The last sentence spoils the fun

[Quasqueton]

I have found it a universal truth among D&D mage/priest Players. They always fail to read the last sentence of the spell description. Spells seem to be worded like this:

"The badass dude spell gives the caster automatic quicken spell for any spell cast during the duration. You get +10 AC, +50 to saves, and triple hit points. Your comrades think you are the bomb, and will follow any directions you give. Enemies must make a Will save to avoid dying of a heart attack at the mere sight of your awesomeness. Even with a successful save, the enemies are stunned for 10 rounds. This spell only functions for four-armed casters, in the Nine Hells, and after the duration expires you die."

This has been the case all through the editions of the game. A Player says he casts such-and-such a spell, then describes to me what it does. I say, "What? That can't be right." He says, "Yep, it says so right here." Then he reads the spell description, stopping just before the last sentence. I open the book, look the spell over, notice the last sentence, and read it aloud.

"Oh." says the Player.

I have seen this *so* many times. And in most cases, the Player isn't really trying to cheat or anything, it was just an honest mistake out of excitement, it seems.

Have you witnessed this phenominon?

Quasqueton

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Selective memory, its serves us well.

 

[francisca]

Have you witnessed this phenominon?

Quasqueton

Yup. And I'm sad to say I'm guilty of it myself on occasion.

 

[diaglo]

yes. the cleric in our party would do this all the time.

the part about material components in particular was usually left out of the picture.

esp if they cost big time gps.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Material components? We don't need no stinkin' material components!

 

[Henry]

Nowadays, it's not always the last sentence. I always double-check a spell that a player has never used before, just to make sure there's no miscommunication. but yeah, it's usually due to the player skimming the spell, and only reading the part that appeals to him, or more recently an edition-version mix-up. One of my players about two months back prepared haste, but thinking it still acted as 3.0 describes it. I let him "ret-con" the spell, to say he had never prepared it in the first place. If I had wanted to be a hard-case, I could have stuck him with it, but I figured his character would know better.

 

[DragonSword]

Nowadays, it's not always the last sentence. I always double-check a spell that a player has never used before, just to make sure there's no miscommunication. but yeah, it's usually due to the player skimming the spell, and only reading the part that appeals to him, or more recently an edition-version mix-up. One of my players about two months back prepared haste, but thinking it still acted as 3.0 describes it. I let him "ret-con" the spell, to say he had never prepared it in the first place. If I had wanted to be a hard-case, I could have stuck him with it, but I figured his character would know better.

Well, yeah. Bits and pieces are always going to be skipped over when trying to read fast and keep the game going.

And yeah, I suffer from selective memory too sometimes!

 

[Maliki]

Same here, the player always seems to miss the negative.

 

[Gez]

I have found it a universal truth among D&D mage/priest Players. They always fail to read the last sentence of the spell description. Spells seem to be worded like this:

"The badass dude spell gives the caster automatic quicken spell for any spell cast during the duration. You get +10 AC, +50 to saves, and triple hit points. Your comrades think you are the bomb, and will follow any directions you give. Enemies must make a Will save to avoid dying of a heart attack at the mere sight of your awesomeness. Even with a successful save, the enemies are stunned for 10 rounds. This spell only functions for four-armed casters, in the Nine Hells, and after the duration expires you die."

I like that spell.

 

[alsih2o]

And they always fail to mention the REf. save or the Will save or whatever save.

"Yep, 26d6 damage, sucks to eb the bad guy"

"What about the part where it says if they save the caster turns into a stuttering toad?"

"Oh, yeah, I must have missed that."