thoughts on intervention rules

[fba827]

There is a link on the Announcement page about Donation and Intervention posted on the WotC site so I checked it out.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=fr/fx20020424x

Just thought I'd see what people's reactions are.

To me:
It seems fairly cut and dry. An otherwise simple way to quantify something that the DM could otherwise do on a whim.

I think it takes away the "contrived" feeling that (if the DM does do something like that) is generally otherwise had. Also takes the strain from the DM trying to think if a diety would involve himself and instead puts the call in the players lab (ie the player has to say "I want an intervention check")

anyway, those are my first thoughts - positive thoughts. Seems simple (not overly complicated) and takes some of the intervention stuff in the players lap (and justifies whatever intervention happens).

True, it may make some of the intervention a little bland and overdone if abused (and given what PCs can afford at high levels, esp in a Monte Haul campaign, then, well, this could get overdone real fast)... but I won't let that stop.. I'll just be judicious in my usage and maybe even up the DC to 15 (maybe).

I am not making much sense - this is what happens when I don't sleep and decide to read the EN boards instead (bad me! very bad!)

 

[Plane Sailing]

Back in "Empire of the Petal Throne" you could call for divine intervention at any time, with something like a 5% chance per level of success - but if you didn't make that roll you suffered divine retribution - approx your level in d6 damage (but everyone there had d6 HD, so it would be your level in "your HD" category damage.

That was a world where gods intervened a lot (but it was tricky calling on them since they could kill you).

Another good example was Runequest 2, where Rune Lords could automatically get divine intervention but it cost them a variable amount of their POWer attribute permanently, or Rune Priests who could cast Divine Intervention using prepared permanent power sacrifice.

All of those examples where "do anything" DI... raise the dead, instant transportation etc.

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Looking at the WotC examples mentioned here, DI comes rather cheap! still it isn't up to much. If playing in the FR which I understand is a very divine-heavy setting I can imagine it making a lot of sense. Makes a nice change from people taking a level of cleric.

 

[Rybaer]

I like the rules. Simple, and pretty much dependent upon the player to remember the donation and "make a prayer" when appropriate. Adds a bit of colorful role-play opportunity in worlds where the gods are plentiful and take a more active role in the lives of their worshippers.

 

[dcollins]

The interesting thing is that all of a sudden I can imagine alternate rules whereby all divine spells are determined by a method similar to this (i.e., totally overhauling the cleric class which some people consider out-of-place compared to most literary fantasy settings).