Being Turned to Stone. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Being Turned to Stone. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Rocco Manitta
08-01-04, 11:35 PM Ok D+D Masters, here's the scoop. I need qualified opinions and rulings on this very strange scenario that occurred tonight in our Epic Level Game.

1. The 25th level Frenzied Berserker, beat down to about -200 hit points, but still alive thanks to Deathless Frenzy, gets turned to stone (as per a Flesh to Stone spell), by an Advanced Blackstone Gigant's Petrify Attack.

2. The Blackstone Gigant picks up the Petrified Character, and on her action, "breaks" him (treat as Coup de'grace, or whatever), and drops him into a portal that leads to another plane of existance (probably Acheron).

What is the fate of this character?

BTW: The Blackstone Gigant is a monster from Fiend Folio, advanced to 54 Hit Dice.

Thanks, as always, for reading and posting.

Rock.
SALDAR
08-02-04, 12:01 AM Gravel?
Rocco Manitta
08-02-04, 12:04 AM Thanks Saldar. Can you be a little more specific as to the why's and how's?

I.e., if, after being turned to stone, does his frenzy ability end. If it does end, can we assume that, since he is at -200 hit points, that he's dead, or does the fact that he's a statue 'suspend' everything: his state of frenzy, his hit point loss, etc. etc.

Rock.
Mitchell
08-02-04, 12:41 AM The character is not dead, or not yet, anyway.
As it stands currently, the character, if restored to flesh, would be dead due to the massive amount of damage the statue sustained, coupled with the hit point situation. If you repair the statue somehow before restoring the character to flesh, you would still have a character in the negative hit points, but they would be whole in body. The deathless frenzy or whatever still ends at some time. The effect has a duration, and being turned to stone doesn't halt the flow of time for that sort of thing.
You should, at that level, be able to restore the statue, and then try to use a wish or something to give the character their "vitality" or some such non-metagaming term back. If your DM is a hardcase involving wishes, then maybe hit point restoration would be better, as they may decide to construe any gamespeak term as constitution or something.
If need be, just cast stone to flesh and resurrect them.
SALDAR
08-02-04, 01:01 AM Sorry for the levity. I would agree with Mitchell.
Seeker95
08-02-04, 09:39 AM I would rule him dead as soon as the statue was broken. However, Mitchell described the "technically" element. If the now-broken-statue can be retrieved, made whole and stone to fleshed in less time than is left in the duration of the deathless frenzy, the character can still be alive.

Or, just use a true resurrection and be done with it.
Rocco Manitta
08-02-04, 10:20 AM Well, they will have a hard time getting him "made whole" and "stone to fleshed" before his deathless frenzy wears off....

Would he then be dead?

Yes, of course True Ressurection can bring him back, but that's a different matter alltogether...

Rock.
Mitchell
08-02-04, 08:56 PM Stone statues are neither living nor dead, they just are. If the statue is made whole, it is still just a statue. If the time has run out on deathless frenzy, then they will be dead as soon as the character is made flesh again. A wish, miracle, or maybe a limited wish would possibly allow the party to restore hit points to the character before they de-stone them. If they do not restore his hit points, he will be dead when restored to flesh. If they don't bother to restore the statue at all, then he will obviously be dead, as he will be alot of little pieces.
Normal healing spells will not work here, as stone statues suffer no benefit from cure X wounds and such. It will require a powerful multi-purpose spell as mentioned above.
Largely, it's up to you to decide how hard to make it. If you want to cut them some slack, then let a limited wish work, if not, then require either a full wish or miracle ("I wish that when Joe is restored to fleshly form that he will have enough "life-force" (hit points) so as to be at full health" or something.)
Keenath
08-02-04, 10:18 PM I'd like to register a slight disagreement. I'm not entirely sure Deathless Rage *would* continue after petrification. The character's metabolism has entirely stopped, having been turned to stone. I would suggest that, if his statue is reassembled and turned living again, his rage would pick up exactly where it left off, giving the other players time to heal him. And they'll probably NEED a Heal spell or three, with that kind of damage.

This may not be strictly within the rules, but it's more cinematic that way, isn't it? Never let the rules get in the way of a good story.
Seeker95
08-02-04, 11:31 PM Originally posted by Keenath
I'd like to register a slight disagreement. I'm not entirely sure Deathless Rage *would* continue after petrification. I would suggest that, if his statue is reassembled and turned living again, his rage would pick up exactly where it left offIf the deathless rage were a racial ability instead of a class ability, I might be inclined to agree with you. But as a class ability, it has nothing to do with the metabolism of a creature beyond some flavor text reference. It is a duration-based ability. Duration is time based. Time ticks on even after the character is turned to stone.

