"Wait, that didn't work right" - the Dysfunctional Rules Collection

[toapat]

Incidentally, that thread is closed, is there a new edition? My game has a slew of houserules and I'm tempted to boast of them.

make a new thread for it

[willpell]

make a new thread for it

Guess I could do that...nrn tho.

[mattie_p]

Maybe I missed something, but that post doesn't say "these are my houserules", it just says "Common houserules are", as in "a lot of people rule as follows". Not disputing what you say or anything, you probably know him better than I do.

I don't know him at all, other than by his posts on this forum. But the thread title does ask "What Houserules do you use in your game." Incidentally, he posted a word-for-word identical response in a similar thread, indicating to me that he has them saved on his computer somewhere, or bookmarked somewhere. But he would be better equipped to answer that question himself, should he choose.

I was just going by this post in the previous edition of Simple Question, where he says he "never" disregards RAW. (Maybe he's drawing a distinction between "disregard" and "modify slightly" or something.)

To pull a Curmudgeon, allow me to quote the dictionary definition of disregard:

dis·re·gard
-Verb

Pay no attention to; ignore.

I would argue, if those are his houserules, that he does pay attention to RAW, and chooses (sparingly) where to depart from it.

Incidentally, that thread is closed, is there a new edition? My game has a slew of houserules and I'm tempted to boast of them.

Feel free to open a new thread, as always. I'm sure there will be interest.

[Traab]

Just claim that it's either mercury chloride or Parad Lingam (although there is some debate as to whether the later is actually mercury, as the technique for making it isn't known outside of India).

EDIT: Found a site detailing a lingam a bit better (although it's still fairly fuzzy on specifics)

Is this going to turn into titanium elementals? Heh, I just keep getting flashbacks to redcloak and his mocking of people for sticking to the classic elements when there is a very large table to draw from.

[toapat]

Is this going to turn into titanium elementals? Heh, I just keep getting flashbacks to redcloak and his mocking of people for sticking to the classic elements when there is a very large table to draw from.

Technically, Titanium Elementals were not a good choice for the situation. Although a titanium Elemental would be more effective, it wouldnt fly as far as an earth elemental for the same distance, having a lower innertia.

the summoning of the Osmium elemental later was alot better. the thing is a living unstoppable force

[Barstro]

Technically, Titanium Elementals were not a good choice for the situation. Although a titanium Elemental would be more effective, it wouldnt fly as far as an earth elemental for the same distance, having a lower innertia.

Really? I'm basing this on my physics class from 20 years ago; but wouldn't there be similar momentum and greater initial velocity for titanium given the same amount of force to do the launch? F=MA, so if M goes down, A goes up, increase in V, similar momentum.

Because physics belongs in DnD.

[noparlpf]

Really? I'm basing this on my physics class from 20 years ago; but wouldn't there be similar momentum and greater initial velocity for titanium given the same amount of force to do the launch? F=MA, so if M goes down, A goes up, increase in V, similar momentum.

Because physics belongs in DnD.

Momentum is mass*velocity. So assuming an elemental of the same size (volume), an osmium elemental will have more momentum than a titanium elemental at the same velocity. It will, of course, also require more force to accelerate to the same velocity.

Edit: Can't believe I wrote "velocity" where I meant "momentum". That made no sense...

[TypoNinja]

Curmudgeon is really good at finding these (from Simple RAW):



From this it follows that you cannot EVER identify a lycanthrope in its hybrid or animal form, as anything, because it isn't in a Humanoid aspect and it doesn't actually have the Animal type. It can look exactly like a wolf (eg), but no amount of Knowledge: Nature will tell you that it is a wolf, or for that matter that it isn't. You just don't even get to roll because there's no skill that applies to identifying it.

I really want to know how, let alone why, anyone EVER plays "100% RAW, no exceptions", as Curmudgeon at least has stated he does.

The Lycantrhope texts actually indicates that Lycanthropes in animal form always have something off about them, usually the eyes,

In animal form, a lycanthrope resembles a powerful version of the normal animal, but on close inspection, its eyes (which often glow red in the dark) show a faint spark of unnatural intelligence.

Also, while it may not be explicit, a 9 foot tall bi-pedal tiger inst exactly something inconspicuous, any appropriate knowledge check for shapechangers/lycranthropes/monstrous humanoids should suffice.

[TuggyNE]

Technically, Titanium Elementals were not a good choice for the situation. Although a titanium Elemental would be more effective, it wouldnt fly as far as an earth elemental for the same distance, having a lower innertia.

As earlier mentioned, it's not likely to make much difference; as long as the trebuchets are built for the proper speed, the distance launched would be about the same. (Gravity would be less, drag would be more, initial speed would be higher, same total force.)

the summoning of the Osmium elemental later was alot better. the thing is a living unstoppable force

There was no Osmium elemental, it was Chlorine. (And it wasn't unstoppable either. )

[nedz]

Titanium elementals, also featuring in the previous strip too.

