Iron Bands of Bilarro

[kitcik]

What are you guys talking about? I thought they were bands that tried to grapple you? Even if we accept that the magic item isn't magical there is the plain grapple thing.

The description of the item does not use the word "grapple," although I certainly agree the effect is VERY similar.

Freedom of movement would work against an animated rope? Animate Rope :: d20srd.org I think it would.

This is a very good analogy. I think it would work, my DM does not. That's his prerogative.

I imagine it like being a super-grease oil. It would help you move through a web (prevents the web from sticking), but not through a wall. It would help you escape artist through bars. If grease helps, freedom of movement def. helps.

That was my reasoning in asking the druid to cast Freedom of Movement. Sadly, the DM did not agree. It did not help that the player who is the bard agreed with the DM. Keep in mind that the "discussion" lasted less than 5 seconds as we let the DM rulings stand without argument. It was:
Me: "Please cast Freedom of Movement."
Druid: "OK, I cast it."
DM: "No effect."
Me: "But it helps with escape artist checks."
DM: "This is not a grapple."
Bard: "I agree."

You tried dispelled the magic item?

The fight: illusion of a normal town suddenly turns into BBEG (druid), his lieutenant (wizard), his red riding dragon (not that big), and a bunch of bozak fodder.

They got surprise. BBEG nails me with Iron Bands.
BBEG rolls natural 20 for initiative (he really did). I roll poorly and go near the end of the party (this encounter happened while a bunch of our magic items were in the process of being upgraded, so I had no init boosting items).
1
BBEG casts Blade Barrier in a circle around the two of us.
I try to teleport out of Bands (using Boots of Swift Passage - move action). No effect. Unsure why at that time.
I try to break free from Bands with my standard action. With Str 22, I roll a 19 and fail. Realize I need help and call out.
Druid summons a Greater Earth Elemental into the circle.
2
BBEG casts a spell. No apparent effect. (we think he tried to Dispel the Elemental and screwed his roll)
Elemental and I try to break bands together. He rolls 16 + 10 Str + 2 from my assist = 28. Fail. We didn't know at the time that it was close.
Lieutenant Dispels the Earth Elemental
Ranger moves through the blade barrier ethereally, but still takes damage as the DM rules that the force blades extend to ethereal plane.
3
BBEG does something offensive to ranger. I forget what.
Ranger makes me ethereal with an item. I still cannot get out.
Druid casts FoM at my request. No effect.

At this point, a LOT of actions have been wasted trying to free me while the bad guys have been wailing away. The party gives up and decides to go on full offensive vs. the baddies and just leave me be. They figure that as long as they apply pressure to the BBEG, he will not have time to finish me off - and in that, they were correct.

Eventually, the BBEG heals his (badly wounded) dragon and flies away. With a 150' flight speed, we could not catch him. We kill the lieutenant (who was a decent level wizard) and all the bozaks.

 

[James the Newbie]

Just an idea, use the stick spell (I cant believe this spell has a use) To stick nails to the inside of the band, then when it expands and contracts, the opponent now has [possibly poisoned] nails embedded into them.

 

[animewatcha]

DM shouldn't have needed 'to rule' on the blade barrier as it is a force effect. Does 'squeeze hands through a tight confines' count under the 'squeeze through tight space' realm?

 

[kitcik]

Does 'squeeze hands through a tight confines' count under the 'squeeze through tight space' realm?

I am not sure I understand this question.

 

[animewatcha]

Squeezing through tight spaces is supposed to impede movement, no?

Size category of hand versus size category of cuffs.

 

[Wyvernhand]

Similarly, FoM allows you to move and act and even attack with weapons while impeded by normal non-magical water unhindered. Its not a wall of iron, but it is something that is non-magically impeding your ability to move freely like a set of metal bands might. Slightly different, but also slightly similar.

 

[guardian_rc]

Looking at a diff website that appears to have the 2nd ed definition of this item: Iron Bands of Bilarro
"Any creature captured in the bands, however, gets the chance to break (and ruin) the bands by successfully bending bars. Only one attempt is possible before the bands are so set as to be inescapable."

I could see FoM or another spell/item helping with the Escape Artist check if it happened before the BBEG's next round and the bands becoming set. As for trying to Sunder or hack the bands, they're wrapped around your character very tightly, I'd think you be on the receiving end of some bludgeoning damage.

