Find the Path Clarification

[Space Coyote]

I have questions about the Find the Path spell.

Find the Path - Divination
Level: Brd 6, Clr 6, Drd 6, Knowledge 6, Travel 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 3 rounds
Range: Personal or touch
Target: You or creature touched
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: None or Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No or Yes (harmless)
The recipient of this spell can find the shortest, most direct physical route to a specified destination, be it the way into or out of a locale. The locale can be outdoors, underground, or even inside a maze spell. Find the path works with respect to locations, not objects or creatures at a locale. The location must be on the same plane as you are at the time of casting.

The spell enables the subject to sense the correct direction that will eventually lead it to its destination, indicating at appropriate times the exact path to follow or physical actions to take. For example, the spell enables the subject to sense trip wires or the proper word to bypass a glyph of warding. The spell ends when the destination is reached or the duration expires, whichever comes first. Find the path can be used to remove the subject and its companions from the effect of a maze spell in a single round.

This divination is keyed to the recipient, not its companions, and its effect does not predict or allow for the actions of creatures (including guardians).

Focus: A set of divination counters of the sort you favor.

Now I know that the spell will not help you locate "objects" directly, but would the spell direct you to objects you would need along the way. For example, will FTP direct you to a key you would need to open a locked door first? OR would it simply direct you to a locked door (because that is the most direct route) and you have to figure out yourself that you need a key?

What about other scenarios? What if the most direct path leads through a secret door? Does the spell tell you how to open it (for this I imagine the answer is 'yes' because the spell tells you what 'physical actions to take'?

What if the path has to go through a teleporter or some similar enchanted obstacle that requires a password to activate? Does FTP let the caster know the password?

What if a special object is required? Would FTP direct you to the object first? (the answer to this would be the same as the key question I guess)

The reason for my confusion is the wording of this section:

The spell enables the subject to sense the correct direction that will eventually lead it to its destination, indicating at appropriate times the exact path to follow or physical actions to take. For example, the spell enables the subject to sense trip wires or the proper word to bypass a glyph of warding.

Soooo, does that mean that the person with FTP *CAN* find traps and knows how to bypass them? Can FTP show how to bypass some traps? The writing is not clear on this for me.

The reason I need to get this confirmed is that I am running a converted version of the 2nd Edition module, Labyrinth of Madness and the Cleric is using Find the Parth with the goal as: "How to get out of the Labyrinth of Madness"

*****Possible SPOILERS for the module Labyrinth of Madness*****

The module has a HUGE variety of things, activities and tricks that the players have to do to get out this labyrinth. Things like needing a special key that is inserted 'in the air' between 2 pillars to activate a teleporter. Or activating one thing in one area may make something happen in a different area, and the players need to do something in this new area before proceeding again.



I figured that Find the Path should do one of these:
1) The spell will guide you on the most direct route with no other help at all, just directions (like a GPS system).
2) The spell will guide you on the most direct route (like a GPS system) and tell you how to get around traps that act as obstacles.
3) The spell will guide you on the most direct route (like a GPS system) and tell you how to get around *any* trap.
4) The spell will guide you on the most direct route (like a GPS system) and guide you to things you will need such as keys, passwords, special items required to bypass obstacles like doors or teleporters.
5) Combination of 2 and 4.
6) Combination of 3 and 4.
7) Other.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Space Coyote]

Any suggestions?

 

[Ilium]

I think nobody is answering because they (like me) are afraid to even go near this thing. I think instead of "Find the Path" they should have called it "Avoid the Adventure."

The way it's written, no cleric above 11th level should ever be lost or trapped except in hopeless situations that are no fun to play.

"Find the Path" is not allowed in my games for this reason.

 

[Infiniti2000]

I'm with Ilium. Unfortunately, that doesn't help you. I think you're familiar enough with the spell to make a judgment call yourself as no one else can tell you how to run it. The spell is just too vaguely powerful to handle appropriately for someone else's adventure. I'd allow it to function as much as necessary to support your story. As an example, if you don't want the heroes to find the key, then you can put the key on a creature and rule that the spell cannot 'find' the key because it has no allowance for creatures. I'm really surprised that the module you mention has no method listed to handle find the path. It seems like the spell was specifically designed for such a module.

 

[Piratecat]

> Would the spell direct you to objects you would need along the way?

No. It will tell you "open the door with the key," but it won't give you any indication where that key may be.

> Does the spell tell you how to open a secret door?

Yes.

> What if the path has to go through a teleporter or some similar enchanted obstacle that requires a password to activate?

The spell only provides for a physical route. It would ignore teleporters, and possibly tell you to dig through a wall if you were trying to get to a secret room that was teleporter-equipped.

> Does FTP let the caster know the password?

Although not for a teleporter (see above), FTP does tell you the correct command word needed to open passages and disarm traps.

> What if a special object is required? Would FTP direct you to the object first?

Nope. It would tell you that you needed that object, though. It wouldn't tell you until you actually needed it. If you needed to pluck a plant from outside the cave in order to open a secret door at the end of the complex, you'd be right outside that door before you realized that the plant would be useful.

> Does that mean that the person with FTP *CAN* find traps and knows how to bypass them?

Yup. Note that some traps can't be bypassed. If there's a 20' deep pit in the middle of the corridor, the spell would warn you about it, but only to the extent of "jump or fly over".

> I figured that Find the Path should do one of these:
> 3) The spell will guide you on the most direct route (like a GPS system) and tell you how to get around *any* trap.

#3 is the right one! Sort of... if there is no way to disarm a trap, the spell will not tell you that the trap is there. If the trap can only be activated by a creature, the spell also wopn't warn you about the trap.

Unlike a lot of folks, we've had no problems whatsoever with find the path in Sagiro's or my own campaign. Its biggest weakness is that it doesn't take into account the actions of creatures. This allows for the utter suckering of PCs who grow dependent on it. Add one trap that won't go off unless a creature flips a switch, and you're bound to take the heroes by surprise.

 

[Space Coyote]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, especially Piratecat. I'm going to print out your respond and use it as a reference!