# What D&D-style power would you find most useful? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 29, 2016, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421 "2016-11-29T23:40:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/21 "2016-11-30T16:10:05Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Arcane gate. Generates a Portal-style, uh, portal for 10 minutes at a time. > > Use to violate conservation of energy. Deploy portals at top and bottom of large vacuum chamber. Drop dense masses through chamber so that they pick up tremendous kinetic energy, then harvest that energy using an electromagnetic decelerator. Make billions by undercutting industry, and pollution-free to boot. In slightly different form, can be used as a space launch system. > > Also helpful in converting vertical momentum into horizontal in case I fall out of an airplane or something. Now you’re thinking with portals! Don’t forget, though: “Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out.” So being ejected from a horizontally-oriented exit portal at terminal velocity is still probably terminal. > [@dtilque](#): > > I’m not sure – either a healing spell or some kind of Fireball. A healing spell has many uses. The Fireball is for when I’m out bicycling and am passed too close by a pickup/SUV (it’s virtually always one of those two). I’m sure an SUV has more hit points than a Fireball can dish out, but it’ll make the driver think twice about how close he is when passing a cyclist. Coal-rollers, BTW, get an Empowered Fireball. We already have a [minimal fireball weapon technology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm), and you’re not allowed to use it on obnoxious drivers now. What makes you think magic changes any of that? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/22 "2016-11-30T16:23:56Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > [Prestidigitation](http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/prestidigitation.htm). Two hugely useful aspects of it: > > “It can color, clean, or soil items in a 1-foot cube each round.” Wiggle your finger for an hour or so, and clean a room. > > “It can chill, warm, or flavor 1 pound of nonliving material.” The perfect kitchen accessory! The cleaning ability would be handy for doing laundry: Perfect dry cleaning every time. Heck, you wouldn’t even need to take your shirt off if you were to spill mustard on it. In fact, it might be a superior substitute for a shower. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/23 "2016-11-30T16:29:38Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > We already have a [minimal fireball weapon technology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm), and you’re not allowed to use it on obnoxious drivers now. What makes you think magic changes any of that? Pathfinder Artifice Domain (Clerics): Artificer’s Touch (Sp): You can cast mending at will, using your cleric level as the caster level to repair damaged objects. **In addition, you can cause damage to objects and construct creatures by striking them with a melee touch attack. Objects and constructs take 1d6 points of damage +1 for every two cleric levels you possess.** This attack bypasses an amount of damage reduction and hardness equal to your cleric level. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier. Just a simple touch on a parked car or reaching out your window… ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/24 "2016-11-30T18:56:15Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Now you’re thinking with portals! Don’t forget, though: “Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out.” So being ejected from a horizontally-oriented exit portal at terminal velocity is still probably terminal. > > We already have a [minimal fireball weapon technology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm), and you’re not allowed to use it on obnoxious drivers now. What makes you think magic changes any of that? What cop is going to believe someone saying “He launched a fireball at me!”? Personally, I’ll take levitation, especially if it’s instant and controllable. It would make those mistakes skiing down the mountain hurt a LOT less. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/25 "2016-11-30T19:03:01Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > [Summon Horse](http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mount.htm) > > Not that useful actually, I just think it would be cool to be able to randomly summon horses everywhere. In the _Critical Failures_ books, the poor sorcerer’s horses are almost never used as mounts and usually get called into service to block a stairwell while fleeing from goblins or something. Of course, I guess that doesn’t come up often for you either. Assuming I can’t cheat with the ability to use _Wish_ or some other mass-reality altering spell, I’ll probably settle for a _Polymorph_ type ability. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/26 "2016-11-30T19:28:59Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Summon Lost Object, 1/per day. I _need_ this. > > _continues fruitlessly searching for things_ If this worked iwe’d have used it to summon you! How have you been, **Malleus, Incus, Stapes!**? Seems like I haven’t seen you post in ages. I’d like the power of healing, for me or other people. Teleportation and Charm would also be very useful. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/27 "2016-11-30T19:32:23Z")
Charm Monster would come in very handy. I’d just need to get into the same room as the President Elect. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/28 "2016-11-30T21:44:51Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > We already have a [minimal fireball weapon technology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm), and you’re not allowed to use it on obnoxious drivers now. What makes you think magic changes any of that? Yo dude, lighten up. This is supposed to be a fun thread. Don’t take it so serious. ---
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/29 "2016-11-30T21:57:43Z")
