Power for a Day

[Admiral Squish]

So, I was looking around on youtube when I stumbled across this little ditty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlZ1J5iepwM). Now, normally, that would be nothing, just a momentary diversion. But, for some reason, the idea has stuck with me. Not sure where exactly this would go, but I figured it would either go here, or banter would redirect me to where it should go.

So, let's go with a couple of hypothetical situations. You have made a deal in exchange for incredible, impossible power.

Superman Scenario: You gain the powers of superman. Super strenght, super speed, invulnerability, flight, heat vision, cold breath, x-ray vision, super-senses, the works. How you get them isn't important. What is important, is that You know that you have 24 hours of power. Assume you don't need to eat, sleep, or excrete during this time, and at the end of it, no matter where you are or what you're doing, the power goes away and you're a normal dude (or dudette) again.

Burnout Scenario: You become superhuman at a serious cost. You can make your body essentially dump rocket fuel in your veins. You can activate this at any time in the next 24 hours. When you do, for one hour, you gain 10 times the speed and strength of a normal human, you become immune to pain, poison, and anything else that might slow you down, though you DO still suffer the effects. At the end of the hour, you drop dead from the strain.

Magic Scenario: You gain the RAW spellcasting power of a level 20 wizard. You make the exact build and choose the spells, but no gear, and you're a human (I assume...). You can use any books you have to make it. You have the power for as long as the spells last, but you cannot refresh your spell slots by any means. You're no stronger or tougher than you are normally, however, and even if this character sheet in your head has int 30, you still are limited to your current mental faculties in terms of planning.

Class for a Day Scenario: This is the one directly from the song. You have 24 hours to, essentially, live in the real world as a lv. 85 WoW character of any class and spec you want. Gear, mounts, magic, strength, techniques, they're all there. Top-tier everything. 24 hours later, no matter what's happened, that character disappears back into the internet and you are left in it's place, in the exact state you were when you accepted the deal. Assume a top-tier mount moves about as fast as a propeller plane.

Vaarsuvius Scenario: Assume the same deal as V got in the OotS comic. The stronger your will, the longer the ride.

So, the question here is this: what would you do with your power? Pick one (or more) of the above scenarios and tell the playground what you would do with the power. Would you save the world? Rule it? Destroy it?

[Haruki-kun]

I'll take the superman one, but it'd suck. 24 hours only? It's not even enough time to get used to it. :smallfrown:

[Admiral Squish]

I'll take the superman one, but it'd suck. 24 hours only? It's not even enough time to get used to it. :smallfrown:

Hmm. Perhaps I should clarify the intent was for people to say what they would do with the powers granted from each scenario.

Also, you're superman. The learning curve consists of 'punch bigger and bigger things until you find something that doesn't break'.

[DeadManSleeping]

Erm.

Wizard. Load up on Permanence spells. Or, heck, just enchant a lot of items to give you magical effects, that doesn't even take spell slots.

And let's not get started on Wish.

Seriously, with all the splatbooks for wizards out there, it's not even a contest. Oh, and the Reserve feats give superpowers without having to actually expend spell slots, so that's even MORE awesome stuff.

I could go on, but I like to think I've made my point.

I think we should take that option out to make this a harder choice, or at least restrict it a little.

[Comet]

Superman: Have fun, fight crime, make the news. And then when the powers run out just play innocent and make everyone else feel like they're going insane.

Burnout: Never use it, unless it was clear that I was about to die within the hour anyway.

Magic: Level 20 wizard... which game? I'm going to assume Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition. Not sure how much I could bend the world with my current mental capabilities. I would probably travel around the world for a few years, visit as many temples, religious groups and universities as possible and learn to meditate and contemplate like a pro. Not sure how much of an edge such a short time would give me, but even a small boost of competence would be better than wasting those spells trying to cast them with my current brains. And besides, spiritual journeys could be really fun if I actually knew that I was working towards a concrete goal.

Class for a day: Don't know much about WoW, but I'm going to go ahead and assume that this differs very little from the Superman scenario. Fun times.

