"The Fonz, Human Rog34": Stupid quirks of RPG rules

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Prak
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"The Fonz, Human Rog34": Stupid quirks of RPG rules

Post by Prak »

I'm working on Midgard's skill writeups, which means examining D&D skill DCs.

Looking at Disable Device's epic usages, I realized The Fonz is an epic rogue.

A jukebox is a device, obviously, and a fairly complex one.
The Fonz can, of course, hit the jukebox to make it play a chosen song.

This is basically a disable device check- a jukebox is probably considered "wicked," and hitting the box is at most a move equivalent action. So the simple task of turning on a jukebox by hitting it is DC 75. To do so and leave no trace adds 5, so the Fonz regularly succeeds at DC 80 disable device checks, meaning his mod is at least 70.

Even if we assume his jacket is a maxed out non-epic Int and skill enhancing magic item (+6 Int, +30 disable device) and the night-school graduate greaser has max starting Int, he still has to have something on the order of 32-37 ranks of Disable Device.

If he put all his ability bonuses into Int for whatever reason, and maybe got the max inherent bonus, then he might only 16th level, since he'd only need 18 ranks of Disable if he were 20th and got the last non-epic ability increase, but if he loses that ability point (by not being 20th level) he can make up for it with another rank of Disable, so 16th.

Of course this is all stupid and useless trivia applying D&D rules to a crap tv show, but I was still somewhat amused.
Cuz apparently I gotta break this down for you dense motherfuckers- I'm trans feminine nonbinary. My pronouns are they/them.
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DrPraetor
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Post by DrPraetor »

I think it's safe to assume that - in addition to his jacket - he's got skill focus feats if not prestige class features that give him a considerable additional bump.
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Post by Prak »

I figured those on the low end, that's what the 32-37 is, accounting for Skill Focus (Disable) and "+2 to Disable and Something Else".
Cuz apparently I gotta break this down for you dense motherfuckers- I'm trans feminine nonbinary. My pronouns are they/them.
Winnah wrote:No, No. 'Prak' is actually a Thri Kreen impersonating a human and roleplaying himself as a D&D character. All hail our hidden insect overlords.
FrankTrollman wrote:In Soviet Russia, cosmic horror is the default state.

You should gain sanity for finding out that the problems of a region are because there are fucking monsters there.
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

We don't call it the Joke Book for nothing.
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erik
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Post by erik »

Or it is just a cantrip.
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Post by Axebird »

erik wrote:Or it is just a cantrip.
It's depressing that something a high level skill focused class can do can be accurately compared to a cantrip level effect.

It's not new, but being reminded of it still hurts.
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Prak
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Post by Prak »

It could also simply be a class feature.

Anyone want to write up The Fonz as a PrC?
Cuz apparently I gotta break this down for you dense motherfuckers- I'm trans feminine nonbinary. My pronouns are they/them.
Winnah wrote:No, No. 'Prak' is actually a Thri Kreen impersonating a human and roleplaying himself as a D&D character. All hail our hidden insect overlords.
FrankTrollman wrote:In Soviet Russia, cosmic horror is the default state.

You should gain sanity for finding out that the problems of a region are because there are fucking monsters there.
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Post by Cynic »

I'm pretty sure that the Fonz could affect most electronic equipment.

It's been a long time but I remember car engines and house lights were turned on by pounding the hood or the walls.

It's obviously a spell. Verbal component - eyyyyy. Somatic component - the pounding.

It oculd also be a spell-like ability or a supernatural ability.
Last edited by Cynic on Sun Jan 11, 2015 6:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Josh_Kablack »

Uh, yeah loading up an LP in a jukebox is just Mage Hand, possibly Silent and/or Quickened.
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Post by Prak »

this is reminding me of the door mage.
Cuz apparently I gotta break this down for you dense motherfuckers- I'm trans feminine nonbinary. My pronouns are they/them.
Winnah wrote:No, No. 'Prak' is actually a Thri Kreen impersonating a human and roleplaying himself as a D&D character. All hail our hidden insect overlords.
FrankTrollman wrote:In Soviet Russia, cosmic horror is the default state.

You should gain sanity for finding out that the problems of a region are because there are fucking monsters there.
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Post by erik »

Prak wrote:this is reminding me of the door mage.
Image
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Post by hogarth »

Hitting a jukebox and snapping one's fingers to attract women are psionic powers.
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Post by Longes »

Prak wrote:this is reminding me of the door mage.
What's that?
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Post by Maxus »

http://www.tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?p=144704

Scroll down to "Door Opener"

Edit: The Somatic-Verbal component reminds me of a gag from the Ciaphas Cain book, where the lieutenant has gotten quite good at the rituals of thumping the hololith equipment to clear the image up. And then there's a footnote about the Inquisition doesn't know why all the Enginseers and Tech-Priests all inhale through their teeth when they first look at stuff they've got to repair after a battle or damage from unintended use, but they think it's some sort of prayer for luck or a plea for benediction
Last edited by Maxus on Sun Jan 11, 2015 3:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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