Author Topic: Looking for a spell  (Read 3974 times)

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ZeroSpace

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Looking for a spell
« on: February 26, 2009, 01:51:56 AM »
I need to find a spell to use in session next week. I want an NPC wizard to contact one of the PCs 'real time', sort of like a Scrying/Sending fusion.
YAY! I get to go to the SPECIAL hell!

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"Alright men, time to break out the greatswords!"

"You may not make money being a bad-ass!"
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RobbyPants

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2009, 09:56:29 AM »
Could it be as simple as sending his Astral Projection over to them, and communicating that way?
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Ryu Hayabusa

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2009, 03:31:49 PM »
Telepathic Bond can do that, though it requires the PC to be in contact with the wizard to cast it in the first place. Once cast it works throughout the same plane without regard for distance.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/TelepathicBond.htm

PhaedrusXY

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2009, 04:01:20 PM »
You can cast Message through Scrying.
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

ZeroSpace

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2009, 09:35:49 PM »
I suppose I can just jury-rig a spell to get the job done.

Thanks for the ideas.
YAY! I get to go to the SPECIAL hell!

"The picks aren't breaking through, sir!"
"Alright men, time to break out the greatswords!"

"You may not make money being a bad-ass!"
-My DM

PhaedrusXY

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2009, 02:46:03 AM »
I suppose I can just jury-rig a spell to get the job done.

Thanks for the ideas.
I don't understand why Scrying + Message, or even Sending, won't work. What exactly are you wanting to happen, besides the NPC communicating with the PC? Some kind of visual effect?
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

ZeroSpace

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2009, 02:00:56 AM »
I was looking for an ability to have a back-and-forth conversation.
YAY! I get to go to the SPECIAL hell!

"The picks aren't breaking through, sir!"
"Alright men, time to break out the greatswords!"

"You may not make money being a bad-ass!"
-My DM

PhaedrusXY

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2009, 05:23:55 PM »
I was looking for an ability to have a back-and-forth conversation.
You can do that with Scrying + Message.
Quote from: SRD, Scrying
In addition, the following spells have a 5% chance per caster level of operating through the sensor: detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, detect magic, and message.

Quote from: SRD, Message
Message
Transmutation [Language-Dependent]
Level:    Brd 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components:    V, S, F
Casting Time:    1 standard action
Range:    Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets:    One creature/level
Duration:    10 min./level
Saving Throw:    None
Spell Resistance:    No

You can whisper messages and receive whispered repliesThe creatures that receive the message can whisper a reply that you hear.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2009, 05:26:46 PM by PhaedrusXY »
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

ZeroSpace

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2009, 03:35:06 AM »
Hmm. Maybe I should go through all those cantrips again, see which are any good.
YAY! I get to go to the SPECIAL hell!

"The picks aren't breaking through, sir!"
"Alright men, time to break out the greatswords!"

"You may not make money being a bad-ass!"
-My DM

RobbyPants

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2009, 09:44:51 AM »
Yeah, it seems like that could do the trick.

Also, don't forget spell research.  It's perfectly feasible for a caster to create their own spell that the DM approves of.  It seems to me that so much of the strength of Scrying comes from spying on people and/or Teleporting in, not from communication. 

I would think that you could research a 4th or even a 3rd level spell that allowed for visual and audio communication over a long range with either a known target or a known location.  Then, either allow a Will save to negate, or perhaps allow one side to terminate the converastion at will.  Maybe you don't see the area like you would in Scrying, but rather just the person, which would give the impression of a hologram.
My balancing 3.5 compendium
Elemental mage test game

Quotes
[spoiler]
Quote from: Cafiend
It is a shame stupidity isn't painful.
Quote from: StormKnight
Totally true.  Historians believe that most past civilizations would have endured for centuries longer if they had successfully determined Batman's alignment.
Quote from: Grand Theft Otto
Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
Quote from: CryoSilver
I suggest carving "Don't be a dick" into him with a knife.  A dull, rusty knife.  A dull, rusty, bent, flaming knife.
Quote from: Seerow
Fluffy: It's over Steve! I've got the high ground!
Steve: You underestimate my power!
Fluffy: Don't try it, Steve!
Steve: *charges*
Fluffy: *three critical strikes*
Steve: ****
Quote from: claypigeons
I don't even stat out commoners. Commoner = corpse that just isn't a zombie. Yet.
Quote from: CryoSilver
When I think "Old Testament Boots of Peace" I think of a paladin curb-stomping an orc and screaming "Your death brings peace to this land!"
Quote from: Orville_Oaksong
Buy a small country. Or Pelor. Both are good investments.
[/spoiler]

bihlbo

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2009, 08:31:43 PM »
Don't forget that if someone knows you are scrying on them, they can simply write things down for you to read.
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archangel.arcanis

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2009, 12:08:53 PM »
why waist spells per day. If you have some cash:
Quote from: SRD
Crystal ball with telepathy1     70,000 gp
   1.  The viewer is able to send and receive silent mental messages with the person appearing in the crystal ball. Once per day the character may attempt to implant a suggestion (as the spell, Will DC 14 negates) as well.

