Game-Breaking D&D Combo with a Spell and Non-Magical Items

[@Nerdarchy]

Links from Video 20% OFF from Nord Games Until the end of December Promo Code "Nordarchy20" bit.ly/NordGames

[@ComradeVenus]

nice

[@adamwitt7788]

"Hunting wyverns" really. I would try to tame the damn knock-off dragon

[@Damnationization]

"Killer Combo," you stole that from the old video game "Killer Instinct."

[@connorjones2360]

theres also like 300 something creatures that are flat out immune to poison... including just about every boss lvl enemy.

[@horseblinderson4747]

Crusher w sentinel + Booming blade, thorn whip, & primal savagery Could launch pretty quick for either a TomeLock or Druid. Boom - Crush Thorn - (boom) - Primal

[@kyleward3914]

In a campaign I ran a few years back, there was an NPC whose whole concept was animating objects, mostly books. The first time the party ran afoul of her, they found themselves fighting a set of encyclopedias.

[@alpharius2777]

It sounds like they weren't being quiet in her library

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Justin Ashenfelter that’s what I got!

[@keeganmbg6999]

I’m sure after that fight the Word really got out of what she was capable of...sorry for that.

[@robertbogan225]

Makes me think of "read or die"

[@bigd7861]

Whoever said "Words can't hurt you!" never got hit with a dictionary!!!

[@GallowglassAxe]

Thank you! My kobold sorcerer will now have a new trap! Step 1: Animate daggers and position into a trap formation Step2: When enemy is in said trap area I use Kobold's super ability of grovel, coward, and beg which gives advantage on all attacks against that creatures Step 3: Use my bonus action to command the daggers to attack Step 4: Profit.

[@Indian0Lore]

Animate only lasts a minute. Only takes an action to cast. I like the idea of having daggers just around you in a “hidden” circle that jump out and kill would be predators.

[@cameronmcindoe6119]

id rather do the spell that gives an item arms and legs to a tiny object and use it on dynamite. Not as effective but the idea of a tiny stick of dynamite holding a match running at someone with orders to light itself on fire when close is just hilarious to me.

[@Sedr1s]

Thats hilarious, great idea!

[@PirateJohnson]

Cast invisibility to it.

[@pyromidas]

Happy to know someone else has thought of this XD First time I did it my dm almost shat himself. We successfully scouted the bbeg, so I was able to precast animate objects on 8 sticks of dynamite, who ran up and whacked the bbeg, followed by me using action surge to recast 8 more, who ran up and whacked the bbeg again, and then my familiar using fireball from my arcane abeyance bead (chronurgy lvl 10 feature). Needless to say, that was the surprise round and the bbeg was extremely fucked up and dynamite was suddenly very hard to find anymore.

[@22thevoice22]

When Ted creeps up behind your left ear and tells you about nordarchy promo codes...

[@MkOs_]

I only had 1 earbud in so I didn't hear it until I read this comment and put the other earbud in

[@lordsplashingtontheiii6778]

Its even creepier when you already have hearing problems in your left ear so its really quiet.

[@KtanKtanKtan]

Just wait until they do a Binaural recording for the advert!

[@godsamongmen8003]

Animate a size huge boulder and spend the entire minute flying straight up over the desired target (such as a castle), which would be 1200 feet. Assuming your DM agrees that the fall takes longer than a single round, you can cast enlarge on the boulder as you fall and then save yourself with feather fall.

[@JohanFaerie]

When the wizard acts shadier than the rogue, going into back allies buying all the poison in the city.

[@kaldogorath]

Rogue: I will buy... a vial of poison! ahahahaha Wizard: 45 casks of purple worm poison please. Rogue: .................

[@Reepicheep-1]

"You, sir, are a skilled, cunning rogue. Whereas I am a scientist!"

[@jpo4028]

What about just using the vial of poison? When ready, smash it on the ground, and animate the already coated shards of glass? :) Maybe even have a roll to see how many shards it shatters into, but there's no time needed to coat the items since it literally held the poison already. While not as reusable as daggers at the spells end, it's still an option.

[@saltefan5925]

That's quite cool!

[@tennesseeponderer3146]

I have a 1st level combo that does a to of damage. Acid vials cost 25gp per vial and deal 2d6 acid damage on hit and weigh 1lb, catapult launches an object that weighs 1 to 5 pounds, strap 5 acid vials together and catapult. For a first level spell and 125gp you get 3d8 bludgeoning damage plus 10d6 acid damage from a level 1 spell

[@22thevoice22]

Not to mention that it can scale up by five vials per additional level cast. 11d8 bludgeoning and 90d6 acid damage or a max of 628 damage at 9th level at a cost 1125 gold. Now there's something to spend your horde on.

