Multitasking and Multivoice - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Multitasking and Multivoice

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
chalhub
Jun 12, 2009 7:39:33 Cheers, lads!

I've noticed recently some overlooked feats in Savage Species.
Even though some have came with the understanding that it's 3.0, plenty of stuff is regularly used from it, such as the Feral template, the Roll With It and Surrogate Spellcasting feats and whatever.

Let us crack the book open in page 37, where we'll find both feats. Beginning with Multivoice:

First of all, it lets us use a full-round action to cast an additional spell or use a spell-like ability in conjunction with a spell or use a "head based" ability, such as a breath weapon.
What remains unclear is whether you can cast an additional spell per head beyond two or is just stuck with one extra spell, even though you're a twelve headed cryohydra of whiskey-doom.

But then, there's a pearl in Multitasking:

You actually get one extra partial action for each set of arms beyond the first. The feat states clearly that all of them occur simultaneously.
Can you say "hello, twinned-repeated/stacked Girallon's Blessing"?

What bugs me, however, are the steep requirements, as they are: Multiattack, Multiweapon Fighting and Improved Multiweapon Fighting.

What do ye think of those?
#2
Balthanon
Jun 12, 2009 7:58:26 Multiple heads pretty much come with a minimum ECL of 4. (Since you would really need it as a racial feature to qualify for the feat, not something you polymorph into for an hour or so a day.) That is pretty much going to kill your spellcasting unless you happen to be a Sharn-- and they already have ridiculous numbers of actions each round. You may provide your DM a justification for homicide if you try to double them again.

For the partial action part-- partial actions don't exist any longer in 3.5. I would probably guess that this would translate to additional move actions that can't be used for actual movement. Still not bad, but not something you could use with spellcasting beyond directing ongoing spells.
#3
chalhub
Jun 12, 2009 8:35:56 I was thinking more about a polymorph approach to acquire new heads - or arms for the sake of it. As it appears that you can actually get Flyby Attack without being able to fly in your natural form, the same could happen to these feats.

Fer the partial actions, they would translate into standard actions, as in the feat very description, it illustrates the use of the acquired actions with attacks or spellcasting.

Edit: A feasible example of the Multivoice could be a wizard polymorphed into a 12-headed hydra with surrogate spellcasting. If he happened to be a Master Transmorgrifist and grabbed Infinite Variety with a Chronotyrn's form, it would be a freaking machine gun, if the Multivoice feat actually is scalable.
#4
PlzBreakMyCampaign
Jun 12, 2009 9:38:00 I asked some simple questions on it... and the consensus was that it kinda didn't work the way it should. Basically its not scalable

So what can we find any good use for the 3.5 translated partial actions? I'm not sure the usefulness yet.
#5
chalhub
Jun 12, 2009 12:36:19 Happen to have the link of the previous discussion, do you?

I'm pretty sure, however, that Partial Actions mean Standard Actions - as the reading of the 3.0 Haste spell would imply. Since you gained an extra Partial Action every round upon casting and that explicitly stated you could cast an extra spell, hence the Swiftblade Prestige Class kind of upgrading our current Haste to what it approximately was in 3.0.
#6
Balthanon
Jun 12, 2009 13:04:58
Happen to have the link of the previous discussion, do you?

I'm pretty sure, however, that Partial Actions mean Standard Actions - as the reading of the 3.0 Haste spell would imply. Since you gained an extra Partial Action every round upon casting and that explicitly stated you could cast an extra spell, hence the Swiftblade Prestige Class kind of upgrading our current Haste to what it approximately was in 3.0.

Or you could use the example of haste to say that 3.5 reduced partial actions -- in this case to one extra attack action on a full attack. Swiftblade requires 6 levels or so of a prestige class to gain the old effect-- it's essentially a capstone class ability or close to it. That doesn't equate to a single feat, even if it does have relatively tough prerequisites.
#7
Endarire
Jun 12, 2009 22:31:40 Serpent Kingdoms's Nagahydra is akin to this.

