Searing Light

[Eldritch_Lord]

In fact, there's a Colossal+ size category, so Colossal isn't the upper limit. Though it isn't RAW, given that size categories follow a logical pattern, it wouldn't be unreasonable to rule that mountains, moons, etc. fit into ever-larger Colossal+++, Colossal +++++, etc. categories, with appropriate modifiers for Spot.

 

[kitcik]

Imagine the campaign where they play 1 = auto failure.

Party leader "We cautiously approach Mount Doom, circling it within the treeline."

Wizard "I keep an eye on the ridges, looking for any smoke or movement."

Barbarian "What mountain??"
<Marches straight up, smacks head into mountainside.>

 

[Dandu]

Force Dragons in the SRD can get up to Colossal + iirc. It's in the Epic section.

 

[Alexander123]

Imagine the campaign where they play 1 = auto failure.

Party leader "We cautiously approach Mount Doom, circling it within the treeline."

Wizard "I keep an eye on the ridges, looking for any smoke or movement."

Barbarian "What mountain??"
<Marches straight up, smacks head into mountainside.>

That gave me a good laugh.

 

[Greenfield]

My point regarding Spot, silly though it was, is that the project is to accomplish the orbital platform *within the rules*. And the RAW are, in fact, sometimes quite silly.

We normally look the other way when we encounter such game inconsistencies, and pretend they aren't there. We really do "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain". It's the only way to keep the fantasy alive in the world. As people try to twist the rules to extremes in order to make something odd or broken work, they have to remember that the DM can twist them just as badly in the opposite direction.

So while there are tricks like Die Hard and Delay Death to let you survive anything and keep functioning, there are equally bizarre twists of the rules that will get in the way.

Attempting to apply "common sense" to a problem, while blatantly ignoring common sense in other areas of the same problem, is a common trick. And the common counter is to apply, no, to inflict the rules on the people who try it.

So go ahead and argue for "common sense", then try to use Delay Death and Die Hard to survive orbital re-entry. Your scattered ashes will be alive, at least technically, until the spell runs out. The spell doesn't prevent the damage, after all, and common sense says the damage will tear you to pieces, even if the rules don't normally allow for it.

 

[Dandu]

I'm still not entirely sure what your point is. Is the point to remind me that I can't out rules lawyer the DM?

That's never been my contention. All I'm trying to do is make something interesting for possible use in a game. I'm not trying to be a munchkin and ruin someone's campaign, so I would really appreciate it if you'd stop approaching this thread with that attitude.

You've had problems with such people in the past. I suggest you leave them there.

In short, I have but one thing to say to you.

 

[kitcik]

All I'm trying to do is make something interesting for possible use in a game.

I thought that was just the gravy.

I thought the main course was an attempt to put something wildly audacious, but just barely plausible, onto the board in order to (i) elicit a cacophony of varied responses, some of which are quite emotional and which get at people's feelings regarding the basic underpinnings of the game, and (ii) create an interesting thread where people work together to solve implausible logistical problems.

If you really wre only trying to make something for possible use in a game, I don't thinnk you've achieved much. No DM in their right mind would allow you to build an orbital laser platform in D&D.

On the other hand, you did a fantastic job in eliciting some really interesting responses and creating a cool thread, and I applaud you for that!!

 

[Greenfield]

Fair enough.

As a DM, you can create/approve any type of world feature you like, and when people ask for an explanation, you (as DM) can simply answer, "You don't know how they built such a thing."

But I'll cut the obstructionist BS.

Spotting the planet wouldn't be a problem. Spotting a particular building would be. The only man made structure visible from orbit to the naked eye is the Great Wall of China. Even with magical aid, it would be a problem to see and identify a specific castle, or even a city. Some sort of divine guidance could bypass that, of course. In fact, you could Gate in a Solar to aim it, and he/she could Contact Higher Plane for divine aid. You'll need an army of Gnome craftsmen to build the aiming mechanism for all the mirrors at once, but that's just backstory.

Hitting that building would also be a problem. You, as DM, can create any custom aiming ritual the "bad guy" needs, of course, and make it as long and drawn out as you like for dramatic purposes.

Or maybe that's part of the puzzle the PCs have to figure out: How is the BBG managing to hit, precisely, whatever castle he threatens, first shot every time? Is there some magical equivalent of a homing device there? Is it being fired through a Ring Gate, so he need only hit the nearby Ring Gate while the other half is hidden someplace near the castle, aimed at it? Is he using some kind of divine or fiendish adviser that can be killed, dissuaded or subverted?

Or is the challenge finding a way to his mountain stronghold, hidden someplace within the darkness between the stars?

Lots of good story potential there.

I have no issue with you, as a DM, doing anything you want with the idea.

But I thought you were asking as a player, and I replied to you in that context. Sorry for the misunderstanding

 

[kitcik]

This version of the ring gate idea solves so many problems. I am not an expert on high level spells, but surely you could have some avatar/minion flying around the earth at your command with the end of the ring gate. Then you simply fire the laser into your ring gate, it fires out the other and its "shock and awe" / party time.

This solves all the problems about spin and orbital rotation with respect to aiming. Heck, if you found a moon which did not rotate on its axis, you could build the mirror / lens on the back side (assuming it still got sun) - you could take as long as you want to build it & no one could ever find it!

No, we're onto something...

 

[Greenfield]

Build it in a trans-polar orbit and you'll always have sun. Build it with the Ring Gate as part of the structure, at the focal point, and all aiming considerations go away.

All problems with precision grinding of the mirrors goes away as well.

But you definitely want it in orbit, so the Spot problems apply to your enemies. Hell, build it on Mercury (the planet, not the god) for all it matters.

Then, when crunch time comes, you hit yourself with Dust of Disappearance so you can't be seen, even with See Invisible, Greater Teleport to a spot near the castle, and open up the Ring Gate. Maybe fly over it for the top-down blast effect if you like, though it really doesn't matter. Once it's slag, it's slag, and directionality won't really matter.

Oh, and be sure not to do a Wile E. Coyote and have it facing the wrong way. That would be embarrassing.