The "Second Sunrise" and magic items.

[Greenfield]

Our group has an item, an amulet that allows Transport Via Plant once per day, taking the user and up to four others. Note that our party is more than 5 people.

So while it has certain tactical use, it isn't a long range transport for the entire group, unless we want to spend days at it.

The proposal was made, however, that the job could be done an a few hours, based on the idea that the item recharges at sunrise, and that the world is round.

Consider: You rise several hours before dawn in Scotland and transport the user plus 4 party members to Rome. Then wait for sunrise so you can go back for the others.

Since Scotland is several time zones away from Rome, the sun hasn't risen there yet, so all you have to do is wait for this "second sunrise" of the day to recharge the item, then transport the rest of the group, plus a horse or two, to Rome.

This really works only if you're heading a considerable direction East, but...

So, how abusive is this?

 

[Dandu]

Nice try, but as we all know, there is such a thing as an independent observer in D&D.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

It sounds as abusable as the situation you've described, bug jumps in a Eastward direction.

If Sunrise is the recharge mechanic, then Sunrise is the recharge mechanic.

I think some Clerics should abuse this as well.

 

[Greenfield]

My normal protection against this is that my game worlds are always flat.

The problems with this answer in our current campaign are twofold:

1) We're basing our game on a version of the real world, one which had Archimedes in it, and he not only knew the world was round, he proved it and measured it.
2) I'm the one who thought of of the Second Sunrise solution in the first place.

The real solution though is to note that the spell power was originally supplied by some deity or nature spirit. Tapping it three times in as many hours may bring the attention of a being best left in an un-pissed state.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

My normal protection against this is that my game worlds are always flat.

The problems with this answer in our current campaign are twofold:

1) We're basing our game on a version of the real world, one which had Archimedes in it, and he not only knew the world was round, he proved it and measured it.
2) I'm the one who thought of of the Second Sunrise solution in the first place.

The real solution though is to note that the spell power was originally supplied by some deity or nature spirit. Tapping it three times in as many hours may bring the attention of a being best left in an un-pissed state.

Am I remembering that the gods in your world are mostly absent?

Have you read the discworld series? They have a physic for different sunrise times across a flat world.