Also, in 3.0, a typical character could take 1 move action and 1 partial ('standard') action per turn.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 chalhub Jun 12, 2009 7:39:33	Cheers, lads! I've noticed recently some overlooked feats in Savage Species. Even though some have came with the understanding that it's 3.0, plenty of stuff is regularly used from it, such as the Feral template, the Roll With It and Surrogate Spellcasting feats and whatever. Let us crack the book open in page 37, where we'll find both feats. Beginning with Multivoice: First of all, it lets us use a full-round action to cast an additional spell or use a spell-like ability in conjunction with a spell or use a "head based" ability, such as a breath weapon. What remains unclear is whether you can cast an additional spell per head beyond two or is just stuck with one extra spell, even though you're a twelve headed cryohydra of whiskey-doom. But then, there's a pearl in Multitasking: You actually get one extra partial action for each set of arms beyond the first. The feat states clearly that all of them occur simultaneously. Can you say "hello, twinned-repeated/stacked Girallon's Blessing"? What bugs me, however, are the steep requirements, as they are: Multiattack, Multiweapon Fighting and Improved Multiweapon Fighting. What do ye think of those?
#2 Balthanon Jun 12, 2009 7:58:26	Multiple heads pretty much come with a minimum ECL of 4. (Since you would really need it as a racial feature to qualify for the feat, not something you polymorph into for an hour or so a day.) That is pretty much going to kill your spellcasting unless you happen to be a Sharn-- and they already have ridiculous numbers of actions each round. You may provide your DM a justification for homicide if you try to double them again. For the partial action part-- partial actions don't exist any longer in 3.5. I would probably guess that this would translate to additional move actions that can't be used for actual movement. Still not bad, but not something you could use with spellcasting beyond directing ongoing spells.
#3 chalhub Jun 12, 2009 8:35:56	I was thinking more about a polymorph approach to acquire new heads - or arms for the sake of it. As it appears that you can actually get Flyby Attack without being able to fly in your natural form, the same could happen to these feats. Fer the partial actions, they would translate into standard actions, as in the feat very description, it illustrates the use of the acquired actions with attacks or spellcasting. Edit: A feasible example of the Multivoice could be a wizard polymorphed into a 12-headed hydra with surrogate spellcasting. If he happened to be a Master Transmorgrifist and grabbed Infinite Variety with a Chronotyrn's form, it would be a freaking machine gun, if the Multivoice feat actually is scalable.
#4 PlzBreakMyCampaign Jun 12, 2009 9:38:00	I asked some simple questions on it... and the consensus was that it kinda didn't work the way it should. Basically its not scalable So what can we find any good use for the 3.5 translated partial actions? I'm not sure the usefulness yet.
#5 chalhub Jun 12, 2009 12:36:19	Happen to have the link of the previous discussion, do you? I'm pretty sure, however, that Partial Actions mean Standard Actions - as the reading of the 3.0 Haste spell would imply. Since you gained an extra Partial Action every round upon casting and that explicitly stated you could cast an extra spell, hence the Swiftblade Prestige Class kind of upgrading our current Haste to what it approximately was in 3.0.
#6 Balthanon Jun 12, 2009 13:04:58	Happen to have the link of the previous discussion, do you? I'm pretty sure, however, that Partial Actions mean Standard Actions - as the reading of the 3.0 Haste spell would imply. Since you gained an extra Partial Action every round upon casting and that explicitly stated you could cast an extra spell, hence the Swiftblade Prestige Class kind of upgrading our current Haste to what it approximately was in 3.0. Or you could use the example of haste to say that 3.5 reduced partial actions -- in this case to one extra attack action on a full attack. Swiftblade requires 6 levels or so of a prestige class to gain the old effect-- it's essentially a capstone class ability or close to it. That doesn't equate to a single feat, even if it does have relatively tough prerequisites.
#7 Endarire Jun 12, 2009 22:31:40	Serpent Kingdoms's Nagahydra is akin to this. Also, in 3.0, a typical character could take 1 move action and 1 partial ('standard') action per turn.