Search found 103 matches

I've exhausted my google-fu, and I'm coming up empty. What is a "buckler wand"?

Take it to a more basic example then: A character and his gear becomes invisible. If he takes a coin from his pocket and places it on a table, does it become visible?

This is a general question, but i have a specific example. The general question regards characters in a changed physical state, i.e. ethereal, invisible, incorporeal, etc. When such a change of stat ...

However, it really depends on your intention...

Well, it's a doozy. One of my players is getting married and his fiance want's to join us. Soooo, at her request, I'm building her a character that ...

those that allow him to administer Touch attack spells through his weapons via regular attacks. (A chop by a longsword channeling Shocking Grasp , Ghoul Touch, or Energy Drain Shocked

when it hits w ...

Bladesinger is a kit in the Complete Book of Elves. It's available as a fighter/mage kit. The kit has a number of advantages - it gets a +1 bonus to attack and damage (fighter/mages can't specialize ...

I'm playing around with a Bladesinger kit and was thinking about what the most strategic use of magic would be for a fighter/mage. At first I thought of going for touch attacks, like Chill Touch or S ...

I've come up with a solution to my problem, by way of another problem, so to speak. I've been You don't need a real reason why that is, because you are the DM! Wink

Dungeoneering was in the Dungeoneers Survival guide and can be easily adapted for 2e usage.

I dug around in the DSG for this today but I couldn't find it anywhere.

What I'm doing instead is mo ...

Use the base caster level of rings to figure damage at 1 point per level. Per the DMG 2E, rings function at 12th level, so 12 damage per use. Easy peasy.

That was my first thought Ceb, but I made ...

The 5th level wizard spell Telekinesis states that:

"The spell can provide either a gentle, sustained force or a single short, violent thrust...Damage caused by hurled objects is decide by the DM, ...

There is a chance my players may be facing a nasty truth soon - their characters are not immortal. I'm not trying to kill them, but a couple of the traps/effects coming in the future have a "Save or ...

Try the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide, perhaps? Or, is that a 1st edition sourcebook?

SirXaris

I know that's a 1E sourcebook, but I'll dig into it and see if it offers any solutions.

Is there such thing as a dungeoneering proficiency? I know there's a knowledge (dungeoneering) skill check in 3.5E and an actual dungeoneering skill in 4E, but nothing in 2E. One of my players who h ...

What rules do you intend to use for psionics? You have many different sources from which to pick, including a revamping of the rules in the "Options: Skills & Powers" book as well as "the Complet ...

I'm thinking Brain Moles, Ulitharids, and Githyanki, oh my! Evil Grin

SirXaris

I've been fascinated by the Githyanki ever since I got my hands on the Fiend Folio way back in the day. I have a g ...

That's awesome nerdcav. Is it wrong that my first thought after reading this was "Thought Eater"? Followed "Intellect Devourer"? Evil Grin

I've been thinking down that road myself. Part of why I th ...

I was talking to one of my players the other day, and I found myself telling him - "Your mage has been having weird headaches - and when he gets them he hears a strange, low buzzing noise in his mind" ...

I'm trying to design an unconventional NPC and I could use some feedback. In my campaign, the thief Tuk - a halfling - is on the run for having pilfered a gilded, egg sized emerald during a contracte ...

Turns out 3.5 deals with this issue pretty neatly.

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Lycanthrope

There's a feat called Control Shape that allows the player to try and control the infection induce ...

I guess the main question would be whether they lose their will at all. In terms of the lycanthrope the idea is clear that you are overcome by bloodlust as an expression of evil and the DM takes over ...

The classic curse of the werewolf is well known. "When darkness falls on the night of a full moon, or on the night immediately preceding or immediately following a full moon, the infected lycanthrope ...

You'd like 3.5 Lanthorn <ducks> Wink

The ability you're talking about is a feat called Weapon Finesse. "With a light weapon, rapier, whip, or spiked chain made for a creature of your size ...

@SirXaris - I agree that a Ranger should make an excellent scout - but does he? The ToEE suggests the level range for the entire module is 1-8. At level 8, the unmodified HiS/MS of a human ranger (m ...

Also, even though your campaign primarily deals with the underground setting (now), it won't always, I am sure. Then the ranger can truly come back into his own! Since your player is role-playing a ...

