Would you allow this in your games?

[Tsyr]

But then again I would leave a group where the DM allowed this without teaching them a lesson.

Teach THEM a lesson, fine.

Leave me out of it.

 

[Henry]

Moved to rules.

 

[WizarDru]

I've been having fun with the idea I've had that allows anyone with Telekinesis to kill virtually anything without DR in a single round and am curious to see how many DMs would allow this perfectly legal attack.

Telekinesis allows the character to throw 25lbs/caster level.
The objects I choose to throw? Arrows.
These objects would deal weapon Damage so 1d6
and at 9th level (the minimum needed to use the spell) the caster can throw 1500 of them (20 arrows weigh 3lbs according to the PHB)
This results in damage of 1500 - 9000 in a single round if they all hit. Now since 20s automatically hit, it deals 75 - 450 damage regardless of AC.

(I carry these in a wagon by the way.)

(Keep in mind this is 3.0)

Well, I'd most likely prohibit this use of the spell under 3.0, for a variety of reasons already mentioned. However, if I were to allow its use in this fashion, I would apply a variety of mitigating factors to it that would preclude it use, generally.

This is a very specific trick, and fairly easily de-railed. 20 arrows costs 1 g.p. 1500 g.p. for a single attack? Cute trick, but how often are you going outlay that kind of cash. Oh, and let's not forget that we need a wagon to carry these bundles and bundles of arrows that, presumably, are not bound so they can facilitiate their use in the spell. That's another 35 for the wagon, 75-200 for the horse, 5 sp/day to feed the horse and there are plenty of related expenses.

Adventurers can't take a horse and wagon that many places, so that limits you down, too. Fighting in the inn? Exploring the Forge of Fury? Travelling the Astral?

And, of course, a 2nd level spell, Protection from arrows, would allow some of this damage to evaporate, and so would stoneskin. A blink or blur spell would reduce it again further, as would mirror image (which might cause it to fail altogether, depending on use).

The spell is also quite vague on the conditions to cast it. The range is long...but does that refer to how far you can move the objects, how far the target can be from you, or how far (in toto) you can move an object, period? Depending on a DM's answer to that question, you might have to remain close to the wagon to perform the action...especially if you need line of sight to the arrows to move them.

At 9th level, this trick is cute for it's meta rules-use, but it is a trick, and it won't work many times. By 10th level, you're going to be facing lots of nasties that will ignore this trick entirely...and it's an expensive trick with diminishing returns. And for the kinds of creatures you'd reserve it for, a 20 is probably the only time you're going to hit....unless you prepare a True Strike for it. Better make it quickened, or that's two rounds until you get to act, and you may be dead before it even goes off.

Overpowered and broken? Yes. Would I allow it? No. But if I did, you wouldn't get to enjoy it very often.

 

[Grazzt]

Personally, if a player of mine asked if I'd allow it, I'd say sure with a smile. After the party used it once, the next time the party got ambushed, an enemy sorcerer would decimate the party in similar fashion. Following the TPK, I'd suggest it might be a bit unbalanced and ban it.

That's exactly how I would handle it if the player wanted to try it.

And I'd be wearing my Necromancer Games "Team TPK" t-shirt the whole time.

 

[MarauderX]

Nah, wouldn't allow that, as it's more than 1 item at a time, 3.0 or 3.5.

 

[Pagan priest]

Sounds almost useless for an adventurer, but it might make good protection in a throne room...

 

[Kershek]

Well I'd like to hear why it doesn't work...
That'd be nice...

A better question would be, "would I allow it in my game? If so, how would I structure combats so the PCs will have a challenge? How long will the one trick pony be fun for them?"

You'll probably find that, in the end, an abusive combo like that will just turn out to be no fun for everyone involved.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Ya know, I'd be awful cheesed if I was the victim of a TPK designed to teach a munchkin a lesson. As in leave the table and not look back cheesed.

I would congratulate the DM for not being a wuss. I'm amazed by how many DMs on messageboards can't control their own campaigns.

 

[pingpong]

Interesting note, they fixed the problem with the spell, but didn't apply the change to the Psionic power. So a Wizard is restricted to 1 object/caster level, but the Psionic character is not.

page 45 of the Psionics Handbook, bottom of first column:

Powers that Look Like Spells:

A power with the same name as a spell in the Player's Handbook has the same effect as that spell. The difference is that psionic powers are spell-like abilities.


Interesting note, the fixed the problem with the power at the same time they fixed the spell.

 

[Xavim]

I stand corrected