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In Hextor's Name (Completed 22 Oct 2004)
- Thread starter Capellan
- Start date
Mortepierre
First Post
Capellan
Explorer
We played yesterday, and now seems like a perfect time for the first, inaugural
In Hextor's Name Pop Quiz
A chance to prove your 'gaming geek'-itude
Yesterday, Kull had to make a DC 25 REF save or die. He failed (not surprising, given his REF save is only +3), and was killed - except that then we realised there was a 7% chance he should have survived. We rolled the dice, and got an '04'.
The question: what 'killed' Kull, and why was there a 7% chance of surviving it, after all?
First correct answer gets an update.
Edit: oh, and guess what? After yesterday, there are still 2 sessions left of the campaign. Just like there have been for the last 3 sessions
In Hextor's Name Pop Quiz
A chance to prove your 'gaming geek'-itude
Yesterday, Kull had to make a DC 25 REF save or die. He failed (not surprising, given his REF save is only +3), and was killed - except that then we realised there was a 7% chance he should have survived. We rolled the dice, and got an '04'.
The question: what 'killed' Kull, and why was there a 7% chance of surviving it, after all?
First correct answer gets an update.
Edit: oh, and guess what? After yesterday, there are still 2 sessions left of the campaign. Just like there have been for the last 3 sessions
Last edited:
Mortepierre
First Post
There aren't that many spells with an "insta-death" result out there (assuming you limit yourself to the 3 Core books), nor so many creatures able to use them. The key to the problem is the DC 25. That's a pretty big DC to pull off.
Both a Balor and a Pit Fiend can cast a DC 25 Blasphemy but given the fact that Kull has - by now - at least 9 HD, that means you would need a lvl 19+ caster to kill him. So, only the Balor qualifies. However, even if I didn't think a Balor would be too much for Kull to swallow, one has to remember Blasphemy doesn't authorize a save vs its "kill" result.
Same problem with all the Death spells available to "common" casters. It has to be a spell that allows a save .. which few do.
Destruction or Finger of Death would do the trick, assuming a caster with a good enough primary stat (we're still talking Int/Wis/Cha 26+ here!), possibly a bit less if the guy took the various Spell Focus feats...
However, those spells all call for a Fort. save, and the DC 25 was a Refl. save.
That leaves us only with one creep from the MM that requires a Reflex DC: a dragon. And not a young one at that. Various qualify.. but none has an "insta-kill" breath (unless it was using the Maximize Breath feat).
Hmm .. that leaves us only with traps but even the CR10 examples from the DMG rarely require a save DC above 20.
Honestly, I don't see. Of course, there are enough non-Core books out there that I am sure I missed something. And I am not even taking "advanced" monsters in consideration.
You got me curious now...![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
Both a Balor and a Pit Fiend can cast a DC 25 Blasphemy but given the fact that Kull has - by now - at least 9 HD, that means you would need a lvl 19+ caster to kill him. So, only the Balor qualifies. However, even if I didn't think a Balor would be too much for Kull to swallow, one has to remember Blasphemy doesn't authorize a save vs its "kill" result.
Same problem with all the Death spells available to "common" casters. It has to be a spell that allows a save .. which few do.
Destruction or Finger of Death would do the trick, assuming a caster with a good enough primary stat (we're still talking Int/Wis/Cha 26+ here!), possibly a bit less if the guy took the various Spell Focus feats...
However, those spells all call for a Fort. save, and the DC 25 was a Refl. save.
That leaves us only with one creep from the MM that requires a Reflex DC: a dragon. And not a young one at that. Various qualify.. but none has an "insta-kill" breath (unless it was using the Maximize Breath feat).
Hmm .. that leaves us only with traps but even the CR10 examples from the DMG rarely require a save DC above 20.
Honestly, I don't see. Of course, there are enough non-Core books out there that I am sure I missed something. And I am not even taking "advanced" monsters in consideration.
You got me curious now...
Last edited:
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
Well, I would have guessed a Talisman of Pure Good. But Kull wasn't evil last time I saw his sheet and the DC is 19 not 25. Back to the drawing board I guess.
Capellan said:We played yesterday, and now seems like a perfect time for the first, inaugural
In Hextor's Name Pop Quiz
A chance to prove your 'gaming geek'-itude
Yesterday, Kull had to make a DC 25 REF save or die. He failed (not surprising, given his REF save is only +3), and was killed - except that then we realised there was a 7% chance he should have survived. We rolled the dice, and got an '04'.
The question: what 'killed' Kull, and why was there a 7% chance of surviving it, after all?
First correct answer gets an update.
Edit: oh, and guess what? After yesterday, there are still 2 sessions left of the campaign. Just like there have been for the last 3 sessions
Thomas Hobbes
First Post
My first guess was a large missile, and then it got hit with an improbability drive and there was a 7% chance it turned into a whale and a potted plant.
But gee gosh darn it, the improbability drive isn't in the "artifacts" section of the DMG.
On a more serious note, I can't think of anything that's REFLEX save or die, and the whole "7%" thing only confuses issues. Earthquake on open ground has a 25% chance of forcing a DC 20 reflex save to avoid falling into a fissure that will close next round, killing those trapped within. That's as close as I can think.
But gee gosh darn it, the improbability drive isn't in the "artifacts" section of the DMG.
On a more serious note, I can't think of anything that's REFLEX save or die, and the whole "7%" thing only confuses issues. Earthquake on open ground has a 25% chance of forcing a DC 20 reflex save to avoid falling into a fissure that will close next round, killing those trapped within. That's as close as I can think.