If it is metabolism-related, then an undead frenzied berserker would not be able to have deathless rage. Since no such prohibition exists...
ArchonTheBlack
08-04-04, 02:38 PM It could be argued that Frenzy and Rage are based on metabolism to a degree since the duration is 3+ con mod; however, being turned to stop doesn't cease the flow of time it simply turns you into "an inert statue". It would seem to me that it is in effect "killing" the character in respects to just about all thing with the exception of the XP loss and the fact that a stone to flesh spell is the required ingredient rather than a "insert favored form of resurrection here" spell. To fix the breaking in half bit of it would require a discussion in somantics. The make whole spell can restore a statue to it's unbroken form, but a character turned to stone is not killed as stated by the flesh to stone spell. Therefore, is the statue still considered a "creature" and if so... a make whole spell will not function on it as it states that the target cannot be a creature. IMHO the statue would not be considered a creature otherwise it could be targeted by a whole litany of interesting things. Allow the make whole spell and perhaps a cleric (or two) with a readied action to cast a cure spell the moment the character turns back to flesh. You may be able to beat the grim reaper in initiative (that's a joke). As for finding the statue... that's a whole separate issue.
Thomar_of_Uointer
08-04-04, 07:04 PM I'd say he's gravel from the moment he's snapped in half, and you need a True Ressurection, Wish or Miracle to get him back.
ClementWillowbreaker
08-04-04, 11:14 PM Why would you ever want to return him to flesh? You should just find the statue, Make Whole it, and keep it. How often do you get to see someone with -200hp? Exposed bones, popped out organs, and still looking lively. I would sell him to the Fighter's Guild to keep in their courtyard.

