Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ewchie 05-17-06, 07:33 PM	i find caltrops very interesting. but when ever i try to use them in a way other then throwing them on the ground i am told not to by my dm. " that wont work " or "you cant do that" i wanted to use them in a sling but noooooo. does anyone have any ideas on how to "leagaly" use caltrops...turn in into a 1001 list if you all like. thanks i also wanted to slip them into food in the local mead hall i thought that would be interesting.
boozerker 05-17-06, 07:40 PM	Give more examples of what your DM wouldn't allow, so we get a better idea of what type of things you'd like to do with caltrops.
somogyi 05-17-06, 07:45 PM	i dont see y they wouldnt work in a sling but everything is up to the dm. 1. put on ground 2. use in a bomb for shrapnel 3. use in an explosive trap for shrapnel 4. trap the floor and put them on the ceiling 5. makeshift shurikens 6. use as a bludgening weapon (full bag)
Ewchie 05-17-06, 08:06 PM	i wanted to put them in a sling. trick people into ingesting them. attach them to arrow those were not allowed so i gave up trying to use them really want to hear some off the wall ideas im sure there must be some way to get around this dm. oh yah its this dms first time dming so he might want the game to run a certain way.
boozerker 05-17-06, 08:16 PM	Probably magical caltrops are the way to go. Opponents would fall prone with Caltrops of Slipperiness. The good thing is, they'd take damage from stepping on the caltrops, then again from landing flat on them. Caltrops of Stickiness would damage opponents each round they are moving (stuck to their feet).
xver 05-17-06, 08:53 PM	12) Cast reverse gravity and put them on the ceiling. 13) Put them on chairs, benches, etc. 14) Paint numbers on them and use them for d4s. 15) Drop a whole bunch in a pit trap. 16) As #15, but with a portable hole. 17) Launch out of a catapult. 18) As #17, but with a cannon. 19) Heat to red hot in forge, then deploy. 20) Place them in your magical boots when not in use to deter thives. 21) Use as a focus for plane shift. ("You end up on a sharp and pointy abyssal layer ...") 22) Cover the bottom hull of a spelljamming ship to deter boarding from below. 24) Place in the armor padding of someone you dislike. 25) Rage in a Cage, Caltrop, Tag Team, Skin to Win, Professional Wrestling Matches 26) Soverign Glue ... 27) Black Lotus Extract ... 28) Put some in your coin pouch, as a present for pick pockets. 29) #27 + #28 (Take that you rouges!) 30) Hire a deranged Tinker Gnome to build you a full auto caltrop gun. 31) Use animate object to create a deadly caltrop swarm. 32) Hammer them into a club to make an improvised mace.
Pandaemoni 05-17-06, 08:56 PM	You should be able to hurl them from a sling, though I can imagine treating a character as non-proficient with that ammunition, and I don't think they'd do any more damage thatan a real sling buillet. As for arrows...what advatage did you suppose you'd get? Arrows are already pointy. The probem there is that the arrows might become unbalanced. As I understand it, caltrops are relatively large (they are not the size of modern "jacks" though they have a similar shape. The individual spikes on a caltrop are frequently a 1/2 inch to an inch long. I could easily see that interfering with the flight of an arrow (not to mention being difficult to ingest unseen, even for those enemies who don't chew.
The_Normal_Anomaly 05-17-06, 09:10 PM	33. Caltrop golem
chitzk0i 05-17-06, 09:31 PM	34. Add oil for firey fun!
Yue Ryong 05-17-06, 09:40 PM	35. Force them down the throat of the prisoner, thereby making the Paladin apoplectic. 36. Force them somewhere even more uncomfortable. :eek: 37. String them on a chain and use said chain for Rope trick. Make the smarmy Rogue go up first.
Ahroun21 05-17-06, 09:43 PM	35. bag of holding and lots of caltrops. death from above
The_Normal_Anomaly 05-17-06, 09:57 PM	39. Make a humanoid dummy with a head full of caltrops. Use some spells to make it seem living and get the illithid to eat it's "brain". 40. As 39 but poisoned caltrops.