[@christophersutterlin6945]

Even better, if you get an alchemy jug you can slowly stockpile acid vials without the need to buy them

[@ben2b244]

Ima give this a like an comment in support before I go pass back out...love you guys

[@Nerdarchy]

Thanks! Nerdarchist Dave

[@Frozenskulltube]

Another money dump that can ruin the spell economy in particular: portable hole, glyph of warding, and a couple blank books. At the end of every long rest enter your portable hole and cast your remaining spell slots into glyphs on pages of the book. The glyphs will remain active as long as they are in proximity to the portable hole. Basically infinite spells.

[@agilemind6241]

The interior of a portable hole is a different dimension many DMs would rule the glyph fades as soon as removed from the hole.

[@Frozenskulltube]

@@agilemind6241 Fair point my counter argument (that allowed me to convince my DM) is that the demiplane for the portable hole doesnt stop existing when you close the hole and the entrance remains active at all time meaning the glyph book remains within its bounds. The only problem was my rogue friend ended up accidentally blew up my book of 15 or 20 buff spells cause he decided to activate my trap card on the face of the book. I'm still sad cause my DM made the explosion also spread my portable hole.

[@a.z.pantera5577]

Throw an enemy into this portable hole and you basically have a pitfall full of landmines.

[@Frozenskulltube]

@@a.z.pantera5577 so much yes I fooled around with the idea for awhile but my DM hated that I was doing it enough as it was so I was afraid to throw one of his bosses in a death chamber.

[@cadman02]

The artificer class feature spell storing item (SSI) is great with animate object. The spell storing item is made daily and contain charges of a level 1 or 2 spell from the artificer spell list. This includes subclass spells like magic missile. The SSI contains a number of charges equal to 2x you intelligence modifier. The alchemist artificer has the flaming sphere spell, place it in the SSI with ten charges (+5 intelligence modifier) then cast animate object on ten tiny objects. Have them cast the spell then pass it to the next object. You now have ten flaming spheres on your enemy for 20d6 per round.

[@theblindbuildergrandminuti5648]

Using adamantine daggers for that spell on a loose pull cord necklace was one of my favorite tricks I used for an NPC of mine.

[@dnddude9652]

“Resistance isn’t a problem” Me, laughing in Warforged (Bear, Eagle, Wolf) Totem Barb

[@rhero1]

I agree with the attended/unattended item interpretation at 4:25. Even if your DM insist on the rule about worn or carried, seems a player saving throw would be needed and a character can auto a save on themselves. Or just swift action and drop a bag full...

[@etienneruche2844]

Well, because of this video I now know that DMG poisons exist. Seeing as one of my players wants to make as much use of poison as possible with his character, I deeply, deeply appreciate this video.

[@keeganmbg6999]

I totally want to play an Artificer Alchemist who specializes in poisons and make 10 Magical Dagger sheaths that poisons any blade put inside of it.

[@nnickplays9713]

How mechanically would you do that?

[@keeganmbg6999]

NNick Plays plenty of ways. Of course you always have the “Because Magic” reason but let’s be real D&D Artificers. I take a Venom Sac from a snake that I enchant with a Natural Healing Affinity and build the inside of the sheath to be warm, water proof, and fleshy. It pulls the nutrients from the air to sustain the Sheath which sustains the poison sac. Everytime you sheath the blade it cuts the poison sacks slightly releasing the poison. After you unsheathe the dagger the poison sac heals. You make a Sheath out of a poisonous plant, you water and care for the sheath daily and keep it away from any exposed skin. You let the blade sit in the poison and boom it has coated the blade. Let’s be even more clever, you create non magical daggers which have false blades on them, with a spring hidden in the hilt which holds poison, when the blade hit it still penetrates into the creature and poison splashed out from the opening within the hilt. When sheathed the sheath refills the blade through an assortment of tubes connected to a large poisonous tank on your back. The list goes on and on and on my friend.

[@Indian0Lore]

LoL, I like the idea of enchanting the sheathing to coat the poison. Makes the total cost lower in the long run.

[@keeganmbg6999]

Indian0Lore I concur.

[@aaronwentling2334]

Your trick will apply to acid flasks 25 gold for 2d6 acid damage (no save). Animate gauntlets or gloves and they can return and pick up more acid flasks round after round. Long before you can afford poisons at 500 or more per dose, buy wands of magic missile. No attunement, auto hit (unless the target has the shield spell). 105 damage per round for 6 rounds, or a 280 damage burst. I was about to say throw it a wand of paralysis, but that requires attunement by a caster. If you can stun/hold monster/paralyze the target then they can't use their reaction to cast shield.

