Fireballing dead bodies

[maggot]

That's a high save DC for a 3rd-level spell (10 + 3 + 9). What's the Int (and level) of the wizard? Also, he has Spell Focus and/or similar feats?

The wizards is 13th level with Int 24 (20 base with +4 item), both spell focus feats. Not out of the ordinary for an evoker.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

The other thing to remember is that destroying all the PC's items may also contribute to the player saying "screw it" and rolling up a new character rather than being raised and suffering poverty for a few levels (not to mention raising intra-party conflict). That may or may not be a good thing, especially if the character was a major player in the adventure.

 

[maggot]

Also, I'd say that items under you at the very least have cover, so some of those items would be getting a bonus to there saves at least.

Yes, but in a game with no facing how do you determine what items are under someone on the ground. Did you fall with your arm outstretched or clutching your chest? Did you fall forward or backward? I don't think the rules of the game cover any of this.

 

[Corlon]

As all the others have said, you did it right.

It's the dangerous thing about evocations, and if one person is poorley equipped, that doesn't just ruin it for them, it ruins it for the party because they can't fight as effectively with that character not having his gear.

I agree it makes them more careful. One character has had his stuff stolen and/or died many times over, and generally the party just teleports in, grabs the stuff and ports out. They have to expend money for the ressurection/true ressurection, but other than that they get off pretty much free. The last time this happened however, one of the characters picked up the dead character's thing in order to transport them back in their daring escape from a dragon. Unfortunately the dragon picked the guy up, flew him out over the ocean, and dropped him. Now the character's stuff is at the bottom of the ocean, and since time has passed it's been pushed all over the place by currents.


Needless to say, they've been more carfule

 

[coyote6]

Yeah, sounds right to me.

If the ceiling was higher than 20 feet, the wizard should've tried aiming high.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Unless you, the DM, are willing to be flexible in (re)gaining treasure, any character who loses all of his gear should, basically, retire from the party. He simply cannot compete against those high level challenges (unless he's a sorceror or something like that).

I don't doubt that the player in question would also be quite annoyed.

So, to sum up, unless you fancy group members killing other group members and then burning their spellbooks/having them raised as undead and then entombed, right before leaving the group for good then either

a) Don't destroy characters gear
b) Provide some way for the character to get the majority of his gear back

 

[moritheil]

Vow of Poverty.

The character could definitely make a case after a while that being freed of his material possessions radically changed his outlook on life, and he realized that he didn't have to be dependent on items (and that he wanted to be more devoted to his deity.)

This, to me, is a better solution than simply smiling and saying that he gets his gear back.

Unless you, the DM, are willing to be flexible in (re)gaining treasure, any character who loses all of his gear should, basically, retire from the party. He simply cannot compete against those high level challenges (unless he's a sorceror or something like that).

I don't doubt that the player in question would also be quite annoyed.

So, to sum up, unless you fancy group members killing other group members and then burning their spellbooks/having them raised as undead and then entombed, right before leaving the group for good then either

a) Don't destroy characters gear
b) Provide some way for the character to get the majority of his gear back

 

[Jack Simth]

Option d:
Convince the spellcaster to take a level of Archmage and grab Mastery of Shaping so he can avoid blasting party members when blasting away at enemies.

 

[ElectricDragon]

Don't forget about this part:

Ineffective Weapons: Certain weapons just can’t effectively deal damage to certain objects.

A flaming weapon; or a shield, armor, or ring that provides resistance against fire should IMHO be immune to fire damage for destruction/damage purposes. A brazier of any kind is also built to take heat. Gloves of Flaming Fists and other more esoteric items shouldn't have to save versus the power they generate or protect from. Of course this is probably just a house rule...

Ciao
Dave

 

[Saeviomagy]

This, to me, is a better solution than simply smiling and saying that he gets his gear back.

I didn't say you smile and give him his gear back. All the DM has to do is put in some appropriate treasure in the near future, or large cash sums, or what have you, and NOT do any messing with treasure allocations. Otherwise the guy may as well quit.

And no, VoP doesn't fix it, because many of VoP's benefits can be 'missed'. ie - if you weren't already VoP when you got to a level that has a benefit, you don't get that levels benefit.