Item ego [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Item ego [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tactical_001
12-05-06, 07:40 PM My dm is controlling my character through an intelligent item.

I'm currently running a level 2 ninja (soon to be level 3) and have recently come across a magic dagger.

At first I thought it was a boon, two sessions later it took over my character and the dm has been running my ninja ever sense.

I currently know the following.

1. The item has an ego score of 23.
2. It has telepathy. (Thus I can't throw it away because it knows when I'm going too and stops me.)
3. I have a will save of +4. (Thus I need a 19 or better to succeed on my save. My rolls tend to suck.)

It's really starting to **** me off, do any of you have suggestions?
allenchan
12-05-06, 07:45 PM 2. It has telepathy. (Thus I can't throw it away because it knows when I'm going too and stops me.)

This is not how telepathy works.

If that were the case, it would be impossible to fight any fiend because they all have telepathy and would always know what you were about to do.

In any case, the fact that the DM is throwing uber intelligent items at you at level 2 means he needs to be shot in the face with a hammer.
Toloran
12-05-06, 07:47 PM My dm is controlling my character through an intelligent item.

I'm currently running a level 2 ninja (soon to be level 3) and have recently come across a magic dagger.

At first I thought it was a boon, two sessions later it took over my character and the dm has been running my ninja ever sense.

I currently know the following.

1. The item has an ego score of 23.
2. It has telepathy. (Thus I can't throw it away because it knows when I'm going too and stops me.)
3. I have a will save of +4. (Thus I need a 19 or better to succeed on my save. My rolls tend to suck.)

It's really starting to **** me off, do any of you have suggestions?

*Hands Tactical_001 the Hammer Gun*

Use it wisely.
Tactical_001
12-05-06, 09:41 PM This is not how telepathy works.

If that were the case, it would be impossible to fight any fiend because they all have telepathy and would always know what you were about to do.

In any case, the fact that the DM is throwing uber intelligent items at you at level 2 means he needs to be shot in the face with a hammer.

My DM goes with the line of logic that the dagger senses my character about to toss it and clenches the hand.

Just how much control can an item exert over a character? Am I trapped in my own body?

I don't want to up and leave either, this is the DM's first offense and before this he has been pretty awesome.

P.S. I got the dagger from the underdeveloped bbeg I wasn't supposed to kill yet, it was his weapon.
allenchan
12-05-06, 10:05 PM Just how much control can an item exert over a character? Am I trapped in my own body?

Here:
Items Against Characters

When an item has an Ego of its own, it has a will of its own. The item is, of course, absolutely true to its alignment. If the character who possesses the item is not true to that alignment’s goals or the item’s special purpose, personality conflict—item against character—results. Similarly, any item with an Ego score of 20 or higher always considers itself superior to any character, and a personality conflict results if the possessor does not always agree with the item.

When a personality conflict occurs, the possessor must make a Will saving throw (DC = item’s Ego). If the possessor succeeds, she is dominant. If she fails, the item is dominant. Dominance lasts for one day or until a critical situation occurs (such as a major battle, a serious threat to either the item or the character, and so on). Should an item gain dominance, it resists the character’s desires and demands concessions such as any of the following.

* Removal of associates or items whose alignment or personality is distasteful to the item.
* The character divesting herself of all other magic items or items of a certain type.
* Obedience from the character so the item can direct where they go for its own purposes.
* Immediate seeking out and slaying of creatures hateful to the item.
* Magical protections and devices to protect the item from molestation when it is not in use.
* That the character carry the item with her on all occasions.
* That the character relinquish the item in favor of a more suitable possessor due to alignment differences or conduct.

In extreme circumstances, the item can resort to even harsher measures, such as the following acts:

* Force its possessor into combat.
* Refuse to strike opponents.
* Strike at its wielder or her associates.
* Force its possessor to surrender to an opponent.
* Cause itself to drop from the character’s grasp.

Naturally, such actions are unlikely when harmony reigns between the character’s and item’s alignments or when their purposes and personalities are well matched. Even so, an item might wish to have a lesser character possess it in order to easily establish and maintain dominance over him, or a higher-level possessor so as to better accomplish its goals.

