Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Kennethray Dec 31, 2014 14:40:12	So one of the PCs in a game I am running has gathered a bunch of glass and crushed them down to a fine powerd. He has placed them in bags to use at a later date. Since he has named these bags "Blinding Powder" I have a fairly good guess at what he intends. Now I want to let this work, but not make it over powerful for almost no cost. So here is what I was thinking:   Blinding Powder: Range 10 feet, Range attack that uses Dex to hit. No disadvantage to use while in melee. It is a Improvised weapon, so no prof bonus. Attack vs AC. If hit then target takes 1d4 damage, target must make a Dex save of 10+ damage rolled or become blinded by the glass that requires magical healing to repair. If you miss the target by 5 or more then you must make a Dex save of 10 or suffer the same outcome.   This should be enough to allow the PC to use it, but to think twice before using it as a default attack.   What do you guys think?   Thanks for any input.   K-Ray
#2 DM_HEEGZ Dec 31, 2014 17:25:23	There are already rules in the PHB for improvised thrown weapons. I would use those instead of making up your own ranges.   Not sure about the damage and long term effects. Maybe make it an attack roll vs. a Dex Acrobatics instead?
#3 iserith Dec 31, 2014 21:51:45	So take a look at the Blinded condition and the Restrained condition. Restrained is kind of worse, right?   Next, look in the equipment section at a Net (BR pg. 47).   Now be happy to have the blinding glass blind the creature on a hit until some conditions are met. It's still better than being restrained which he can do with an item right out of the equipment list. And you've already established it will be an improvised weapon and thus have no proficiency bonus applied to the attack roll (till the guy takes Tavern Brawler). So basically it will probably be harder to hit than using a net and apply a weaker condition. If the player is happy with that, I say go for it.
#4 EzechielDantan Jan 01, 2015 2:05:18	I would not have it deal damage, nobody dies from having powder thrown at them repeatedly. Even if it does sting.   Give it a max of 5' range and non recoverable.   it is a ranged attack at melee range, typically giving disadvantage on the roll.   blind for one round, make a save at start of eahc of the creature's turn, a DC 10 con save to negate blindness or something   Also glass is not that common in a medieval like setting, probably not as rare in a fantasy camapign but likely not common enough to find in the trash. Feel free to make him spend 5 silver for a shot.
(Reply to #4) Macv12	EzechielDantan wrote:
(Reply to #5) EzechielDantan	Macv12 wrote:
#7 BRJN Jan 01, 2015 16:23:54	This stuff sounds like something useful as a trap in a tomb or someplace with no breeze, so the powder hangs in the air longer.  Poof a cloud of grit (10 ft diameter?) into the middle of the room so anybody charging through it comes to a sudden stop and cries out, "My eyes!"  I have a hard time imagining it being useful in the open air (except once, so the PC can feel clever and get a payoff for his work).   Does your player really want to be a Tinker Gnome?
#8 Macv12 Jan 01, 2015 23:09:22	Ezechiel, some of that makes sense, but it's still screaming "I don't approve of this tactic, you are not to use it at my table."   it is a ranged weapon because you throw it, I looked at it considering the net. It has a short range of 5' and a maximum range of 15', this basically means you always have disadvantage with it.
#9 EzechielDantan Jan 02, 2015 0:17:43	I honestly do not know how I would rule it, but I would rule a situational event less strict.    The options above is me mostly playing devil's advocate of course. Not sure how I woud feel if everyone in the party would start carrying blinding power because it is a good option though, so I come up with reasons not to do it and then figure out why not everybody would do it. If everyone at my table likes the idea though I might decide to have rogues be proficient with it or add 'dirty trick'  to their bonus action options.
#10 iserith Jan 02, 2015 5:53:50	With the net, someone is probably giving up an action to cut open or break it. For many, that'll be the only action they take on that turn. (Characters with multiple attacks can just attack the net then carry on. Still sucks to give up an attack though.) I think that's fair for blinding powder as well. Call it a DC 10 Constitution check as an action to get over the effect or a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check as an action for someone else to do it. Give it the same range as an improvised weapon. Then you're good, I think.   EzechielDantan wrote:
#11 Kennethray Jan 02, 2015 18:42:20	We played last night and it was not used then. In the players mind, blindness from the glass would be a perma thing due to damage done to the eyes. As far as glass goes, they get lots of healing pots, and those happen to be in glass vials. I am not out to put restrictions on things my people come up with but I also do not want them to have a over powered item they can make at no cost. Perma blindness is over powered. I spoke with them and asked if they wanted to have it be a temp effect that someone could make a save out of every round, or a perma effect that could backfire or even be used aginst them. Waiting to see how the group responds.   Thanks for the replies and will keep them in mind once they let me know what they want as a group.   K-ray.
#12 BRJN Jan 03, 2015 9:29:08	Get glass grit in your eyes and go Blind "permanently".  But... during a long rest, somebody with Medicine trained remembers a treatment he heard about once and is able to ( rinse with water / apply salve / whatever ) - preparation takes about as long as a short rest and is not restful - to alleviate the condition.   Trained Investigate + a library + a day scouring the shelves = an answer (same lines as above).   Spells: Cure xyz Wounds could also work.  Or paladin's Lay on Hands.  Cure Blindness / Deafness for certain - and some NPC might bewail the fact that nobody 'round here is THAT much in the gods' favor.   If the PCs don't think of this on their own, an NPC might discuss it with them.  The players, not the NPC, should initiate that conversation.
#13 BRJN Jan 03, 2015 9:36:09	You have lots of glass vials available?   IRL trap: Bookcase or rack of shelves full of clay pots / glass vials / other breakable and shatter-able stuff placed a little too close to the wall where a secret door is hidden.  When somebody comes in from the other side, they open the door and bash the rack.  Something or other is likely to fall to the floor CRASH and the guards might hear.  If the bookcase is too heavy for that, there still isn't enough room for a PC to slide between it and the wall, so he might get stuck in place and be easy pickings for the guards.  Unless he wants to push the thing out a bit and risk knocking EVERYTHING on the floor.  (Some of the vials might still be full of potion...)