Post/Author/DateTime	Post
mregecko 09-10-07, 03:29 PM	So, I just got access to this item on an AR... Is it really the "instant win" that it looks like it is? Also, do you have to be of the proper alignment to use the Gate feature? E.g. my character is Chaotic Neutral... Could she use a good-aligned Candle to gate in an Angel (Solar being the typical recourse of uberness)? Obviously she wouldn't benefit from the + to cleric level, especially since she's not a cleric... I'm seriously considering buying it and keeping it in case of major TPK threat. It's Core access too, so no problem getting another one (another 8400gp, well worth the insurance IMHO. That's cheaper than a resurrection.) Thoughts? Advice? Thanks, -- The Most Mysterious of Geckos
copper_wyrmling 09-10-07, 04:02 PM	So, I just got access to this item on an AR... Is it really the "instant win" that it looks like it is? Also, do you have to be of the proper alignment to use the Gate feature? E.g. my character is Chaotic Neutral... Could she use a good-aligned Candle to gate in an Angel (Solar being the typical recourse of uberness)? Obviously she wouldn't benefit from the + to cleric level, especially since she's not a cleric... I'm seriously considering buying it and keeping it in case of major TPK threat. It's Core access too, so no problem getting another one (another 8400gp, well worth the insurance IMHO. That's cheaper than a resurrection.) Thoughts? Advice? Thanks, -- The Most Mysterious of Geckos It does what you think it does (I'm not 100% sure on the gate feature, but I think it works regardless of your alignment). The reason you don't see them often is that (a) access is rare, and (b) most people really don't like spending 8400 gold on a one-shot item - it's often hard to gauge the right time to use them. I've only seen it used once, and that was to get a Miracle (from a gated Solar) for someone who would otherwise be permanently dead, having been fed on by a greater barghest.
mregecko 09-10-07, 04:19 PM	Yeah... I was kind of surprised when I found Core access to one. That seemed a little crazy. I'm going to have to re-read the favor now that I've thought about it, but... yeah. I understand that it's one shot, but think of it as a preemptive Resurrection. For much cheaper. I mean... Resurrection is $10,000 on its own. If more than one person in your party is dead (not entirely impossible in a killer mod), Gating in a Solar will net you a Wish (1/day, spell-like) and a Miracle (memorized, cleric spell), which is essentially TWO Resurrections (can you finagle a True Ress out of that?) Not to mention the 3/day Resurrection spell-like ability... How much does a True Ress cost otherwise? Incomprehensible. Did that Awesome Magic Item you have, up to 25kgp, get destroyed? Have it Wish'd back to whole (if a Wish can CREATE the item, it can surely repair it). I see no reason a prudent character wouldn't ALWAYS have one of these available, if they could afford it. -- Gecko
Mattastrophic 09-10-07, 04:26 PM	Two reasons: -Death isn't that bad. -Instead of spending resources on what-if situations, it's better to spend those resources on making sure you don't end up in those same situations. -Matt
mregecko 09-10-07, 04:26 PM	** post deleted... I got a clue and read the LGCS. Of course Wish is outlined in there **
copper_wyrmling 09-10-07, 05:06 PM	Yeah... I was kind of surprised when I found Core access to one. That seemed a little crazy. I'm going to have to re-read the favor now that I've thought about it, but... yeah. I understand that it's one shot, but think of it as a preemptive Resurrection. For much cheaper. As Matt said, though, you would otherwise presumably spend that money on items that lower your chance of needing a Resurrection ;) Also, Resurrection costs can often be covered out of overcap. However, having Core access to the candle is very nice, because it can be bought when needed (in Cores, at least) to do a Resurrection / Wish / Miracle, and if you buy and expend it in the same module then the entire party can chip in and overcap may apply (if I remember the rules correctly).
Mommy was an Orc 09-13-07, 10:02 AM	As Matt said, though, you would otherwise presumably spend that money on items that lower your chance of needing a Resurrection ;) Also, Resurrection costs can often be covered out of overcap. However, having Core access to the candle is very nice, because it can be bought when needed (in Cores, at least) to do a Resurrection / Wish / Miracle, and if you buy and expend it in the same module then the entire party can chip in and overcap may apply (if I remember the rules correctly). Also, in a lot of mods, there are curses that can only be removed by 17+ casters - if you do buy a candle in such a way, you might as well ask around and see if anyone needs some curses removed...
KarmaInferno 09-13-07, 02:43 PM	My cleric pretty much uses it for the caster level kick in the morning. He then chains Magic Vestments and Greater Magic Weapons all 'round. :D -karma
copper_wyrmling 09-13-07, 03:29 PM	My cleric pretty much uses it for the caster level kick in the morning. He then chains Magic Vestments and Greater Magic Weapons all 'round. :D -karma Er... are you talking about some other item (say a strand of prayer beads)? If your cleric is burning an 8400gp consumable every morning... wow. Also, you can't usually chain Magic Vestment, as it's a Range:Touch spell.
KarmaInferno 09-13-07, 03:47 PM	You don't have to burn the candle all at once. It does not get instantly consumed unless you are using the Gate option. And you're right about Magic Vestment - I used to have a level of Heirophant that used Divine Reach to do it, but after the character died I elected not to take the class again due to table variation I kept getting on Divine Reach + Chain. Plus, he'd just lost his Divine Metamagics, so it was much less appealing anyhow. The character has a bard/marshal cohort as well, so Harmonic Chorus adds another +2. -karma