Lord of Dorkness 05-18-06, 08:53 AM	35. bag of holding and lots of caltrops. death from above Yeah, that would be a great sight when you get sucked to the astral plane. caltrops + Bag of holding = asking for trouble
Saihtam 05-18-06, 12:16 PM	41. Use mage hand to move caltrops in front of the face (or other bodyparts) of running characters. 42. paladin + caltrops + soveirn glue + salve of slipperyness = fun : while the paladin is sleeping fill his room with caltrops, glue caltrops to his armor, helmet, weapon, ... Rub salve of slippernyness all over him, glue his eyes shut. In the morning cry realy loud : Oh my god, the orphanage, the temple and the school are being attacked by fiendish half-demon orc clerics of [evil god]. (If the paladin is a light sleeper, you might want to paralyze him or something while applying the goods)
Necropolitan 05-18-06, 12:21 PM	I actually built a Caltrop Gun for a steampunk campagin. Fired off shotgun-like blasts of caltrops that caused targets to lose 5' of their speed on all sucessful hits down to a minimum of 5' movement, plus taking 1 damage from each of the 7 caltrops per canister. Worked great on large creatures.
OravennasBrother 05-18-06, 01:58 PM	You should be able to hurl them from a sling, though I can imagine treating a character as non-proficient with that ammunition, and I don't think they'd do any more damage thatan a real sling buillet. RAW a sling bullet weighs half a pound (5 pounds for 10 bullets) Caltrops weigh 2 pounds for enough to cover a 5'x5' square thickly enough so a person passing through that area has a reasonable chance of stepping on one. Call it 25 total caltrops, 1 per square foot, and the resulting caltrop weighs ~1.28 ounces. The difference in weight and aerodynamics is enough to justify the DM disallowing their use as "Sling Missiles." Tricking someone into ingesting a caltrop sounds implausible - they are larger than chicken bones, and while one occasionally hears about someone choking on a bone lodged in their throat, it is rare indeed to find someone swallowing one. Finally, as already mentioned, using them on an arrow seems Pointless (Pun intended) The bag of caltrops should work as well as a bag of coins, though if the points tear through the bag it will be necessary to replace/mend said bag. Mage hand can only exert 5 pounds of force, I would not allow it to turn caltrops into anything more than an annoyance. Shuriken RAW are about the same weight, so I suppose you might try for that use, but because of the clumsy grip I would rule them Improvised weapons with -4 to hit. Using them as scrap for cannon/catapults is similar to some historical incidents. Caltrops are best used to restrict enemy movement through an area. Toss two or three bags down as you run away to slow pursuit. Cover your flanks with caltrops to slow enveloping maneuvers. Make an enemy bunch up for maximized numbers in an area of effect. All are legal uses of caltrops, and generally more effective than improvisation.
Llathos 05-18-06, 03:00 PM	I want to see the stat block for a Caltrop Golem... and the spell Caltrop Swarm It's genious:)
xrp3_robot 05-18-06, 03:32 PM	I would make arrows that were hollow and fill them with caltrops that has the spell "Shrink Item" casted on them. When the arrow hits a target, the caltrops would grow to normal size and burst out of the arrow. The caltrops would then fill that square. Now one could fill the arrows with more than two pounds of caltrops, but would they fill more than one square or would the fill only one square and have a better chance of hurting someone as they pass through?
lukelightning 05-18-06, 03:43 PM	RAW, caltrops seem to be pretty useless; despite the fact that they ignore armor, shield, and deflection, the vast majority of monsters get their ac from natural armor. I'd say that carefully placing the caltrops, as opposed to just throwing them around, would give a +2 for them to hit, and hiding them would negate the target's dex bonus to AC (you can't avoid stepping on a caltrop if you can't see it). You can smear caltrops with poison, or with gross stuff to spread infection. Caltrops in the bed. My rogue did a version of this; an evil wizard we were fighting dimension doored away. We ransacked his lab and I hid broken in his bed. Sure enough, when we went back later there was blood on the sheets.