I suppose the first step is asking what alignment you are, it is, and what you were/werent doing that it wanted you to do/not do.
Tactical_001
12-05-06, 10:28 PM Item alignment - LE (I think, may be NE)
My alignment - CE

Things it has done.

Tried several times to throw it away, see hand clinching.
Tried too call for help from cleric, it garbles my speech.
It forced me to cough up blood, possibly someone else's blood. (wtf?)
It tried to slit my throat, I managed a 20 on a will save to prevent it.
Controls all of my out of combat actions; speech, movement, etc.
Has forced me to kill various npc's.
Has forced me to try to kill various pc's.
The list goes on...
Toloran
12-05-06, 11:30 PM First thing you should do is asks your DM why the **** did he give you an item WELL beyond your characters power level? Expecially one that controls your actions?

Also, an item can never take control of you. Now, it might not do things you want it to, but it won't make you do something you don't want to (within limits) and it only does that when you do something that is against its nature.
allenchan
12-05-06, 11:38 PM Item alignment - LE (I think, may be NE)
My alignment - CE

Things it has done.

Tried several times to throw it away, see hand clinching.
Tried too call for help from cleric, it garbles my speech.
It forced me to cough up blood, possibly someone else's blood. (wtf?)
It tried to slit my throat, I managed a 20 on a will save to prevent it.
Controls all of my out of combat actions; speech, movement, etc.
Has forced me to kill various npc's.
Has forced me to try to kill various pc's.
The list goes on...

Clearly, this is going well outside the rules, and needs to be confronted ASAP. If nothing else, ask to retire this PC, since it is not longer a PC, but an NPC.
Tactical_001
12-06-06, 12:05 AM Is there an upper limit some where in the rules for things the item can make you do? I really don't want to retire the character.
YamiSouru
12-06-06, 12:11 AM ...what was a BBEG doing with a a ego 23 dagger when he is revealing himself to a lvl 2? in all honesty your DM need to get hit as no self respecting BBEG would deal with a dagger who likes to talk back...Though if the BBEG was strong enough to weild this weapon and maintain control i wonder how you were able to kill him? and if you killed him in the middle of a big speech do me a personal favor and slap your DM for me...:P

honestly though tell your DM your going to retire the ninja and say "I want to actually play this game and your dagger wont let me. and thats not fun for me. keep my ninja as a npc if you want but im makeing a new charactor."

Or tell your DM your going to take 20 on throwing the dagger into the next ditch you find. And if your dm complains tell him that its not fair to have to sit out of a game because he let the BBEG die to early.
Prak, the Mad
12-06-06, 12:44 AM Item alignment - LE (I think, may be NE)
My alignment - CE

Things it has done.

Tried several times to throw it away, see hand clinching.{can't expressly do, though it's ability to drop from the character's hand implies it could refuse to fall}
Tried too call for help from cleric, it garbles my speech.{cannot do}
It forced me to cough up blood, possibly someone else's blood. (wtf?){cannot do}
It tried to slit my throat, I managed a 20 on a will save to prevent it.{expressly can do}
Controls all of my out of combat actions; speech, movement, etc.{Cannot do}
Has forced me to kill various npc's.{Implicitly can do, if it can attack the wielder, and can refuse to strike foes, it can conceivably attack people of it's own voliton}
Has forced me to try to kill various pc's.{see above]}
The list goes on...

my comments in {}
Kradlo
12-06-06, 09:58 AM I've seen variants of this before. I recall a party member picking up a sword, then getting a strange look on his face, then smiling.

"Hi, I'm Tarlethotherod, and this is my pet Elf!"

I think it had an Ego of 24. It was a while before we could get that sword away from him.

In your case, I'd suggest talking to the GM. Tell him that you are there to play a character, not to sit and watch as your character is played for you. It's one thing to be temporarily mind controlled - that happens fairly frequently in D&D. But this has gone on for two entire game sessions, and there's currently no end in sight.

There has to be some way that you can fight back and regain control of yourself, or there's no point in playing the character, or more accurately, in sitting back and watching the GM play the character.

