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2010-05-05, 11:40 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2009
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Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
I figure we can tell some stories about how DMs, Fellow Players, or even ourselves have Interpreted rules completely incorrectly.
For instance, one game I played (3.0), the DM had a dice rolling system that was "based off" the 4d6 drop one. Instead, you roll all 24 dice, dropping the lowest 6. Then you can combine the others in any combination you want. Well, everyone had a couple 18s and I think only one person included a 1 in any of their stats. I wasn't complaining about that one, but it was a pretty poor interpretation of probability, anyway.
In the same game, one of the guys was playing a wizard of some elf sub-race (which had a racial +2 Int, of course). That wasn't a big deal. Then, during the game, he casts fireball (remember, first level characters). I said - "Hey, you can't cast fireball, that's a 3rd level spell." He responded "It's my bonus spell for high intelligence." He thought that you could cast off the bonus spell list before you got that level spells. I wonder what 5th level spell this 1st level wizard had prepared. Heck, with the right combination, a cleric could raise dead at first level.
Anyway, share your stories, and I'll try to think of others."My doctor says that I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fibre, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."
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2010-05-05, 11:43 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2008
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2010-05-05, 11:48 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2009
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
BEEP.
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2010-05-05, 11:55 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2010
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- Finland
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
On these very boards: rogues can apply SA damage to only one attack per round.
Anyway, dice pools (in the OP) could've been just a houserule.Quotes:Praise for avatar may be directed to Derjuin.Spoiler
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2010-05-05, 11:55 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2010
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- Beyond the veil
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
A certain player at my table conjured up the ludicrous idea that Ennervation was an aging effect, and argued with me for the better part of an hour about how the Druid's Timeless Body ability granted you full immunity to Ennervation, Energy Drain, and any of their close cousins.
In the end it was merely because he imagined "that was what the spell did" to its victims.
This same player also attempted to use the Druid's Wild Shape ability to turn into an Ogre Mage, due to the fact that the Druid's Wild Shape text says it operates "Like Polymorph". I suppose he decided not to read the parts that said "expect as noted here", and the fairly obvious part before that which states "Any Small or Medium -Animal-."
Thankfully, while he made many more misinterpretations of the rules, I cannot recall them, and I do not have to endure his overly-aggressive nature any longer.That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.
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2010-05-05, 12:02 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2009
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- Japan
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
In one group I've seen they were under the impression that the Saint template added its charisma modifier to the save DCs of every one of the entire party's abilities. The Saint of course had 30+ charisma.
Editor and playtester for Legend.
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2010-05-05, 12:04 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
That's my group!
When I DM, that rule is not in effect, as are many of their other rules, such as not being able to take a full move action and make a single attack as a standard action, not being able to attack on diagonal or threaten on a diagonal, not being able to...well, there's a lot."We speak for the dead. We are all they have when the wicked steal their voice. But we do not owe them our lives."
Roy Montgomery, NYPD Sgt., Castle
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2010-05-05, 12:04 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2008
- Location
- Broken Damaged Worthless
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
All that I say applies only to myself. You author your own actions and choices. I cannot and will not be responsible for you, nor are you for me, regardless of situation or circumstance.
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2010-05-05, 12:04 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2009
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
I was read an argument on the WotC forums where some said that ranged touch attack spells required 2 standard actions, 1 to cast the spell, 1 to attack with it
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2010-05-05, 12:11 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2009
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- England
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2010-05-05, 12:12 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2009
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- Japan
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
It does have a DC increasing ability and an aura. I guess they just... combined them? And made it work off charisma? They also thought the same ability also granted his charisma bonus to his allies' saving throws, like some kind of mass Divine Grace. They also didn't really apply the LA for the template.
Editor and playtester for Legend.
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2010-05-05, 12:14 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2010
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2010-05-05, 12:14 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2008
- Location
- Broken Damaged Worthless
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
All that I say applies only to myself. You author your own actions and choices. I cannot and will not be responsible for you, nor are you for me, regardless of situation or circumstance.
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2010-05-05, 12:15 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2009
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2010-05-05, 12:15 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2010
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- Old Jersiaise
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
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2010-05-05, 12:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2005
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- Somerville, MA
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
I can't remember if this was MERP or Rolemaster, but one of my GMs told me about an early experience he had in his brother's first attempt at a game. There were tables that showed what bonuses you had at various levels. Pretty much exactly like the class charts in 3.5 The group assumed that at those levels you gained the bonus listed, not realizing that those scores were cumulative. In D&D terms, a 5th level fighter would have had 1+2+3+4+5 = 15 BAB.