[@shaynecarter-murray3127]

Even without the poison, this is my favorite spell. So many uses, if the DM is even slightly flexible

[@probablythedm1669]

1. Get poison. 2. Put ball bearings into a container of poison. 3. Cast Animate Objects on the ball bearings. 4. Enjoy this moment, laugh, give the DM and players crazy looks, menacingly pet a cat, whatever works for you. 5. Unleash the swarm of animated poisonous bullets. :) 6. Do a lot of damage. It's fun!

[@arcanerecovery2567]

I once played a character who went and bought some silverware, mainly to get the silver knives. They were tiny and flew and could bypass defenses that stated only magical or silver weapons could hit. Of course they only did this when I cast animate object on them.

[@aaronjjacques]

this is more effective on caltrops. They are tiny and you can fit a dozen in a small vial at your belt. It not hard to keep multiple versions soaking in different poisons for different enemies.

[@dcyphermanplays8233]

We used Animate Objects on pocket change. Flying Silver coins

[@robertbogan225]

Coin shot spell??

[@oggggo]

Our group did the same, except with copper pieces.

[@bukealicious9146]

Mistborn brought into D&D. But better!

[@chrislieu6757]

Here is some language from the spell "telekinesis": "If the object is worn or carried by a creature, you must make an ability check with your Spellcasting Ability contested by that creature’s Strength check." This wording is strikingly similar to the wording of animate objects. Would anyone rule that telekinesis could not be used to manipulate something that you are carrying or wearing. Would any DM require you to throw your stuff on the ground before you can telekinetically manipulate it with telekinesis?

[@bryanpitersctirlicz2943]

If you don’t want to spend that much cash and still do amazing damage to the big bad, take 9 levels of wizard so you can cast bestow curse at spell level 5 and a level in Hex Blade Warlock and use the Hex Blade Curse, and add your proficiency to each damage roll. Great Content guys, I love the channel.

[@shaynecarter-murray3127]

Pet snakes aren't a stretch for any party with someone who can cast speak with animals. I've farmed poison this way in game. Sure its either tiny viper venom or small viper venom, but even the weak poison can seriously up the average damage of an archer. Or bring in some extra gold in those low level times when gold and gear is scarce

[@bigd7861]

Better gold is using Plant Growth on farmer's fields. 😁

[@alanschaub147]

Play a Yuan-Ti. You can cast Animal Friendship on snakes and then milk their venom. You are also immune to poison.

[@lorekeeper685]

Wait it makes ranger revalent? Op

[@arty506]

I have a pretty broken combo of a bag of holding filled with 500lbs of gunpowder. Making a mini nuke. If we take the rule of dynamite that’s 1d6 per 0,5lbs of gunpowder. That’s now 1000d6 Fire damage. However that’s up to the dm to allow the bag to burst before hand. (I used this to kill an ancient blue dragon to save my party from certain death)

[@kathrynck]

I posted this exact combo about a year ago in a comment on one of your videos ;-) Purple worm poison & a bag of daggers. My version just had the daggers loose in the bag with a big bottle of purple worm juice (crush, dump on ground, cast). The one thing you guys seem to have missed in my comment, is that you can up-cast Animate Objects to animate MORE objects, and make this combo even more ridiculous (at an even higher cost obviously). And if you have the gold and want to really apply the death debuff thoroughly, have your simulacrum ALSO cast a 9th level animate objects, with another bag of poison daggers.

[@kathrynck]

If you want to really twist the RAW to your advantage, have your simulacrum true polymorph into a purple worm for free poison farming in your off time...

[@genitacles1725]

Poison is the perfect use for School of Conjuration: Minor Conjuration Starting at 2nd level when you select this school, you can use your action to conjure up an inanimate object in your hand or on the ground in an unoccupied space that you can see within 10 feet of you. This object can be no larger than 3 feet on a side and weigh no more than 10 pounds, and its form must be that of a nonmagical object that you have seen. The object is visibly magical, radiating dim light out to 5 feet. The object disappears after 1 hour, when you use this feature again, or if it takes any damage.

[@oneleghendo5239]

Few years ago I had an assassin rogue/transmuter wizard who was well versed in poisons. Never thought to use this trick. Kinda want to roll him back out and try it.

[@Jordan_Oni]

The last session I played with my artificer we killed a purple worm and I was able to milk some venom from him, sadly I had to leave that game for personal reasons and never got to use the venom 😭

[@pvrhye]

Manacles + Heat Metal? With a very generous DM, buy an awakened shrub. Before it awakens cast Plant Growth (RAW it's probably the same tiny critter). Also, animate objects on alchemist fire flasks might make an amusing little army.

[@bigd7861]

"OUCH!" to the manacles and flasks!

[@kyledotson2636]

Once you get 9th-level spells, you could Shapeshift into a Purple Worm. The Purple Worm venom comes from their Tail Stingers, so you could just harvest those.

