My player is squishing everything.

[Artoomis]

1. The boots prohibit teleporting more than max load and are limited to 5 times per day, but use only a Move Action to activate (wow!). Multiple opponents and/or multiple encounters will make this tactic weaker. Still, it is pretty powerful when you can teleport and still have both a Swift Action and Standard Action available.

2. I think teleport must be to a solid surface - which often works in the teleporter's favor since one would not want to be off-target and be a mile up in thin air with no means of flying, for example.

2. I agree he must have some way of targeting his opponent. Thee are many options here, from a Reflex save (against what DC?) to an attack against touch AC (with base attacks only - STR, DEX, WPN etc. bonuses do not apply).

3. So what if it works? Great - he is a one-trick pony, more or less. I am sure he has many weaknesses. At 12th level he is bound to be well-known amongst potential adversaries, which means his weaknesses may be known as well, and thus legitimately exploited when appropriate. At 12th level his most dangerous foes start becoming NPCs rather than monsters, and they may very well have immediate actions to counter this tactic, even if you allow it.

 

[Artoomis]

...As for him taking damage, I'm considering a house rule of anyone falling taking a 1/4th or a 1/3rd of the weight of their gear in extra falling damage, to simulate stuff your wearing "crushing" you. Any thoughts on that?...

If you do it, don't do it that way - make it he takes 1/2 or 1/4 damage that he deals by falling on someone. Keep it simple.

 

[Zurai]

How does this happen? This is the first thing that struck me as wrong. If dwarves aren't supposed to be any heavier than humans, who max out at 250#, how/why is he so heavy without other adjustments?

I beg to differ. Humans max out at over a half ton. Remember that the PHB height and weight tables are guidelines for quick character generation, not absolute limits. Adult humans taller than 7 feet and shorter than 4 feet exist, as do adult humans weighing under 90 pounds or over 500. Hell, 265 is only 40 pounds over the PHB quickgen guidelines for male dwarves. A dwarf that's slightly taller than usual or more portly than usual easily fits in there.

 

[Storme]

If a DM penalizes someone for ingenuity, they're a buckethead.

Still, in this matter, I think the accuracy of such an action would be pretty outrageous.

Since he has no combat training, nor the ability to actually train in it, I would make him make a ranged touch attack with no attack bonus...maybe his intelligence modifier, but nothing else.

Second, I would then treat it like a crush attack. Give the target a reflex save for half (or nothing if they have evasion). Please note that dragons do the same thing and are distantly heavier and do far less damage. I would consider reading the Crush attack listed in Dragons in the Monster Manual. Consider modifying it to this format (and damage range). If not, no problem.

Third, I would give him half the damage he does (he's striking the target JUST as hard as he is hitting it...and they have armor too. I wear armor regularly (I'm a fighter in the SCA) and it HURTS when you fall down), but give him a reflex save for half also. He would take this damage even if he misses.

I have no problem with teleporting into the air. Flying wizards do it all the time, and if there is a rule for it somewhere, I recommend ignoring it as illogical.

As far as imbalance, there is no such thing as unbalanced. Remember, if he can do it...so can a monster he meets. Have the party run into a giant sorcerer with dimension door spells, and do it to him. Balance restored.


Storme

 

[useness]

The Original Playing Group began arguing over the amount of damage dealt, amusingly enough. The Action was rectified by the DM simply stating, "Stop doing that" As experienced players we all know various ways to break the game. So when such a new way is encountered we work around it as a group.

However in this instance the game mechanics don't allow the action. As the Panda-Patriarch said this issue has been resolved. I would like to add though, that were such a teleport allowed, issuing an attack roll is ludicrous. The character is merely choosing to teleport to a designated spot in thin air, he then falls downward. (Curse you gravity! You defy us once again!) That burly ball of battle armor then crashes to the ground. Anyone under him goes splat! Reflex save, if the target is on the ground. If he is flying, which in the original scenario he was, I wouldn't allow him a reflex save unless he had above average flight control. Which he did not. This doesn't even factor in the surprise of it.

It was very amusing and mostly our in game antics are reward enough. He managed to kill a Uthlarid (spelling? larger, stronger, illithid) in two rounds. Which reminds me that I forgot to make the Uthlarid large, which also negates the entire original argument. This has been a very rewarding and interesting argument though! Thank you everyone for your contributions.

 

[Nail]

Does this mean they likewise deal 8x damage? Since that is "similarly" also.

The spell doesn't use the word "similarly" when talking about weapon damage. That, too, is clear. "More damage" doesn't equal "similarly".

 

[Nail]

I would like to add though, that were such a teleport allowed, issuing an attack roll is ludicrous. The character is merely choosing to teleport to a designated spot in thin air, he then falls downward. (Curse you gravity! You defy us once again!).

"Issuing an attack roll for my weapon is ludicrous! I'm just holding my greataxe over my opponent's head and allowing it to fall!"

 

[irdeggman]

The spell doesn't use the word "similarly" when talking about weapon damage. That, too, is clear. "More damage" doesn't equal "similarly".

But it is the "same" paragraph and the very next sentence. It also then immediately sends you to the table in the PHB.

I still go with the fact that there are already rules for wgt of weapons and armor of different "sizes" while outside of the spell there are no such rules for creatures of different sizes (that is having to do with wgt effects).

I think it is just as clear to say use the existing rules for armor and weapons, especially since it references the PHB for damage.

Or more acurately to say the "similarly" refers to the statement "This increases the creature's size category to the next larger one." and not "This spell causes instant growth of a humanoid creature, doubling its height and multiplying its weight by 8."

From a technical viewpoint either reading is accurate, one makes much more sense and is consistent with other material in the rules.

I do find it strange that this issue hasn't been addressed in the FAQ though.

 

[Nail]

But it is the "same" paragraph and the very next sentence. It also then immediately sends you to the table in the PHB.

True! But different senteces can address different things, surely!

All equipment worn or carried by a creature is similarly enlarged by the spell. Melee and projectile weapons affected by this spell deal more damage.

In this case, you need to decide what "more" damage is. I think we both agree that "more" must refer us to the Large Weapon Damage rules, in the equipment section of the PH.

[I do find it strange that this issue hasn't been addressed in the FAQ though.

I find it stranger that this is a 1st level spell....but that's another thread.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Remember that the PHB height and weight tables are guidelines for quick character generation, not absolute limits.

Eh... all true enough but if we're talking about a player who is gaming the system (as we are) then who but the DM is to say, "STOP. You're abusing the privilege." I'm not saying nobody should be playing over/under height/weight characters. I'm saying the privilege CAN be abused and this was the first thing that cought my eye. I simply question it, not declare it Verboten.