Can I kill someone with a Folding boat?

[Erithrius]

For example, if I had a folding boat opened up in the Ship form (room for 15) down at the dock, and four people were chasing my four-player party and we ran on to the ship then jumped into the water after they got on, and then I activated the boat to fold, what would happen to the enemies on the boat? Would they be killed (crushed instantly), would the boat not fold while people are on it, or would they be pushed off? How fast does a folding boat fold?

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

DM's call, I imagine.
Personally, I'd probably just rule that everything in the boat gets pushed out and ends up in the water.

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...and welcome to ENWorld!
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[coyote6]

Same here -- if it wouldn't fit in the box the boat becomes, it gets dumped.

But I wouldn't have it do damage -- then you'd have to decide how much damage, if there was a save, a save DC, not to mention worry about situations where the thing in the boat is tougher than the boat -- a golem or a dwarf in adamantine spiked full plate or what have you. Does the boat then take damage? How much?

Eh, it dumps people out, and doesn't fold if doing so would damage itself.

 

[Starbuck_II]

For example, if I had a folding boat opened up in the Ship form (room for 15) down at the dock, and four people were chasing my four-player party and we ran on to the ship then jumped into the water after they got on, and then I activated the boat to fold, what would happen to the enemies on the boat? Would they be killed (crushed instantly), would the boat not fold while people are on it, or would they be pushed off? How fast does a folding boat fold?

I'd deal them the teleporting damage.

If you arrive in a place that is already occupied by a solid body, you and each creature traveling with you take 1d6 points of damage...

And Fort save DC 15 or be staggered for 1 rd.

 

[Jhaelen]

DM's call, I imagine.
Personally, I'd probably just rule that everything in the boat gets pushed out and ends up in the water.

Yep, while techincally a DM's call, I don't believe any DM would rule a folding boat to crush occupants.

I wouldn't let it cause any damage.

BTW, this is just a variant on the popular question whether you can crush people by using the tree feather token on them. Same answer.

 

[Herobizkit]

... or a Daern's Instant Fortress, which one 2ed Ftr/Mag/Thf used to commit suicide rather than die at the hands of Too Many Trolls and a TPK. (Curse you, Night Below!).

 

[Magesmiley]

I think in the case of the boat they'd end up in the water.

Something like this actually came up in my game last week. A player got swallowed whole and decided to activate the Daern's instant Fortress he was carrying. Things got kind of messy after that.

 

[Dross]

For those that rule the victims end up in the water, why not on the wharf/on dry land if it is next to the boat?

Potentially you are only changing crushing for drowning (albeit it is easier to get away via swimming).

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[Theo R Cwithin]

For those that rule the victims end up in the water, why not on the wharf/on dry land if it is next to the boat?

Potentially you are only changing crushing for drowning (albeit it is easier to get away via swimming).

I'd rule "in the drink" just because it's easiest

I suppose you could randomly determine which side/end of the boat a character or object gets pushed out, then allow a Dex check to hop on a nearby pier or whatever. And there might be a round or two to act, depending upon how quickly the thing actually folds up (but I don't think the item description says?).. . . .

Yup, this is definitely one of those things where I'd just go with the easiest gut ruling!

 

[Jhaelen]

Yup, this is definitely one of those things where I'd just go with the easiest gut ruling!

I'd say the simplest rule is that you cannot fold the boat if something or someone is still aboard.

Think elevator doors: they won't close if something's inbetween. It's a simple safety measure that wouldn't be unreasonable for a folding boat, magic or not.