1) Read about the Vivacious template in the Planar Handbook.
2) Read about the alternate summoning rules in the same, on page 134.
3) Giggle hysterically at the thought of a Vivacious Badger for about 20 minutes.
4) Realize that said badger, if summoned at the start of a fight, will force a DC 20 AoE SAVE OR DIE IN ROUND ONE.
This does affect allies, though, so be careful.
"Creatures that exceed their full normal hit points from this effect need to make Fortitude saves as if in a positive-dominant environment.
Major Positve Dominant planar trait:
"However, a creature must make a DC 20 Fortitude save each round that its temporary hit points exceed its normal hit point total. Failing the saving throw results in the creature exploding in a riot of energy, killing it."
So, the Vivacious Badger will be able to pop squirrels, but nothing dangerous needs to worry much about its positive energy aura.
Allies? Is that a new splatbook? Is it downloadable?
"Allies" are creatures with a Friendly, Helpful, or Fanatic attitude toward you. They're Core.
Leave it to tsuyoshikentsu to find a way to annihilate anything in existence with a 2nd level spell.
The wording is slightly ambiguous, though, so it possible this interpretation could be wrong.
Yes, Steadfast Determination would enable you to survive death-by-shiny-flying-ghost-badgers. Is there anything in D&D that doesn't have some kind of counter, no matter how elaborate or obscure? Death by awesome is harder to beat than a lot of things, but it's a strong competitor for one of the hardest to work around.
Couldn't anything with a good Fortitude save (+19 or better) and the Steadfast Determination feat survive this?
How many things with +19 fort save and Steadfast Determination are you going to be fighting at 3rd level though?
How many things with +19 fort save and Steadfast Determination are you going to be fighting at 3rd level though?
True, but a Balor would stand a better chance, though I also know of no creature with Steadfast Determination
lokyin found this trick about a month agao in the theroetical boards. its pretty sweet. i think the dire weasel was considered the best option as they can attach themselves to opponents making it harder to get out of range
Not only is the dire weasel attached so you can't get away, it's dishing out con damage the whole time, reducing your max HP and causing the save vs death-by-awesome to hit earlier, and reducing your fort save.
The wording is slightly ambiguous, though, so it possible this interpretation could be wrong.
The wording on the template's ability suggests that it works slightly differently from the planar traits...
To me, the wording of the template seems cumbersome, but not ambiguous.
"Creatures that exceed their full normal hit points from this effect need to make Fortitude saves as if in a positive-dominant environment."
This creature's HP exceeds his full normal HP? Let's check the Major Positive-Dominant planar trait. (The Minor Positive-Dominant trait doesn't say anything about Fortitude saves, so we can safely ignore that one.)
"However, a creature must make a DC 20 Fortitude save each round that its temporary hit points exceed its normal hit point total. Failing the saving throw results in the creature exploding in a riot of energy, killing it."
Oh, the creature in question only has one temporary HP, and his normal HP total is more than that. Looks like he doesn't need a Fort save this round.
Now, this could be an interesting way to kill low-Constitution Psions. Your party's manifester makes a Psicraft check, then calls out, "He just dropped a Vigor! Throw a badger at him!" (After all, the Major Positive Dominant trait doesn't mention where the temporary HP came from...)
Hmm... I wonder if a Vivacious Tiny Viper might be better, since its venom does Constitution damage (lowering the target's maximum HP much faster than his temporary HP).
Is there anything in D&D that doesn't have some kind of counter, no matter how elaborate or obscure?
Pun-Pun. The only way to beat him is to the punch.
the dire weasel was considered the best option as they can attach themselves to opponents
Are you like, going back and resurrecting all of my old posts?
I for one would otherwise have missed out on this entirely, instead of for four months. Is there any problem which cannot be solved with thread necromancy? I think not.
I've found the Vivacious Octopus (SMII) to be the best option for this. Summon multiple ones with higher level spells.
Why's that? What does an octopus bring to the table?
Why's that? What does an octopus bring to the table?
One thing. It's the only SMI option that has 2 HD. It's To Hit with the Positive Energy Ray is the best, too.
Why's that? What does an octopus bring to the table?
I swear I won't make hentai tentacle jokes. I swear I won't crack wise about explosions of awesomeness. I swear.