The Heal spell, I believe, heals and cures anything except old age. Raise Dead,Reincarnate and Resurrection spells. Timeless Body, does not stop death from old age, but age does not in any way reduce or impair you. The changelings minor change shape. Efreetis wish ability. Trolls regeneration. A number of different ways to stop aging completely. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/30 "2016-11-30T22:05:03Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > We already have a [minimal fireball weapon technology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm), BoredFlak the Bolt-Lobber is already on it: [![](https://janscarton.com/boltlobbers/boredflak_lg.jpg) ](https://janscarton.com/boltlobbers/boredflak_lg.jpg) Personally, I would like to see someone with the clerical healing and curing spells. A faith healer who could produce predictable, replicable results would get a lot more faith out of me than the current crop of televangelists. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/31 "2016-11-30T22:28:14Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Now you’re thinking with portals! Don’t forget, though: “Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out.” Indeed. For completeness, though, an energy calculation: The spell allows creation of two portals, one up to 10 feet away and the other 500 feet. They are 10 feet in diameter. This corresponds to a cylinder of roughly 3 meters in diameter and 155 meters long. A tungsten cylinder that fits this space would weigh 20.8 million kilograms. The portals last for 600 seconds. Assume we use 500 of this to accelerate (and the rest for energy generation). Using the STGISTCO principle, the cylinder accelerates continuously, and will be traveling at 4.9 kilometers/s at the end of that phase. That’s 250 TJ of energy, or the equivalent of a 60 kiloton bomb. Assuming I can repeat this every 10 minutes, that’s an average of 417 GW, or a couple hundred nuclear power plants. At 5 cents/kW-h, that’s about $3.5M worth of energy, but I suspect I can sell for more to states like CA since the energy is perfectly clean. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/32 "2016-11-30T22:31:42Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Yo dude, lighten up. This is supposed to be a fun thread. Don’t take it so serious. I’m a dungeon master. It’s my job to think through the unfortunate and unintended consequences of ill-considered player choices. It’s also my joy and pleasure to do so, so it all works out well. For me. Not always for my players. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/33 "2016-11-30T22:34:46Z")
Is there such a power as Adorability? Cause in my personal experience if you’re adorable it’s like a license to manipulate people. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/34 "2016-11-30T22:56:34Z")
> [@Marion\_Wormer](#): > > Is there such a power as Adorability? Cause in my personal experience if you’re adorable it’s like a license to manipulate people. That’d be Charm Person. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/35 "2016-11-30T22:56:55Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I’m not sure – either a healing spell or some kind of Fireball. A healing spell has many uses. The Fireball is for when I’m out bicycling and am passed too close by a pickup/SUV (it’s virtually always one of those two). I’m sure an SUV has more hit points than a Fireball can dish out, but it’ll make the driver think twice about how close he is when passing a cyclist. Coal-rollers, BTW, get an Empowered Fireball. > [@gnoitall](#): > > We already have a [minimal fireball weapon technology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm), and you’re not allowed to use it on obnoxious drivers now. What makes you think magic changes any of that? Back when _Car Wars_, the tabletop wargame, had it’s own magazine, they came up with a magic system, that included Fireballs. I won Honorable Mention in a contest for creating new spells–Summon Demon Cyclist. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/36 "2016-11-30T23:00:15Z")
Soul Jar ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/37 "2016-11-30T23:08:12Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > That’d be Charm Person. That spell has a number of issues, not sure it’d be that great since you’d have to use it on everybody one at a time and it would eventually wear off. What would be far better and more ethical to boot would be some sort of Charisma buff, and I’m fairly sure at least one of the NWN computer games had that. It had a duration of “until you go to sleep” as well, which would make it really handy. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/38 "2016-12-01T01:10:08Z")
> [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#): > > That spell has a number of issues, not sure it’d be that great since you’d have to use it on everybody one at a time and it would eventually wear off. What would be far better and more ethical to boot would be some sort of Charisma buff, and I’m fairly sure at least one of the NWN computer games had that. It had a duration of “until you go to sleep” as well, which would make it really handy. Makes me think of Kilgrave from Jessica Jones. If you are unfamiliar with the show or comics, let’s just say that his use certainly isn’t ethical. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/39 "2016-12-01T03:42:44Z")
I never really played much, but I seem to recall something called a “bag of holding”, that would let you put whatever in and be able to carry it easily. I drive a Jeep. So I would like a “bag of holding” to carry two extra Jeeps for when they will inevitably break down so I can get home. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421/40 "2016-12-01T08:26:38Z")
I’d like the ability to make bags of holding 😃 I see two potential customers in this thread alone. Plus, I already love the look in Manly Men’s\* faces when they see that I brought less luggage on a week trip than they did; being able to do it with a small purse instead of a computer bag might count as a psychological WMD. Gatopescado would get one decorated with a picture of a kitten entangled in a fishing net. If he complains I’m adding pink ribbons. - Those who have to turn everything into a peeing contest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-d-d-style-power-would-you-find-most-useful/773421.md?page=3)