For now, at least, it's a moot point. I set up to meet Axy McMurder at a local coffee house near my favorite D&D stocked used book store. He ended up canceling at the last minute and I haven't h ...

Lol - glad you survived Lanthorn. As for HiS/MS - per the PH "When attempting these actions in non natural surroundings (a musty crypt or city streets) chance of success is halved." It's a bit steep ...

Lanthorn, I know you're going to stroke out over this, but I don't really like the Skills and Powers system. I think it too radically restructures the rule-set of 2E. I might grab an option or two f ...

I wanted to give a little feedback and to soften my original claim. Rangers do not suck. I understand that now - thank you Lanthorn Wink

. But, in combat, they don't really stand out. And in dung ...

Over the entire course of my career, 2E has been the primary edition, but I find myself upgrading a lot of rules to 3.5 versions. If something seems clumsy or out of whack, I'll defer up to 3.5E or d ...

So, is it me, or do Rangers kinda suck? One of my players is a die hard ranger - he chooses that class in every game that allows it. In our current campaign, he's a 1st level Ranger of the Gnarley F ...

As for the dwarven pantheon, I know someone mentioned it earlier, but I can think of no other more useful tome than Monster Mythology since it gives a nice overview of ALL the Powers, then specificall ...

It took long enough, but I've finally been plagiarized!

Fantastic! I'll edit the "source" link appropriately. As the OP, do you have any insight into my query?

I'm trying to create a Dwarven Cleric NPC for a story-line I have brewing, and I could use some feedback. The dwarf either directly participated in or is from a clan that participated in the Battle o ...

What if it's more the other way - that the non-LG aligned characters would be forced to leave voluntarily. I personally imagine a Paladin would be constantly instructing and correcting his fellows to ...

Great advice SirXaris. I'm running them through ToEE, which suggests it will take players from level 1 to 8. Since there are really only 4 players plus any NPCs they acquire, I wanted them to get to ...

Greetings and salutations KierWyldwynd! Come on in, the water's great!

Could he not wind up with a pseudodragon ?

The character alignment awarded a Pseudodragon would be neutral, neutral good or chaotic good. The chaotic neutral would be a quasit, which is an entirel ...

Are you using the 1e or 2e version of the DMG for determining XP? Or a combination of both? Or some other edition?

I'm trying to follow the 2E rules. They seem to suggest XP come from Story an ...

Actually, you're doing fine, however...

1) Your PCs will advance in level extremely quickly if they are receiving 500-800 experience points after a single fight with 5 bandits and 6 bugbears...
...

I sat down tonight to work out my player's experience from the last session. The party has 5 1st level members, 4 players and the NPC cleric I am running. They defeated 5 bandits and 6 bugbears, all ...

Although this is indeed a devious idea, but I am quite sure that a good-aligned mage cannot summon either an imp or a quasit (at least not in 1e and 2e).

True enough, but Knaak the Prestidigitator ...

I originally posted this to General but, since I would like to keep a record of the campaign going, it seems logical to repost here and add to the thread as the adventures unfold.

Original post:
F ...

The resource to get, if you don't already, is the Players Options: Skills & Powers book.

Just what I needed - the subability checks fit the bill perfectly. Thank you sir!

I'm watching some 4E videos and I'm wondering how to convert some of the ability checks from that version to 2E. For instance - Perception could be Int, Insight could be Wis, Intimidate could be Str, ...

I was taking the car for an oil change today when the attendant saw my DMG in the passenger seat. He asked what edition I was playing and then the doors came off and we ended up talking shop for 15 m ...

Changecats are from Greyhawk Adventures and the 2nd edition Greyhawk Monstrous Compendium Appendix.

That's awesome rasgon, thank you! I happen to have Greyhawk Adventures, so I'll check that out. ...

I'd go for a mix, and here's why. I'd be most interested in getting the boxed sets in "hardcover" with the maps. I'd even buy the Greyhawk Adventures book, for nostalgic reasons. But I'd still want ...

Secondly, as you noted The Complete Handbook of Wizards offered more choices than the original list. Sorry that you didn't like the added creatures.

I guess I didn't pose the question properly. My ...

Only if you post countless 'query' threads. Wink

Oh snap, I think I am that guy!

