Save or suck Medusa petrification

Traken · May 25, 2012

Walking Dad said:
So multiple save or sucks in one combat are your way to go? I'm not sure they meant "getting behind a rock and out again" to be a condition for a surprise round. If they do, I'm out of this.

See, this is one of those expectations that has to be hashed out during the early playtests.

If there is a section named "Surprise," does that mean that every mention of the word surprise is specifically referring to that section? Does that mean they can never use that word again?

To you, the surprise in the Medusa entry is referring specifically to the section that states you get a -X to initiative.

To me, the surprise in the Medusa entry is referring to any time the players can not reasonably know the location of the Medusa and thus are unable to avert their eyes.

If they are averting their eyes by staring at their feet and the Medusa somehow gets here eyes to be next to their feet, I'll throw out the rules and say they are surprised and have to make a saving throw.

Fanaelialae · May 25, 2012

Medusas petrify, and swords kill with a single blow. Just because the movies show one thing, doesn't mean that it can't be mechanically represented by other means. After all, if medusas petrify (full stop), PCs shouldn't get a saving throw to resist.

I don't care for those kinds of gotcha traps. They're cheap shots as far as I'm concerned.

Averting your eyes is fine and good, but given the scenario as presented, the PCs aren't very likely to suspect anything (I certainly wouldn't be expecting that). Given that the PCs are likely to be taken by surprise and have a 50% or less chance of making their save, odds are that half the party will be turned to stone before they can even realize the danger they're in.

And what is the solution? A cop out. As long as the remaining PCs can defeat her, she happens to be conveniently carrying a potion of unpetrification, that she'd have no reason to have based on both her lore and circumstances. It's the kind of thing that irritates me deeply as both a player and DM.

I was hoping we'd see a hp threshold on SoS/SoD monster abilities, as is the case with the nastier PC spells but alas, not as yet.

amerigoV · May 25, 2012

I have no problem with it. Sometimes, players need to stop and think as to how to overcome an obstacle.

On the save or suck critters, a good DM will highlight the ability on some poor redshirt (re: gnome bard

) just to heighten the "oh crap" factor.

Grazzt · May 25, 2012

stevelabny said:
Medusa being save or stone is absolutely positively the #1 BEST thing I've seen so far in the playtest.

ITS A FREAKIN MEDUSA.

Its what they do.

Adventurers explore. Dragons breathe fire. MEDUSAS TURN YOU TO STONE.

At any table I ever play at, in any game I ever run, thats what Medusas will do.

Yeah this. Medusa of legend/mythology didn't "slow" a victim or anything else. Look at her eyes, turned to stone. The end. Chances are good anyway the party has access to 'flesh to stone', so the petrification is really nothing more than a speed bump anyway.

Dornam · May 25, 2012

Yeah funny, how much the name of the most famous of all the Gorgons stuck and is now used instead the "real" racial name. Happens all the time I guess (in German the name "Jeep" is often used for All Terrain Vehicles with most people not knowing that it is actually a brand).

I'm A Banana · May 25, 2012

Fanaelialae said:
I was hoping we'd see a hp threshold on SoS/SoD monster abilities, as is the case with the nastier PC spells but alas, not as yet.

My other favorite part about this is that PC binary abilities have thresholds high enough that every goblin in the room is going to sleep.

It's awesome.

Combats need to be fast and dirty. If you're going up against the Medusa without being prepared, you deserve to get petrified.

Don't want to get turned to stone?

Do some recon before busting into the room.

You've got Charm Person and some social skills. Use 'em.

Walking Dad · May 25, 2012

amerigoV said:
I have no problem with it. Sometimes, players need to stop and think as to how to overcome an obstacle.

On the save or suck critters, a good DM will highlight the ability on some poor redshirt (re: gnome bard ) just to heighten the "oh crap" factor.

But that is the problem. Stop and thinking doesn't help against being surprised. And over coming the situation is just fight the thing while being at a disadvantage. Not a clever mirrorshield or anything.

And you cannot highlight anyone in this situation, unless you fudge the dice. Unless your bard has a really high constitution, it is more likely than he fails the save than the fighter.

Lurks-no-More · May 25, 2012

There are very good reasons why 4e ditched one-roll save-or-suck effects almost completely.

None of those reasons have gone away. This is a step in the wrong direction.

Fanaelialae · May 25, 2012

Kamikaze Midget said:
My other favorite part about this is that PC binary abilities have thresholds high enough that every goblin in the room is going to sleep.

It's awesome.

Combats need to be fast and dirty. If you're going up against the Medusa without being prepared, you deserve to get petrified.

Don't want to get turned to stone?

Do some recon before busting into the room.

You've got Charm Person and some social skills. Use 'em.

Are you aware of the scenario that's presented in the playtest module? That's not the kind of situation that I would expect to need recon or Charm Person.

IME, this is the kind of gotcha play that engenders ultra-paranoid players who bog down play by insisting on thoroughly checking every five foot square for traps before moving forward. They take absurd precautions in everything they do, because they feel the DM is out to get them (which, given the scenario, I'd say is true because it makes little sense - why didn't they at least place a bag over her head).

I've been in those kinds of games in the past, but I found them tedious and they're not the type of game I like to run.

IronWolf · May 25, 2012

Okay, took a glance at the Medusa. I do not see what the fuss is about. Pretty much I can avoid having to make a save against turning to stone by averting my eyes. If I avert my eyes I use the Disadvantage mechanics.

That seems to make sense to me. If I can't look directly at my target it only stands to reason that I am going to have a hard time being as effective as I can be.

Save or suck Medusa petrification

Traken

First Post

Fanaelialae

Legend

amerigoV

Guest

Grazzt

Demon Lord

Dornam

First Post

I'm A Banana

Potassium-Rich

Walking Dad

First Post

Lurks-no-More

First Post

Fanaelialae

Legend

IronWolf

blank

Similar Threads