Gelatinous cube tpk

[RangerWickett]

I wouldn't keep playing under a DM that did that to my party.

I don't think it was malicious, and it seems like the players weren't angry.

 

[Brother MacLaren]

For a gelatinous cube, the K(Dungeoneering) check to find out about a monster's special powers or vulnerabilities is DC 14. What would you say the Knowledge check would be to have only heard of the monster, or to realize that there's a (potentially dangerous) creature in front of you?

The "Know Your Enemy" series of articles from the WOTC site has results for Knowledge checks for various monsters. The first thing you get is always something like "This monster is a mind flayer, an aberration." The first thing is usually a DC 10-20. Possibly some factor for certain monsters being easy to recognize (Beholder is only a DC 11 to recognize I think). No oozes up there yet IIRC, but only the Stirge is DC 10.

 

[Darklone]

I wouldn't keep playing under a DM that did that to my party.

Be nice, he's asking here= willing to learn. That's the only thing you need to become a good DM sooner or later.

 

[werk]

I wouldn't keep playing under a DM that did that to my party.

I pretty much agree, but I know the rules (debatable ) and know that what happened is not what should happen in standard play.

If the players know less about the game than the DM, which I must assume, since the scenario was played out, then chalk the whole experience up to learning curve and add 'like a gelatinous cube' to the group vocabulary.

 

[Grog]

Assuming it can squeeze, it has an AC 0 and a 5 foot movement rate. An 18 Strength 7th level fighter with power attack and unarmed strikes can attack twice while grappled at +0/-4 for 1d3+11 and average around 20 points of damage per round.

20 points of non-lethal damage (unless he has the Improved Unarmed Strike feat), which would have no effect on a gelatinous cube.

 

[SlagMortar]

20 points of non-lethal damage (unless he has the Improved Unarmed Strike feat), which would have no effect on a gelatinous cube.

Can you point to a rule for that? Oozes are immune to critical hits, but I don't think they are immune to non-lethal damage. I could be wrong though.

Regardless, it is likely the fighter is wearing a suit of armor that comes with a gauntlet so the damage would be lethal.

 

[Grog]

Huh. By the RAW, you can knock an ooze unconscious. Who knew?

 

[Nail]

Huh. By the RAW, you can knock an ooze unconscious. Who knew?

Excellent! Maybe they have a glass jaw.....

 

[boolean]

"Fireball exploding on impact"

Yes. Although the spellcraft check to know that should have been relatively low since its a property common to spells in general (and not just fireball),

The premature detonation if the bead strikes an intervening barrier is pretty much unique to Fireball (and its variants). Most other spells will simply fail to work if you try to cast them without line of effect.

"Cube blocks line of effect"
(I don't want players arguing that a sheet of paper or a gauze curtain blocks line of effect on a fireball, even though under the RAW it does)

In this case, RAW actually agrees with you.

If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.

If you chose to rule that a paper screen or flimsy curtain was particularly susceptible to fire damage, it would almost certainly be destroyed by a fireball, doing damage to anybody trying to hide behind it.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Huh... I hadn't noticed that before...

I was going to post that characters can use Kn skills untrained and would be able to know at least a little bit about any monster they encountered without spending skill points.... butI double checked my PHB and there it states:

"to identify a creature use a DC of 10 + HD"
and
"You can use this skill untrained but are limited to only common knowledge, DC 10 or below"

I can see the next OoTS now... "Roy?... there is this thing sneaking up behind you..no I don't know what it is. Its small and furry, sounds like its saying 'meow' but since I didn't put ranks in Kn: Nature I can't make the DC 11 to determine what it is!"