Mysticaloctopus 05-18-06, 03:50 PM	44. Caltrops on the stairs and silent image that the stairs are all 1 inch higher than they really are... Will save if interacted with, but only after your foot hits the spikes. Actually, a permanent image and some nails welded to stairs would do the trick nicely... 45. Use smurfs in tiny spiked full plate as a mobile, permanent caltrop swarm. If you get bored, make them fight to the death with tiny +1 keen flaming burst scimitars... Chop chop BOOM! Chop chop smurf goes flying! BOOM! smurf goes flying! 46. Caltrops and a summoned Wind elemental in tornado form! 47. Xorn (or anything that can move through earth) rogue/shadowdancer with several Bags of Caltrops sneaks up using earth swim, places caltrops behind the enemy, silently, then appears in front of them with a sneak attack. They get startled, take a few steps back, get skiped on caltrops, maybe fall over... More sneak attack! 48. bag of holding may not lioke spiky objects, but your portable hole loves them, especially when it's lined with the things and placed in an easy-to-fall-into position! 49. Sleight of Hand, or mage hand if you're a spellcaster, and sneakilly Drop them into someone's pockets 50. just put them absolutely everywhere. Who expects them in their pillowcase? Bedroll? Rations? Great for CN/CE gnome illusionist/rogues who love tricks of the more painful kind.
m o n k 05-18-06, 05:11 PM	51. Cast invisibility on them.
WeZil 05-18-06, 05:20 PM	Using a shovel and a dark rope, my kobold rogue made a spur of the moment trap using poisoned caltrops in an orc chieftan's room while he was out (It was a rogue campaign, we all snuck in to assassinate him.) The ground was dirt, but he had an ornate rug he filched from some poor sap. so we quickly dug a shallow layer under the rug and put a bunch of poisoned caltrops there and hid with a rope infront of the doorway. We had one person go "Yooohooo!" When the chieftan came back. He charged, we pulled the rope taught, chieftan tripped and landed face first on the rug, which gave way under his weight and led him straight to caltrop city. He failed the Fort Save both times and took enough con damage to kill him. score one for us.
Zellath 05-18-06, 06:11 PM	52. new spell wall of caltrops 53. 315 caltrops and tellakansis (1 point of damage each)
The_Normal_Anomaly 05-18-06, 07:25 PM	I want to see the stat block for a Caltrop Golem... and the spell Caltrop Swarm It's genious:) Thanks, I may just make one. I think a base of Iron Golem wouldn't be a bad start.
_Chaz_ 05-18-06, 07:41 PM	Put one on the top of your Christmas Tree.
_Chaz_ 05-18-06, 07:43 PM	54. Pour a bag of caltrops onto a well placed wind wall and watch them fly. 55. Grease and caltrops, as caltrops of slipperiness, but cheaper! 56. Glass caltrops filled with Alchemists Fire, sets fire to them. And can you enchant them as weapons? Merciful Caltrops, Brilliant Energy Caltrops, incase there's someone on the floor below, Flaming Burst Caltrops, or more preferabley +5 Wounding, Sure Striking, Icy Burst, Keen Caltrops.