Jokes aside, if you can get the pieces together (either mundanely or requiring a Wish-line spell), I would say that Stone to Flesh would kill him, unless you "fixed" his -200hp first. Either a Wish-line spell, or good old Craft (stoneworking) checks to remortar up his rib cage. Then turning him back would not kill him.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rocco Manitta 08-01-04, 11:35 PM	Ok D+D Masters, here's the scoop. I need qualified opinions and rulings on this very strange scenario that occurred tonight in our Epic Level Game. 1. The 25th level Frenzied Berserker, beat down to about -200 hit points, but still alive thanks to Deathless Frenzy, gets turned to stone (as per a Flesh to Stone spell), by an Advanced Blackstone Gigant's Petrify Attack. 2. The Blackstone Gigant picks up the Petrified Character, and on her action, "breaks" him (treat as Coup de'grace, or whatever), and drops him into a portal that leads to another plane of existance (probably Acheron). What is the fate of this character? BTW: The Blackstone Gigant is a monster from Fiend Folio, advanced to 54 Hit Dice. Thanks, as always, for reading and posting. Rock.
SALDAR 08-02-04, 12:01 AM	Gravel?
Rocco Manitta 08-02-04, 12:04 AM	Thanks Saldar. Can you be a little more specific as to the why's and how's? I.e., if, after being turned to stone, does his frenzy ability end. If it does end, can we assume that, since he is at -200 hit points, that he's dead, or does the fact that he's a statue 'suspend' everything: his state of frenzy, his hit point loss, etc. etc. Rock.
Mitchell 08-02-04, 12:41 AM	The character is not dead, or not yet, anyway. As it stands currently, the character, if restored to flesh, would be dead due to the massive amount of damage the statue sustained, coupled with the hit point situation. If you repair the statue somehow before restoring the character to flesh, you would still have a character in the negative hit points, but they would be whole in body. The deathless frenzy or whatever still ends at some time. The effect has a duration, and being turned to stone doesn't halt the flow of time for that sort of thing. You should, at that level, be able to restore the statue, and then try to use a wish or something to give the character their "vitality" or some such non-metagaming term back. If your DM is a hardcase involving wishes, then maybe hit point restoration would be better, as they may decide to construe any gamespeak term as constitution or something. If need be, just cast stone to flesh and resurrect them.
SALDAR 08-02-04, 01:01 AM	Sorry for the levity. I would agree with Mitchell.
Seeker95 08-02-04, 09:39 AM	I would rule him dead as soon as the statue was broken. However, Mitchell described the "technically" element. If the now-broken-statue can be retrieved, made whole and stone to fleshed in less time than is left in the duration of the deathless frenzy, the character can still be alive. Or, just use a true resurrection and be done with it.
Rocco Manitta 08-02-04, 10:20 AM	Well, they will have a hard time getting him "made whole" and "stone to fleshed" before his deathless frenzy wears off.... Would he then be dead? Yes, of course True Ressurection can bring him back, but that's a different matter alltogether... Rock.
Mitchell 08-02-04, 08:56 PM	Stone statues are neither living nor dead, they just are. If the statue is made whole, it is still just a statue. If the time has run out on deathless frenzy, then they will be dead as soon as the character is made flesh again. A wish, miracle, or maybe a limited wish would possibly allow the party to restore hit points to the character before they de-stone them. If they do not restore his hit points, he will be dead when restored to flesh. If they don't bother to restore the statue at all, then he will obviously be dead, as he will be alot of little pieces. Normal healing spells will not work here, as stone statues suffer no benefit from cure X wounds and such. It will require a powerful multi-purpose spell as mentioned above. Largely, it's up to you to decide how hard to make it. If you want to cut them some slack, then let a limited wish work, if not, then require either a full wish or miracle ("I wish that when Joe is restored to fleshly form that he will have enough "life-force" (hit points) so as to be at full health" or something.)
Keenath 08-02-04, 10:18 PM	I'd like to register a slight disagreement. I'm not entirely sure Deathless Rage would continue after petrification. The character's metabolism has entirely stopped, having been turned to stone. I would suggest that, if his statue is reassembled and turned living again, his rage would pick up exactly where it left off, giving the other players time to heal him. And they'll probably NEED a Heal spell or three, with that kind of damage. This may not be strictly within the rules, but it's more cinematic that way, isn't it? Never let the rules get in the way of a good story.
Seeker95 08-02-04, 11:31 PM	Originally posted by Keenath I'd like to register a slight disagreement. I'm not entirely sure Deathless Rage would continue after petrification. I would suggest that, if his statue is reassembled and turned living again, his rage would pick up exactly where it left offIf the deathless rage were a racial ability instead of a class ability, I might be inclined to agree with you. But as a class ability, it has nothing to do with the metabolism of a creature beyond some flavor text reference. It is a duration-based ability. Duration is time based. Time ticks on even after the character is turned to stone. If it is metabolism-related, then an undead frenzied berserker would not be able to have deathless rage. Since no such prohibition exists...
ArchonTheBlack 08-04-04, 02:38 PM	It could be argued that Frenzy and Rage are based on metabolism to a degree since the duration is 3+ con mod; however, being turned to stop doesn't cease the flow of time it simply turns you into "an inert statue". It would seem to me that it is in effect "killing" the character in respects to just about all thing with the exception of the XP loss and the fact that a stone to flesh spell is the required ingredient rather than a "insert favored form of resurrection here" spell. To fix the breaking in half bit of it would require a discussion in somantics. The make whole spell can restore a statue to it's unbroken form, but a character turned to stone is not killed as stated by the flesh to stone spell. Therefore, is the statue still considered a "creature" and if so... a make whole spell will not function on it as it states that the target cannot be a creature. IMHO the statue would not be considered a creature otherwise it could be targeted by a whole litany of interesting things. Allow the make whole spell and perhaps a cleric (or two) with a readied action to cast a cure spell the moment the character turns back to flesh. You may be able to beat the grim reaper in initiative (that's a joke). As for finding the statue... that's a whole separate issue.
Thomar_of_Uointer 08-04-04, 07:04 PM	I'd say he's gravel from the moment he's snapped in half, and you need a True Ressurection, Wish or Miracle to get him back.
ClementWillowbreaker 08-04-04, 11:14 PM	Why would you ever want to return him to flesh? You should just find the statue, Make Whole it, and keep it. How often do you get to see someone with -200hp? Exposed bones, popped out organs, and still looking lively. I would sell him to the Fighter's Guild to keep in their courtyard. Jokes aside, if you can get the pieces together (either mundanely or requiring a Wish-line spell), I would say that Stone to Flesh would kill him, unless you "fixed" his -200hp first. Either a Wish-line spell, or good old Craft (stoneworking) checks to remortar up his rib cage. Then turning him back would not kill him.