[toapat]

There was no Osmium elemental, it was Chlorine. (And it wasn't unstoppable either. )

No, the Osmium elmental was summoned also as a siege unit, in strip 825. He is leaving foot prints in the rock

[nedz]

Redcloak did say that he was going to use the whole periodic table; I can't wait for the slam dancing plutonium elementals.

[Traab]

Redcloak did say that he was going to use the whole periodic table; I can't wait for the slam dancing plutonium elementals.

He might want to setup some sort of delay so he can get out of range before its summoned. He already has a healthy green glow, he doesnt need more of one.

[toapat]

Redcloak did say that he was going to use the whole periodic table; I can't wait for the slam dancing plutonium elementals.

Plutonium Elementals are extinct though. They die out every few hours.

[Ksheep]

Plutonium Elementals are extinct though. They die out every few hours.

No, there are plenty of Plutonium-144 Elementals. They have a 50-50 chance of living to see their 80-millionth birthday. Neptunium-239 Elementals, on the other hand, rarely live to be more than a few days old.

[TuggyNE]

No, the Osmium elmental was summoned also as a siege unit, in strip 825. He is leaving foot prints in the rock

... Well, sure enough. My bad. (Although I dunno if "unstoppable" is the right word; Redcloak brought overwhelming force, and there wasn't any particular focus on trying to stop the Os elemental.)

[Traab]

... Well, sure enough. My bad. (Although I dunno if "unstoppable" is the right word; Redcloak brought overwhelming force, and there wasn't any particular focus on trying to stop the Os elemental.)

Well, unstoppable isnt the right word, scrolls of dismissal seem to stop them pretty easily. I wouldnt want to be a melee fighter trying to beat one down though. The damage reduction from melee must be insane on those things.

[mattie_p]

The new 3.5 simple Q&A thread is already created and stickied to the top of the page. It's also not the place to boast your houserules. For that you should make your own thread either here in the 3.5 section or in the homebrew section.

I've been tagged for vigilante modding a couple times, so I'm now going to explicitly say that the previous comment is not a command or order of any kind, but a simple suggestion. Feel free to disregard it.

I believe the closed thread willpell was speaking of was the "What houserules do you use in your game [3.5]" thread. The context I understood him to speak of was a new houserule thread, which would be appropriate.

[Kelb_Panthera]

I believe the closed thread willpell was speaking of was the "What houserules do you use in your game [3.5]" thread. The context I understood him to speak of was a new houserule thread, which would be appropriate.

It seemed to me he was asking about the Q&A thread, but I see he's already found it, so I've deleted that post as it's no longer necessary and adds nothing to the discussion.

[willpell]

Also, while it may not be explicit, a 9 foot tall bi-pedal tiger inst exactly something inconspicuous, any appropriate knowledge check for shapechangers/lycranthropes/monstrous humanoids should suffice.

But the RAW doesn't say so. Remember what thread we're in. The point is not to say nobody can figure it out, just to say that the rules are structured thus that they do not provide for the possibility.

Redcloak did say that he was going to use the whole periodic table; I can't wait for the slam dancing plutonium elementals.

I don't think OOTS will run for long enough for RC to get through even the original 90-some elementals, let alone the "detectible for three seconds under an electron microscope" ones we've discovered since the 1960s (when all of my textbooks were written). Not to mention how flipping' useless a Nitrogen or Gallium elemental would be. (Now a Lead Elemental on the other hand has got to come in handy, given how many D&D spells don't work on/through lead. Plus it's poisonous and can inflict permanent INT drain.)

No, there are plenty of Plutonium-144 Elementals. They have a 50-50 chance of living to see their 80-millionth birthday. Neptunium-239 Elementals, on the other hand, rarely live to be more than a few days old.

"They're not called 'isotopials', you know."

[Ksheep]

"They're not called 'isotopials', you know."

I was just using Pu-244 as it's the only naturally-occuring variety still found in nature. The Neptunium example was one of the common elemental isotopes that Plutonium breaks down into (usually Neptunium and Uranium).

Of course, saying "Such-and-such element has a half-life of X" doesn't work very well, as most elements have a fair number of isotopes, each with it's own half-life. Sure, some of the Plutonium isotopes have a HL measured in seconds, but others last millions of years. So… what isotope are the elementals made of? Is it all one type, or is it an even mix? Do decayed bits of the elemental remain part of the elemental, so that it becomes a 78%-Plutonium-and-22%-Uranium Elemental?

… I just realized that we've gone off on a rather wild tangent. We should probably get back to the matter at hand.