The_Normal_Anomaly 05-18-06, 08:55 PM	I didn't feel much needed changed from the iron golem, just for a gag. If this becomes serious, many of the numbers would need editing. CALTROP GOLEM Large Construct Hit Dice: 18d10+30 (129 hp) Initiative: -1 Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares) Armor Class: 30 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +22 natural) touch 8, flat-footed 30 Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+28 Attack: Slam +23 melee (2d10+11) Full Attack: 2 slams +23 melee (2d10+11) Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. Special Attacks: Clatrop Area, Caltrop Cloud Special Qualities: Construct traits, Caltrop Defense damage reduction 15/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft, immunity to magic, low-light vision, Regeneration 30 Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +6 Abilities: Str 33, Dex 9, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1 Skills: - Feats: - Environment: Any Organization: Solitary or gang (2-4) Challenge Rating: 30 Treasure: Roughly 10,000 caltrops Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 19-24 HD (Large); 25-54 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment: No. You shouldn't play as one, it isn't a template. This golem has a humanoid body made from countless caltrops. A caltrop golem can be fashioned in any manner, but no matter what it has a point facing every direction. Its features are much rougher than many other golems. Caltrop golems do not carry weapons, concidering they are one. A caltrop golem is 12 feet tall and weighs about 5,000 pounds. A caltrop golem cannot speak or make any vocal noise, nor does it have any distinguishable odor. It moves with an oddly smooth but noisy gait as the limbs of clatrops rearrange themselves. Each step causes the floor to tremble unless it is on a thick, solid foundation and even then it may leave several holes in any surface it touches. Combat Caltrop Area(Su): The space within 10ft of a caltrop golem is filled with caltrops, forcing all to be subjected to the foot pain. Instead of the normal attack bonus, use the golems BAB. Caltrop Cloud(Su): The air within 5ft of the golem is obscured by swirling caltrops, granting concealment and also making an attack against everything, including objects or walls, that is within 5ft. The damage is the golems HD in piercing damage and allows a reflex save for half (DC 30) Caltrop Defense(Su): Caltrop golems' have one of the most feared abilities known to adventurers, one that make the melee fighters unhappy. When struck in combat, the caltrop golem sends forth a number of caltrops onto the attacker, which latch themselves into the target on a failed reflex save (DC 30). The target then takes caltrop cloud damage every round with fortitude save instead. This ability is used whenever the caltrop golem is touched, or makes contact with another living or fleshy creature, even the creator. If the creator provokes this ability it ends the next round. Regeneration(Su): When struck, the caltrop golem merely has a bit of itself knocked away, which is pulled back just as quickly and the caltrops also move out of the way of attacks, reducing damage potential. See the standard regeneration ability. Weakness to any disintegration effect, and force effects. The force effects nullify the animatory forces on the caltrops, causing it to lose mass. When brought to 1/4 it's hit points, it is still at it's base size, but is more of a skeleton of it's normal size as caltrops fall away. When destroyed by disintegration it is treated like an object for the purpose of the killing blast, or force it is knocked apart as each remaining core caltrop repels itself from other caltrops. Immunity to Magic (Ex): An iron golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below. A magical attack that deals electricity damage slows an iron golem (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw. A magical attack that deals fire damage breaks any slow effect on the golem. An iron golem is not affected by rust attacks, such as that of a rust monster or a rusting grasp spell. Construction A caltrop golem’s body is sculpted from 5,000 pounds of adamantine caltrops, being made magically magnetic to each individual other caltrop, a process that should end up costing at least 10,000 gp. Assembling the body requires a DC 20 Craft (armorsmithing) check and a DC 20 Craft (Magnetix) check. CL 20th; Craft Construct, cloudkill, geas/quest, limited wish, polymorph any object, telekinesis, caster must be at least 20th level; Price 150,000 gp; Cost 80,000 gp + 5,600 XP.
dengarbountyhunter 05-19-06, 10:05 AM	57. Tanglefoot bag with caltrops mixed in the glue 58. Colossal caltrops to deal with the tarrasque 59. tons of caltrops rolling down a slope 60. caltrops hidden in the hay on the floor of a stable (hey, why is my horse so slow today?) 61. gust of wind+caltrops= ouch 62. caltrops with positoxins (Libris Mortis) to slow undeads (BTW, can caltrops slow undead?)
somethings90 05-19-06, 11:36 AM	63. jumping caltrops
woodwalker 05-19-06, 01:50 PM	5. makeshift shurikens makeshift? the ninja used calthrops that are two shurikens atached to eachother (like having a slit on tham so they fit together) id say that those calthropes are more than improvised.
