Author Topic: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?  (Read 30988 times)

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Jelvoden

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #20 on: June 22, 2010, 07:38:25 PM »
The prerequisites are exacting and manifester level is murdered, but the Body Leech and Thrallherd are made for each other.

So, the party fought past the hordes of crazed followers and killed the BBEG? After succeeding on a DC 25 will save, he climbs out of a stasis cocoon (up to 125 miles away) in the mind-switched body of a follower, with no level loss. He can do it again tomorrow, if he needs to.

If you want to really break this, the cheat death target doesn't have to be a follower. Anything Huge size or under is fair game, provided the Body Leech and his pack can catch it. In addition, he could potentially live forever, switching bodies as they get old. Mental stats are maintained, so you can stack those aging bonuses arbitrarily high.
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Littha

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #21 on: June 22, 2010, 08:25:05 PM »
I was always fond of getting into thrallheard as a Kalashtar... gotta love racial PLA's 

snakeman830

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #22 on: June 22, 2010, 08:42:37 PM »
I was always fond of getting into thrallheard as a Kalashtar... gotta love racial PLA's 
Yup.  Any 5th level Kalashtar with the prerequisite ranks and feat can enter the PrC.
I am constantly amazed by how many DM's ban Tomb of Battle.  The book doesn't even exist!

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McPoyo

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #23 on: June 23, 2010, 02:10:13 PM »
The prerequisites are exacting and manifester level is murdered, but the Body Leech and Thrallherd are made for each other.

So, the party fought past the hordes of crazed followers and killed the BBEG? After succeeding on a DC 25 will save, he climbs out of a stasis cocoon (up to 125 miles away) in the mind-switched body of a follower, with no level loss. He can do it again tomorrow, if he needs to.

If you want to really break this, the cheat death target doesn't have to be a follower. Anything Huge size or under is fair game, provided the Body Leech and his pack can catch it. In addition, he could potentially live forever, switching bodies as they get old. Mental stats are maintained, so you can stack those aging bonuses arbitrarily high.
What was that old-school horror film that was based on this premise? The murderer kept hopping bodies when killed? The movie ended with him inhabiting a cat because the "heroes" didn't know he could take non-human bodies when they sacrificed themselves to kill him?
[Spoiler]
A gygaxian dungeon is like the world's most messed up game show.

Behind door number one: INSTANT DEATH!
Behind door number 2: A magic crown!
Behind door number 3: 4d6 giant bees, and THREE HUNDRED POUNDS OF HONEY!
They don't/haven't, was the point. 3.5 is as dead as people not liking nice tits.

Sometimes, their tits (3.5) get enhancements (houserules), but that doesn't mean people don't like nice tits.

Though sometimes, the surgeon (DM) botches them pretty bad...
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[/spoiler]

archangel.arcanis

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #24 on: June 23, 2010, 02:11:48 PM »
The prerequisites are exacting and manifester level is murdered, but the Body Leech and Thrallherd are made for each other.

So, the party fought past the hordes of crazed followers and killed the BBEG? After succeeding on a DC 25 will save, he climbs out of a stasis cocoon (up to 125 miles away) in the mind-switched body of a follower, with no level loss. He can do it again tomorrow, if he needs to.

If you want to really break this, the cheat death target doesn't have to be a follower. Anything Huge size or under is fair game, provided the Body Leech and his pack can catch it. In addition, he could potentially live forever, switching bodies as they get old. Mental stats are maintained, so you can stack those aging bonuses arbitrarily high.
What was that old-school horror film that was based on this premise? The murderer kept hopping bodies when killed? The movie ended with him inhabiting a cat because the "heroes" didn't know he could take non-human bodies when they sacrificed themselves to kill him?
Fallen. God i loved that movie!
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PhaedrusXY

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #25 on: June 23, 2010, 02:16:55 PM »
The prerequisites are exacting and manifester level is murdered, but the Body Leech and Thrallherd are made for each other.

So, the party fought past the hordes of crazed followers and killed the BBEG? After succeeding on a DC 25 will save, he climbs out of a stasis cocoon (up to 125 miles away) in the mind-switched body of a follower, with no level loss. He can do it again tomorrow, if he needs to.

If you want to really break this, the cheat death target doesn't have to be a follower. Anything Huge size or under is fair game, provided the Body Leech and his pack can catch it. In addition, he could potentially live forever, switching bodies as they get old. Mental stats are maintained, so you can stack those aging bonuses arbitrarily high.
What was that old-school horror film that was based on this premise? The murderer kept hopping bodies when killed? The movie ended with him inhabiting a cat because the "heroes" didn't know he could take non-human bodies when they sacrificed themselves to kill him?
Fallen. God i loved that movie!
Me too. There is a really fantastic homebrew prestige class, which I've gotten to use twice with characters, that is based around that.
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

Azrael

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #26 on: June 23, 2010, 05:11:13 PM »
Fuse with as many thralls and believers as you can.  Shoot for the perfect mix of class features, ability scores, racial modifiers, HP Sums, PP Sums, etc...