[@If-ish]

Keep 10 silver pieces in a vial of poison, open the vial and animate the coins.

[@curtisbrown547]

Animate object is just such a versatile spell. Fighting a death knight? Have your wizard hold his action then have a battle master fighter use the disarming maneuver. When it goes off the wizard then animates the death knights sword and the sword books it out of the fight. Now the deathknight is kinda just boxing.

[@christopherg2347]

Against low Level enemies, this is on par with stuff like Deadly Cloud. Against higher level ones, there are multiple counters: - Armor Class. Only a +8 to hit - area of effect attacks - only 20 HP and 18 AC each. Worse if you hit it before animation. - Damage Reduction. At 1d4+4 at least 5-7 will block some, and 8+ blocks all of them (short of any crits) - high Saving Throw bonuses - Poison immunity. Something you really should have as BBEG. Even this Item: roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Periapt%20of%20Proof%20against%20Poison

[@billthecanuck]

imagine: A mid level rogue - thief archetype, gets a custom magic item made that can cast animate objects once per day or something... stores 10 poisoned daggers on him at all times plus his regular daggers or bow..... with the thief abillity to use magic items he can use the magic item to animate his daggers to do all that damage plus a sneak attack(since the animated weapons are creatures adjacent to the target)lol.

[@aaronjjacques]

spell gem. It like a rechargeable scroll. Just get a mage to cast animate object in every time you are in town.

[@kishinasura1989]

Ranger wizard with a tower shield and defense fighting style that's 20 AC Now add the staff of the magi and a flying silvered longsword with a short sword as spell casting focus. My friend is currently using this combo and the only reason the campaign isn't over already is because he only uses the staff of the magi as his fallback and sword and board as his main he's also a CG Drow so needless to say it's been both epic and hilarious

[@Demagogines]

Important question . . . With the spell animate object. Has anyone ever thought of casting it on a catapult or Tribock ? I would call it Larry. Combine it with for example feather falling or to shoot stuff long distances, would make for some interesting interactions. . . Also imagine a guy riding through a city on a selfdriving catapult. THE WIDE EYED STARES

[@bycreation2]

Thanks nerdarchy now my dm will hate my warlocks

[@freakyskull516]

my wizard got animate object recently and he and our gnome party member got the terrifying idea to make small clockwork spider with blades for legs that crawl up walls and leap on people's back then stab the fuck out of them. but this idea is cool too. the world wont let my necromancer have undead? fine... ill show you all something worse...

[@kmiller4256]

I am truly inspired gentlemen! Well done! I know have a goal for something cool!

[@bigd7861]

In older versions, one of my favorite things was an assassin with multiple blades imbued with animate and elemental damages. He'd wave them out in front of him or drop them on the ground and say "Dance!" and the slaughter would begin. Now, I'm thinking that a spiked or bladed chain would be nice too! Self-grappling poisoned weapon anybody?! Throw in some mythral attribute just for the extra "F-U!" to trying to break it! 😂

[@dcyphermanplays8233]

Could a Wild shaped Druid change into a poison snake and milk there venom??? 😉

[@SarkovskyP]

With thinking like this, how does one become a druid instead of a sleazy merchant?

[@skynerd17]

Personal/sacred use vs selling.

[@oozyflipchart3653]

Great content as usual

[@Xani13]

Oh I'm definitely going to try this at some point in one way or another. :D

[@akoponen]

Want poison and can cast high level spells? Can't one use polymorph type spell for getting the wyvern or other critter, milk the poison and store it?

[@williamwhite1624]

I was totally thinking either polymorph or druid's wildshape to get poisonous materials.

[@aaronjjacques]

wyvern is type dragon polymorph lets you change into type beast. So that is not going to work.

[@ericburton3963]

Or just the creation spell, if you can find a plant based poison strong enough you could make a 5 foot cube of it that lasts for 24 hours each time you cast the spell

[@williamwhite1624]

@@aaronjjacques Giant Centipede, Giant Poisonous Snake, Giant Scorpion, Giant Spider, Giant Wasp, and Giant Wolf Spider all have some form of poison associated with their attacks, and that's just looking at the Monster Manual. I'm not saying you could polymorph or wildshape into a wyvern or purple worm. Just saying that there are options for ways to get some kind of poison. Of all these, I would think the Centipede and Scorpion would be the two best bets. A Druid could wildshape into the Giant Centipede starting at level 2. The Giant Scorpion would have a bit more potency but would require either a Moon Druid or a Polymorph spell. It would still be up to the DM of your game whether they would allow players to milk venom and apply it to their weapons. If my players wanted to do this, I would probably allow it but with restrictions. I.E. Must have proficiency with Medicine Kit, Poisoner's Kit, Nature, or Survival to extract and refine.