Callahan 05-19-06, 02:18 PM	59. Bake them in to pies 60. sneak in to people's houses and hide them in shoes or slippers
somethings90 05-19-06, 02:20 PM	64. wounding, Spell Storing and Thundering caltrops
Rudi_Schteppen 05-19-06, 08:08 PM	I like the idea of using a large pellet crossbow to launch enchanted bags filled with caltrops, set to open with a command word. Launch it OVER the enemy, open it, then watch them run around like idiots as an iron rain pelts them. Great for suppression fire. Cover an area with caltrops as you see enemy troops move into position. You could swap out the caltrops with Alchemist's Fire for a napalm cannon, or a grenade launcher. I've done this so as to BLOW THE LIVING CRAP out of things far larger than me, like Ogres or Giants, from a great distance. A mixed bag of flasks of Alchemists Fire, Oil, and caltrops would be very nasty. Set fire to slippery oil and enemy, and watch them flail away with their arms as they try to roll on the caltrop covered ground to put the fire out... We could somehow make a repeating pellet crossbow and have an automatic grenade launcher... I need to think on this... :evillaugh
Crash01234567890 05-20-06, 03:08 AM	Caltrops with marbles in the same square. Reflex save or fall, plus caltrops attack. Fail save, fall on caltrops. Get up, try to move out, caltrops attack, reflex save or fall, fail=fall on caltrops, ect. The orc killing tactic of doom.
dengarbountyhunter 05-20-06, 09:18 PM	14) Paint numbers on them and use them for d4s. In fact, d4s make great caltops (stepped on a d4 once and now nobody has daggers in my campaign).
somethings90 05-20-06, 09:36 PM	In fact, d4s make great caltops (stepped on a d4 once and now nobody has daggers in my campaign). Yes they do and they hurt too unless you have shoes on. 67. Put them in an area of magical darkness.
slimgoodbody 05-20-06, 09:58 PM	In one game, I was playing a Ninja, and I devised a little tactic that felt very ninja-y to me. I'd throw a shuriken to get the enemy's attention, drop a smokestick, and whenever someone charged me (which seemed to happen at least once every fight), I'd drop a bag of caltrops in the smoke and ghost step (invisible) out of the way. Then I'd sudden strike them. It was so satisfying to be able to pull off such a classic ninja staple as the "disappear in a cloud of smoke, appear behind them, kick ass" trick at such early levels. edit: You could also drop caltrops (or caltrops and a smokestick) at the end of a hallway, and have your spellslinging buddy cast grease right before the trap.
Crash01234567890 05-21-06, 12:32 AM	Yes they do and they hurt too unless you have shoes on. Had a friend that would institute a "no shoes on carpet" rule every time he lost a D4 till it was found. It would go something like Friend: "We're getting new carpet soon so no shoes in the house to get used to it. Victim half an hour later "Ow...GDMFSoB that F****** hurt" Me: "Hey didn't you loose a D4 last time we played." Friend: "Ya, I think Prof just found it, turns out we're not getting new carpet."
MingThing 05-21-06, 12:54 AM	cast shrink on the caltrops, then drop them in the food/drink of someone to "pester". time passes, shrink passes, toilet break..............
Melpomene 05-21-06, 01:00 AM	Advance them a few size catagories. Pester elephants.
KodiakLegacy 05-21-06, 01:13 AM	As a low tech option, just mix a bag of marbles in with a bag of caltrops. It should work just as well as slipperiness and costs only pennies :D
Shiikeras 05-21-06, 09:19 AM	A fun kobold trick I tried. Make the PCs crawl through a small shaft, with caltrops glued to the walls. Have the kobold who made it cast fireball in the shaft. Wee.
woodwalker 05-21-06, 07:24 PM	In fact, d4s make great caltops (stepped on a d4 once and now nobody has daggers in my campaign). hehehe, i have a friend that stepped on one two. oh, how we laughed.
myusernameis 05-22-06, 12:57 AM	In fact, d4s make great caltops (stepped on a d4 once and now nobody has daggers in my campaign). Ouch the d4 of doom ninja death attack. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.