D&D Guru:Answers to your D&D Questions, and general D&D Chat

[elindred]

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Would a Wild Mage with Practiced Spellcaster add 1D6 to her full caster level?

according to the letter, it seems they would, though it's an obvious abuse.

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Never play D&D with Calculus and Physics students, or you too will end up with problems like this...

a good rule of thumb for any magical effect in DnD is that it non-offensive spells do what they're purposed to do and not much more. A mundane spell like mage hand or prestidigitation can't be used to deal damage, the same way abjurations can't be forced upon people or you can't teleport matter in the same space as someone else or you can't use the enlarge spell to crush people/make them explode. In this case, the movement of the object would simply stop when it comes upon another object/creature's space.

[Spiritual WD40]

Quote:

Quote:

Would a Wild Mage with Practiced Spellcaster add 1D6 to her full caster level?

according to the letter, it seems they would, though it's an obvious abuse.

Could have been easily avoided if they'd made a distinction between 'Caster Level' and 'Effective Caster Level'!

[Spiritual WD40]

Gelatinous Cubes Can't *Bump* they *gloompfh*

[Spiritual WD40]

Puddings cant' *Bump* Either they just kinda *Gloop*

[Spiritual WD40]

Althouh, like the above.. Golems are Immune to Critical Hits and suchlike.. they are definatly capable fo *Bump*-ing... although it is usually a kind of *CRUUUNNNCCCHHH!!!*

[Spiritual WD40]

House rules...

A different kind of *bump*

What rules apply in your games? Anything specific that you and your gaming buddies use?

Here's some of mine:

1, Contary to the Errata published by WOTC. I say Bull Rushes and Overruns CAN be performed as part of a charge... not being able to makes both manouvers next to pointless!

2, Paladins and Rangers are Spotanious casters. I beleive that their spell lists are so limited, and their knowledge of them so weak, that having a correct spell ready at the right times, is near impossiable. Making them Spontanious removes this, and encourages spell use, while at the same time having little or no impact on the power of the class... (alright Paladins are more powerful with this ability, but It's so hard to play a paladin anyway, I let it slide... this option actually makes rangers appealling to my gaming group!)

3, I use variable Spell saves. Instead of using the formula: 10+Stat Mod+Spell Level+Misc (Spell Focus ETC) Spellcasters in my game have the option of substituting the 10 with a D20 roll. Effectivly Taking 10 on Spell saves in the norm. This gives spells a more random fluctuating feel, as well as making them more potent. So far, I have never had a problem with this system!

What rules variations do you use?

[Ruddigger]

I tend to do away with dealing with equipment weights, myself. A character with an average or low strength can't wear the armor needed to keep them from getting killed... yeah, just what we all want. I was horrified to find out that my cleric in one game couldn't wear breastplate without becoming encumbered.

On the other hand, there comes a time when it gets rediculous.
"If you want to carry the fullplate out, you're going to have to get rid of something else. Like the halfling." -A player playing an Orc Fighter had a tied up halfling rogue in his backpack at the time. They decided to hang the halfling up on a torch sconce. He got away, of course.

[elindred]

i was thinking about spontaneous casting paladins and bards, but there really are a whole lot of spells for both paladins and bards now thanks to the various expansion books (really good ones, i might add). i couldn't help but think that giving them spontaneous casting without an according restriction to their spells known wouldn't be a little -too- good...

[Spiritual WD40]

True... Paladins do tend to benifit more from being a spontanious caster than rangers... and it's not as though paladins arn't powerful enough already. But like I said, being a palidin is a pain, you have to have good stats in pretty much everything, and being a paladin makes it hard to do all the stuff that other PC's can do that's the most fun (Breaking and entering for example!)

I really play up the palidins rules and restruictions.

Besides that, although a paladins spells are more useful in combat than a rangers, boosting their combat abilitys makes them as good in combat usually as an unboosted fighter of the same level.

I beleive it balences out quite well..

As for rangers, being spontanious, as I've said, makes their spellcasting abilitys actually useful! Otherwise they are just plain useless! Simple as that!

[Spiritual WD40]

Another house rule I use concerns Summon Monster spells.

Firstly, I allow alternate Alignment templates (actually I encourage them) So creatures summoned can be Celestial, Feindish, Anarchic or Axiomatic.

