Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 VoicesofChaos Sep 10, 2014 1:00:41	So I am playing an Elf Wizard since my first D&D character ever was an Elf Transmuter so I made it a tradition that each new edition I play a descendent of that character. Now I play with all min-max in power gamers that only care about having characters with the most powerful broken numbers on their character sheet. As I hit 2nd level I planned to take the Transmutation tradition. But I noticed the Evocation tradition actually gives you an ability that actually has a mechanical impact. The minor transmutation thing seems so weak and not helpful. Is there something I am missing? Any useful way to use this ability? I thought about maybe super-heating a sword to make it more deadly but I Have No idea if that would actually give a bonus. Any suggestions for this ability?
#2 2Chlorobutanal Sep 10, 2014 1:18:37	The ability is pretty specific: it takes 10 minutes to affect 1 cubic foot of material and the transformation lasts until you stop concentrating or one hour passes.   The only effects possible for the minor transmutation ability are to change wood, stone, iron, copper, or silver into a different one of those same materials.   I think the biggest potential use for combat is that you could effectively "silver" one of the weapons in your party for up to an hour, allowing it to effectively damage fiends or werewolves.   Outside of combat, if you were of a larcenous bent, maybe you could run a con where you turn something into silver and then barter or sell it at inflated value.   However, I think it's mostly a "flavor" ability and the real power of Transmuters comes with their magical Transmuter's Stones and the free polymorph spell once per rest.  Once you get to 6th level, you (or somebody near you) can have an extra special sense or saving throw proficiency.  At level 14, you can raise the dead, fully heal and restore a person, or completely and permanently transform one object into another.  Those are pretty useful and powerful abilities for a Wizard.
#3 Yunru Sep 10, 2014 3:07:25	Change that support column into silver and watch it buckle under the wieght. There a wall in your way? Turn a portion of it into wood and burn/hack through it. Such abilities merely need creative applications.
#4 Kavrek Sep 10, 2014 10:29:16	Turn the bars of a prison cell into wood and break out, assuming you have components or a focus to cast fire bolt, or a lock on a chest. Turn manacles or chains into wood while captured in a dungeon, the ritual says nothing about requiring somatic components just concentration. Strength checks won't be good on the wizard so take fire bolt and a fire resist race if you plan on burning out of your own manacles. I think its the only cantrip that will affect a substance, at least raw, people are always talking about using acid splash to melt things on these froums, but the cantrip says nothing of the sort. Acid splash's utility comes from being able to hit two targets 5' away from each other, if it had another benefit that helped it melt objects, i would think it would say so, like fire bolt does with ignitible objects.   The real power of this ability is that there is no V,S,M, just concentration. That means no matter what the situation, if you are consicience and have 10 minutes, you have a good chance of being able to change something about your situation, because the materials listed in this ability make up a good percentage of the environment and objects that your character will be interracting with.     *edit: I left the above in the post so that others wouldn't make the same mistake, Im guessing that a DM would consider manacles or chains to be 'worn' and would probably adjudicate that fire bolt could not be used to burn the wood, plus the smoke might bring the jailor if you use it on cell bars...but I swear this ability has uses...just need to find them
#5 Sword_of_Spirit Sep 10, 2014 15:31:50	Remember that pumice is a type of stone.   (I agree that it is weaker than the other options--which is sad because it's probably weak enough that I'm going to go with my other thematically appropriate choice of conjurer for a character I'm making. I just don't want to have a weak or situational 2nd level ability when the other specialties have abilities you'll be using all the time.)
#6 Fralex Sep 11, 2014 10:34:25	Oh yeah, we were talking about Minor Alchemy's possible applications a little while ago in another thread over here. Might give you some other ideas! Basically, this ability allows you to destroy or re-shape any material it can be applied to. I just got the ability in a campaign, so I'll see for myself how often this comes in handy.