Welcome DrassustheGaunt!

What exceptional Familiars have you used in your campaigns? My mage player will be casting his Find Familiar spell soon and I'd love to have some options beyond those listed in the PHB and Complete W ...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I also think that a Cure Disease spell, and also direct sunlight, will destroy it...

You're right about Cure Disease and they certainly don't like sunlight, although it ...

The last 1st-level Wizard character I DMed for (3.5e) took Exotic Weapon Proficiency in the Bastard Sword as a 1st level Feat. He'd use his spells to buff himself, then attack with the bastard sword ...

So, I'm reading up on Green Slime, the monster, and I have some questions for you pros. It's special attack turns you into green slime in "1-4 melee rounds" and it can only be "scraped off quickly, c ...

One easy way around this is to play with 4th edition rules, where all the classes are balanced at 1st level. Razz

*Ducks*

Lol - nice. I actually took a page fror 4E and let our mage cast cantrip ...

For any of you who have been following my posts, this new DM had his very first group session with my players this past Friday. We’re going to be playing ToEE, set about 5 years before the Wars (I've ...

Great feedback from everyone! I have a question for those of you who use the Death's Door rule. Do you allow mortal wounds to take a character into negative hit point area, or do you set it to zero ...

I use the Death's Door method of mortal wounds in my campaign - where upon reaching 0 hit points the character becomes unconscious and loses 1 hit point a round until truly snuffing it a -10 HP. Any ...

I would like to use Fatigue, but I'm curious how you track the points efficiently. I feel the only way for it not to cramp combat is for it to be cleanly and reliably managed, so that the players can ...

One thing I like to use comes from something I located online years back. Two fans did up a calendar of holidays and added possible magical effects for certain days of the year. The moon phases were ...

Ah - I missed it, it's right on the same page that describes the combat round. If it were a snake it would have bit me...<facepalm>. Sorry for the wasted post!

It is truly one of my favorite books for the game, especially if you run a lot of outdoor campaigns!

As for character fatigue, perhaps that is for another posting of your design. I personally use ...

So I'm brainstorming on how to really immerse my players in the fantasy of the world. I have two ideas so far that I like:
1. Non-combat encounters. Rather than constantly bombarding them with rand ...

I'm using the Player's Options: Combat & Tactics book for an enhanced battle experience. The combat round in that book is 10 seconds long, while the standard combat round in the PH and DMG is 60 ...

You can use the fatigue rules from Players Options: Combat and Tactics for this

I read up on these rules - they seem sensible enough with the exception that they don't account for leveling. Mons ...

So I'm familiar with the rules for quickly donning armor - such as if you are awakened from sleep and need to jump into a fray. But why not sleep in the armor? I'm not suggesting this is sensible, I ...

...A new set of DM only dice - my player dice and dm dice must not mingle...

-I will now back away quietly, trying not to attract attention... Laughing

Well, I don't want them conspiring together ...

Maybe they do, on both counts.

Ahhh...great point! Are there any good rule sets for mass combat like that? Specifically, I think it would be cool for the players to be able to have some impact on ...

Well, I'm on my way...

So far I've accumulated:
Dungeon Master Screen
Dungeon Master's Guide
Player's Handbook
Monstrous Handbook
Combat and Tactics
ToEE - T1-4
Maps, Maps, Maps - Color maps ...

I'd like to create a version of Patryns, the tattooed runes casters from the Death Gate Cycle.

I also like the idea of Deeper Magic in the Chronicles of Narnia. Yes, there is a fantasy world with ...

I'm going to try and avoid spoilers here by speaking as generally as possible. I'm doing my best to sketch out the motivations of the various powers in ToEE so that the encounters go beyond 'he hit ...

Thanks for the feedback guys! From what I could glean from the maps bubbagump shared, the scale on the original map is 20ft to a square. That's just the info I needed!

I think the fireball example brings up the critical point - heat. A purely visual illusion could never convey the heat required to convince someone to "death". The illusion must effect the mind rath ...

I'm working on transfering map 7 and 8 of ToEE to battlemaps and I can't figure out the scale. I'm guessing it has to at least be 1 square = 10 sqft, due to the encounters, but I could use some feedb ...

My first question is...Is this sword going to be in the hands of a low lvl character?