Not that I trust the rest of you to hold back for a second. :P
One thing. It's the only SMI option that has 2 HD. It's To Hit with the Positive Energy Ray is the best, too.
The porpoise also has 2HD. It has more HP, but its AC is lower.
The owl and hawk have the same attack bonus with the Positive Energy Ray.
I swear I won't make hentai tentacle jokes. I swear I won't crack wise about explosions of awesomeness. I swear.
Not that I trust the rest of you to hold back for a second. :P
So now we have to guys desperately trying to hold back crappy jokes?
The porpoise also has 2HD. It has more HP, but its AC is lower.
The octopus has the advantage of being capable of things besides flopping around madly gasping for air on land.
The octopus has the advantage of being capable of things besides flopping around madly gasping for air on land.
Untrue; octopodes extract oxygen from water, so they'd be doing the flopping around, rather than the mammalian porpoise.
Just had to say something in a DBA thread.
So it should at least survive being on land for the 1 minute or so duration of the spell.
...So if all of this is true, why is it that octopi have a land speed and porpoises suffocate on ground according ot the rules?
Well, uh...Obviously they meant to say...SHUT UP!!
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0286.html
I swear I won't make hentai tentacle jokes. I swear I won't crack wise about explosions of awesomeness. I swear.
Not that I trust the rest of you to hold back for a second. :P
No, you just have a sick mind (for hentai tentacle jokes).
I thought you couldn't summon sea-based creatures on land? Else I would summon monster jellyfishes all over teh opponent FTW. Also, on a sorta relevant side-note, can one fly high up into the air and then Alter Self into something heavy and kill your opponent thusly?
The octopus has the advantage of being capable of things besides flopping around madly gasping for air on land.
Adjectives make everything funnier! Also, can octopi 'gasp'? For AIR for that matter?
Thus, there are only 2 things we care about, HP and Ranged Touch To Hit. The Octopus has the best of both.
You know the template turns the creature incorporeal, right? No need for air. as it no longer has a physical body. Nor can it grapple anything.
Thus, there are only 2 things we care about, HP and Ranged Touch To Hit. The Octopus has the best of both.
HOW did I miss that?
The octopus has the advantage of being capable of things besides flopping around madly gasping for air on land.
Not that either of them can actually be summoned on land. (I thought that, since we were discussing octopodes, we were already assuming an aquatic battle.)
...So if all of this is true, why is it that octopi have a land speed and porpoises suffocate on ground according ot the rules?
The porpoise lacks the (aquatic) subtype, so it can breathe perfectly fine on land. It just doesn't have a land speed.
The octopus, on the other hand, has both a land speed and the (aquatic) subtype, so it can hold its breath for about a minute (longer if it makes some Constitution checks) as it crawls back toward the water.
You know the template turns the creature incorporeal, right?
No, I didn't notice that.
However, a creature must make a DC 20 Fortitude save each round that its temporary hit points exceed its normal hit point total. Failing the saving throw results in the creature exploding in a riot of energy, killing it.
This though can be intepreted as following:
Whenever a a creature has more hit points (temporary hit points and normal hitpoints added together) than its maximum hit points.
For example:
A creature has maximum of 20 hit points but has taken 10 damage. Vivacious badger comes and gives it some temporary hp. With my intepretation, the creature would have to make fort saves after it has more than 11 temporary hit points. (If using the initial intepretation, it would need 21 temporary hp).
Let's take the same creature again, but it has 0 hit points and is disabled. The vivacious badger now needs to give it 21 temporary hit points to my intepretation. (If using the initial intepretaion, it would need 21 temporary hp).
Now the same creature is unharmed. If my intepretation is correct, it needs only 1 temporary hp to begin fort saves. If not, it needs the same 21 temporary hp.
This would be to our benefit in this case. I can't remember if there was examples or more clearly worded sentences about this matter though. If there isn't clarifying example, my intepretation might be the correct one.
P.S. I know this thread is really dead, 4 years dead, but i could not resist giving it it's deserved undeath. but least it's not a zombie, Lord i hate those, and is a skeleton, so no rotting flesh no contactable undeath.
-Nyt
Not that much of a mixup :P