I have a similar question that brought me to this thread. My character has this item and I threw it at an Ogre Mage in flight. My question is can he still maintain his Flight ability? The DM had him go invisibile so we can't see him at the moment. I know he can go gaseous form but didn't know if he would hit the ground first or if he's a flying "immobilized" invisible opponent.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Ogre Mage has magical, non-winged, flight with good maneuverability. So whether or not it can still fly, it can certainly hover in place wherever it was in the air when you hit it with the bands. I don't think it could fly while paralyzed, though. Even magical flight still isn't a purely mental action (like using telepathy to control your own movements or something).

 

[grodog]

Historical footnote: the original version of the Iron Bands of Bilarro were named the Iron Bands of N'closur and were created by Rob Kuntz for use in the World of Greyhawk campaign. They were placed in the "Orcky Level" (later incorporated into Castle Greyhawk, but I think it originated in RJK's Castle El Raja Key). When Gary published Unearthed Arcana in 1985, he included the Iron Bands of Bilarro as an homage to Rob's item (the full powers of which he had never discovered in actual play): Bilarro is an anagram of Robilar, Rob's main (and infamous) Greyhawk PC.

Their original powers, as detailed in Rob's _Daemonic & Arcane_ (Pied Piper Publishing, 2007) were:

IRON BANDS OF N’ CLOSUR{1}: When found this appears as a 1’ radius ball of iron straps, as if some gigantic strength had forced these into place by tightly winding them about the other like one does a ball of string. The ball is near weightless (10 pounds). There are three commands words to compel its functions (see below); and the wielder need only speak these again to dispel its current function/form.

Iron Ball: This causes the ball to animate and roll at 9” per turn. Its force is enough to push aside loose/standing objects or beings up to 300 lbs. in individual weight. Impact damage is an automatic 10-30 points (shared, if impacting more than one object/being). If the ball is stopped in its forward momentum it reverses direction, if possible, for 20-120 feet (2d6 roll) and then resumes its original course; and if stopped more than once in any given direction it will randomly change course to a new one. The ball can roll up surfaces with slopes of no more than 45 degrees. It must remain within 500 feet of the person who commanded it, or it ceases to function. The ball sustains 200 hp of damage before it is destroyed. Changing its current form into any of its other forms transfers its remaining hp to the new form.

Iron Cage: This forms a 5 ft. square cage that can sustain 200 points of damage. The cage cannot be moved once in place. Range when used to entrap a being is 20 feet, and the targeted being receives a spell save at -1 to avoid being caged. Changing its current form into any of its other forms transfers its remaining hp to the new form.

Iron Wall: The ball unravels and immediately forms a wall, even conforming to irregular shaped space up to 10’ wide by 20’ high. Its cross-hatched spaces are wide enough to allow weapon work through, but at a -2 penalty to hit for either side attempting such. Large or bulky weapons (battle axes, broad-headed pole arms, or two-handed swords, for instance) cannot effectively be used to attack opponents on either side of this barricade. The wall itself is magical iron, cannot be moved once anchored in this manner and sustains 200 hp of damage before it is brought down, rendered. Changing its current form into any of its other forms transfers its remaining hp to the new form.

If destroyed it takes 7-10 days for its magic to reconstitute the iron into useable form, whereupon it is employable again at full hp. Note that it does not otherwise rejuvenate on its own. The total remaining hp should be noted for each usage.

Text copyright 2007 Robert J. Kuntz. Do not reprint without permission.

Enjoy!

 

[Empirate]

Historical footnote: the original version of the Iron Bands of Bilarro were named the Iron Bands of N'closur and were created by Rob Kuntz for use in the World of Greyhawk campaign. They were placed in the "Orcky Level" (later incorporated into Castle Greyhawk, but I think it originated in RJK's Castle El Raja Key). When Gary published Unearthed Arcana in 1985, he included the Iron Bands of Bilarro as an homage to Rob's item (the full powers of which he had never discovered in actual play): Bilarro is an anagram of Robilar, Rob's main (and infamous) Greyhawk PC.

Their original powers, as detailed in Rob's _Daemonic & Arcane_ (Pied Piper Publishing, 2007) were:

<snip!>

Enjoy!

Wow, good stuff there, Mr. Grognard... err, I mean, [MENTION=1613]grodog[/MENTION]!

Love origin stories!