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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ralts Bloodthorne" data-source="post: 2928242" data-attributes="member: 6390">Player #6: "My cleric kneels down and asks: "Oh powerful Zeus, will we defeat Lord Crookydteeth on the morrow?" and casts Divination."GM: "Anyone got a gun? I have a need to blow my brains out."If you haven't faced it yet... You will.Divination spells, especially the old 1E ones, were bad enough to make a GM curious about the taste of gun oil. They ask about a future, that can hinge on dice rolls, split second decisions, etc, but still, the PC's are willing to find a white ram and sacrifice it and 10% of their wealth, or whatever stricture you have placed.(I've seen player's hunt down moldy old prophecies hidden in libraries buried by the eruption of a volcano just to see if there was any hint of coming events they were involved in. Don't laugh, you give them a chance, they'll do it to you)This can drive you crazy, and a vague answer feels like a rip-off to the PC's, and feels like being a cheapskate to you.So, it's time to fall back on three methods:#1: The Ancients of Our World: It's time to pull an Oracle of Delphi, a Fates. Use verse. Try to make self-fulfilling prophecies, give specifics that seem like gibberish at the time. If the PC's are hitting Divination level, YOU need to prepare or eliminate divinations all together. The Mallorean and The Belgariad show how to wrestle with prophecy. Have it seem to make no sense unless you know what the hell the prophet, diviner is talking about."The midnight shaft speeds from he who bears the eagle's eye and pierces that which brings woe." could have been the divination cast the morning Smaug attacked the town. It makes no sense out of context.Never forget, they are asking the future of other-worldly beings. What the PC's call each other and themselves have no meaning. The alienist they are paying good money too may refer to the Paladin of Torm as "The Hammerer of the Hands of Cyric" due to his habit of smashing worshippers of Cyric in the face with a warhammer.A fireball may be "The eruption of the sun!"#2: Short and easy answers.Cleric: "Where is the exact location of Count Destructo?"GM: "The spirit replies: "In his outhouse."Party: "D'OH!"Cleric: "Where is the outhouse located?"GM: "The spirit replies: "Behind his manor.""Party: "DAMMIT!"Cleric: "Where is Count Destructo's manor where the outhouse he is located at located?"GM: "The spirit replies: "On the King's Southern Road. I AM FREE!" and the spirit vanishes."Cleric: "Well, that was a waste."BZZZZ!!! No it wasn't. You now know the following: Count Destructo is a living man. He uses an outhouse. He's on the Southern King's Road.You gave PLENTY of data during the divination. Spirits, devils, djinni, efreet, etc, will give the shortest, simplest answers as possible, as they delight in the frustration.#3: This is what I call: STOP CALLING!Every time the Cleric casts a divination spell, the God has to answer. But (s)he's a busy deity, so he pawns it off on an arch angel. The arch-angel is busy planning his next attack on his enemy, so he pawns it off on an angel. The angel is busy making sure that Cleric Ima Holidood survives this assassination, so he pawns it off on a cherub. The cherub's feeling lazy, so he gives it to his stupid cousin.Who arrives half naked, dripping wet, and covered in soap suds."WILL YOU STOP CALLING ME!"This option should be used if divination spells are being used as a crutch to replace player investigation and inventiveness.Still, divinations are a pain in the butt. For divinations, the players must accept that spirits, gods, demons, etc, all affect the world. This player choice removes the outer powers from aloof and uncaring to meddling and pervasive.Plus, they aren't the only ones who can perform these. A good rule of thumb is: If more than 1 divination per mission or level is used, for every two beyond this limit, allow their enemies 1 divination attempt. Use the PC's next divination attempt as a guideline for how successful the NPCs is.But, I still haven't helped all that much yet. Stick with me...How to determine usefulness?"Will we beat the troll" is completely random or painfully obvious. For something like this, if it's totally random and up to luck, break out the Magic-8 ball. If it says: "Outlook Good" than adjust the encounter with the troll slightly..."You enter the cave, weapons ready, and look around. A loud ripping noise echoes, underlaid with savage grunts, and a foul stench fills the cave!" Congratulations, they caught the troll trying to pass the remains of the last adventuring group. He's suffering cramps and his butt hole burns from the hot sauce. +2 Circumstance bonus for the party!Trust me, buy a Magic-8 Ball at goodwill, bust it open, and take that die out. It works great.Of course, then you have the divinations like this:Cleric: "What is Count Krunchem looking at right now?"Well, you can tell them that he's staring at a crystal ball, scrying on the party, or you can say:GM: "The spirit flickers for a moment and says: "The back of your head." and grins nastily."THAT will cause major havoc right there.In summation, when dealing with divinations, there's several ways to handle it...•    Random answer, with the answer providing penalties/bonuses. You pays yo money, you takes yo chances. •    Deliberate and precise instructions/answers. Too bad you didn't take ranks in "Speak Gibberish" •    Intentionally vague •    Friendly and helpful (These should be extremely rare) •    Exacting and over-precise. •    To the letter of the question, not the spirit.Divinations have always been risky, and are never 100%, but if handled aren't game breakers, don't make the players feel cheated, and keep the "feel" of the game running.</blockquote>

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