Secondly, when A wizard learns Summon Monster 1 (for Example) he actually learns Summon [Insert Chosen Monster Here]. The monster is given a name, and his hit dice rolled and remembered. The creature then becomes an ally to the wizard.

So when my Mecanatrix Wizard Naquiba learnt SM1, he instead learnt Summon Axiomatic Border Collie (dog) Which he named Rex. When Naquiba learned SM2, he added Summon Axiomatic Alsation (Riding Dog)which he names Storm, While at the same time, he gained the loyalty of 2 more Axiomatic Border Collies, (Which Rex had been recruiting) so when he uses SM2 to summon 1D3 Axiomatic Collies, Rex will always appear, accompanied by a random assortment of his allies (who are also named, and have their HD rolled and recorded.)

And so on.

It limits the number of Monsters A Wizard may summon. But at the same time increases the personality of the wizard, and enhances the customisation of each character. Each Monster has his/her own personality and can communicate with the Wizard.

It's really fun!

[Spiritual WD40]

With reference to the above... I ask my Players to give a reason if they are going to apply an alignment template to a creature... Making sure the creature selected is compatable to the alignment...

For example.. Dogs tend to be Lawful, while Cats are Chaotic...

Lions are Good, while Insects are Evil...

Obviously there are crossovers and exceptions... Wolves, for example, are just as capable of being a messenger of Evil as they are at being Good...

[Spiritual WD40]

Another optional rule that A friend of mine uses, that I may begin to use... concerns HD and Hp.

When his PC's level up.. they re-roll ALL their HD. and have the option of taking the new roll, or continuing with the old, which ever is better.

This means that the pc's have relitivly average HP throughout. Everyone knows what it's like playing a fighter or Barbarian.. rolling those big dice, and finding yourself staring at a 1. This way, that rarely happens.

In effect, rolls that are redicilously over or under average only remain so for (usually) one level.

Cool idea, Huh?

[mistalina13]

Kev3480

Another optional rule that A friend of mine uses, that I may begin to use... concerns HD and Hp.

When his PC's level up.. they re-roll ALL their HD. and have the option of taking the new roll, or continuing with the old, which ever is better.

This means that the pc's have relitivly average HP throughout. Everyone knows what it's like playing a fighter or Barbarian.. rolling those big dice, and finding yourself staring at a 1. This way, that rarely happens.

In effect, rolls that are redicilously over or under average only remain so for (usually) one level.

Cool idea, Huh?

That's actually not a really bad idea. But usually HP isn't a problem as long as people play their characters well enough to help them survive.

[elindred]

Kev3480

Another optional rule that A friend of mine uses, that I may begin to use... concerns HD and Hp.

When his PC's level up.. they re-roll ALL their HD. and have the option of taking the new roll, or continuing with the old, which ever is better.

This means that the pc's have relitivly average HP throughout. Everyone knows what it's like playing a fighter or Barbarian.. rolling those big dice, and finding yourself staring at a 1. This way, that rarely happens.

In effect, rolls that are redicilously over or under average only remain so for (usually) one level.

Cool idea, Huh?

an interesting idea, but it would be less hassle just to give people average hit points per level i think. then again, i'm one of those people who prefer the point buy method to rolling stats; saves me the trouble of having to wait until the dm's available, so i can monopolize his time while i roll a bunch of dice, and then he tells me to roll again because they're too low/too high/not in line with the rest of the group...

[elindred]

btw, i've only recently sent wizards custserv an e-mail about my dispel magic/fabricate conundrum.

to refresh your memories, consider a wizard or sorceror with ranks in craft [weaponsmithing] who is able to cast dispel magic and fabricate. this guy owns a +1 longsword, and tries a little experiment.

first, he casts dispel magic on the sword. the mage makes the dispel check successfully and suppresses the sword's magic for 2 rounds or more. next, he casts fabricate on the now non-magical masterwork longsword. he attempts to change it into a masterwork scimitar, and does so by succeeding the appropriate craft check.

and the question is, what happens to the sword when the d4 rounds of suppression run down?

well, the person from wizards who mailed me back said it was not covered by the rules so you'd have to consult your dm, but also that he'd personally rule that the mage now owns a +1 scimitar.