Mind Blanking - it happens.

[Neko Toast]

So, at the last session I had, my character was thrown in a holding cell in the barracks because she appeared to be losing her mind (in reality, she's wearing a cursed mask that is stuck to her face and, if angered/frightened/etc, talks to her. It also will temporarily take control of her (if she fails the Will Save of 15) if a chance to be mischievous presents itself), and the guards wanted to cool her off. Some of the other adventurers in our group were thrown in the barracks for different reasons. They did not have their things available to them, but the guards didn't take my stuff. I even asked the DM at one point if I had my stuff, and he said yes.

Now keep in mind, readers. My character is a rogue. She could have easily picked the lock at any time, since I had my Thieving Kit with me. So why didn't she, you ask?

Well, a few reasons. One being, I forgot about it. I just completely spaced. But the reason for my spacing out like that is also another reason why she didn't pick the lock:

I tend to get a bit carried away with her roleplaying. While she was in this cell, not only was her mask speaking to her (which she hadn't gotten completely used to just yet; it first talked to her earlier that day), but another voice appeared. There was a spirit haunting the barracks. Well, at this point, the DM made me roll up a Will Save, which I failed (my Wisdom score only gives me a +1 modifier, so it's not impressive), at which point my character temporarily goes insane, curling up into a ball and rocking back and forth. Eventually, she regained her composure, and the new voice managed to convince her mask to shut up for the time being, so that she could listen to his "proposal".

The proposal was that he wanted her to help him bring back his 'daughter' (which I find out later is probably some sort of spirit, just like the voice. Alignment has not yet been discovered by any of our characters). In my character's cell was the body of a little girl. My character was instructed to bring the body over to the other side of the cell. My character was hesitant at first, but the voice reminded her that he got the mask to shut up, and that he could easily bring the voice back and tell it how it could take over her body permanently. So she did the voice's bidding. Meanwhile, one of the other players had to reach into a hole in the wall and pull out a very valuable and powerful gem. I then had to take the gem from the other person and hold it level with the little girl's body and myself. But we couldn't figure out how to pass the gem, as she was in a separate cell across from me. Then the DM says "Aren't you a rogue?"

I face-palm. Hard. My character could have picked the lock and left at any time, but didn't because I had forgotten about it.

Anyway, I just went along with the ritual, and the supposedly-not-evil-demon-child awoke. Then my character passed out from exhaustion. The session ended here.

Discussion topics:
-Have you ever had a situation like this, where you completely forgot about something that could have been a great help for you?
-Do you think that me forgetting about it was justified by the fact that my character was under a lot of mental stress?
-(this one's a little random) Is it possible for demons/some sort of spirit to be of a neutral or good alignment?

[KillianHawkeye]

I think it was justified, considering the circumstances. Your character was under a lot of stress, and went temporarily insane. In fact, I think the other characters should have had to remind you instead of your DM doing it. Or, like, they could have just tossed the gem to you, or something.

As far as the spirit thing, demons are almost always evil (exceptions are so extremely rare as to be virtually non-existant), but other types of spirits can be of other alignments. Ghosts, for example, don't have any alignment restrictions at all. So you're looking at probably evil, but maaaaybe not.

EDIT: Nice avatar, btw. :smallwink:

[Tacoma]

I'm pretty sure the mask just wanted you to have that gem and it's playing a very complex game with you. Pocket it and pick the lock.

On a side note, you could harden a lock of your hair with multiple coats of spittle and use it as an Improvised Tool. Which should probably not work, but hey.

[Raum]

Discussion topics:
-Have you ever had a situation like this, where you completely forgot about something that could have been a great help for you?Yep, but I have an excuse! I'm old! :smallamused:

-Do you think that me forgetting about it was justified by the fact that my character was under a lot of mental stress?Certainly!

-(this one's a little random) Is it possible for demons/some sort of spirit to be of a neutral or good alignment?Yes. Forgotten Realms has several examples.

[Neko Toast]

As far as the spirit thing, demons are almost always evil (exceptions are so extremely rare as to be virtually non-existant), but other types of spirits can be of other alignments. Ghosts, for example, don't have any alignment restrictions at all. So you're looking at probably evil, but maaaaybe not.

EDIT: Nice avatar, btw. :smallwink:

The mysterious voice did promise us things once the 'ritual' was complete. For example, he promised to get us out of jail somehow, and he promised my character that he would tell me how to break the curse on her mask.

Well, I didn't know this in character obviously, but one of the other players made a Sense Motive check on the voice, and got a very high roll on it. She discovered that the voice was not lying, and that he would hold up his end of the bargain. And in fact, once the 'ritual' was complete, the two other players that were in jail were set free. I do not yet know what became of my character, as she was unconscious at the end of our session.

I suppose that this is a question of being Lawful/Neutral/Chaotic, as opposed to Good/Neutral/Evil.

Edit: And thanks. :) A lot of people like the hedgehog.

[KillianHawkeye]

Edit: And thanks. :) A lot of people like the hedgehog.

Yes. It's very cute. :smallsmile:

[Lemur]

-Have you ever had a situation like this, where you completely forgot about something that could have been a great help for you?


I'm sure know I have, but I'm currently drawing a blank for any specifics.


-Do you think that me forgetting about it was justified by the fact that my character was under a lot of mental stress?

Sure, it happens to people all the time, both in the real world and in fiction. (Although some of those times in fiction, bad writing may actually be the culprit, if they fail to set up a justification for a someone acting uncharacteristically dumb)


-(this one's a little random) Is it possible for demons/some sort of spirit to be of a neutral or good alignment?

Definitely yes. You shouldn't even have to ask. Although a good-aligned demon would probably be classified as "something else" in D&D terminology.


So who else thought this thread was going to be about the Mind Blank spell?

[Moriato]

Once had a character die because he failed his save on a sleep spell, then coup de grace'd. About a day later I remembered he was an elf. :smallfrown:

[Devils_Advocate]

-Do you think that me forgetting about it was justified by the fact that my character was under a lot of mental stress?
Yes. It seems entirely in-character. Congratulations, you accidentally roleplayed this well. :smalltongue:

(This incident actually sort of illustrates how avoiding out-of-character knowledge helps good roleplaying. If you're ignorant of the same things your character is ignorant of, a lot of things just happen naturally. Conversely, it helps to be familiar with things your character would know about. E.g. you might want to ask the DM for an overview of the campaign's aristocracy if your character has Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +6.)


-(this one's a little random) Is it possible for demons/some sort of spirit to be of a neutral or good alignment?
Ghosts can be any alignment. Generally, 3E likes its undead eeeeeevil, but (a) that doesn't mean that your DM does, and (b) your characters probably wouldn't know anyway unless one of them has ranks in Knowledge (religion) or something. But hey, you could ask your DM if there's any common knowledge about spirits that you should be aware of. If there is he should have told you already, but all make oversights sometimes. As this little story illustrates. :smallwink:

[Neko Toast]

So who else thought this thread was going to be about the Mind Blank spell?

I didn't even know it was a spell. xD