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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Joshua Randall" data-source="post: 9589210" data-attributes="member: 7737">Commentary:I know that stupid gamebook deaths are part of the appeal, but this one is SO stupid it's not even fun.Can we cast Detect Magic (to sense the Fire Trap) or Dispel Magic (to remove the Fire Trap) — both on our list of SPECIAL SPELLS? Nope.Can we make an Intelligence test to examine the door some other way? Nope.Does Dalris, an experienced thief, have a better approach? Nope.Does Rufyl, who can read minds, want to jump in here with a warning? Nope.---The heat of the Fire Trap spell is so intense…Not really. The damage is "1-4 hit points plus 1 hit point per level of the magic-user who cast the spell, or one-half the total amount for creatures successfully saving versus magic." (AD&D PH, p. 77)At best Arno is 15th level (if he personally cast the 8th level Permanency spell himself, which is looking less and less likely), so his Fire Trap would deal 16-19 damage.OUR Carr Delling has 15 HP, which means that on a successful saving throw he cannot take lethal damage from Arno's Fire Trap! (max damage 19 / 2 on save = 9 damage)For OUR Carr Delling to take lethal damage on a save, the magic-user who cast the Fire Trap would have to be at least 26th level (best roll on variable die 4 + 26 = 30 damage / 2 on save = 15 damage).Not only does the book take away our ability to use the proper magical countermeasures here, it doesn't even bother with HP damage. Why do we have HP on our bookmark-slash-character-sheet if they're never going to get used?Bah! I say. Bah!</blockquote>

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