Hyper-Sneak's Idea - Workable?

[Steverooo]

A sneaky PC manages to stealth his way into a Red Dragon's lair without being caught, and prepares an attack... He aims his Decanter of Endless Waters at its mouth, and is ready to speak the command word for the heaviest stream (I forget the name - geyser?), stating that he'll delay rounds until it tries to breathe...

Okay, so the other PCs come in to attack. The dragon wakes up, opens its mouth to breathe, and... What? Gets hit in the face with a gush of water, sure (PC braced for it, dragon unaware) - but then?

Is the flambeaux put out? For more than a round?

It seems like a great idea (and the PC has resisted fear and gotten in unnoticed), so some reward is in order, but... Just how well would something like this work?

Seems to me it's a judgement call, and I just don't know what to do!

 

[Mike Sullivan]

I'd probably rule that the dragon's breath overwhelms the flow of water, but it's delayed in doing so, so the targets of the breath automatically succeed their saving throws against it. Thus, evading types get off scott free, other people take half.

 

[Artoomis]

Geyser: 20-foot-long, 1-foot-wide stream at 30 gallons per round
The geyser causes considerable back pressure, requiring the holder to make a Strength check (DC 12) to avoid being knocked down. The force of the geyser deals 1d4 points of damage but can only affect one target per round. The command word must be spoken to stop it.

It really helps to have the relevant rule quoted for this sort of discussion.

In this case, the stream will do all of 1d4 damage. Anything else is DM decision.

I would allow it to quench the breath weapon, but it would create a cloud of steam that would block everyone's vision until the next round - that is, just before the dragon's turn. I wouldn't do steam damage to anyone, but there is a possibility of simply turning the breath weapon to steam instead of fire.

I would also point out a minor illegality here - a "readied action" is what is called for, and that can't be done until combat starts. I'd allow it, though, on the basis of being reasonable.

 

[LokiDR]

I would also point out a minor illegality here - a "readied action" is what is called for, and that can't be done until combat starts. I'd allow it, though, on the basis of being reasonable.

The combat started when the rogue started sneaking in, whether the dragon knew it or not.

 

[IanB]

It won't work. The range of the geyser is less than the range of the dragon's blindsight (30 feet times the dragon's age category.) Shouldn't be possible barring really exceptional circumstances for the character to sneak within 20 feet of the dragon without being detected.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Oh. I saw the title of the thread and thought I'd done something sneaky.

Carry on.

-Hyp.

 

[LokiDR]

Oh. I saw the title of the thread and thought I'd done something sneaky.

Carry on.

-Hyp.

Funny, that is what I thought as well.

 

[Steverooo]

I would allow it to quench the breath weapon, but it would create a cloud of steam that would block everyone's vision until the next round - that is, just before the dragon's turn. I wouldn't do steam damage to anyone, but there is a possibility of simply turning the breath weapon to steam instead of fire.

I would also point out a minor illegality here - a "readied action" is what is called for, and that can't be done until combat starts. I'd allow it, though, on the basis of being reasonable.

I treated it as an Obscurement, which foiled the Magic Missile attacks.

Yes, I know about Readied Actions' technicality. Like you, I ignore it...

 

[Steverooo]

It won't work. The range of the geyser is less than the range of the dragon's blindsight (30 feet times the dragon's age category.) Shouldn't be possible barring really exceptional circumstances for the character to sneak within 20 feet of the dragon without being detected.

It DID work. Since the dragon was asleep, and the Hyper-Sneak (as opposed to the little blue guy with ADD) made his stealth check vs. the sleeper, I let him get to cover (which wasn't within 20', but then I was unaware of the range, when I posted). When combat began, the H-S won Initiative, delayed, then moved and "geysered". I let the stream work, and treated it as an Obscurement spell on the battlefield, messing up the spellcasters and fighters. A few shots were fired (by those whose Initiative beat the Dragon's), but the rest vamoosed. In the next round, H-S and the rest also ran, and the entrance was sealed.

(For anyone who cares, when characters are asleep, etc., I penalize perceptions by half... 1/2 Ranks, and 1/2 bonuses. This reflects being asleep, unaware, and less perceptive than an alert, awake opponent. YMMV. Hence, a Monk, Ranger, or Rogue can sneak up on a sleeping Dragon.)

 

[Steverooo]

Oh. I saw the title of the thread and thought I'd done something sneaky.

Carry on.

-Hyp.

I used to have a blue-skinned character, back in the early 1980s, commonly called "Shady". She sometimes wore an "I hate Smurfs" sweatshirt...