[@aaronjjacques]

@@williamwhite1624 i didn't object to his "or other critter" statement only "wyvern". In our campaigns our goto spell routine at the end of the night. conjure animal (giant snake)+ fabricate (turn raw poison into weapon blade paste).

[@Liecham]

If you character likes fire 10 flasks of oil cost 1 gold Oil causes 5 fire damage(straight, no save) if lit and burns for 2 rounds( no putting it out) 1 alchemist fire costs 50 gold Causes 1d4 fire damage on impact and lights target on fire. With animate objects use 1 Alchemist fire and 9 oil flasks Damage if all hit is 10d4 + 40(or 10d8 20 if they are considered small ) bludgeoning and 1d4 + 45 fire max 129 or 149 for only 51 gold and half I'm sure if you have the ability to make Alchemist fire. Sure the spell now only lasts 1 round cause they all break on impact (if you could rule it that way) but you have a +8 or +6 so they all have a good chance of hitting. When lit the oil burns for 2 rounds and 9 flasks of oil on one target I assume takes 45 fire damage for an additional round. This is just a cheap way to deal some damage with the most resisted type of damage haha

[@philippegauvin-vallee9371]

I think poison resistance is more common (undead, fiend and elemental).

[@thedwarf4121]

I'm an Ad&d game we did a great war between the Baatezu and Tanari that ended up going and extending for so far 25 years. Why I bring this up is the animate object spell. Used to be that some monsters were just completely immune to non-magical damage. A demonic assassin attacked our party as we were having a pre-battle meeting without most of our big gear. The wizard cast a high level spell to turn the chairs and tables in the room into magical (+2 I believe) weapons. I, as the druid, then animated the furniture and eventually killed the demon. As i didn't have my more expensive components I couldn't just cast Creeping Doom to do 1000 points of damage. Lol. The GM definitely caught us off guard and we had to retaliate with something dumb. It gave a new meaning to the phrase "War Room"

[@maxx8362]

My character in my current campaign is currently walking around with 20 doses of wyvern in his bag, but the big bad for the campaign is a series of undead. Calling this combination situational is putting it lightly. However, my monk has found other uses for the poison. Most of which qualify as war crimes.

[@MrBottlecapBill]

Coat everything in holy water and or silver for undead? Maybe acid.

[@louliskoukledes8444]

AMAZING!!! Please make more videos on the subject!!!

[@UltraDonny5000]

I like the new thumbnails. The old ones were fun to try and figure out where the art came from (you guys used the cover of my favorite issue of Dragon once!) but these new ones look both more professional and cheeky fun at the same time.

[@snoogans2891]

I use animate objects religiously with my Forge Cleric. Nice way to add a bit of a utility belt aspect to it as well. Accurate ranged poison that can control or damage on a bonus action? Nice

[@DragonRoams]

I've never really messed with poisons but this makes me want to.

[@johnmabe3496]

This makes me want to play a war forged artificer even more.

[@Theskafan]

Could you have mithril daggers or ones with glyphs of warding on them to do extra damage? Say ten mithril daggers, with a purple worm's venom, and glyphs of warding with a fireball or a smaller AOE spell stored in them assuming you don't break the GoW range rule (which is kinda funky in general).

[@Theskafan]

80d6 from fireball stored in glyph (or lightning bolt) + 10d8 for the daggers + 120d6 purple worm + 20 for dagger damage bonus (small object). This would be an average of 650 assuming none of the daggers crit on their attack. If you could store two glyphs on an object (assuming the DM allows a GoW to rely on it always being ten feet from where you cast it aka your person) you would have 160d6 + 10d8 +120d6+ 20 which would be 890 with no crits. If the daggers are +3 daggers then the average is 905 assuming you could add the +3 to the object's attacks. Even if you couldn't have the glyph move with you as you adventured you could set up an almost 1000 point damage trap that you could do on downtime. Lightning bolt glyphs on the daggers would truly make you a blade storm. You could throw down a bandolier of double lighting bolt glyph poison daggers at the place you are defending and one hit KO an ancient red.

[@Theskafan]

Even if you only rolled 1s on damage and your target made all saves, your unfortunate victim would take 160 minimum (half for a single glyph on each dagger 40 +10 from the daggers+ 60 from purple worm (on all saves) + 20 static damage small items + 30 from +3 daggers). This means 4 wizards who prepped this could easily overkill an ancient red dragon if they all rolled hits, but all of the damage rolls were 1s. Of course, you'd need to burn all legendary resistances of the Red

[@Jade-dx2jv]

I’m currently playing a neutral evil wizard in dungeon of the mad mage and now I’m thinking I need to begin prep for the mad mage 😈

[@catfoodbob1]

I animated a party members petrified statue once.

