The Unseen Servant forums

Thanks everyone.

We have a majority result. The majority wishes to enter and search the Sleestak throne room.

In the IC thread, please post your specific actions to that effect, like Pixie just did for Fiefo.

Marching order (if different than standard), paths of travel, and regions for the search are kindly appreciated. The more clarity the better, please. I'll move the game along on Sunday morning, if everyone has posted IC by then. Thanks!

Sorry didn't get to cast vote in time but I am fine with searching room though we have to accept whatever consequences are.

I can't get rid of the idea of finding baskets or pots to put over the heads of the Sleestacks while they're hibernating.....

The would be hilarious.

Bluetongue wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 3:41 pm Sorry didn't get to cast vote in time...

Sorry, Blue. I closed the polls once five out of our eight PCs formed a majority.

DM does dice rolls for the PCs, correct? Or do we need to roll for things like finding hidden doors?

jemmus wrote: ↑Mon Aug 02, 2021 5:18 pm DM does dice rolls for the PCs, correct? Or do we need to roll for things like finding hidden doors?

Hi Jemmus,
In general, I roll whenever a PC wouldn't know whether they've succeeded or not. And I usually don't post those results in "Behind the DM Screen."

For example, if a PC rolls and succeeds in a search for concealed doors, and I say they found none, the player knows none exist. Whereas if the DM secretly rolls and says the PC found none, the PC doesn't know if any doors exist, which is more realistic. They just know they didn't find any. Likewise Find Traps, Hide in Shadows, Move Silently, Ranger Tracking, etc. I handle all those kinds of rolls. Just describe the PC action and I'll handle the roll. I also roll for PC initiative, so the outcome doesn't inform PC decisions on what actions to take.

But in combat, the PCs know whether or not they succeeded in hitting. So PCs roll to hit. Likewise most Saving Throws and Attribute Checks, damage dice, CLW dice, Bend Bars/Lift Gate, Open Door, Pick Locks, Climb Wall, etc.

Make sense?

Got it. That makes perfect sense.

jemmus wrote: ↑Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:28 pm When the secret door closes, Mungo takes a copper piece from his pouch and attempts to wedge it between the door and the frame. It's an old technique for making a door unopenable from the other side called "pennying someone into their room."

Hi Jemmus,
You learn something every day! Never heard of this. After some interweb research, it seems this works with doorframes and doors. I don't think this will work with a stone drawbridge. Sorry, and thanks for teaching me something new!

Inferno wrote: ↑Wed Aug 11, 2021 1:46 pm
Yul... taps on one of the many God's Eyes that adorn the chamber...

...the cat-man joins Fiefo in scanning their alien environs.

Hi everyone,
I'm using a system created by Gary Gygax for 'Expedition to the Barrier Peaks' to simulate medieval PCs puzzling out computer technology. Each minute spent puzzling gets PCs closer to a chance to solve it, or to fail.
The more complex the object, the longer it takes. The more deadly the object, the more dangerous it is to fool around with it.
It was this system that enabled Yul to operate a phaser, which is relatively simple but deadly.
Please post how many minutes you would like to devote to any such task, or I'll assume one minute at a time.

On the other hand, randomly pressing buttons is another option. And I have a system for that too.

Thanks!

Inferno wrote: ↑Wed Aug 11, 2021 1:47 pm

jemmus wrote: ↑Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:28 pm When the secret door closes, Mungo takes a copper piece from his pouch and attempts to wedge it between the door and the frame. It's an old technique for making a door unopenable from the other side called "pennying someone into their room."

Hi Jemmus,
You learn something every day! Never heard of this. After some interweb research, it seems this works with doorframes and doors. I don't think this will work with a stone drawbridge. Sorry, and thanks for teaching me something new!

It's an old dormitory prank. And it really works. If you wedge a coin between the door and the frame, there is no way at all that the guy inside the room can open the door. He can turn the doorknob fine, but the door itself is jammed hard and can't be opened.

Yup. Been there...

Do you have to wedge it in a certain position? Near the doorknob?

Any size coin will do?

Can you knock the coin out later, or do you have to take the door off its hinges?

As I remember, it's relatively easy to remove the penny from the outside.

Hey everyone,

New topic in the Inspiration and Source Material thread, here.

Hey Urson and redwarrior,

Urson wrote: ↑Wed Aug 18, 2021 2:52 pm Maskelyn

Maskelyn hurries to the square east of (44) , then casts Phantasmal Force (lightning bolt) Fulgur Illusio!
IF he can't manage this in one round, this is his intent for next round.

Casters may move 1" and cast in a round. So Maskelyn may cast next round.

redwarrior wrote: ↑Fri Aug 20, 2021 1:08 am Connak follows his team's lead in striking down this new threat! He nimbly leaps forward and attacks from the flank.

Melee combatants may move 1" and attack. So this would have to be a 'Charge,' as per the DMG. But no one can initiate a Charge against an unseen opponent. Connak doesn't have line of sight to his target. So Connak moves to close this round and may attack next round. Sorry.

Urson wrote: ↑Mon Aug 23, 2021 3:19 pm Maskelyn casts Phantasmal Force (lightning bolt) Fulgur Illusio!

Inferno wrote: ↑Wed Aug 25, 2021 4:51 pm Maskelyn saves his spell...

Hi Urson,
Let me ramble a minute...

If this really was the spell, Lightning Bolt, you'd have no problem.

But it's the illusion that Maskelyn has cast the spell Lightning Bolt. So the target has to see Maskelyn's "performance." If I was in a bar room brawl and someone tried to show me a card trick from the second rank, ten feet away, while I was fighting for my life, the trick wouldn't work. I would never see it performed.

Put another way, "Creatures not observing the spell effect are immune until they view it," as per the PHB spell description.

If a silent flash of lightning suddenly passed before my eyes in the brawl, I wouldn't have the proper context to understand it and therefore believe it.

Maskelyn would know this, so didn't waste the spell.

I hope that makes sense.

Makes perfect sense- and thanks for not wasting the spell.
Also: well, crap!

Inferno wrote: ↑Wed Aug 25, 2021 5:01 pm If a silent flash of lightning suddenly passed before my eyes in the brawl, I wouldn't have the proper context to understand it and therefore believe it.

As a side note, I hate it when I'm in a bar fight and some knucklehead starts shooting lightning.
Seems like it happens every time.