Commune - Fixing it? Or losing it?

[SnowDog]

I've been looking at Commune recently, now that my PCs can cast it. They haven't used it yet, because the players don't want to ruin the fun of watching the story unfold. On the other hand, I know it's an in-game resource that makes sense in the world (in fact, I have NPC organizations using it) and can sometimes be the only way certain plot elements can unfold.

The biggest issues we have with Commune is that unlike almost every other similar Divination spell, there is no risk and no chance of failure, and no DM leeway to make the story more interesting by using it, instead of less.

For example, Augury (L2) and Divination (L4) both have at least a 10% chance of failure. Both are short-term projections into the future. Commune (L5) removes the failure chance and opens up the subject matter quite a bit (even if it is restricted to yes/no). It does have a 100 XP cost, but is that sufficient?

For fixes, I've considered doing some of the following (one or some, mix/match). What do you guys think?
- Have XP cost apply per question
- Only allow one question, not 1/level.
- Only allow to be cast once/day
- Have failure chance like Augury and Divination
- Move to spell level 6
- Add ritual requirements (may only be cast in a church of the right god, has long casting time, must have multiple casters/contributors, etc.)

I've also considered adopting a new spell which allows PCs to get access to information but gives me as a DM the chance to make the story more interesting by using it.

I haven't statted it out yet, but basically the spell would work like Divination, but allow a more in-depth prayer to set the tone for the answer, and the answer would come in the form of a dream that night which the caster would have to interpret. Restrictions like a one hour casting time and that it must be cast immediately before rest (and the caster must rest a full night afterwards) have come to mind.

Thoughts?

 

[ichabod]

I've never had problems with commune, and my players have access to before (and I think now). They have ask intelligent questions, the deity has to know the answer, and a yes or no answer has to be useful to them. Note that if you go by Deities and Demigods, there is a real limit to what the gods know.

 

[Kobold Marine]

In a campaign I was running, I modified both Commune and Contact Other Plane so that instead of answering simple yes or no questions, the caster instead gets to chat with the creature/diety contacted for 30 seconds per caster level.

We had a lot of fun with this modification. The party clerics had thier opportunities to talk directly with thier diety, and the party wizard had fun "cold calling" assorted creatures of the Elemental Planes. While clerics tended to have an easier time getting (somewhat) direct answers from the gods and divine servants they spoke with, wizards had a more difficult time and had to bargain and strike up a working relationship with the entities contacted. In one situation, the party wizard was manipulated into selling his soul to an Ifrit lord. Wonderful roleplaying opportunities all round.

 

[hong]

I don't really think it's that bad. The fact that you can only get yes/no answers is pretty limiting, and it's fun to see how the players try to word the questions to get max utility out of the spell. Plus, if there's something you really don't want them to find out, the spell allows for a "don't know" answer as an out.

 

[Norfleet]

I personally am envisioning transplanar telemarketers who call up and bug these extraplanar entities, and try and sell them junk, until they get sick and tired of it and stop answering the phone, so to speak.

 

[Seravin]

Like the others, I haven't found Commune as written to be unreasonable.
The questions have to be yes/no/unknown - with a built-in failsafe, so if a priest asks a question where a yes/no may be misleading, he'll get up to five words to clarify.

In return, the questions have to be asked all at once and the characters don't get a chance to discuss each question/answer while the spell is being cast. The only thing the caster can do is ask questions - and he isn't allowed a lot of time to think about the answers between questions. My players get around this by writing down their questions ahead of time.

The only thing I've implemented that might be outside the rules as written, is that the deity can only answer questions related to his/her domains/portfolios/followers/places of worship - but the text notes that the deities aren't omnicient and can answer the question with 'unclear'.

 

[SnowDog]

Interesting replies

Thanks for the replies. It could be an interesting twist to limit some of the knowledge of whatever gods (or agents of gods) are contacted. I'd have to think about that a bit. Hmm. Have to decide by Tuesday .

 

[Kershek]

I have 10th level characters in my game and haven't had a problem with castings of commune as of yet. It sometimes takes them a good half hour to make up questions, allowing me to sit back and consider the answers for a while.