Does the Rod of Reaving make a mockery of Minions

[Bagpuss]

Anyone else thing the Rod of Reaving makes a mockery of minions?

Minor action to Curse and thus automatically kill a minion? No attack roll.

At least with Cleave, you have to make an attack roll against one target to cleave the other minion, with the Rod of Reaving a Warlock can make light of nearly any minion encounter.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Yes, yes, it does.
However, it's +4 level adjustment, and therefore an extremely hefty investment. To put things in perspective, a rod of reaving with the same enhancement bonus as a holy avenger costs the same.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Anyone else thing the Rod of Reaving makes a mockery of minions?

Minor action to Curse and thus automatically kill a minion? No attack roll.

At least with Cleave, you have to make an attack roll against one target to cleave the other minion, with the Rod of Reaving a Warlock can make light of nearly any minion encounter.

I ran a short 11th level campaign and the Warlock in that absolutely destroyed minions, with me having very little chance to retaliate.

If it had gone to a longer campaign, I would probably have started either to a) use less minions or b) use LOTS more, or have them attack in waves. I would possibly have talked to him about the effect it was having on the game, and whether it was fair to reduce the amount of xp he was getting for minions, since it was easy.

Plus, intelligent foes might get to hear about him and try to kill him off first...

 

[DMZ2112]

I hadn't yet encountered this magic item, but if it is troublesome, it seems to me that amending the minion rules from "missed attacks never damage minions" to "minions are only damaged by attacks that hit" would negate this effect with limited repercussions while supporting the clear intention of the RAW.

 

[James McMurray]

There are many things that make a mockery of the minion rules. The Rod of Reaving is just one of the easiest to get. Wait until the warlock has that and Two-fold curse. Or dual wields Reaving and Corruption (assuming you go with the interpretation that lets them work together).

 

[Engilbrand]

Dark Pact Warlock with a Rod of Corruption.
One of my players did this. I allowed it just for fun.
He used a minor to curse a minion. Then he blasted it, killed it, and activated the Rod. Everything in the area became cursed. He then used a Dark Pact power that allows you to damage anything in the area that you have cursed. He rolled against everything, and killed 11 minions all at once. He then had 11 of those strange soul thingies that Dark Pact Warlocks get. And then I beat on him with an Orc Battlerager. Good times.
Things like this are only a problem if you allow them to be. I'm not worried about it. It's a Dark Pact Elven Warlock with Infernal tendencies and a Spellscar teamed up with a Dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut who is multiclassing Barbarian. They get along very well.

 

[Mengu]

I don't intend to use this item in my game. There are still a lot of ways to mow down minions, but kill minion and reap pact boon once (or twice with two-fold curse) per round with minor action is just too cheap of a way to do it.

 

[MrBeens]

Remember the warlock is still restricted to cursing only the closest target - just keep a normal monster between the warlock and the minons and you are good.
Also if the warlock is using his curse to take out minons, he is not getting his extra damage on the normal monsters.

 

[Masquerade]

Minions exist to be made a mockery of.

 

[Caliban]

One minion a turn as a minor action doesn't bother me, that's why you get 4 minions for the price of one monster. Other classes can potentially kill far more minions in a single action than that.

What bugs me is the Rod of Reaving/Rod of Corruption combo, which under many circumstances will allow you to kill all the minions on the map and curse everything that doest die from the rod of reaving.

I've decided that until I see something official from WOTC, I'm going to use the interpretation that when the curse is spread by the Rod of Corruption, the Rod of Reaving property doesn't apply - so no damage is dealt to the additional creatures that are cursed. (Because you aren't "placing" your curse, the Rod of Corruption is "transferring" it.)