Contact other Plane and Take 10 [Archive] - Wizards Community

Contact other Plane and Take 10 [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Rhaynin
07-31-07, 02:33 PM Hi,

I would like some input on how Contact other Plane interacts with taking 10 on the required intelligence check.

I think by RAW it would work I guess, since it is specificly mentioned in the spell description that an Int check is in order to avoid the loss of spellcasting capabilities.

My DM however houseruled on the fly that taking 10 is not possible, because otherwise one could automatically and without any risk, question a lesser deity to get some answers (15 being the minimum Int required to cast the spell)

What do you think? Should it be possible?
Platstud
07-31-07, 02:47 PM Taking 10

When your character is not being threatened or distracted, you may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate your result as if you had rolled a 10. For many routine tasks, taking 10 makes them automatically successful. Distractions or threats (such as combat) make it impossible for a character to take 10. In most cases, taking 10 is purely a safety measure —you know (or expect) that an average roll will succeed but fear that a poor roll might fail, so you elect to settle for the average roll (a 10). Taking 10 is especially useful in situations where a particularly high roll wouldn’t help.

An intelligence check is not a skill check, therefore there is no rule permitting you to take ten, that I am aware of.
Shadowfax7
07-31-07, 02:58 PM An intelligence check is not a skill check, therefore there is no rule permitting you to take ten, that I am aware of.When it comes to taking 10, ability checks go by the rules on skill checks.

Ability Checks and Caster Level Checks: The normal take 10 and take 20 rules apply for ability checks. Neither rule applies to caster level checks.
Platstud
07-31-07, 03:34 PM When it comes to taking 10, ability checks go by the rules on skill checks.

Well, in that case I see no reason why you could not take 10. The logic that you could never fail certain checks does not hold up for a couple reasons:

1) You could take penalties from being sickened, fatigued, etc.
2) You might be prevented from taking 10 by a stressful situation(combat is not the only situation that prevents taking 10, and even combat could break out just as you as finishing the casting).

That being said, I don't think it's unreasonable for you DM to rule that communing with extraplanar deities that are none to pleased that you called is, in itself, a stressful situation that would prevent taking 10.

To summarize: RAW may not support your DM's decision, but reason does.
ArcTan
07-31-07, 03:43 PM My DM however houseruled on the fly that taking 10 is not possible, because otherwise one could automatically and without any risk, question a lesser deity to get some answers (15 being the minimum Int required to cast the spell)

I agree with your DM. Contact other plane is itself a stressful situation if there ever was one.
mvincent
07-31-07, 03:56 PM My DM however houseruled on the fly that taking 10 is not possible, because otherwise one could automatically and without any risk, question a lesser deity to get some answers (15 being the minimum Int required to cast the spell) Sorcerers can cast this spell also (and they are likely to have lower int's)

What do you think? Should it be possible?Yes, taking 10 is possible (just like with disarming a trap, which many DM's still incorrectly think isn't possible). If your DM wishes to change this, it'd probably be better to notify you of this before you cast the spell... but then again, such problems befall unsuspecting spell-casters all the time in fiction, so you not knowing is certainly within the genre ;)

Better to ask for his ruling on such things beforehand (and consider it part of your wizardly research).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rhaynin 07-31-07, 02:33 PM	Hi, I would like some input on how Contact other Plane interacts with taking 10 on the required intelligence check. I think by RAW it would work I guess, since it is specificly mentioned in the spell description that an Int check is in order to avoid the loss of spellcasting capabilities. My DM however houseruled on the fly that taking 10 is not possible, because otherwise one could automatically and without any risk, question a lesser deity to get some answers (15 being the minimum Int required to cast the spell) What do you think? Should it be possible?
Platstud 07-31-07, 02:47 PM	Taking 10 When your character is not being threatened or distracted, you may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate your result as if you had rolled a 10. For many routine tasks, taking 10 makes them automatically successful. Distractions or threats (such as combat) make it impossible for a character to take 10. In most cases, taking 10 is purely a safety measure —you know (or expect) that an average roll will succeed but fear that a poor roll might fail, so you elect to settle for the average roll (a 10). Taking 10 is especially useful in situations where a particularly high roll wouldn’t help. An intelligence check is not a skill check, therefore there is no rule permitting you to take ten, that I am aware of.
Shadowfax7 07-31-07, 02:58 PM	An intelligence check is not a skill check, therefore there is no rule permitting you to take ten, that I am aware of.When it comes to taking 10, ability checks go by the rules on skill checks. Ability Checks and Caster Level Checks: The normal take 10 and take 20 rules apply for ability checks. Neither rule applies to caster level checks.
Platstud 07-31-07, 03:34 PM	When it comes to taking 10, ability checks go by the rules on skill checks. Well, in that case I see no reason why you could not take 10. The logic that you could never fail certain checks does not hold up for a couple reasons: 1) You could take penalties from being sickened, fatigued, etc. 2) You might be prevented from taking 10 by a stressful situation(combat is not the only situation that prevents taking 10, and even combat could break out just as you as finishing the casting). That being said, I don't think it's unreasonable for you DM to rule that communing with extraplanar deities that are none to pleased that you called is, in itself, a stressful situation that would prevent taking 10. To summarize: RAW may not support your DM's decision, but reason does.
ArcTan 07-31-07, 03:43 PM	My DM however houseruled on the fly that taking 10 is not possible, because otherwise one could automatically and without any risk, question a lesser deity to get some answers (15 being the minimum Int required to cast the spell) I agree with your DM. Contact other plane is itself a stressful situation if there ever was one.
mvincent 07-31-07, 03:56 PM	My DM however houseruled on the fly that taking 10 is not possible, because otherwise one could automatically and without any risk, question a lesser deity to get some answers (15 being the minimum Int required to cast the spell) Sorcerers can cast this spell also (and they are likely to have lower int's) What do you think? Should it be possible?Yes, taking 10 is possible (just like with disarming a trap, which many DM's still incorrectly think isn't possible). If your DM wishes to change this, it'd probably be better to notify you of this before you cast the spell... but then again, such problems befall unsuspecting spell-casters all the time in fiction, so you not knowing is certainly within the genre ;) Better to ask for his ruling on such things beforehand (and consider it part of your wizardly research).