Vaarsuvius: My ride wouldn't last for very long. What a waste.

[Thorcrest]

Superman Scenario: Can I use the timeloop power to cheese my way into having power for all time? If so, I take over the world... if not, I take over a country, maybe say... England.

Burnout: Don't think I'd use the powers... I like living, thanks.

Wizard: Create my own plane of Existance, create tons of ways to prevent myself from ever dying (clones, or life extensions, etc.), can I use time manipualtion to cheese my way into more time? Take over the world, permanently buff myself with so many things to become superhuman if the power ever goes away, see time manipulation question.

Really, the possibilities are endless here.

Class for a Day: I don't like WoW, or Play it, so I don't really know, but I'm sure there is a way to take over the world in there somehow...

Vaarsuvius: If my answer isn't obvious yet: Take over the world...

Wow, I sound like a bad Bond movie Villain!

[Admiral Squish]

Nobody seems to take into account that at 20th level, a wizard has 4, maybe 5 slots to use for permanency, and 4 slots for wish. What would you wish for? What spells would you permanancy? There's a pretty specific list for permanency, and none of them seem really 'super powers'. Really, it don't seem like a lot. Plus, even if a reserv feat gives you the equivalent of a tank cannon, you're still a lot squishier than a tank.

Plus and further, none of you seem to be thinking long-term. How are you going to maintain control over a nation, let alone the world, if you suddenly stop throwing around aircraft carriers and retreat to your hastily-built castle?

[Thorcrest]

Nobody seems to take into account that at 20th level, a wizard has 4, maybe 5 slots to use for permanency, and 4 slots for wish. What would you wish for? What spells would you permanancy? There's a pretty specific list for permanency, and none of them seem really 'super powers'. Really, it don't seem like a lot. Plus, even if a reserv feat gives you the equivalent of a tank cannon, you're still a lot squishier than a tank.

Plus and further, none of you seem to be thinking long-term. How are you going to maintain control over a nation, let alone the world, if you suddenly stop throwing around aircraft carriers and retreat to your hastily-built castle?

This is where the time loop cheese comes into play!

[Admiral Squish]

This is where the time loop cheese comes into play!

Well, either A) I could just say 'no wishing for more wishes' and say that the time limit is personal time, not world-in-general time. or B), it would end up something like Groundhog's Day. A world stuck on repeat until you go nuts.

Also, time loop doesn't matter with wizard. Your finite resource isn't time, it's the spell slots.

[22Charisma]

1st slot of wish: Make charm Person a spell like ability usable what... 5/day?
2nd slot of wish: Same as above but with Suggestion
3rd slot of wish: Same as above but with Dominate Person
4th slot of wish: Make spell slots recharge every day so I could keep using magic

Then fill the remaining spell slots with mass charm person/charm person

The way I see it if I tried to do anything flashy the news would be all over me and what not. Charm would be one of the easiest ways to take advantage of it without getting noticed. Also, why bother with monster (excepts I suppose the harder saving throw) if all I'm going to use it on is people?

Edit:

Also, add in a tongues and permanancy spell in there. :smallbiggrin:

[druid91]

Wizard:cast polymorph any object twice turning me into a kobold. get a snake. summon a sarrukh. Become pun-pun.

Vaarsuvius: Use some magic to manufacture the shell of an orbital shipyard, And a buckytube space elevator. Mass produce expensive material with what magic I have left.

[Mina Kobold]

Nobody seems to take into account that at 20th level, a wizard has 4, maybe 5 slots to use for permanency, and 4 slots for wish. What would you wish for? What spells would you permanancy? There's a pretty specific list for permanency, and none of them seem really 'super powers'. Really, it don't seem like a lot. Plus, even if a reserv feat gives you the equivalent of a tank cannon, you're still a lot squishier than a tank.

I'd do one of three things with wish:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Earth_symbol.svg/25px-Earth_symbol.svg.png) Have reality rewritten to include magic, an afterlife, kobolds, gnomes, faeries, shounen-physics and various other fun stuff.