[@thelounge116]

As a side note made my dm squirm when i did 10d6 plus 3d8 damage with a lvl one spell, glued five vials of acid together and cast catapult, oddly enough this is one of the best scaleing spell uses ive ever come up with

[@HumbleBeardsTavern]

I’m playing a valor bard in a game we are running and just wrecked a line of fleeing assassins tonight. I animated 10 ball bearings and told them to form a line and pushed them through killed 2 instantly and gravely wounded the last.

[@Nerdarchy]

Animate object is a beast of a spell. Nerdarchist Dave

[@Mephil]

My left ear loved that sponsor

[@BearlyArcane]

One of my players plays a forge cleric gunsmith. I'm anticipating Animate Objects on a bandolier of revolvers.

[@Seymourian]

Be Mami from Madoka Magica.

[@MrBottlecapBill]

Cool, but possibly overly expensive since they'll still only do the damage indicated by the spell. The spell says the objects only do slam damage(possibly slashing or piercing if DM oks it), so it would just be your guns hitting the target. Not shooting. Even poison other than contact poison is questionable since it's slam damage only. A poison dagger is not guaranteed to hit blade first and in fact is more likely not to. If I were a DM I'd force people to roll percentile dice for every bladed attack(odds of blade slash or stab) since the objects only have an intelligence of 3 and may be too dumb to specifically stab or slash on command. I'd just use bullets coated in contact poison. That seems more in line with the spell and fair. A jar of poison bullets you can toss towards your opponent as combat begins. It breaks open......animate objects. Go to town.

[@doclefty9759]

I’m a big fan of using this spell with bobbles, trinkets, and coins that I have enchanted over time. It costs more time than coin and can deliver some huge hits. We do a lot of slow travel in my game so there’s plenty of time to enchant. (Force damage if you can! Thunder is also good!)

[@Torthrodhel]

Reminds me of that Bruiser sketch when the guy's trying to buy poison from random shops.

[@kyledotson2636]

I'd probably just animate 10 vials of Acid. They would do the 1d4+4 from the hit and then shatter for 2d6 Acid Damage each; for an average of 135 Damage. You wouldn't get repeatable attacks like with daggers, but a vial of Acid is 25 gp. 10 would be 250 gp, which is quite affordable. Whether you can afford to burn a 5th-level concentration spell on a one-time burst or not is the real question. Serpent venom is 200 gp per and has a DC 11 Constitution save for 3d6 Poison on a fail or half on a success. This would mean spending 2000 gp on a one-shot that would likely do less damage, but you would still have the daggers around for 9 more rounds to inflict ~ 65 damage per round, assuming you could maintain your concentration.

[@philippegauvin-vallee9371]

Poison resistance and even immunity are fairly common (undeads, fiends and elementals). More than firel resistance and immunity (also non magical weapons).

[@sath2749]

To me, this sounds like the perfect attack for an assassin who uses magic. Yes, costly, but when you are paid to kill you just charge more.

[@saltefan5925]

Rogues with the find familiar spell can probably get some sort of poisonous familiar. Bards also make surprisingly good fits for these concepts.

[@saltefan5925]

I haven't done the purple worm combo, but I have a character with a familiar they milk for viper venom (poisonus snake) that they use and give to the party members.

[@markp8295]

Will legendary resistance count against all 10 attacks from the poison daggers? Or just 1? I ask as the attacks occur as your bonus action.

[@clericofchaos1]

Isn't a wyvern only like 2500gp? why not just buy that and get the poison for free? I mean, not every dm is as generous as me. I have "JD's 24 hour pawn, gun, autoparts, discount pharmaceutical, gift, bait and tackle, discount cigarette, used car and mount emporium" in every major city, but hell you have to be able to find one for sell somewhere.

[@EviIPaladin]

Why buy the wyvern when you can get the poison for free?

[@ilanwallace2220]

Conjurers at level 2 get "Minor Conjuration " Starting at 2nd level when you select this school, you can use your action to conjure up an inanimate object in your hand or on the ground in an unoccupied space that you can see within 10 feet of you. This object can be no larger than 3 feet on a side and weigh no more than 10 pounds, and its form must be that of a nonmagical object that you have seen. The object is visibly magical, radiating dim light out to 5 feet. The object disappears after 1 hour, when you use this feature again, or if it takes any damage Free stuff to yeet at enimies!

[@w.d.ghaster3902]

summons purple worm poisoned caltrops at level 2. . . caltrops technically have inf range. . .

[@oggggo]

I realize it's a bit silly, but by RAW, wouldn't a contact poison go off on the dagger the moment you animated them, thus turning them into creatures that are in contact with the poison?

[@nathanielbaldwin7125]

Great video! It really has me thinking. Currently, playing an Alchemist Artificer in my campaign, and while i will not have access to level 5 spells for some months I can easily prepare the poisons for another member. Is there anything else i can use to coat weapons with to avoid poison resistant/immune enemies.

