Author Topic: Devilish Checks of Cania  (Read 3045 times)

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Cannotthink

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Devilish Checks of Cania
« on: July 12, 2010, 12:19:25 AM »
As the title hints at, I'm trying to get this build to abuse the hell out of Mark of Cania to produce ridiculous checks. I originally had a Humatula irritating a vestage and poking a horse for a day, but that didn't produce the result wanted with absolute certainty. So I have moved on to an Imp trying to resist its own power.

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Race: Imp

Found in the sample monster classes in Savage Species. It's already a devil, so it will not have any problems taking Brand of Nine Hells as a feat. Just pledge your allegiance to Mephistopheles, wait a while, take Mark of Cania at ECL 4.

Just use the standard array and throw the 11s into your physical stats and your 10s in mental stats.

ECL 4 is also when the Imp gets the ability to cast Invisibility at will, so long as it only targets itself. Now, Mark of Cania triggers whenever a target of your spell-like abilities makes a successful save (among other situations); Invisibility is a spell-like ability, you are a target. Even though it is harmless, you can attempt a save.

Let's begin. Use your invisibility ability, attempt will saves. Succeed, say 12 times in a row. It may take a little longer than twelve castings of your ability due to a chance of failure, but it will happen eventually. Have +12 to all skill checks.

Next, find a wizard offering spells, purchase a casting of a CL 20 Extended Heroics (600gp) and nab Martial Study (Moment of Perfect Mind). Spend the next 400 minutes succeeding in concentrating against your invisibility (you'll succeed every time with your always at least 13 concentration check as a will save against the DC 12 save (10+2{emulating second level spell}+0{CHA}))

Now that the spell has worn off, you have accumulated a +412 on all attack rolls, damage rolls, saves and checks along with a very low AC.

Lastly, demand free services from the wizard (you have a +412 on your diplomacy). Repeat castings of Heroics for absurdly high checks and saves, aim for about a +A(g64, g64improve on this little devil?

awaken DM golem

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Re: Devilish Checks of Cania
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2010, 05:39:08 PM »
So getting down to brass-tacks ... the list goes:

the Brand feat (as prereq for)
Mark of Cania feat
an at-will (sp) targeting yourself
... and the Martial Study (i'm no help for this one)

CL 20 Extended Heroics is cheap enough,
for a level 1 Aristocrat with Mercantile feat and good dice rolling
or any level 1 npc, or almost any level 1 pc depending on timing.
Availability is the key; might take a (+9) sized city to semi-guarantee it.

Lesser version of the Cleric Miracle at level 6 set-up, might do the trick, but i'm not sure how to get the CL up to 20.


The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Devilish Checks of Cania
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2010, 05:50:02 PM »
That an interesting trick that I haven't seen before.  

Nice find.

Technically it's "until you hit a target", so magic missile I think would still end your awesome.

Good for arena games with prebuffing, I suppose.
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Cannotthink

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Re: Devilish Checks of Cania
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2010, 06:04:55 PM »
Magic missile probably would end it. But Kelgore's Grave Mist wouldn't.

Edit: Or Words of Nurturing
« Last Edit: July 16, 2010, 06:09:56 PM by Cannotthink »

skydragonknight

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Re: Devilish Checks of Cania
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2010, 04:43:06 AM »
UMD a Staff of Fire Seeds and make 400 holly berry bombs that do 1d8+eleventy billion fire damage each.
It always seems like the barrels around here have something in them.

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Devilish Checks of Cania
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2010, 04:44:24 AM »
UMD a Staff of Fire Seeds and make 400 holly berry bombs that do 1d8+eleventy billion fire damage each.
UMD does not work that way.
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skydragonknight

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Re: Devilish Checks of Cania
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2010, 05:19:16 AM »
UMD a Staff of Fire Seeds and make 400 holly berry bombs that do 1d8+eleventy billion fire damage each.
UMD does not work that way.

Staves require spellcasting (a class feature) to activate them, which you can emulate -including effective level- with UMD. So I'm guessing it's something under staves that prevents my example?
It always seems like the barrels around here have something in them.

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Devilish Checks of Cania
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2010, 05:52:17 AM »
UMD a Staff of Fire Seeds and make 400 holly berry bombs that do 1d8+eleventy billion fire damage each.
UMD does not work that way.

Staves require spellcasting (a class feature) to activate them, which you can emulate -including effective level- with UMD. So I'm guessing it's something under staves that prevents my example?
It's a combination of

Quote
This skill does not let you actually use the class feature of another class. It just lets you activate items as if you had that class feature.

and

Quote
Unlike with other sorts of magic items, the wielder can use

It's one of my personal pet peeves
« Last Edit: October 29, 2010, 05:55:11 AM by The_Mad_Linguist »
Linguist, Mad, Unique, none of these things am I
My custom class: The Priest of the Unseen Host
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Want to improve your character?  Then die.