3.0 intelligent items, passwall [Archive] - Wizards Community

3.0 intelligent items, passwall [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
tui
10-23-05, 12:09 AM Hi,

I'm trying to understand how the passwall extraordinary power works for intelligent items in a 3.0 world.

The SRD simply says that Passwall can be used at will "when the item is held, drawn, or otherwise brandished and the possessor is concentrating on the desired result. Activating a power is a standard action."

And regarding the Passwall spell, it "creates a passage through wooden, plaster, or stone walls, but not through metal or other harder materials" at a rate of 1 foot/level deep.

So two questions come to mind..

1) If the intelligent item lets the wielder use passwall at will, does that mean that it can be used continuously with no limit to the depth of the passage created, as long as the user is able to concentrate on the desired effect on subsequent rounds?

2) What caster level is used for determening spell duration and effects? I can't find where it specifies anywhere in the SRD or DMG; am I just missing it, or is it the minimum wizard level possible to cast the spell, like with potions? (meaning 9th level caster for the 5th level passwall spell?)

Passwall at will seems quite overpowered; not sure what I'm missing. Perhaps nothing, considering how drastically intelligent items were overhauled in 3.5... but I'd love some comments on this.

thanks!
pmurray@bigpond.com
10-23-05, 12:19 AM Yep, the spell description specifically allows you to dig any depth as a series of tunnells, so with passwall at will you can tunnel through a mountain. Or the earth.

Some fixes would be:
Have the intelligent item just refuse to do more than two or three.
Insist that passwall be through a wall - there must be a void on the other side, no blank tunnells
Insist that passwall be done horizontally only
Mute the item's other powers for a period of time after the passwall (it is tired from all that digging).
Say that passwall can tunnel through stone walls, but not living rock (ie, still bart of the earth)
dont allow your players to get hold of one of these things in the first place
tui
10-24-05, 05:33 PM Thanks for the feedback; those are some good ideas.
DungeonMaster
10-24-05, 08:26 PM #1 YEP! It's a great ability of high level characters. Don't nerf it! PCs that aren't careful open passwalls to open water, lava, vacuum and all sorts of high-level challenges.

#2 Caster level of the creator in this case.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
tui 10-23-05, 12:09 AM	Hi, I'm trying to understand how the passwall extraordinary power works for intelligent items in a 3.0 world. The SRD simply says that Passwall can be used at will "when the item is held, drawn, or otherwise brandished and the possessor is concentrating on the desired result. Activating a power is a standard action." And regarding the Passwall spell, it "creates a passage through wooden, plaster, or stone walls, but not through metal or other harder materials" at a rate of 1 foot/level deep. So two questions come to mind.. 1) If the intelligent item lets the wielder use passwall at will, does that mean that it can be used continuously with no limit to the depth of the passage created, as long as the user is able to concentrate on the desired effect on subsequent rounds? 2) What caster level is used for determening spell duration and effects? I can't find where it specifies anywhere in the SRD or DMG; am I just missing it, or is it the minimum wizard level possible to cast the spell, like with potions? (meaning 9th level caster for the 5th level passwall spell?) Passwall at will seems quite overpowered; not sure what I'm missing. Perhaps nothing, considering how drastically intelligent items were overhauled in 3.5... but I'd love some comments on this. thanks!
pmurray@bigpond.com 10-23-05, 12:19 AM	Yep, the spell description specifically allows you to dig any depth as a series of tunnells, so with passwall at will you can tunnel through a mountain. Or the earth. Some fixes would be: Have the intelligent item just refuse to do more than two or three. Insist that passwall be through a wall - there must be a void on the other side, no blank tunnells Insist that passwall be done horizontally only Mute the item's other powers for a period of time after the passwall (it is tired from all that digging). Say that passwall can tunnel through stone walls, but not living rock (ie, still bart of the earth) dont allow your players to get hold of one of these things in the first place
tui 10-24-05, 05:33 PM	Thanks for the feedback; those are some good ideas.
DungeonMaster 10-24-05, 08:26 PM	#1 YEP! It's a great ability of high level characters. Don't nerf it! PCs that aren't careful open passwalls to open water, lava, vacuum and all sorts of high-level challenges. #2 Caster level of the creator in this case.