[@MrBottlecapBill]

Sovereign Glue? Although it takes time to set and your target won't be motionless so I don't know how beneficial it would be. Unless your Dm allows you to glue some huge items to a foe to weight it down, effectively knocking it prone. That may be a bit sketchy. You could animate vials of oil or holy water. Or just coat objects in holy water for some added damage. Oil will require a vial or jar to break open that you'd ignite somehow. Maybe some kind of fungus spores. Contact or proximity activated spells? Acid? Holy symbols? Silver? Most of these things won't have a lot of punch but may help out depending on creature vulnerabilities.

[@diazinth]

I'm certain that you artificier can engineer some sort of container to hold 10 daggers, and have a dispensing system inside that allows you to coat the daggers with different types of fluid. Poison, holy water, flammable oil etc

[@TheInfurnos]

By 2nd ed. rules , one of my players cast a circular wall of force around a large horde of hobgoblins , then cast a dig spell at the center of it. After thinking about it and reading the spells carefully , I started rolling death saves for every creature in it , every round. It's just brutal ,center drops out and down , dirt throws to the wall , and falls down filling it in.....

[@TheInfurnos]

@Michael Johnson somebody didn't even bother to read the spell descriptions , this is a lethal combo! buried alive , only things with immunity are non-corporal and things that don't need to breath or can burrow.

[@lordnul1708]

I thought for sure it would be either a lot of oil and one fire spell or Gate combined with a LOT of caltrops and poison, but then again daggers can be made of better materials and deal much better damage.

[@Iamstrad]

If you are a Yuan Ti pureblood (vgtm) you have an at will 'animal friendship' spell you can use an unlimited number of times but only with snakes as well as Immunity to poison. Makes for a good option to get venom safely and easily?

[@digitalphear1960]

I don't know enough about d&d items but there has to be a gem, crystal, orb, or dear i say prism that X's or multiplies a spell fired threw it.. well id get cheeky and if im not a magic class id have one summon some sort of crystal or adamant javlinear inside of said item id think they would get infinispear in theyre elementand tell them to throw it out of one side. You know the railgun present hax that x's damage well id have that upon the command [PEW] then put it in a crossbow frame with no bow.. the pew pew bolt

[@rayclawicefire2503]

40 peircing 483 poison cool, I take 20 damage, Yuan-Ti with stone- skin/ barbarian

[@Ephidiel]

My DM let us combine "Decanter of Endless" Water with some of our electiricity spells and items. For easy hall cleaning in dungeons

[@suerainey9250]

Ted, it's AT LEAST half the fun! Holy mackeral, my DM will hate/love this!

[@coltan0233]

I didn’t cause it wouldn’t be ok. But one thing I theorised was using gauntlets to hold daggers, so a gauntlet holds a magic dagger so the damage is higher.

[@spikevalentine1133]

happy holidays Dave and Ted!!! I was wondering if you were allowed to multi class one or two levels of cleric and then the rest would be either Bard or wizard would you be able to up that damage adding Divine damage either buy a blessing spell or maybe channeling Your Divine God kind of like in the movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back how the Cardinal blesses his golf club driver and they slayed a demon with it

[@cjd2889]

Question...do animated daggers have a worthwhile movement speed? If they just squirm on the ground or bounce around at 5 ft per turn then this combo kinda falls flat. Does animating them give them a flight speed or something?

[@Nerdarchy]

Fly speed 30 Nerdarchist Dave

[@cjd2889]

@@Nerdarchy Thanks much Dave!

[@WayonHardee]

gonna try this now

[@Maninawig]

I think this could be enhanced for just 5k1-10k1 gp Imprisonment spell scroll and a tiny hollow trinket wrapped in a chain of precious metal. Use it to imprison your purple worm. As the spell's release can be as complex as you want (as long as it is likely to occur), you can set up a 2 part time sensitive release where saying "milking time" while tossing the orb will alter the state of entrapment from Hedged to Chained. Only then, within the next half hour, if the voice who envoked the change states "go free little one" will it be truely free, else the Imprisonment returns to the Hedged state. Given that's probable, it should be allowed (as long as a DM allows a hybrid Imprisonment Spell) and would give your player time to milk their worm regularly. RAW says it does not age, but not that time stands still for it, meaning a reliable source like venom glands could be refilled over time in that spell.

[@MrAranak]

Dumb question, animating ammunition could spread poison doses furthur? Also couldn't ammunition be carried in a small bag that can be dumped while casting so that animated objects are neither worn nor carried?

[@KageRyuu6]

"That's a lotta damage!"

