Mulligans on Death traps

The current Blackrazor campaign.
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NukeHavoc
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Mulligans on Death traps

Post by NukeHavoc »

After Friday's game, with yet another death to a glyph of warding, I decided to re-read the spell description.

The opening lines (from the spell entry in the d20 SRD) say: "This powerful inscription harms those who enter, pass, or open the warded area or object. A glyph of warding can guard a bridge or passage, ward a portal, trap a chest or box, and so on."

The idea being that you either need to pass through it, or open whatever it is inscribed on, in order for the thing to go off. There's no mention of a glyph being triggered by viewing it, or its effects being blocked by cloth/obstacles/etc. The latter method is what Maure Castle has done several times on the second level, which isn't something the party could easily anticipate. Scrappy had some clues before he croaked, but the ones in the gnoll priestess' quarters are a little too arbitrary for my taste.

So here's what I want to do: we'll declare mulligans on Scrappy and Sven's deathes-by-glyph, and instead of being outright dead, they'll be at -1. This week I'll go through the book and read-up on this level and the next to make sure that any other glyphs are playing nicely.

Ken
setanta14
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Post by setanta14 »

Were the affects Symbols, or Glyphs?

Symbols are triggered by merely looking at them, and they last for a certain duration once active (10 min/level)

Glyphs require more specific conditions be met, based on actions, alignments, race, etc.

For Glyphs and Greater Glyphs, the caster sets the conditions when it is cast. If the conditions specify that it requires a touching, opening, or passing action by anyone other than a certain race or alignment, then that is the condition. If these are used as traps, they can either be blast glyphs dealing damage, or used to store a spell (3rd or lower for Glyph of Warding, 6th or lower for Greater Glyph of Warding)... a rogue (and only a rogue) can attempt to discover and disarm the Glyph... DC is 28 for the regular blasting glyph, or DC25+spell level stored for the spell ones.
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NukeHavoc
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Post by NukeHavoc »

setanta14 wrote:Were the affects Symbols, or Glyphs?
Glyphs.
setanta14 wrote:Glyphs require more specific conditions be met, based on actions, alignments, race, etc.[/glyph]

The spell mentions all this, but nothing about being able to specify the physical actions aside from passing through the area or opening the warded object.

Or am I missing something in the spell description?
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Jonkga
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Post by Jonkga »

to further muddy the waters, the spell description for glyphs also talks about using read magic or a spellcraft check to identify the glyph, and action that would not set the glyph off. With that in mind, simply searching for, looking at, or otherwise just observing the glyph does not seem sufficient for discharging it.

all the examples invole opening drawers, etc.

--J
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Jonkga
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Post by Jonkga »

the spel description for symbols describes similar checks (read magic, etc.) but states that if reading is the trigger for the symbol, then that waould also set it off. So, it seems that the Maure Castle folks might have confused the two. As, didn"t scrappy die from one behind a tapestry. That specific example, of a symbol behind a tapestry, is used in the symbol spell description, but seems to be precluded from how a glyph works.

--J
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NukeHavoc
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Post by NukeHavoc »

Jonkga wrote:the spel description for symbols describes similar checks (read magic, etc.) but states that if reading is the trigger for the symbol, then that waould also set it off. So, it seems that the Maure Castle folks might have confused the two. As, didn"t scrappy die from one behind a tapestry. That specific example, of a symbol behind a tapestry, is used in the symbol spell description, but seems to be precluded from how a glyph works.
I think you're right -- after reading about the Symbol of Death that looks to be exactly what they did. I'll need to double check it tonight, but it that looks to be a very good theory.

All the more reason to mulligan the deaths.
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Post by NukeHavoc »

So looking over Maure Castle again, the trap that killed Scrappy was indeed a Symbol of Death, so that scenario played out exactly as it should have (when he moved the tapestry, he revealed the symbol, which promptly killed him).

The glyphs of warding in the gnoll cleric's rooms, however, weren't done correctly. In the interest of keeping everyone on the same level, we'll mulligan Scrappy and Sven's deaths (they're not dead, just very, very still and at -9 ... good thing someone checked for a pulse...).

From here on out though, it'll be on your heads. :) There are other glyphs and symbols, and I'll make sure that they're playing by the rules, but you guys will need to evade them. :)
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Post by setanta14 »

Cool... so the number one plan for next time will be for the fleet to rendezvous at Alderon... I mean Seltaren (or where ever else we decide) :P


Ian says, with his numerous ranks in Knowledge(geography):
"Our guild outpost at Swamphold is more than 120 miles to the west, over a range of hills extending off the Abbor-Alz mountains, and across the Mistmarsh.

Without teleportation, its ~90 miles over mostly open land to the northeast to reach Seltaren... the city of Pontyrel is closer, at ~60 miles, and is only a slightly smaller city (7500 vs. Seltaren's 9800), but likely has fewer of the resources that we are looking for, since Seltaren was the old capitol of the Duchy, and many noble families still live there. We already have an informal relationship with the Wizard's Guild there through Alistair, and that Wee Jasian spellcaster whom we aksed about the Blood-Mist.

On the other hand, Pontyrel is more of a frontier city on the border with Rary's Bright Lands, and may be better for us if we need to lay low, or seek other adventure between forays to Maure Castle should we be lacking the abilities to press further into the depths of that place.

Either of the Urnst cities could offer a good market for the items we have recovered... for adventurers in Pontyrel, or for nobles in Seltaren.

At some point, as much as I dislike the idea, we'll probably need to go back to Greyhawk City to do more research on Eli. Seltaren likely holds the information we need on the older cults that we have uncovered, since Urnst was supposedly founded by the Maure.

Once we decide where we're going we can decide who steams up a mirror and who doesn't... and who will be continuing on the adventure... if that means guild induction, then we'll resolve that there."

NukeHavoc wrote:So looking over Maure Castle again, the trap that killed Scrappy was indeed a Symbol of Death, so that scenario played out exactly as it should have (when he moved the tapestry, he revealed the symbol, which promptly killed him).

The glyphs of warding in the gnoll cleric's rooms, however, weren't done correctly. In the interest of keeping everyone on the same level, we'll mulligan Scrappy and Sven's deaths (they're not dead, just very, very still and at -9 ... good thing someone checked for a pulse...).

From here on out though, it'll be on your heads. :) There are other glyphs and symbols, and I'll make sure that they're playing by the rules, but you guys will need to evade them. :)
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Post by Hardcorhobbs »

"Well, I'm sticking with you guys, because you have the loot, and I ain't crazy enough to stay here alone. Besides, I think me and the lady have something to attend to. :wink: So what ever you guys want to do."

~Rex
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