The last sentence spoils the fun

[ghettognome]

I am guilty of it too, especially when the spell has a really long description. On the chance that everyone isn't already dead by my turn and get to cast a spell..... it happens. Not all the time, but I guess more than I would like, it is quite embarrassing to have it happen and then everyone at the table has their book open telling you how it REALLY works.

 

[Anabstercorian]

I have an even worse problem of that sort - a player who reads the name of the spell, skims briefly through the description and then pretty much makes up how he thinks it would work. I really don't think he does it deliberately - he believes he's using the rules, but his bizarre versions of spells are always a lot better than the actual versions and never have negative aspects!

He actually goes one worse. He's a specialist diviner. Sometimes he want information, so he says "I'll divine it". I, naturally, ask him which spell he's casting, to which he replies "I'm a diviner, I'd just be able to do it wouldn't I? That's my speciality after all!"

The response to this is usually my players saying something like this: "A double headed tarrasque lich? I'll just kill it." To which I, naturally, ask them to roll initiative, make a few hit rolls - you know the drill. They, of course, reply "I'm a fighter, I'd just be able to do it wouldn't I? That's my speciality, after all!"

Needless to say, the diviner-playing player is unable to recongnise this satire for what it is...

Well, I'd be less sympathetic if diviners could actually, you know, divine anything. Like clerics can. Grrr.

 

[tarchon]

Have you witnessed this phenominon?

Yeah, I think it happens when they design a spell that has some horrible unbalancing flaw, so then they tack a bandaid on the end of it. "The target of this spell immediately dies no matter what it is. However, the spell does not work if the target has more than 5 HD or is normally immune to death magic or has spell turning ability."

 

[IronWolf]

Yeah, I think this happens a lot. People skim through the spell and go hey, that looks cool! But then never re-read it closer to see *exactly* what it does and what requirements must be met. I think this affects some feats too, not just spells.

 

[TroyXavier]

I had a player who kept trying to cast spells that only worked on humanoids on any opponent she faced.

 

[Rasyr]

I have seen this happen often as well.

I may have even done it myself once or twice, but it is doubtful since I am usually the one who points out the forgotten rules and missed lines, not only to the other players, but to GMs as well - whether it aids or hinders the party.

 

[Ashrum the Black]

I have this happen with aracana unearthed. My knowledge of the spells there isn't a deep since I've never played as a player. I'm always hip deep in stat blocks.

So when the magister (wizard) rolls out his latest uber cool spell of butt kicking I normally take him at his word for it trusting him to have read his spells thourghly. Especiuall since I force him to have the page open to the spell.

Almost every time we play I end up reading through the spells he cast to see how it wroks andjust about every night I find one he misquoted, or forgot the save.

For two nights he was killing my NPC's with some awusome spell until I got a chance to look at it myself. Turn out there was a save that he was forgetting about or they took no damage. (sigh)

-Ashrum

 

[mearls]

I actually thought about doing this as a sort of prank product, except it would've been feats. They would've been these super-munchkiny feats with sort of bizarre drawbacks. Like this:

Fury of the Blade [General]
In the midst of battle, your lust for blood transforms you into a killing machine.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to damage with all melee attacks. When you gain a bonus attack due to Cleave or Great Cleave, you gain a +4 bonus to that attack. Also, you are incontinent. At the end of every combat, you enjoy crapping in your pants.

Spell Master [General]
You are a powerful arcane caster.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to the save DC of all spells you cast. You enjoy having sex with squirrels.

 

[ivocaliban]

Spell Master [General]
You are a powerful arcane caster.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to the save DC of all spells you cast. You enjoy having sex with squirrels.

Let's spice this one up a little with the following addition:

If, for any reason, you cease having sex with squirrels for a period of more than one week this bonus is negated. For each day thereafter in which you do not engage in coitus with tree-dwelling rodents you receive a -2 to the save DC of all spells you cast. Once you have appeased your appetite for squirrel love, the original +2 bonus is reinstated.

 

[mearls]

Let's spice this one up a little with the following addition:

If, for any reason, you cease having sex with squirrels for a period of more than one week this bonus is negated. For each day thereafter in which you do not engage in coitus with tree-dwelling rodents you receive a -2 to the save DC of all spells you cast. Once you have appeased your appetite for squirrel love, the original +2 bonus is reinstated.

Hmmm... much better. The shame of the feat is much more in your face. The original version left it up to player to put his lusts into play. Can't believe I missed that!