It allows 1 person to initiate at least. If both parties have one then you are covered for either to start the conversation. No duration issues either. Money shouldn't be a problem since it is an NPC they could use the make money for free tricks without the party needing to know, or just say they have a rich uncle that gave them money.
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PhaedrusXY

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2009, 08:56:51 PM »
why waist spells per day. If you have some cash:
What kind of reasoning is that? I"m an NPC spellcaster, and I want to do something just once that I can easily do with my spells... so I'll go spend all my FKN crappy NPC wealth on an item that does the same thing.  :twitch
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

archangel.arcanis

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2009, 11:53:05 AM »
because you can then spend all of your spells making money.  Just because they are an NPC doesn't mean they can't use their resources just as intelligently as the PCs could. Just at level 4, same one required to cast scry, i can see a few spells that would allow him to make the money back. If he hits level 5 spells then he just became the greatest sculptor ever, wall of stone = infinite stone and stone shape = all but detail work done.  Wall of Ice, hmmm he can chill the towns water supply every day and make the people happy for a few gold from the town. Locate object/person for Tim's lost and found service, its a real bitch playing hide and go seek with this guy. hell he could open up his own BBQ place and use wall of fire or polymorph into a pyrohydra to cook large amounts of food with, he is a NPC as you pointed out what the hell else is he going to do with his spells.

Money is never an issue in D&D once spells get involved. Some tricks just require a bit more thought and sometimes a DM that sees the value in creative thinking.  I admit i treat my NPCs different than most, they are treated as full fledged people that just aren't played by one of my players.  The NPC wealth table assumes they sit on their ass most of the time, while they might not adventure they surely can find ways to make money that are just as lucrative. a quote from my bosses old commanding officer "if you want to know the easiest way to do something ask the laziest person you know how they would do it."
Clerics and Druids are like the 4 and 2 in 42. Together they are the answer to the ultimate question in D&D.
Retire the character before the DM smacks you with the Table as the book will feel totally inadequate now.-Hazren

veekie

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2009, 02:22:18 PM »
The money you earn with the spell slots is kinda trivial compared to the crystal ball cost though, unless you are charging for spellcasting, in which case no settlement can afford it for long anyway.
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archangel.arcanis

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #15 on: April 02, 2009, 02:33:45 PM »
I was just trying to say that circumstances could allow it to work. It is facilitating game play for the PCs and that is all that is important, if they want to know how he got a hold of one then the DM just needs to give the a plausible reason and move on with the game.  It is about what the PCs are doing not how the NPC got the item to help the PCs.
Clerics and Druids are like the 4 and 2 in 42. Together they are the answer to the ultimate question in D&D.
Retire the character before the DM smacks you with the Table as the book will feel totally inadequate now.-Hazren

veekie

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #16 on: April 02, 2009, 04:24:13 PM »
Yeah, but if hes got a workable spell now, no biggie either. The guy's a spellcaster, having a little Improved Message spell that allows teleconferencing is sorta expected.
The mind transcends the body.
It's also a little cold because of that.
Please get it a blanket.

I wish I could read your mind,
I can barely read mine.

"Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. At 2:15, it begins rolling up characters."

[spoiler]
"Just what do you think the moon up in the sky is? Everyone sees that big, round shiny thing and thinks there must be something round up there, right? That's just silly. The truth is much more awesome than that. You can almost never see the real Moon, and its appearance is death to humans. You can only see the Moon when it's reflected in things. And the things it reflects in, like water or glass, can all be broken, right? Since the moon you see in the sky is just being reflected in the heavens, if you tear open the heavens it's easy to break it~"
-Ibuki Suika, on overkill

To sumbolaion diakoneto moi, basilisk ouranionon.
Epigenentheto, apoleia keraune hos timeis pteirei.
Hekatonkatis kai khiliakis astrapsato.
Khiliarkhou Astrape!
[/spoiler]

There is no higher price than 'free'.

"I won't die. I've been ordered not to die."

woodenbandman

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Re: Looking for a spell
« Reply #17 on: April 02, 2009, 05:40:01 PM »
The trick is to research a spell that works like message at a longer range. Earring of the Wolf is like a message that works at any distance, and it costs like 5k gp. It's no big deal, really.