Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Maat_Mons Nov 23, 2008 6:08:53	I have a sort of half-formed idea, but I can’t quite make it work: Arrow storm (Complete Adventurer) is a swift action spell that allows you to fire a number of arrows equal to your character level all at different targets as a full round action. Exit wound (Complete Warrior) is a weapon quality that allows you to attack another creature behind one you have just hit with a ranged weapon. I figure if I can get 20 diminutive flying creatures between my target and I, I can use arrow storm to hit each one and exit wound to then make 20 attacks against my real target. The attacks would all be at my full attack bonus, though the target would get +4 to AC. I think the net effect would still be a substantial increase in the number of hits per round. According to the Magic Item Compendium, a wand of a swift action spell can be activated as a swift action. It shouldn’t be too hard to make a character able to use arrow storm reliably. The problem is the creatures I need between my target and I would have a distinct tendency to die. I think I need minions immune to the damage my arrows deal, or minions that hold other creatures in position. My best idea so far is an archer cleric with diminutive flying zombies that hold diminutive incapacitated creatures as targets. I can’t quite figure out how to make that work reliably though. Any thoughts?
#2 nebelmond Nov 23, 2008 6:49:49	I'm not 100% sure it would work, but what about an illusion of your twenty diminutive targets? They don't need to be very realistic, just have a visual form, so it would be a low level spell. Quickened to be able to cast it every round and put in a wand. You could place them wherever you need them, they can't die and you can just choose not to disbelieve (I know, I know, that's been the topic of debates, but even if you disbelieve an illusion, you can still percieve it, if I remember correctly).
#3 cyrocloud Nov 23, 2008 10:05:33	you could just make zombie flies and have a merciful bow so the flies are not affected by the arrows that fly through them.
#4 ChristopherGroves Nov 23, 2008 10:39:32	Swarms? http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#swarmSubtype They would also serve to help you lock down your opponent. Trick is, they take a space, so you're firing from 100 feet away to get 20 of them in between you. They should be flying too, for real battlefield control.
#5 thomas_covenant Nov 23, 2008 11:57:09	This is basicly a variation on the Bag o' Rats trick, and that should work. Drop the bag (needs to be free action), step 5' in the direction you want, and go for it. Ideally with Blindsight to "see" the rats in the bag, which technically can be made permanent in Savage Species, but ask your DM, as the spell has changed since that version. Bags of undead rats in a Hewards Handy Haversack should do the trick, if you're only doing this on occasion, not every encounter.
#6 Maat_Mons Nov 23, 2008 17:38:14	I don’t think illusions or undead would work, since exit wound uses the phrase “living targets.” Unless there’s some sort of ruling that undead creatures count as living for such purposes. The issue with swarms and a bag of rats is the arrows will go through all creatures in a line after the first target. Each previous creature gives the later ones a cumulative +4 to AC, so after a few the attack rolls become very difficult, and one miss prevents any further attacks in the line. I need something akin to a plane of rats perpendicular to the line between my enemy and I.
#7 ChristopherGroves Nov 23, 2008 18:02:54	Or a way to ignore cover and concealment, right?