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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TaranTheWanderer" data-source="post: 8008063" data-attributes="member: 15882">I don't like Zone of Truth when I play as a  player.Here's why:  if the DM  has an investigation mission set up and doesn't want the players to learn the truth too quickly, they try to subvert the spell or trick the PCs in such a way that the spell is pretty much useless.Not all DMs, but enough that it might be a waste of a 2nd level slot and if you have more adventuring to do in the day, that slot is too valuable to use.  Better to save the frustration and get the info the DM is willing to give up with a social skill roll.Why not just make the spell useful?  Like, the guilty person realizes they are caught?  Instead of just trying to get around the lie detector, they ask the PCs for a plea deal.  They'll tell everything - even the things the PCs wouldn't think to ask.I mean, sure, throw in some complications - someone tries to kill the witness before they sign their confession, or their confession is at odds with someone else's - but using player resources should be helpful and useful.  The reason a player is using Zone of Truth is to use an ability that cuts to the root of the problem and save time and to make their character look awesome."For comparison, consider: A player picks the ranger class because they want the thrill of exploration. However, the Natural Explorer feature can actually detract from exploration by trivializing it – or rather, requires some clever thought, adaptation, and work-arounds to make it support an exploration heavy game or session. In other words, Natural Explorer works but it's doesn't "feel" right because it avoids the challenge, rather than engaging with it. "The reason the Ranger takes Natural Explorer is so that he'll be so incredibly awesome that you can shine a light on that awesomeness when exploration is the focus.  It isn't a time to find 'work arounds' so as to make their background choice useless, but a time to bring that choice to forefront.  There are lots of complications that arise from exploration that can be used that don't neutralize a player's choices.</blockquote>

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