That's exactly what my signature character does...though, originally, he was only a Thrallherd fused with two thralls and all his followers. One of the thralls is a Metamind so any fusion is active 24/7.

This was until I realized that I could piggyback thralls off of thralls, and now he uses the "villiage of thralls" build. However, I haven't updated him to compensate for that (which is why I haven't posted him yet). Though, I should also consider doing the summon mirror mephit and simulacrum to fuse with additional monsters for powers (I probably wont though because that will be too much work and hes far too powerful as is).

I was always fond of getting into thrallheard as a Kalashtar... gotta love racial PLA's 
Yup.  Any 5th level Kalashtar with the prerequisite ranks and feat can enter the PrC.

Honestly I don't see the point in using a Kalashtar over a Human (other than power link shards and the like). Although Kalashtar get mindlink for free they also lose the feat that humans get which could be used to take expanded knowledge (mindlink). So in a way, it doesn't matter. I guess it depends on whether you want a few extra skill points or power points.

I would rather be a human Telepath, that way I free up the feat and have access to the power anyway; in addition to the necessary power 'schism' at 7th level, which I won't have to take expanded knowledge to obtain. So it theoretically saves two feats...depending on the build.

jojolagger

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #27 on: June 23, 2010, 05:40:46 PM »
I was always fond of getting into thrallheard as a Kalashtar... gotta love racial PLA's 
Yup.  Any 5th level Kalashtar with the prerequisite ranks and feat can enter the PrC.

Honestly I don't see the point in using a Kalashtar over a Human (other than power link shards and the like). Although Kalashtar get mindlink for free they also lose the feat that humans get which could be used to take expanded knowledge (mindlink). So in a way, it doesn't matter. I guess it depends on whether you want a few extra skill points or power points.

I would rather be a human Telepath, that way I free up the feat and have access to the power anyway; in addition to the necessary power 'schism' at 7th level, which I won't have to take expanded knowledge to obtain. So it theoretically saves two feats...depending on the build.
Kalashtar get mindlink as a Power link ability, which means the qualify as being able to manifest mindlink. You only need the skill ranks and the feat to get in to the PrC.
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snakeman830

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #28 on: June 23, 2010, 05:48:51 PM »
In other words, you don't need to worry anywhere near as much for what you're entering with.  I believe Marshall and Bard both qualify...
I am constantly amazed by how many DM's ban Tomb of Battle.  The book doesn't even exist!

Quotes:[spoiler]
By yes, she means no.
That explains so much about my life.
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Why would you even do this? It hurts my eyes and looks like you ate your keyboard before suffering an attack of explosive diarrhea.
[/spoiler]

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archangel.arcanis

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #29 on: June 23, 2010, 05:54:32 PM »
In other words, you don't need to worry anywhere near as much for what you're entering with.  I believe Marshall and Bard both qualify...
except the lack of psionics to progress makes it a bit weaker, and the loss of bonus powers known that it gives for free too.

not saying it is bad since you get leadership+ that doesn't care what you do to these people, but it kinda negates the entire rest of the class.
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PhaedrusXY

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #30 on: June 23, 2010, 06:04:41 PM »
In other words, you don't need to worry anywhere near as much for what you're entering with.  I believe Marshall and Bard both qualify...
except the lack of psionics to progress makes it a bit weaker, and the loss of bonus powers known that it gives for free too.

not saying it is bad since you get leadership+ that doesn't care what you do to these people, but it kinda negates the entire rest of the class.
You get the best ability of the class at first level, though, and that level doesn't progress psionics anyway. So you don't care. You take your 1-level dip and move on to something else.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2010, 06:12:27 PM by PhaedrusXY »
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

archangel.arcanis

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #31 on: June 23, 2010, 06:09:02 PM »
In other words, you don't need to worry anywhere near as much for what you're entering with.  I believe Marshall and Bard both qualify...
except the lack of psionics to progress makes it a bit weaker, and the loss of bonus powers known that it gives for free too.

not saying it is bad since you get leadership+ that doesn't care what you do to these people, but it kinda negates the entire rest of the class.
You get the best ability of the class at first level, though, and that level doesn't progress psionics anyway. So you don't care.
It doesn't get double counted like the class does though.
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Retire the character before the DM smacks you with the Table as the book will feel totally inadequate now.-Hazren

Felix Underwood

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #32 on: June 23, 2010, 06:38:02 PM »
It doesn't get double counted like the class does though.
The first level of Thrallherd is doubled... depending on your combined class levels and your charisma modifier, you might not need any more as the table caps out at 25.  Also, some builds might just want a regular supply of mooks to sacrifice, and not need the full amount.  (I call them "slackers")   :D

CustosTheFluffy

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #33 on: June 23, 2010, 09:01:53 PM »
Quote
That's exactly what my signature character does...though, originally, he was only a Thrallherd fused with two thralls and all his followers. One of the thralls is a Metamind so any fusion is active 24/7.