π) Wish for the schematics and materials to build technological wonders like giant robots, regular-sized robots and space-ships, build them, declare the moon my new nation and invite anyone who want to my new Utopia where I'd share everything but what could be used to overthrow me and install a dictatorship (which I'd only share with those who show they're truly good people and can help benefit the world)

:D) Wish for jetpack, forcefield belt, flight ring, multi-purpose visor and superstrength suit to become Booster Gold and fight crime!

[Thufir]

I don't know what exactly I'd do in any of the given circumstances, but I felt I had to post here to mention that, when I see the title of this thread, I can't help but think of the act 1 finale of The Grand Duke (http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/grand_duke/html/index.html).

Oh, a monarch who boasts intellectual graces
Can do, if he likes, a good deal in a day!
Can put all his friends in conspicuous places
With plenty to eat and with nothing to pay!
You'll tell me, no doubt, with unpleasant grimaces,
Tomorrow, deprived of your ribbons and laces,
You'll get your dismissal with very long faces,
But wait - on that topic I've something to say!
I've something to say! I've something to say!
He's somthing, he's something, he's something, he's something to say!
Oh, our rule shall be merry, I'm not an ascetic
And while the sun shines we will get up our hay,
By a pushing young monarch, of turn energetic,
A very great deal may be done in a day!

Which, it must be said, would be an interesting similar question - political power for a day, rather than personal superpowers.

[Coidzor]

Which, it must be said, would be an interesting similar question - political power for a day, rather than personal superpowers.

Of course, in the modern world, what that would be worth would be rather questionable. Heck, even with a perfect, AI enhanced autocracy whatever changes one brought would be a ephemeral as the sunset. I can't see the fun or what would make it worthwhile. :smallconfused:

Magic Scenario, well... Hmm. I believe I would turn myself into a dragon, probably Steel, maybe Gold or Silver, with the power available to me in order to cheat death and irrevocably change the world by siring as many abominations as I could. For the lulz of giving any semblance of a sane cosmology that was left to the universe the bird, you see.

[Tonal Architect]

The wizard option. It's definetly where the cheese lies, so I feel compelled to take it.

Ok, so, just off the top my head, here's what I'd do...

Get myself a way to access Overland Flight and Alter Self/Polymorph (whichever is better, I don't remember now; if they do different things, I'd go with both) without resorting to spell slots and at will. Wish or Permanency, doesn't matter which. Also, get myself a similarly fashioned access to a Teleport without Error spell, for emergencies... and for tourism (interplanetary or not).

Same thing with some scrying spells. I'm not very familiar with the top-tier scrying spells, so, say, detect thoughts and clairaudience/clairvoyance would illustrate what I'm aiming to get. Hmmm, I don't know, maybe some spell to go through walls, I'm just not sure that one exists. Then, get a reserve Acid Splatter reserve feat.

Ok, so I haven't even optimized myself to my fullest potential, and I'm already a flying, mind-reading, shapechanging, scrying, acid-shooting, teleporting guy. That maybe, can also go through walls. Girls and riches are sure to follow.

Superman? Who cares, all I need now is protection from normal missiles (LOL), and I'm also bullet-proof! In case bombs fall into that category... Now I'd be able to take a nap in the middle of a war.

Did I mention cheese? :smallbiggrin:

[MeatShield#236]

I'll go for the wizard, because it has more options. And cheese.

For my 9th level spells, I'd go for:
Genesis for the private demiplane
Wish for at-will plane shift specifically to my private demiplane and back,with the the option of allowing others to come along.
Wish for at-will prestidigitation (just for fun)
Wish for a castle or a house in my private demiplane

Then stock up on utility spells like scrying, locate object, and fly. Permanance tongues and other useful buffs and I'll be set. Top it off with some illusions and I'll be set for life.

Probably wouldn't use any cheese. Infinite power would get boring after a while.:smallbiggrin:

[An Enemy Spy]

I would create an infinite amount of macaroni and cheese and then then eat all of it. I would not become full or gain any weight as a result.