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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MerakSpielman" data-source="post: 991943" data-attributes="member: 7464">People have already beaten down my opinion, but I thought I'd post it anyway. Feel free to tear it apart again.IMC, I have ruled that because the Simulacrum spell does not specifically state that the Sim gains the levels and class ablilities of the original, it doesn't. It gains only knowledge, not skills or abilities.This is how I describe what the abilities of the Simulacrum are. Say the original was to write an autobiography and be very very detailed. Now say you read the book and remember only half of it. This information is the only knowledge in the "brain" of the Simulacrum. It can no more cast spells than you can after reading a fantasy book, but it might know all about spells and magic and what they do.I have Simulacrums have a watered-down version of the personality of the original. It only responds to situations with half the emotional level you would expect from the original.Now, you will all say, if the Simulacrum possesses none of the class/magic/combat abilities of the original, then what good is it? Now that's a very good question. I'm glad you asked that.My group is full of really really devious players. The above interpretation is what they assumed when they first read the Simulacrum spell. They still chortled at the wide expanse of things they were going to do once they got high enough level to cast it. They rubbed their hands with glee. They couldn't believe that the designers could possibly have put such an overpowered spell anywhere in the book at any spell level.Their plan goes something like this. Say you have a high-level functionary of the local government. Somebody who's seen a lot and has power but never honestly has to do anything that requires real experience or skill beyond biographical knowledge. Say, the city mayor. Kidnap him and put a Simulacrum in his place. There will be only a handful of people who really know the mayor well and will notice the change (everybody else is trained to simply obey him). They can be dealt with, either with more Sims or with convenient "accidents." Or they could be called away for a week on business and when they return the mayor is a changed man. He will describe something horrible and traumatic (as per orders) and become more reclusive and withdrawn. People will explain away such things by mundane means before thinking that he has been replaced by magic. A few Geas and Modify Memory spells in the right quarters and you're all set.Slowly take over the ruling class. Every toady who doesn't need to do anything but talk in his daily life is a target, i.e., most of the officials in the government. Do this with a few people who command troops and you have yourself an army. If you're clever enough, you could take over the whole kingdom in an invisible coup.Luckily for me the campaign ended before it got to that point.(and a little clause so I can claim I'm not hijacking....) I think my personal interpretation of your answers should be clear from reading the interpretation of the spell I use.We now return to the other 99.9% of the gaming community who interpret it differently from myself.</blockquote>

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