The worst that I participated in involved a couple players (myself excluded) cowing a newbie GM into doing what we wanted. The worst bit of it was that we convinced him that hacking into military computers and launching enough nukes to blow up all of earth aside from New Zealand required a single computer skill check.If you like what I have to say, please check out my GMing Blog where I discuss writing and roleplaying in greater depth.
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2010-05-05, 12:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2005
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
I remember an old arena battle where one player, with a melee character he had stacked a bunch of size increases plus Monkey Grip on, managed to convince the DM that he could ignore Displacement/Invisibility effects because his Colossal greataxe had an edge 5ft wide, making it impossible to miss the target in the square.
NOW COMPLETE: Let's Play Starcraft II Trilogy:
Hell, It's About Time: Wings of Liberty
Does This Mutation Make Me Look Fat: Heart of the Swarm
My Life For Aiur? I Barely Know 'Er: Legacy of the Void
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2010-05-05, 12:19 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2009
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
We didn't realize the limitation based on duration for Divine Metamagic, so for a while we had a lot of extra persistent buffs on our team.
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2010-05-05, 12:20 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2010
- Location
- Finland
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
Last edited by Greenish; 2010-05-05 at 12:22 PM.
Quotes:Praise for avatar may be directed to Derjuin.Spoiler
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2010-05-05, 12:22 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2009
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
We didn't quite understand magic weapons or armor and thought for example that a +3 weapon would have +3 to hit, +3 to damage and some of the other effects that are worth up to +3.
"Elephant trunks should be used for elephant things only. Nothing else."
Thank you Geomancer for the Death avatar.
My lets plays:
Alien vs Predator: marine chapter - Completed
Singularity - Canceled
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2010-05-05, 12:24 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2008
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
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2010-05-05, 12:25 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2005
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
I've seen an argument that Heighten Spell doesn't increase the spell slot used because it doesn't have a number with a plus in front of it.
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2010-05-05, 12:25 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2008
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
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2010-05-05, 12:28 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2007
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- Novi Sad (Serbia)
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
I remember someone on these or WotC boards (can't remember which one), claiming monks can make AoOs into squares they don't threaten.
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2010-05-05, 12:28 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2010
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- London
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
I had a DM who thought that you couldn't charge except in a straight line towards the target... so if that straight line towards the target didn't lead to the middle of a square, you couldn't charge. In other words, you could only charge in the same way as a queen in chess - when your opponent was in a straight or diagonal line of squares.
The more mundane example was a DM who thought that ray of enfeeblement stacked with itself, meaning that it would immobalise any character after two or three hits...
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2010-05-05, 12:31 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2009
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
on warhammer fantasy. a character drink the light of law, so he actually can destroy caos minions on sight and heal others :S bleh that was the DM interpretation of the thing :S
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on merp rolemaster. on the char build my dm forgot to tell me "put 1 point in no armor" so when i take out the light vest i was on -25 defense ¬¬
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7th sea. a runemaster casting lighting bolts with 8D8 every round with the skill on 2lev XDDDD due a missinterpretation of the book from our dm. XDDD was hilarius when he nerf the the character. on the first encounter after that we lose our ship, and everything XDDDD
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2010-05-05, 12:33 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2008
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Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
i once played with a person who thought attacks of opportunity provoked attacks of opportunity. and he let it infinite loop.
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2010-05-05, 12:34 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2007
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2010-05-05, 12:36 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2008
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2010-05-05, 12:36 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2006
- Location
- Poland
- Gender
Re: Worst Observed Rules Interpretations (by DM or Players)
That's actually how it works in Temple of Elemental Evil videogame... and it's not the biggest bug in there.
As far as "creative" rules interpretations go, I don't have any really colorful examples, but I remember that when I made my first character, a wizard, I thought Magic Penetration adds 2 to all my spells' DCs. After another encounter in which a group of enemies fell victim to an irresistible Sleep spell, my DM began to suspect something's wrong. Nevermind that I also forgot it has a 1 round casting time. >_>My FFRP characters. Avatar by Ashen Lilies. Sigatars by Ashen Lilies, Gullara and Purple Eagle.
Interested in the Nexus FFRP setting? See our Discord server.