D&D 4E Ben Riggs' "What the Heck Happened with 4th Edition?" seminar at Gen Con 2023

Lanefan · Aug 16, 2023

FitzTheRuke said:
That's only one possibility. I could go on for pages with ways in which it could be momentarily squashed (long enough to have whatever disadvantages "trip" gives before it rights itself) by a character using a method that resembles the many ways in which someone could use an action that resembles "tripping". (Put your shield under it and LIFT). It's all dependent on 1) Who's doing the tripping and what do they have; 2) What's the terrain/room like; 3) What previously happened to the cube (did someone just firebolt it? Is there anyone inside? Did it just shuffle forward?, etc, etc).

First off, the term "trip" defines a fairly narrow action-result sequence, most notably that the thing tripped almost always falls in the direction of whatever is tripping it (i.e. if tripped from behind you fall backwards, if from in front you fall forwards, etc.). Using a shield to tip something over such that it falls away from you is not tripping it.

Had the designers meant "knock over" I think they'd have used that term.

Never mind that were it me that shield would immediately have to save vs acid damage.....

Lanefan · Aug 16, 2023

Zeromaru X said:
We are still waiting for the next round of the battle, that will be in 2024...

They're rolling initiative as we speak...

darjr · Aug 16, 2023

I do love jello. I saw a thing where someone had tiny jello (or candy!) shaped things to put in jello. And I wanted so bad to do shields and skeletons and swords and armor.

Snarf Zagyg · Aug 16, 2023

Lanefan said:
Next time you make Jello, cut a 3-inch cube of it and put it on a plate. It's solid enough to stand on its own and not collapse into a puddle yet amorphous enough to bend and wiggle.

Next, imagine it being alive, vaguely sentient, and able to move on its own. It's also trying to eat you.

Then, using a typical D&D mini, try to trip it.

I'll wait here.....

First, I fully regret being the person that mentioned the gelatinous cube and tripping example. No good deed goes unpunished.

Second, while all of the jello and snail examples are fun, I do think people are mistaking the ease of turning over a piece of jello with a 10' cube. Not only in terms of size, but in terms of weight. If the gelatinous cube is as light as water, then it weighs over 62,000 pounds.

If it was the same as Jell-o, however, it would weigh a little over 39,000 pounds. And have a 10'x10' base. Just ... pointing that out.

overgeeked · Aug 16, 2023

darjr said:
I do love jello. I saw a thing where someone had tiny jello (or candy!) shaped things to put in jello. And I wanted so bad to do shields and skeletons and swords and armor.

I'm still waiting for the party-time variants of gelatinous cubes. The Jell-O Shot. It's a ranged variant but instead of acid it poisons you with booze. Or the Blotter Acid Cube. Instead of corrosive acid it poisons you with hallucinogens.

darjr · Aug 16, 2023

overgeeked said:
I'm still waiting for the party-time variants of gelatinous cubes. The Jell-O Shot. It's a ranged variant but instead of acid it poisons you with booze. Or the Blotter Acid Cube. Instead of corrosive acid it poisons you with hallucinogens.

I want these so bad now!

overgeeked · Aug 16, 2023

Here's a thread for all your gelatinous cube discussions.

cbwjm · Aug 16, 2023

Somewhat relevant to the discussion.

CleverNickName · Aug 16, 2023

overgeeked said:
I'm still waiting for the party-time variants of gelatinous cubes. The Jell-O Shot. It's a ranged variant but instead of acid it poisons you with booze. Or the Blotter Acid Cube. Instead of corrosive acid it poisons you with hallucinogens.

Once, I had an "ooze-themed" dungeon and there was a rare Golden Slime that the party might find on the random encounter table. It healed you of damage...at the cost of giving your armor the Broken condition. Our artificer tried to capture one as a pet.

Gammadoodler · Aug 16, 2023

Snarf Zagyg said:
First, I fully regret being the person that mentioned the gelatinous cube and tripping example. No good deed goes unpunished.

Second, while all of the jello and snail examples are fun, I do think people are mistaking the ease of turning over a piece of jello with a 10' cube. Not only in terms of size, but in terms of weight. If the gelatinous cube is as light as water, then it weighs over 62,000 pounds.

If it was the same as Jell-o, however, it would weigh a little over 39,000 pounds. And have a 10'x10' base. Just ... pointing that out.

Shifting the discussion in the direction of D&D character strength vs their ability to move heavy objects does seems like an eminently punishable "good deed"

D&D 4E Ben Riggs' "What the Heck Happened with 4th Edition?" seminar at Gen Con 2023

Lanefan

Victoria Rules

Lanefan

Victoria Rules

darjr

I crit!

Snarf Zagyg

Notorious Liquefactionist

overgeeked

B/X Known World

darjr

I crit!

overgeeked

B/X Known World

cbwjm

Seb-wejem

CleverNickName

Limit Break Dancing

Gammadoodler

Hero

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