[@Razdasoldier]

There is a level 20 build that can deal over 500 max without poison in the suprise round. It would Be well over 700 with the purple worm poison xD

[@Razdasoldier]

I am sorry I did the math.... it is over 1700* with purple worm poison

[@robinthrush9672]

Bonus points if you quote that after using the spell on a tin of sardines.

[@kerik6380]

Had a player in a campaign with an imp pet (not familiar) that carried around a bag of ten shortswords, then changed form to a spider (the bag was carried so it changed with the imp. When the wizard needed it the imp would run over to an enemy, change back and dump the swords next to the enemy, the wizard would then animate the swords and create a meat grinder around the enemies. Glad he didn't think of the poison combo, had to throw large amounts of enemies after the party to challenge them, they were formidable in combat.

[@tennesseeponderer3146]

This combo also works with acid flasks

[@Mrasshole122]

I was already planning on getting poisons for my group to use. Our Bard was planning on taking Animate Object and casting Heat Metal on the objects. I'm going to need to speak with him about this now. Do you think we could stack the damage of poison & fire damage? Also, thank you so much for this wonderful idea.

[@diazinth]

perhaps if the poison is from a creature with fire resistance or it otherwise would be natural for it's poison to withstand the heat

[@Mrasshole122]

@@diazinth Oh yeah, I didn't even think about the poison being burned off. Thanks for the advice. I'll talk with my DM about it.

[@Leon-oq7xd]

Question, can that spell be twin spelled?

[@Bear551590]

Video suggestion: Highest damage from a multiclass melee attack. Sneak attack + divine smite + rage bonus + hunter's mark + favoured enemy + etc.

[@varasatoshi3961]

If you're a transmutation wizard without the animate objects spell, learning it will cost 25 gp, or 50 if you're not a transmutation wizard. Then, 10 daggers will only cost you 20 gp. Then 10 doses of serpent venom will run you 2,000 gp. Your grand total for the combo with serpent poison would be 2045, or 2075 if you're not a transmutation wizard, and comes out to 10d4+30d6+something... If you go with Wyvern poison your grand total would be 12,075, netting you 10d4+70d6+something with a lot more reliable. Then for the purple worm poison, probably the best option, would run you 20,075gp and would deal 10d4+120d6+something, with almost guaranteed damage

[@MeistGamingChannel]

THe sponsor segment 1:20 only came out of my left headphone speaker so it sounded like you were behind me whispering it lol

[@corvuslycastus9018]

Forgive my ignorance on the math and statistics, I'm just trying to wrap my head around possible max damage with the daggers. If all ten are coated in purple worm venom and all ten crit hit for maximum damage? What would that total be? The daggers are easy 8 (1d4+4)×10 is 80. Doubled for crit is 160. So the poison also at max would be 72 (12d6)×10=720. Does that poison damage get doubled too? If not, we're looking at 880. If so, that's a massive 1600. Either way the odds are against such a perfect roll, but the possibility of it is mind boggling.

[@oggggo]

Crits don't double the damage in 5e, they double the number of diced you roll. So the maximum damage for a critical hit on an attack that does 1d4+4 is 12, not 16.

[@corvuslycastus9018]

@@oggggo oh, ok, gotcha. Thank you for the correction. Does it effect the damage roll for the poison or no? That's the big question I have.

[@oggggo]

@@corvuslycastus9018 According to Jeremy Crawford, the answer is no.

[@corvuslycastus9018]

@@oggggo duly noted, thank you kindly.

[@zabzabcanfly]

Random thought... Why couldn't you just animate the poison??? I call it the army of ooze.

[@EvanFarshadow]

You can use copper coins and do as much as daggers for a fraction of the price

[@sabin97]

what if you have a bard in your party, and the bard casts heat metal just as you throw the knives and then you animate the red hot knives? that should also cause burning damage......

[@sabin97]

@Michael Johnson i need to look up the spell description then. i was operating under the assumption that metal got heated instantly. if it takes longer then the spell is really no good. because you'd need to keep concentration for 5 rounds just to get some damage, and waste a level 2 slot.

[@sabin97]

@Michael Johnson it turns out to be instant, BUT it only affects one item... roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Heat%20Metal#content

[@chuckallerston9997]

Did similar with kitchen items frying pans, rollerpins,knives forks

[@ContagiousRepublic]

"I animate the non-magical oil lamps, and order them to break to set the enemy on fire" yeah that can get useful. How about bombs, or handcuffs against groups of weak creatures such as drunk nobles you need to walk off the bar?? Similarly you can animate junk to trigger traps, or animate nonmagical crowns to mock kings. FUN TIMES!! oh and animated little oil lamp dudes can pick up explosive runes on a scroll, and place that strategically in mass quantities; even if they de-animate you can still place a masterful trap where you're definitely not able to walk in.