Changing odd rules

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Halaster-Blackcloak
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Changing odd rules

Post by Halaster-Blackcloak »

What rules have you found so odd that you felt compelled to change them? I don't mean things you don't like, I mean things that make no sense from a rules standpoint. My example...

Cloakers have several types of sonic moan attacks. The MM claims the effects of these moans can be negated using a neutralize poison spell. That makes absolutely no sense to me, because no poison is involved. I could almost see cure disease being used, for the moan that causes nausea and weakness. Or dispel magic against the moans that cause fear or hold person effects.

But neutralize poison? :?
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garhkal
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Re: Changing odd rules

Post by garhkal »

I wouldn't class that as changing a rule, but correcting a poorly edited monster..
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Halaster-Blackcloak
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Re: Changing odd rules

Post by Halaster-Blackcloak »

That's a better way to put it! Looking for more examples like that.
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JadedDM
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Re: Changing odd rules

Post by JadedDM »

It's possible it wasn't a mistake, but based more on level than verisimilitude. Cure Disease is a third level spell, but Neutralize Poison is a fourth level spell. So it's possible they chose the latter because it's stronger, to make the cloakers tougher to defeat for a weaker party.
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Halaster-Blackcloak
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Re: Changing odd rules

Post by Halaster-Blackcloak »

That makes no sense. Neutralize poison does one thing - it neutralizes poison. It doesn't negate sonic attacks. If that were the case, it would work against harpies, for example. It has nothing to do with spell level.
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garhkal
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Re: Changing odd rules

Post by garhkal »

Agreed. It makes little sense for NP to work on one monster's sonic moan, but not others..
BUT then it also makes little sense for cure disease to work there, when it doesn't work elsewhere for the same reason.
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Halaster-Blackcloak
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Re: Changing odd rules

Post by Halaster-Blackcloak »

On second thought, you're probably right. It's not a disease. But which spell would best be used to counter nausea and weakness? A cure light wounds spell? I can see using cure disease, if nausea is considered disease-like. What I'm saying is that curing or healing nausea magically makes more sense than using neutralize poison, which makes no sense. I can even see dispel magic working and making more sense than neutralize poison.
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garhkal
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Re: Changing odd rules

Post by garhkal »

For me, silence to stop them moaning in the first place. OR dispel magic on you once you got moaned on.
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