Draconic Aura and Snowcasting/Cold Focus [Archive] - Wizards Community

Draconic Aura and Snowcasting/Cold Focus [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Xeorsos
02-19-08, 06:26 AM 6 feats is a hefty investment for any character, but a human with two flaws can get it knocked out by level 6. I want to build a blasting sorcerer, but don't want to gimp other areas of magic as well, so I thought I'd do a little poking around and came up with this:

Draconic Heritage (White Dragon)
Snowcasting
Eschew Materials
Cold Focus
Greater Cold Focus
Draconic Aura (Energy: Cold)

By RAW this should provide every one of my spells with a +3 to their DC, and it should increase until it becomes a +6 at level 20. Any character can achieve this with one less feat by dipping into Dragonfire Adept (Dragontouched), but sorcerers are already a level behind in spells.

So my question is this: Is this feat combination kosher, or is it a nasty exploitation of poorly worded splat books? Did I misread anything or interpret it to my own benefit? I'm curious, because I'd really like to run with this.
Axiomatic_vampire
02-19-08, 12:22 PM Is the purpose of Eschew materials to avoid having to have fresh snow on hand?
I believe the plan may break down there, as I see no reason that eschew materials would eliminate the need to provide an optional component to gain an optional benefit.
StruckingFuggle
02-19-08, 12:46 PM Is the purpose of Eschew materials to avoid having to have fresh snow on hand?
I believe the plan may break down there, as I see no reason that eschew materials would eliminate the need to provide an optional component to gain an optional benefit.

From a balance standpoint, it's arguable.
From a purely mechanical and flavor standpoint? I don't see that as being the case.
Xeorsos
02-19-08, 03:59 PM I've usually seen Eschew Materials used with the snowcasting/cold focus trick. It always seemed perfectly reasonable, although kinda sneaky.
Axiomatic_vampire
02-20-08, 01:33 AM Looking at the two feats again, I guess I'm not sure how I'd feel about it. "You can cast a spell without needing free components" and "you can choose to add a component for an extra effect"....I dunno if I could come up with a knockout argument either way.

That's how these questions always end up, after all. The board parses and argues and in the end, the only thing to do is run it by your DM.

Anyway, how hard would it be to enchant a handy haversack to be chilly, and just keep gobs of snow in there? Even if the feat doesn't work, seems like plenty of work-arounds are out there for the devoted snow enthusiast.

*edit* and you don't have to spend the feat. Isn't there a saying about that? Never spend a feat when you can spend some gold?
Xeorsos
02-20-08, 04:18 AM Looking at the two feats again, I guess I'm not sure how I'd feel about it. "You can cast a spell without needing free components" and "you can choose to add a component for an extra effect"....I dunno if I could come up with a knockout argument either way.

That's how these questions always end up, after all. The board parses and argues and in the end, the only thing to do is run it by your DM.

Anyway, how hard would it be to enchant a handy haversack to be chilly, and just keep gobs of snow in there? Even if the feat doesn't work, seems like plenty of work-arounds are out there for the devoted snow enthusiast.

*edit* and you don't have to spend the feat. Isn't there a saying about that? Never spend a feat when you can spend some gold?

Very good idea. Simply making a bag that was constantly full of snow from, say, SUmmon Material Component would be viable and cheap.
AtsuiShoto
02-20-08, 07:03 AM Toss some chunks of blue ice (from Frostburn, where the feats in question come from) in the haversack, it'll likely be cheaper than an enchantment.
Firedale
02-20-08, 07:32 AM And there's always the idea that the temperature inside those dimensional spaces are never pointed out... That anything that goes in stays the same temperature as when it went in. The only thing ever really noted is air supply. So the possibility remains that ice goes in, ice comes out, no matter how long it was in. Hot coal goes in, hot coal comes out... it is an extradimensional space, afterall, little chance that any two items will come into direct contact with each other floating across the tiny universe.

