of Magic: Pact, Shadow, and True Name' that was released by WotC a month ago. It is part of the D&D d20 system, and it explains a few new forms of magic for the game.

The first part, Pact, deals with Binders that bind Vestages to themselves, gaining some of the power the vestage had in its prior life. These act as continuous magical effects, including some at will powers and some 'once per four rounds' powers (rather like Breath Weapons of some creatures). It may also grant some proficiencies, some skill bonuses, etc. In the end it is a way to customize the character. At lower levels one can only bind a single weaker vestage. As levels increase more powerful vestages become possible - as well as multiple vestages. As I recall, around level 20 the Binder is binding around 4 or 5 vestages at a time. Changing a vestage takes about an hour if I recall and can be done at any point in the day.

All in all, it is a nice system, although - for my own world - I would have preferred a more generalized, feat based system. Some problems that exist: nothing is mentioned in descriptive or mechanical text on how vestages are discovered, and the system seems to suggest that the Binder automatically knows all vestages (otherwise it would be quite underpowered at nearly every level, due to the lack of choice over vestages).

Vestages are generally either mortals that died (or 'vanished') in such a manner that their soul is incapable of entering the afterlife or becoming ghosts. They have in a sense become Archtypes. Other vestages are deceased deities that died in an odd manner (one is Tenebrous, who died due to the use of the Last Word, as I recall). Still others are fiends fallen from power but yet continuing to hold on to existence (Geryon, I think, is an example). In my world I intend to make all Vestages fiends. This would tally well with the descriptive text, which states all (most?) religions tend to either hold Binders in disdain or actively hunt and persecute them.

I would have preferred a system whereby a minor vestage is gained via a feat. The PC would spend an hour to gain a few minor benefits chosen from a list. More powerful ones could also be represented as feats - or perhaps instead of individual ones, a single feat will allow them to attempt to bind a specific vestage - with possession being the penalty for failure (rather than assuming uncommon and troublesome appearances or personality quirks). I will play with the system's structure a bit to see if I can manage to alter it to suit my world.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Oohhh that kind of Binder. <_<;;;

Very good then.

 

[lukelightning]

I noticed that gnomes are an awesome race for binders; the con bonus is helpful without sacrificing charisma (as a dwarf would). And many of the binder abilities don't scale with size: Amon's horns, Eurynome's hammer, Otiax's wind blast, etc. all do the same damage regardless of size (I love the idea of a Small gnome with a ginormous hammer in one hand).

And Zagan's grapple ability is awesome for a Small character; you are treated as Large for grapples, not the usual "one size larger" for many size-related bonuses.

 

[Nail]

Oooooh. Good point. (I'm takin' notes.....)