Annoying Game Questions You Want Answered

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 12:04 am

Lokathor wrote:Well, whispering is DC 10 instead. Folks whisper spells while trying to hide in shows and movies all the time, so it seems reasonable. I'll probably write it into part of a scaling feat if the player wants to do it in the future.

I'll probably punch you in the face for making that feat.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 12:23 am

Just let him fucking whisper while casting a spell. If there's actually a point to hiding it, there will likely be people listening, who will catch someone casting a spell, given the DC is literally an average roll.

Lokathor · Post by **Lokathor** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:02 am

Kaelik wrote:
Lokathor wrote:Well, whispering is DC 10 instead. Folks whisper spells while trying to hide in shows and movies all the time, so it seems reasonable. I'll probably write it into part of a scaling feat if the player wants to do it in the future.
I'll probably punch you in the face for making that feat.

Why exactly is that? There's already Sudden Silent Spell, but that's a little narrow for a feat, so making it part of a scaling feat but also requiring a skill check seems fair.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:09 am

Lokathor wrote:
Kaelik wrote:
Lokathor wrote:Well, whispering is DC 10 instead. Folks whisper spells while trying to hide in shows and movies all the time, so it seems reasonable. I'll probably write it into part of a scaling feat if the player wants to do it in the future.
I'll probably punch you in the face for making that feat.
Why exactly is that? There's already Sudden Silent Spell, but that's a little narrow for a feat, so making it part of a scaling feat but also requiring a skill check seems fair.

Two reasons:

1) Sudden Silent Spell works three times a day, and therefore doesn't completely change the fucking metagame so that all spells are always silent, which is what your stupid one does.

2) The mechanic of basing it on MS is fucking retarded.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 10:37 pm

So, assuming the paladin's player doesn't drop from my game completely (or get booted...), I just realized it's entirely possible that the party could diplomance a captain in the port town to take them to Skull Island. Basically I'm thinking that should this actually happen (requiring them to basically make the captain their boon companion, plying him with drink and promises of glory, rather than a simple Diplomacy roll), the captain will still act in a sound business like manner, charging them enough that he can buy a new ship in the all too likely case they don't return, not accompanying them, and making them raise their own crew, or charging 1.5 times the cost of a new ship to give them a crew as well, as he fully expects everyone on the ship to die horribly, and will have extra expenses to cover should they die. Is there anything I'm not thinking of here?

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 10:36 pm

I could have sworn there was a feat that gave you proficiency in your race's signature weapons (so Dwarves can take it to gain proficiency in dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes rather than just treating them as martial instead of exotic which makes literally no difference if your class isn't giving you MWP). Was I just high? All I can find is a feat that gives you familiarity in any weapon with your race in the name that was published after your race.

tussock · Post by **tussock** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:25 am

I'm pretty sure the Martial Weapons feat that gives you all martial weapons. Or rather, I'm sure it should, and that works for your racial weapons too. It's still a terrible feat.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 2:19 am

Ok, so issues with players and desires.

Issue the first: I handed a couple of my players the knowledge that creatures can be grown in vats in my world, as part of "here's how the knight can get his dragon mount," along with a piece of Yggdrasil as part of the "resurrect the goddess impaled to yggdrasil" adventure. I intended for the adventure to involve replacing as many pieces of Yggdrasil as possible, but the player with the piece wants to use it to create a god.

I'm all for my players doing awesome stuff, but I'm torn over how much to go with the "grow a god" gambit, and how much to discourage it, or out right have Professor Oak say omnisciently "GALLOWS! THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO USE THAT." The elven goddess does have a direct line of communication to the party though, since they're carrying a piece of Yggdrasil, so I'm thinking about having the goddess tell him not to use it for that.

Issue the second: The party is considering having their artificer make a scroll of Limited Wish to get a detailed map of "No one fucking goes here Island" with which to teleport to the island. I'm honestly not even sure if that is within the abilities of Limitedd Wish.

Winnah · Post by **Winnah** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 2:36 am

Inspired by the Elder Scrolls, I suggest using the threat of a Lesser Atropal accomanied by an undead plague as an RP deterrent/plot hook. Fluff it as something like:

"The pieces of Ydgdrassil belong together in their natural state, allowing the vat to regrow the god. Other attempts to harness divinity have resulted in the creation of an aberrant perversion of a divine being..."

Ted the Flayer · Post by **Ted the Flayer** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 5:15 am

This is more of "annoying game griping" rather than a question, BUUUUUT...