Or... I might just not be remembering right, and there is a noted temperature somewhere, hehe, either way... it's a nice idea.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xeorsos 02-19-08, 06:26 AM	6 feats is a hefty investment for any character, but a human with two flaws can get it knocked out by level 6. I want to build a blasting sorcerer, but don't want to gimp other areas of magic as well, so I thought I'd do a little poking around and came up with this: Draconic Heritage (White Dragon) Snowcasting Eschew Materials Cold Focus Greater Cold Focus Draconic Aura (Energy: Cold) By RAW this should provide every one of my spells with a +3 to their DC, and it should increase until it becomes a +6 at level 20. Any character can achieve this with one less feat by dipping into Dragonfire Adept (Dragontouched), but sorcerers are already a level behind in spells. So my question is this: Is this feat combination kosher, or is it a nasty exploitation of poorly worded splat books? Did I misread anything or interpret it to my own benefit? I'm curious, because I'd really like to run with this.
Axiomatic_vampire 02-19-08, 12:22 PM	Is the purpose of Eschew materials to avoid having to have fresh snow on hand? I believe the plan may break down there, as I see no reason that eschew materials would eliminate the need to provide an optional component to gain an optional benefit.
StruckingFuggle 02-19-08, 12:46 PM	Is the purpose of Eschew materials to avoid having to have fresh snow on hand? I believe the plan may break down there, as I see no reason that eschew materials would eliminate the need to provide an optional component to gain an optional benefit. From a balance standpoint, it's arguable. From a purely mechanical and flavor standpoint? I don't see that as being the case.
Xeorsos 02-19-08, 03:59 PM	I've usually seen Eschew Materials used with the snowcasting/cold focus trick. It always seemed perfectly reasonable, although kinda sneaky.
Axiomatic_vampire 02-20-08, 01:33 AM	Looking at the two feats again, I guess I'm not sure how I'd feel about it. "You can cast a spell without needing free components" and "you can choose to add a component for an extra effect"....I dunno if I could come up with a knockout argument either way. That's how these questions always end up, after all. The board parses and argues and in the end, the only thing to do is run it by your DM. Anyway, how hard would it be to enchant a handy haversack to be chilly, and just keep gobs of snow in there? Even if the feat doesn't work, seems like plenty of work-arounds are out there for the devoted snow enthusiast. edit and you don't have to spend the feat. Isn't there a saying about that? Never spend a feat when you can spend some gold?
Xeorsos 02-20-08, 04:18 AM	Looking at the two feats again, I guess I'm not sure how I'd feel about it. "You can cast a spell without needing free components" and "you can choose to add a component for an extra effect"....I dunno if I could come up with a knockout argument either way. That's how these questions always end up, after all. The board parses and argues and in the end, the only thing to do is run it by your DM. Anyway, how hard would it be to enchant a handy haversack to be chilly, and just keep gobs of snow in there? Even if the feat doesn't work, seems like plenty of work-arounds are out there for the devoted snow enthusiast. edit and you don't have to spend the feat. Isn't there a saying about that? Never spend a feat when you can spend some gold? Very good idea. Simply making a bag that was constantly full of snow from, say, SUmmon Material Component would be viable and cheap.
AtsuiShoto 02-20-08, 07:03 AM	Toss some chunks of blue ice (from Frostburn, where the feats in question come from) in the haversack, it'll likely be cheaper than an enchantment.
Firedale 02-20-08, 07:32 AM	And there's always the idea that the temperature inside those dimensional spaces are never pointed out... That anything that goes in stays the same temperature as when it went in. The only thing ever really noted is air supply. So the possibility remains that ice goes in, ice comes out, no matter how long it was in. Hot coal goes in, hot coal comes out... it is an extradimensional space, afterall, little chance that any two items will come into direct contact with each other floating across the tiny universe. Or... I might just not be remembering right, and there is a noted temperature somewhere, hehe, either way... it's a nice idea.