It's a common problem with some GMs to have the uber mind control with the ridiculously high DC save so that he can take control of a PC. If he intends to continue doing it, hand him the character sheet and roll up another character, because it's no longer your character at that point.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tactical_001 12-05-06, 07:40 PM	My dm is controlling my character through an intelligent item. I'm currently running a level 2 ninja (soon to be level 3) and have recently come across a magic dagger. At first I thought it was a boon, two sessions later it took over my character and the dm has been running my ninja ever sense. I currently know the following. 1. The item has an ego score of 23. 2. It has telepathy. (Thus I can't throw it away because it knows when I'm going too and stops me.) 3. I have a will save of +4. (Thus I need a 19 or better to succeed on my save. My rolls tend to suck.) It's really starting to **** me off, do any of you have suggestions?
allenchan 12-05-06, 07:45 PM	2. It has telepathy. (Thus I can't throw it away because it knows when I'm going too and stops me.) This is not how telepathy works. If that were the case, it would be impossible to fight any fiend because they all have telepathy and would always know what you were about to do. In any case, the fact that the DM is throwing uber intelligent items at you at level 2 means he needs to be shot in the face with a hammer.
Toloran 12-05-06, 07:47 PM	My dm is controlling my character through an intelligent item. I'm currently running a level 2 ninja (soon to be level 3) and have recently come across a magic dagger. At first I thought it was a boon, two sessions later it took over my character and the dm has been running my ninja ever sense. I currently know the following. 1. The item has an ego score of 23. 2. It has telepathy. (Thus I can't throw it away because it knows when I'm going too and stops me.) 3. I have a will save of +4. (Thus I need a 19 or better to succeed on my save. My rolls tend to suck.) It's really starting to **** me off, do any of you have suggestions? Hands Tactical_001 the Hammer Gun Use it wisely.
Tactical_001 12-05-06, 09:41 PM	This is not how telepathy works. If that were the case, it would be impossible to fight any fiend because they all have telepathy and would always know what you were about to do. In any case, the fact that the DM is throwing uber intelligent items at you at level 2 means he needs to be shot in the face with a hammer. My DM goes with the line of logic that the dagger senses my character about to toss it and clenches the hand. Just how much control can an item exert over a character? Am I trapped in my own body? I don't want to up and leave either, this is the DM's first offense and before this he has been pretty awesome. P.S. I got the dagger from the underdeveloped bbeg I wasn't supposed to kill yet, it was his weapon.
allenchan 12-05-06, 10:05 PM	Just how much control can an item exert over a character? Am I trapped in my own body? Here: Items Against Characters When an item has an Ego of its own, it has a will of its own. The item is, of course, absolutely true to its alignment. If the character who possesses the item is not true to that alignment’s goals or the item’s special purpose, personality conflict—item against character—results. Similarly, any item with an Ego score of 20 or higher always considers itself superior to any character, and a personality conflict results if the possessor does not always agree with the item. When a personality conflict occurs, the possessor must make a Will saving throw (DC = item’s Ego). If the possessor succeeds, she is dominant. If she fails, the item is dominant. Dominance lasts for one day or until a critical situation occurs (such as a major battle, a serious threat to either the item or the character, and so on). Should an item gain dominance, it resists the character’s desires and demands concessions such as any of the following. * Removal of associates or items whose alignment or personality is distasteful to the item. * The character divesting herself of all other magic items or items of a certain type. * Obedience from the character so the item can direct where they go for its own purposes. * Immediate seeking out and slaying of creatures hateful to the item. * Magical protections and devices to protect the item from molestation when it is not in use. * That the character carry the item with her on all occasions. * That the character relinquish the item in favor of a more suitable possessor due to alignment differences or conduct. In extreme circumstances, the item can resort to even harsher measures, such as the following acts: * Force its possessor into combat. * Refuse to strike opponents. * Strike at its wielder or her associates. * Force its possessor to surrender to an opponent. * Cause itself to drop from the character’s grasp. Naturally, such actions are unlikely when harmony reigns between the character’s and item’s alignments or when their purposes and personalities are well matched. Even so, an item might wish to have a lesser character possess it in order to easily establish and maintain dominance over him, or a higher-level possessor so as to better accomplish its goals. I suppose the first step is asking what alignment you are, it is, and what you were/werent doing that it wanted you to do/not do.