I am so lost on this. How does one fuse with multiple people, let alone for that long? Am I just that simple?

veekie

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #34 on: June 24, 2010, 12:24:38 AM »
In other words, you don't need to worry anywhere near as much for what you're entering with.  I believe Marshall and Bard both qualify...
except the lack of psionics to progress makes it a bit weaker, and the loss of bonus powers known that it gives for free too.

not saying it is bad since you get leadership+ that doesn't care what you do to these people, but it kinda negates the entire rest of the class.
Hmmm, we need a Psionic Bard, why isn't there one?
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lianightdemon

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #35 on: June 24, 2010, 12:26:12 AM »
homebrew one, WOTC gave up on 3.5

jojolagger

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #36 on: June 24, 2010, 12:40:37 AM »
Hmmm, we need a Psionic Bard, why isn't there one?
Because Hasbro bought WotC?
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In other words, he thinks there's a "correct" way to play D&D.  *sigh*
There is: Kill shit and loot the corpse!
When you use a tool the way it was designed for -- its intended function -- then it will work very well for you.

But it's not the tool's fault if you use it for something else and you fail utterly, such as trying to eat cereal with a butterknife, pounding nails with a screwdriver, blogging to voice your political opinions, and brushing your teeth with a hammer.
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Amechra

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #37 on: June 24, 2010, 02:12:23 AM »
Hmmm, we need a Psionic Bard, why isn't there one?
Because Hasbro bought WotC?

Curse you Hasbro! Why couldn't you have kept with what you are good at; i.e. making children's toys?
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On a strange note, would anyone be put out if we had a post about people or events we can spare a thought for, or if its within their creed, a prayer for? Just a random thought, but ... hells I wouldn't have known about either Archangels daughter or Saeomons niece if I didn't happen to be on these threads.
Sounds fine to me.
probably over on "Off-topic".
might want to put a little disclaimer in the first post.

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Felix Underwood

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #38 on: June 24, 2010, 12:47:46 PM »
Quote
That's exactly what my signature character does...though, originally, he was only a Thrallherd fused with two thralls and all his followers. One of the thralls is a Metamind so any fusion is active 24/7.

I am so lost on this. How does one fuse with multiple people, let alone for that long? Am I just that simple?

The Power 'Fusion' doesn't prohibit the newly Fused Being from repeatedly casting Fusion (it only prohibits Fission from being used on a Fused Being).  The limiting factor is the number of willing creatures and the 50xp material cost.

I'm not sure about the 24/7 duration though... Azrael, is there a Persistant trick involved?

McPoyo

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Re: How to (ab)use Thrallherd for fun and profit?
« Reply #39 on: June 24, 2010, 12:50:01 PM »
Quote
That's exactly what my signature character does...though, originally, he was only a Thrallherd fused with two thralls and all his followers. One of the thralls is a Metamind so any fusion is active 24/7.

I am so lost on this. How does one fuse with multiple people, let alone for that long? Am I just that simple?

The Power 'Fusion' doesn't prohibit the newly Fused Being from repeatedly casting Fusion (it only prohibits Fission from being used on a Fused Being).  The limiting factor is the number of willing creatures and the 50xp material cost.

I'm not sure about the 24/7 duration though... Azrael, is there a Persistant trick involved?
You fuse during the infinite PP portion of the metamind, I would imagine, to pump it to a 24 hour period using a ml limit break somehow.
[Spoiler]
A gygaxian dungeon is like the world's most messed up game show.

Behind door number one: INSTANT DEATH!
Behind door number 2: A magic crown!
Behind door number 3: 4d6 giant bees, and THREE HUNDRED POUNDS OF HONEY!
They don't/haven't, was the point. 3.5 is as dead as people not liking nice tits.

Sometimes, their tits (3.5) get enhancements (houserules), but that doesn't mean people don't like nice tits.

Though sometimes, the surgeon (DM) botches them pretty bad...
Best metaphor I have seen in a long time.  I give you much fu.
Three Errata for the Mage-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Barbarian-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Monks doomed to die,
One for the Wizard on his dark throne
In the Land of Charop where the Shadows lie.
[/spoiler]