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Ssendam
Pie
(11/27/02 2:10:14 pm)
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Inner Fanes advice
Ok, the group I am running has busted into the Inner fanes at last. They killed all of the Dark Wights in the blasted yard and then headed towards the black spike. The sorcerer of the group used a disintegrate on the door to the tower. His first attempt failed, but a second try breached the SR. It doesn't list the door as having saves of any sort yet the door is intelligent, has powers and such. I am sort of undecided as to what to do. On one hand, a 30 SR could be considered tough enough, but on the other, this door is not your standard every day door; it's sentient and should probably receive a save. The door casts spells as a 10th lev sorcerer.
Should the door then get a save as a 10th level sorcerer or should it just be disintegrated and done with? Thoughts?
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Andorax
Orc
(11/27/02 2:30:04 pm)
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Re: Inner Fanes advice
What do you do if it makes the save? Make them cast another disintegrate?
What if they don't get the door to open? Do they just shrug, go home, and let the world burn?
They have to get in there somehow, and they beat a SR of 30 (a dang difficult one). I'd let it go and move on to more interesting opponents (like the Half-dragons) rather than mucking with a door, however interesting it may be.
"Whadda ya mean, Orcs get levels too?!?" |
Thrommel
The DM
(11/27/02 3:23:30 pm)
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Re: Inner Fanes advice
This door comes up every once in a while and my advice is -- don't give the thing too much credit.
Monte has stated in the past that the intent was basically: if you have a Greater Key then you can walk right in. It's intelligent, but it doesn't ask a lot of questions.
Unless you can make the door an interesting roleplaying encounter, I'd stick with Andorax's advice: keep the plot rolling and give the players a break to get past it.
And it's just a stinkin' door -- what could it possibly want that would be worth roleplaying over?
-Thrommel, who wants a fancy plush beholder doll. Now there's something worth roleplaying!!
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ronin
Pie
(11/27/02 5:41:25 pm)
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re: inner fane advice
I would also advise to let them destroy the door if they beat the SR check. My PCs bluffed their way in the first time after a short conversation, then they found it wouldn't allow them to leave and even told them they would die in this place.
They eventually beat the SR to teleport out and actually wasted quite a few teleports getting in and out until it occured to a PC to try and destroy the door. This also took a few attempts but was done successfully.
Funny thing is my players thought it was a doomdreamer using the door to talk to the group instead of being your average intelligent talking door.
ronin
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Ssendam
Pie
(11/27/02 11:49:24 pm)
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Re: re: inner fane advice
Ok, I went ahead and just decided to let my players disintegrate it - no save. The guy playing the sorcerer made some of the same arguements that you did, so I let him have his way.
As far as the door goes, I thought it was a little more interesting than just your average door. I mean, it has intelligence and can cast spells. The thing even gives a 12 CR rating if killed/destroyed. How can you say it's just a stupid door? As a result of this door, one of the group memebers actually died! 
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DarthLookie
Pie
(11/28/02 1:03:19 am)
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Just a stinkin' door? Indeed!
Thrommel said:
And it's just a stinkin' door -- what could it possibly want that would be worth roleplaying over?
And to you, I must tell you that in my last campaign (not related to RttToEE at all), I created an intelligent sword fused into a door. It was tasked with gaurding the treasure room beyond. Watching the players talk with the door, convince it to let them in, and then find a way to free the sword from the door was a great afternoon all by itself! Poor Maelar (the sword) - all he wanted to do was get out and see the world (being stuck in a door for 400 years will do that to you), and he ended up getting sundered by a greataxe. The PCs _almost_ got him re-made - but finally decided I'd given him a little bit _too much_ personality. :)
Just a stinkin' door? It doesn't have to be!
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 Infiniti2000
Pie
(11/28/02 2:05:03 pm)
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ezSupporter
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Re: Just a stinkin' door? Indeed!
All magical objects get a save. I wouldn't mind the explanation that you fudged the die roll, however, to make the door fail. Think of it this way, if they cannot beat a door, they'll never survive the inner fane.
"...average intelligent talking door..." 
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Ssendam
Pie
(11/29/02 11:51:28 am)
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Re: Just a stinkin' door? Indeed!
Quote:
All magical objects get a save.
Infinity, that is another problem that I had. Yes, all magical items get a save, but the door that opens into the Black Spike is not considered a magical item, I don't think. If it is, I couldn't find anywhere where its caster level was listed.
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pamenard
Pie
(11/29/02 12:25:59 pm)
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Re: Just a stinkin' door? Indeed!
Why not consider the door as a construct and dictate a Fort Save that is not too high but still a minor nuisance for a 12th level party.
Phil
Phil
I once wrote a reality check.... but it bounced. |
Ssendam
Pie
(11/29/02 1:06:32 pm)
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Re: Just a stinkin' door? Indeed!
If I had to consider the door for getting a save, I would have treated it as a 10th level sorcerer. It is more like an NPC than anything else. It has intelligence, it has spell like abilities which function at 10th level of ability, it counts as a CR 12. There's really nothing else to go on.
I didn't feel like arguing with my players at the time they disinterated the door. In retrospect, I should have given the door a save; which it would have most likely failed anyway, but I just decided to speed things up instead of trying to argue the point with the players. There are far more worse things for the party to deal with inside of the tower than the door. The door did leave its mark before being destroyed though, as one of the PC's lost their life because of it.
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Thrommel
The DM
(12/1/02 6:24:29 pm)
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Re: Just a stinkin' door? Indeed!
Quote:
Just a stinkin' door? It doesn't have to be!
Right, it absolutely doesn't. My question was more one of motivation -- what does the door want? (Sorry if this is too much of a method acting approach.)
The motivation you describe of 'Free me so I can see the world' -- now that's interesting.
But if it's just 'I want to keep you out' -- well, it's going to be a short role-playing scene and it won't take too long before the old disintegration spells start flying.
So I agree, it doesn't have to be just a stinkin' door. But if you want to make it more than a five minute encounter, you'll have to put some work into developing a personality and goals for it.
-Thrommel, who hasn't gotten around to developing his own personality and goals, for that matter.
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Siobharek 
Orc
(12/2/02 12:10:46 am)
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Re: Just a stinkin' door? Indeed!
Hah, I know what the door wants: Slightly unhinged, and not exactly open about it, it's given up getting a handle on things and now just wants closure.
<ducks>
Siobharek
...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. Edited by: Siobharek at: 12/2/02 12:12:00 am
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Zagig
Pie
(12/2/02 1:35:44 am)
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Re: Just a stinkin' door? Indeed!
ROFL!!!
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