Tactical_001 12-05-06, 10:28 PM	Item alignment - LE (I think, may be NE) My alignment - CE Things it has done. Tried several times to throw it away, see hand clinching. Tried too call for help from cleric, it garbles my speech. It forced me to cough up blood, possibly someone else's blood. (wtf?) It tried to slit my throat, I managed a 20 on a will save to prevent it. Controls all of my out of combat actions; speech, movement, etc. Has forced me to kill various npc's. Has forced me to try to kill various pc's. The list goes on...
Toloran 12-05-06, 11:30 PM	First thing you should do is asks your DM why the **** did he give you an item WELL beyond your characters power level? Expecially one that controls your actions? Also, an item can never take control of you. Now, it might not do things you want it to, but it won't make you do something you don't want to (within limits) and it only does that when you do something that is against its nature.
allenchan 12-05-06, 11:38 PM	Item alignment - LE (I think, may be NE) My alignment - CE Things it has done. Tried several times to throw it away, see hand clinching. Tried too call for help from cleric, it garbles my speech. It forced me to cough up blood, possibly someone else's blood. (wtf?) It tried to slit my throat, I managed a 20 on a will save to prevent it. Controls all of my out of combat actions; speech, movement, etc. Has forced me to kill various npc's. Has forced me to try to kill various pc's. The list goes on... Clearly, this is going well outside the rules, and needs to be confronted ASAP. If nothing else, ask to retire this PC, since it is not longer a PC, but an NPC.
Tactical_001 12-06-06, 12:05 AM	Is there an upper limit some where in the rules for things the item can make you do? I really don't want to retire the character.
YamiSouru 12-06-06, 12:11 AM	...what was a BBEG doing with a a ego 23 dagger when he is revealing himself to a lvl 2? in all honesty your DM need to get hit as no self respecting BBEG would deal with a dagger who likes to talk back...Though if the BBEG was strong enough to weild this weapon and maintain control i wonder how you were able to kill him? and if you killed him in the middle of a big speech do me a personal favor and slap your DM for me...:P honestly though tell your DM your going to retire the ninja and say "I want to actually play this game and your dagger wont let me. and thats not fun for me. keep my ninja as a npc if you want but im makeing a new charactor." Or tell your DM your going to take 20 on throwing the dagger into the next ditch you find. And if your dm complains tell him that its not fair to have to sit out of a game because he let the BBEG die to early.
Prak, the Mad 12-06-06, 12:44 AM	Item alignment - LE (I think, may be NE) My alignment - CE Things it has done. Tried several times to throw it away, see hand clinching.{can't expressly do, though it's ability to drop from the character's hand implies it could refuse to fall} Tried too call for help from cleric, it garbles my speech.{cannot do} It forced me to cough up blood, possibly someone else's blood. (wtf?){cannot do} It tried to slit my throat, I managed a 20 on a will save to prevent it.{expressly can do} Controls all of my out of combat actions; speech, movement, etc.{Cannot do} Has forced me to kill various npc's.{Implicitly can do, if it can attack the wielder, and can refuse to strike foes, it can conceivably attack people of it's own voliton} Has forced me to try to kill various pc's.{see above]} The list goes on... my comments in {}
Kradlo 12-06-06, 09:58 AM	I've seen variants of this before. I recall a party member picking up a sword, then getting a strange look on his face, then smiling. "Hi, I'm Tarlethotherod, and this is my pet Elf!" I think it had an Ego of 24. It was a while before we could get that sword away from him. In your case, I'd suggest talking to the GM. Tell him that you are there to play a character, not to sit and watch as your character is played for you. It's one thing to be temporarily mind controlled - that happens fairly frequently in D&D. But this has gone on for two entire game sessions, and there's currently no end in sight. There has to be some way that you can fight back and regain control of yourself, or there's no point in playing the character, or more accurately, in sitting back and watching the GM play the character. It's a common problem with some GMs to have the uber mind control with the ridiculously high DC save so that he can take control of a PC. If he intends to continue doing it, hand him the character sheet and roll up another character, because it's no longer your character at that point.