Spell: The Tree's Many Branches

[memesis]

The Tree's Many Branches
Transmutation
Level: Rgr 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: none (harmless)
Spell Resistance: no

You sprout two extra arms, fully functional, from your ribs. If you are wearing armor, the armor must be tailored to provide space for these extra arms or it will be damaged, and the arms that emerge will not benefit from the armor in any case.

Your magic item capacity does not increase; i.e. you cannot wear more than two rings effectively, or more than a single pair of magical gloves/gauntlets effectively.

You can wield one weapon per arm, or use two arms to wield a two-handed weapon (for example, a Medium-sized Ranger could wield two Large-sized weapons at once). Though the arms are as strong as your normal arms, your total encumbrance does not increase.

You gain a +2 competence bonus in any situation where the DM rules that having extra arms would benefit you (for example, Rope Use).

Damage to the arms is counted against your hit point total, but if an arm is damaged or lost, it will be fully functional again on the next casting of the spell.

Material component: leaves and twigs from a blessed tree.

 

[SylverFlame]

Do you receive any of the feats that benefit multi-limbed chars, or do you have to purchase them seperately. Also, would this spell effectively give you the prereqs for the feats?

 

[memesis]

I'm not aware of any multi-limbed feats (although I don't own a lot of sourcebooks so..), but I would imagine that the Ranger could learn such feats with the DM's permission. Any specific examples?

 

[memesis]

Augh, I'm dumb. Forgot Monster Manual.

Yes, I would say Rangers with this spell could learn the Multidexterity, Multiweapon Fighting, etc. feats normally. Some DMs might let rangers function with these two feats "for free", to get four weapon wields at a time.

Personally, I'd let them wield two weapons freely, either two 2H weapons or two Medium or smaller weapons (and keep two free arms), and attack as normal that way.

Reloading heavy crossbows with two arms and firing with the other two is another possible application, as is using two regular bows..

 

[Hashmalum]

Well, comparing this to the 2nd level fearsome grapple spell on Wizards of the Coast's web site, which gives extra arms that can only be used for grappling, I'd say this spell is better. But it's not as good as polymorph self at 4th level. So I'd say the spell should be 3rd level, or 4th level if it gives free feats.

 

[Steverooo]

 

 

[MarauderX]

If the spell was set at 4th level, increase the ability modifier to +4 and keep the feats.
In order to bring down the spell level, drop the feats and keep the ability modifier at +2. Attacks with the extra arms would have additional minuses besides just the off-hand.
For extra shields, I would stack.

 

[Ferret]

You won't get the leverege using two arms on the same side, maybe no *1.5(?) plus what penaltiwes do you get?

 

[SylverFlame]

Ferret, I don't think the leverage thing should be a problem when you look at the two hand fighting rules.

Take for instance a human with a Great Sword. The human is REQUIRED to use two hands, but still gets the extra damage. Shouldn't all of their strength go into just weilding the weapon properly, and not extra squish power?

IMO, the x1.5 should apply to one handed weapons used in two hands, that is, stuff like a long sword. Also, the Monkey Grip feat (Sword and Fist) should then allow the x1.5 on weapons requiring two hands (ie. great sword). Just makes more sense to me. Sorry for the OT.