Anyone else have a player that insisted that Read Magic allows you to cast a scroll from anyone's spell list? I had an extended argument with a player last week over that. I hope he stops showing up. (I don't like him or his boyfriend, my roomate thinks they're cute so he re-invited them after I booted them, and roomate's sister backs him up and outvotes me. By Garyx, I can't wait until I get out of here)

tussock · Post by **tussock** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:40 am

Scroll activation, DMG 3.5, p238. You need to read it, it needs to be the right arcane/divine type, it must be on your class list, and you must have the requisite ability score.

Ted the Flayer · Post by **Ted the Flayer** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:09 pm

I pointed that out. He still insisted he was right. I countered that he wasn't just wrong, the rules also say he's a dick.

K · Post by K » Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:36 pm

Growing a god sounds stupid. Just tell the player that gods are too powerful.

Second: Limited Wish can duplicate mid-level divination spells, so give him the kind of map that you'd expect to get from a mid-level divination spell. I'd hand out rough outlines of buildings and cave entrances, major landmarks, etc, but then leave big blank sections where there is magic/treasure as a hint that points to interesting parts of the map.

K · Post by K » Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:46 pm

Ted the Flayer wrote:This is more of "annoying game griping" rather than a question, BUUUUUT...

Anyone else have a player that insisted that Read Magic allows you to cast a scroll from anyone's spell list? I had an extended argument with a player last week over that. I hope he stops showing up. (I don't like him or his boyfriend, my roomate thinks they're cute so he re-invited them after I booted them, and roomate's sister backs him up and outvotes me. By Garyx, I can't wait until I get out of here)

The scroll casting rules say that he's wrong.

Maybe you could point out that activating a scroll has little to do with "reading it." This is why UMD would let an illiterate Barbarian activate a scroll.

RobbyPants · Post by **RobbyPants** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 6:15 pm

Ted the Flayer wrote:I pointed that out. He still insisted he was right. I countered that he wasn't just wrong, the rules also say he's a dick.

Sounds like you won the argument pretty soundly.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:09 pm

K wrote:Growing a god sounds stupid. Just tell the player that gods are too powerful.

I think I've finally impressed up the player that the piece of the tree is meant to be replaced in the tree. I'm not sure what he wants the god for, other than for his character to have done something awesome, so I'm inclined to give it to him, possibly letting it work as a planar ally while it's still weak.

Second: Limited Wish can duplicate mid-level divination spells, so give him the kind of map that you'd expect to get from a mid-level divination spell. I'd hand out rough outlines of buildings and cave entrances, major landmarks, etc, but then leave big blank sections where there is magic/treasure as a hint that points to interesting parts of the map.

There we go, thanks K, I didn't think about that.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 9:14 pm

Anyone know any D&D spells/cleric accessible PrCs that could replicate this:

erik · Post by **erik** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 9:30 pm

Arrows of spell-storing + shatter (or flamestrike if he actually hurt the enemy rather than just blasting the wall of thorns). Gravedust's cleric fluff is that his spells are powered by spirits.

Heck, it's not even explicit in the comic if he requires special arrows to store spirits into them and power his spells.

So deathwatch, speak with dead, spell-storing arrows and you are well on your way to emulating him.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 9:58 pm

...once again I am disappointed that I got a bow that creates arrows as my character's bennie. He's the son of Apollo and has a bow from his (unknown) father. It can't use normal arrows, sadly.

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 3:58 am

Why can't it use normal arrows?

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 5:37 am

Because it's basically an energy bow that either has no string, or automatically creates an arrow with the somatic component of drawing it, which would burn a normal arrow or something.

Red_Rob · Post by **Red_Rob** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 7:15 am

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 7:43 am

Pretty much. Plus a bit of this. Plus tome style enhancement bonus (cleric levels only, though) and flaming burst, with double damage to undead vulnerable to sunlight. And daylight while drawn.

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 8:15 am

Prak_Anima wrote:
I'm all for my players doing awesome stuff, but I'm torn over how much to go with the "grow a god" gambit, and how much to discourage it, or out right have Professor Oak say omnisciently "GALLOWS! THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO USE THAT." The elven goddess does have a direct line of communication to the party though, since they're carrying a piece of Yggdrasil, so I'm thinking about having the goddess tell him not to use it for that.

That depends on what Yggdrasil is in your campaign. But since Yggdrasil is the world tree, on which the various planets of the Norse cosmology hang, I'd suggest that growing a cutting from it doesn't produce a god, but instead produces a microverse, effectively a demi-plane. Having a demi-plane is useful, but it doesn't produce the problems that an artificial god would.

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 8:50 am

Ah. If it was just the "no string" thing then you could just solve it by attaching a string.