Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)

[The_Mad_Linguist]

13...damn.  Ok I will figure out something else instead.  I am so not going to run 13+ encounters to level four characters.

Most people just level the party whenever they feel like it.

It is a system that has served me well.

[genuine]

13...damn.  Ok I will figure out something else instead.  I am so not going to run 13+ encounters to level four characters.

Most people just level the party whenever they feel like it.

It is a system that has served me well.

In my PbP game I simply double or triple the xp rewards. It keeps the experience flowing like a river, but also means that we don't need a year of posting to get a level. If you want six encounters to a level, double the exp. If you want 4 encounters, triple it.

[Zoblefu]

Q23:
My question is regarding a specific creature found in the Book of Vile Darkness.  It is a devil - Kocrachon (page 175)
Without giving away more details than I have to, how in the world can this creature be CR6 unless I am misreading things?  It looks like, amongst many other things, it gets to cast Blasphemy 1/day at CL12th.  Unless I misunderstand the spell, this means that anything within 40 feet with 7HD or less is paralyzed for 1d10 minutes with no save (Blasphemy is an open spell in SRD).  How can something with a CR of 6 so easily wipe out a party of character level 7s? (If you assume he paralyzes them and then coup-de-grace each one during the minute(s) of paralysis).

He also has wither limb at caster level 12th which seems way too high there as well for a CR6.  Am I misreading this? Is the CR mis-represented? I was looking for a good creature that you can get with lesser planar binding with good SLAs and came across this... Thanks

[Bozwevial]

Book of Vile Darkness is 3.0 material. The 3.0 Blasphemy, IIRC, operated on individual creatures according to their Hit Dice and not your caster level.

[Zoblefu]

Book of Vile Darkness is 3.0 material. The 3.0 Blasphemy, IIRC, operated on individual creatures according to their Hit Dice and not your caster level.

Ah hah... makes more sense. I may use this guy yet, but just remove the two SLAs I feel are overpowered.

[Genesis]

Q:24
Telekinetic Thrust, from the XPH, allows me to make attacks with a number of weapons. Do these thrown weapons get sneak attack damage on every hit, if the character has sneak attack? (And the target is valid for sneak attack)
Thanks.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Q:24
Telekinetic Thrust, from the XPH, allows me to make attacks with a number of weapons. Do these thrown weapons get sneak attack damage on every hit, if the character has sneak attack? (And the target is valid for sneak attack)
Thanks.

Depends upon whether or not you consider it a volley.

[SeekingKnight]

Q25

I am using a monster from a third part book.  It is CR 1 and it is fine for what I wish.  What confuses me is the stat aray thay was used, should I alter the stats to be as I wish or keep them as is?  The monster is a boss for one level of the dungeon I am designing.

[Littha]

Q25

I am using a monster from a third part book.  It is CR 1 and it is fine for what I wish.  What confuses me is the stat aray thay was used, should I alter the stats to be as I wish or keep them as is?  The monster is a boss for one level of the dungeon I am designing.

That depends, monsters (unless noted) in wizards material have base stats of 10s or 11s so you can work out their ability scores by taking 10 from their even scores and 11 from the odd. Then you can add a point buy or the elite array if you want it to be stronger.

I wouldn't just go around altering the stats manually without a thorough understanding of what you are doing. That way lies TPKs

[Growin]

Q25

I am using a monster from a third part book.  It is CR 1 and it is fine for what I wish.  What confuses me is the stat aray thay was used, should I alter the stats to be as I wish or keep them as is?  The monster is a boss for one level of the dungeon I am designing.

For NPC's with NPC classes generally you use 10,10,10,11,11,11 before racial adjustments (and they don't get max hp at 1st level)
For NPC's with PC classes normally you use 15,14,13,12,10,8  (and they get max hp at 1st level)

To find more on this topic look in the DMG guide on the chapter where it stats out a bunch of NPC's with PC levels.
In the Monsters Manual it also tells you when to use which array.  It's under Improving Monsters if I recall correctly.

[SeekingKnight]

Thanks Littha and Growin.  I forgot the formula for finding the stats.  I will change it some once I get the mods down and use elite array.  

Q26

When adding racial hit die to a monster is there a way to determine CR?  I figure it is not the same as adding class levels.

[Pimpforged]

Thanks Littha and Growin.  I forgot the formula for finding the stats.  I will change it some once I get the mods down and use elite array. 

Q26

When adding racial hit die to a monster is there a way to determine CR?  I figure it is not the same as adding class levels.

A26 It depends upon the type of hit die, there's a table in the monster manual I pg 294

[SeekingKnight]

Thank you again.  

Edit:  Late edit due to not wanting a double post.

Q27

If a group of adventurers defeat a bunch of critters that don't have any treasure listed in their entries said adventurers don't get any treasure?   

[ragincajun2288]

Never mind.

[Bozwevial]

Q27

If a group of adventurers defeat a bunch of critters that don't have any treasure listed in their entries said adventurers don't get any treasure? 

Depends entirely on the DM.

[Sunic_Flames]

Thank you again.  

Edit:  Late edit due to not wanting a double post.

Q27

If a group of adventurers defeat a bunch of critters that don't have any treasure listed in their entries said adventurers don't get any treasure?   

Well yeah, because that's a random animal or something, that does not accumulate treasure.

[lorddarioush]

can anny1 tell me where i can find the rules on creating a warband?

-LD

[wotmaniac]

HoB is the first place that springs to mind.

[braininthejar]

Seeing as my current campaign takes place in the Anauroch desert, I wanted to use a Phaerimm. There sre some things I'd like to make sure about though:

1 Does a phaerimm get any spells by default or does he have to take sorcerer levels over his base stats?

2 Phaerimms are described as having 'perfect vision' , seeing invisible and such. They aren't explicitly immune to blindness but they don't seem to have any actual eyes. So, does it work or not?

[Necrosnoop110]

Q30: What is the origin and precise meaning of this "Mister Cavern" phrase I keep seeing? (I can infer some of its meaning from context but someone please shed some light here).

Thanks,
Necro