Yikes - I don't really know - I assume that their first pass through the area in question will be at 5th level- ...

Nerdcav, what did you and your player decide on this issue? Did you end up with the paladin after all?

I told him no evil characters and let him know why. He understood completely and quickly set ...

A pleasant turn of events in my campaign has me scratching my head about a new topic. I had a group of mostly neutral aligned - but the CE cleric hopeful settled on a Paladin when I put the kibosh on ...

@Lanthorn No, no - I have room for more books - but I'm looking for gift suggestions...unless you know a place where she might find all 20+ books you suggested for a meager sum.

@Lanthorn - Lol, that's a lot of books. Could you pick 2-3 must haves to suggest?

@Cebrion - Naturally. Pizza and cheetos and Mountain Dew - for casting Magic Missile at the darkness...

My wife can't give me too much hassle - she played a Elven thief in our last campaign ;)

I'm playing 2E this time, with 1E materials where applicable.

So the wife gave me a 'hint, hint, nudge, nudge' that Father's day would be a perfect opportunity to acquire any missing elements for the upcoming campaign.

I have most of the books I need or wan ...

get your paws on a copy of Player's Options: Spells and Magic. It is the BEST reference guide I know of, with a near-complete listing of all sorts of material components for clerics and mages in nice ...

So, I've let my mage know that I'll be holding him to using spell components, so now I need to enforce it (whoops - should have thought that out first).

Part of my thinking was to say all low lev ...

You could also modify the 2e restriction in the PHB p30 to allowing the Wizard to pen only spells he has successfully mastered instead of waiting until lvl 9. This would also be restricted to availabi ...

There was a good article on alignment that help me put in into perspective. Think of Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight and reflect on his interactions with the mob. Chaotic evil is embodied by ext ...

I told my player no CE characters unless he could somehow convince me that he would magically work well with others. He laughed and conceded. His second choice? A paladin... ;)

I hear you Lanthorn. I think I'm going to just make a hard rule - no evil characters. I just confuses the issue to much. And I saw there was a post on CN characters, but I didn't see one for CE.

Thanks baronzemo - I'm taking each player through a "origins" adventure which will get them from their original homes to Homlett to begin ToEE. There will be unique, but not excessive, awards for eve ...

I'm a new DM and we are starting ToEE soon. Up until today we only had 3 players in our group, but I just picked up a 4th. The problem is he want's to play a CE cleric. To be honest I really don't ...

DM Newbie asks...

I feel one of the weakest classes, early on, is the mage. From a practical standpoint they really have their hands tied for the first 3-4 levels, falling back to weak melee attac ...

Great advice - thanks all. I can't wait to give an update of the first session. I'm listening to the Penny-Arcade D&D sessions to get my head in the game ;)

Ok, so it's the first campaign for the beginner DM. I have a module picked out (ToEE) that will take my trusty players from 1-8 (theoretically), a smattering of house rules worked out, some backgroun ...

Thanks Lanthorn - I think these guys are mature enough to handle it, I just want to make sure I do my part well. I put together some prep notes for them to use in getting started, and it in I directe ...

I hear you guys - death should be an event, not just a road-bump. I think I agree - but how do I handle the disappointed players? I may have shot myself in the foot by asking them to come up with a ...

@Lanthorn - I don't want to get kicked off the site so soon, but my RPG heart belongs to Marvel Super Heroes. I can't wait for the day my own kids get old enough for me to break out the books and sta ...

Thanks guys! I'm planning on running ToEE for my first campaign. I expect to run a couple one-offs at the start, just minor quests - just to get them up to 2 or 3 so they survive the ordeal. Hoping ...

I'm a new DM trying to figure out how to handle death in a new campaign. I have a small group, so losing even one member could cripple the adventure.

I've personally decided to use the optional " ...

I have to agree with Argon that you seem predisposed to play Dragonlance - at least it seems you would like to play that world. Take the world you like and dissolve the issues you don't. Maybe I'm j ...

Thank you all for the great feedback. Finding this site has been like striking gold!

First name: Greg
Age: 35
Location: Northern Virginia, USA
When you started playing D&D? 1988 - I was in 6th grade and I played a gnome thief named Worg. We were attacked by giant ants. Someho ...