D&D 5E (2014) Would you marry a party member for +2 AC?

[MarkB]

So, after seven days is there a very hasty divorce, reconciliation and remarriage?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And 28 Days Later....

 

[Caliban]

Wedding: You touch adult humanoids willing to be bonded together in marriage. For the next 7 days, each target gains a +2 bonus to AC while they are within 30 feet of each other. A creature can benefit from this rite again only if widowed.

Divorce won't work. But I could see an evil aligned person or party being "serial widowers" as they move from town to town and marrying impressionable young people who never make it to the next town...

Or really dedicated power gamers who don't mind spending 300 gp each week for a Revivify spell followed by another marriage ceremony.

 

[Schmoe]

What a bizarre spell. If you were just married, why on Earth would you do anything where you care about your AC? Is it to dodge rice?

 

[Nevvur]

True Polymorph is a high requirement, and regular Polymorph could only turn the insect into a beast.

Is it THAT hard to find a willing humanoid?

I did miss the beast requirement part of polymorph. Blessedly, my players haven't taken that spell in years so I haven't bothered remembering the details. So good call there.

But the suggestion was less about the willingness of the humanoid and more about their disposability once the buff wears out.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Divorce won't work. But I could see an evil aligned person or party being "serial widowers" as they move from town to town and marrying impressionable young people who never make it to the next town...

See Bluebeard. Henry VIII.

Maybe Prince Charming...

 

[hastur_nz]

I reviewed this book, and they definitely cut out at least one spell that was way worse than this one, and changed some others for the better. I don't have my review notes anymore, so maybe it slipped by, or maybe they ignored my complaints. Often they will just cut something if I savage it too harshly. From memory, this spell (and a number of others) was in the original Unearthed Arcana for 1E, so I guess they were looking for the Nostalga Factor. But yeah, good call on the 4e Ritual thing. Totally no use for this as a spell - any table that really want a wedding ritual "blessed by the gods" can make something up as appropriate, they don't need it spelled out in the PHB.

 

[pukunui]

I also argued in my playtest feedback that ceremony should have just been a magic ritual - perhaps even a downtime activity - rather than a spell. But it would appear they really wanted it to be a spell.

 

[jgsugden]

You're forgetting that cleric and paladins answer to another power for their magic. Most Deities will not take kindly to abuses of their magic. I say most, as some might be all over this type of thing.

The High Priest of Lolth cordially invtes you to the weekly Black Widow Sacrifical Wedding, in which her elite guards wed immediatey following the sacrifice of their current spouses. In lieu of gifts, bring teenage children. (Sornorvir says that a Merfolk might be interesting for a week).

 

[lowkey13]

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