EDIT: OK, something that's actually on topic. The Sha'ir class, in Dragon Compendium, does not state what sort of action it is to start the retrieval of a spell. It states that the Sha'ir sends his Gen (a small Djinn) to the elemental plane to retrieve the spell, and that it returns a certain number of rounds/minutes/hours later (depending on the type of spell), and that a Diplo check must be made to see if the Gen is successful in retrieving the spell. However, it never says what sort of action it is to send the Gen off in the first place. Does the Sha'ir just use a free action to tell the Gen "Go do this", or is it a move or standard (or longer) to give detailed instructions/make a Diplo check through the Gen?

[Barstro]

Momentum is mass*velocity. So assuming an elemental of the same size (volume), an osmium elemental will have more momentum than a titanium elemental at the same velocity.

True. But wouldn't the catapult have given the titanium more velocity? I can throw a baseball much farther than a hunk of lead the same size.

[hymer]

@ Barstro: It might.

The catapult has a maximum velocity it can propel things at. If you set the catapult off with nothing in the thrower, it goes off at its maximum velocity. Now, catapults are designed to throw some pretty heavy objects, say 150kg (actually that's trebuchet shot weight - catapult is a fairly generic term). When performing such a throw, it would achieve nearly maximum velocity (let's call it 98%MaxVel*150kg).
But say you take an object of the same size and double the density, the result would be, maybe, 78%MaxVel*300kg. This is quite a drop in velocity, but also a considerable increase in momentum (147 fictive units to 234).
On the other hand, if the drop in velocity was greater, say to 37%, the momentum would be less (111 fictive units). It would all depend on the catapult and how it performs.
Momentum is not the same as distance, though. If the catapult launched a feather at effectively 100%MaxVel, it would still travel shorter than any of the other examples, because the feather would have so little momentum it'd decelerate to 0 air speed after maybe a metre of movement.
On the flip side, the 150kg shot would in all likelihood travel further than the 300 kg one. But the 300 kg one would have greater momentum, and thus deliver more energy on impact.

So it depends on how big a payload the catapult can take. Cannons are better at taking advantage of heavier shot than catapults (and human arms), since they use gunpowder as a power source.

Edit: To answer your post more directly: The reason for your being unable to throw the lead as far as the baseball is because you're unable to achieve the same velocity with the heavy object as with the light. If you could, the lead would go farther than the baseball.

[nedz]

Edit: To answer your post more directly: The reason for your being unable to throw the lead as far as the baseball is because you're unable to achieve the same velocity with the heavy object as with the light. If you could, the lead would go farther than the baseball.

You need to have a chat with Galileo or Newton.

If the lead ball and the baseball are the same size and shape, and are launched with the same velocity, they will travel the same distance.

The reason the feather falls more slowly is due to air resistance.

[Necroticplague]

Much as I like the monster concept, the protean's riddled with what look like errors and poor planning.
It has Regeneration 30, but it doesn't have any listed weakness to it, better bring a whole lot of trollsbane or a ton of SoD's (it has to get a Nat 1 eventually).
It has "Immunities" listed in its stablock, but nowhere does it say what immunities it has (probably referring to the ones it has from its type and subtype, but should probably spelled out more explicitly).
It's Alter form ability is EX, and allows it to pick 4 EX abilities. I see nothing RAW to stop it from picking "Alter Form(Alter Form(Alter Form..." plus three other abilities with each iteration so it constantly has every single EX ability all at once (which remember, includes monstrosities like at will teleporting, disintegrating touch, and able to suck things into it, true sight and magic immunity on steroids,immunity to force effects, or a constant, crippling area debuff.)

[Jack_Simth]

You need to have a chat with Galileo or Newton.

If the lead ball and the baseball are the same size and shape, and are launched with the same velocity, they will travel the same distance.

The reason the feather falls more slowly is due to air resistance.

Right. And while the air resistance on the baseball and the lead ball will be about the same (I'm discounting the impact of surface differences, for now), the lead ball will have more mass, and so the force from air resistance will produce less deceleration on it.

[noparlpf]

Right. And while the air resistance on the baseball and the lead ball will be about the same (I'm discounting the impact of surface differences, for now), the lead ball will have more mass, and so the force from air resistance will produce less deceleration on it.

What is "air resistance"? I thought everything happened in a vacuum where gravity, volume, mass, and friction are optional.

[Jack_Simth]

What is "air resistance"? I thought everything happened in a vacuum where gravity, volume, mass, and friction are optional.

It was mentioned by nedz in regards to the feather in the exact same post I quoted, so I considered it fair game in disputing nedz's statement.

[noparlpf]

It was mentioned by nedz in regards to the feather in the exact same post I quoted, so I considered it fair game in disputing nedz's statement.

I know, I was joking. Intro Physics simplifications, you know?

[Ksheep]

What is "air resistance"? I thought everything happened in a vacuum where gravity, volume, mass, and friction are optional.

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