So I am making a campaign where I am considering giving one of my PCs omniscience (though not omnipotentence) for a very brief period of time.My question is, how do u think this would manifest in the game? What powers and/or abilities might it confer? If I have the PC fight someone during, what would that be like?
Thanks for your suggestions.
The stark and inescapable confrontation with his own utter insignificance in the vast expanse of space and time would cause him to do...nothing. Lose 3d6 SAN.
I would avoid certain philosophical disputes about omniscience, in particular, the questions about knowledge of "future contingents" (broadly, free decisions or actions in the future). That will just give you unhelpful problems (e.g. if he knows infallibly what another PC will do in the future, what do you do when the player refuses to do that?).
So, here's my suggestion: (1) the player can automatically succeed on anything that would require any Intelligence roll or save and (2) he gets advantage on all attack rolls and any Dex rolls/saves which is not cancelled out by any disadvantage. The reason for (1) is, I think, obvious; if you are omniscient under any description of omniscience, surely you would know everything a successful Int roll would allow. The reason for (2) would be that, as you suggest he is not omnicompetent, he would nonetheless know enough as to always be at an advantage in knowing where and when to strike, e.g., whether in melee or missile combat, as well as where to put his feet or body to avoid harm, etc. Since he wouldn't be perfect, he could still fail, but he would be much better than usual.
Oh this brings back memories. You find some really, really weird consequences to omniscience as soon as you actually mean it.
What you're actually looking for is a vast array of knowledge for a flash of insight, in essence something similar to 3e's Hypercognition or Metafaculty. Those could be starters for ideas, especially since 5e isn't too different from 3e in many places.
Or, you could just be simple: Give him six questions. You'll answer them in as much detail and accuracy as you can muster. If you pass along too much info, say that counted as an extra question. This is over in a fraction of a second, to stop the consequences from above.
Or, you could just crib the precognition abilities from the Diviner. Just fluff it differently.
Intellectus, from the Dresden Files, is also a good way to run omniscience.
It grants essentially infinite knowledge, but you still have to think about it. It can also (usually is in Dresden Files) be limited to a particular topic. Essentially, the player can ask the DM questions who will then answer them. But any question that the player doesn't think to ask, they don't get to know.
I'd consider giving the charaacter advantage on all his/her rolls.
What Tempest linked was the embodiment of what happens with omniscience. It alters the game in ways you cannot possibly comprehend now.
Finieous wrote:
Orethalion wrote:
add foresight in the arrway of power he gain while omniscent (plus the autosucess in all Intellect, Wisdom and Charisma check. Wisdom are perception (you know everythign including that someone his hidden behind that bush and insight (you knwo he's lying). Charisma check you know what to say to convince people to do what you want them to do (deception, intimidation, persuasion)
Then if he ask question that woul dbe metagaming (like which way is trap, where is the BBEG we want to kill, what are the weakness of that BBEG, he should know that stuff too. (basically allow him to read the adventure book if you had one.
Tempest_Stormwind wrote:
Diviner is in PHB as a subtype of wizard.
Matau99 wrote:
Orethalion wrote:
Matau99 wrote:
what do you guys think? I also feel like some sort of scrying could be applicable, but not sure if that would make the spell way to hard to manage.
Evoke Omniscience
9th-level divination
Casting time: 1 hour (ritual)
Range: Self
Components: V,S,M (the souls of 3 gods or creatures of near god-like power, which the spell consumes. These components can’t be substituted).
duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
For the duration of this spell you gain the following benefits:
Truesight. You can, out to 120 feet, see in normal or magical darkness, see invisible creatures or objects, automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them, and perceive the original form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic. Furthermore, you can see into the Ethereal plane.
Divine awareness. you know if you hear a lie.
Know death.You know the exact moment and circumstances of any mortal creature’s death just by looking at the creature.
Applied Knowledge. You can speak, read, and understand all languages. You cannot be surprised. All of your attacks score a critical hit. Creatures have disadvantage to attack you. You have advantage on all saving throws. Furthermore, all of your intelligence, wisdom, and charisma ability checks are automatically successful.
True knowledge. You can learn a creature, place, or object’s entire history (including any embarrassing or vital secrets it might have) just by looking at it. This ability is similar to the legend lore spell, except that it delivers instant results and the subject (if sentient) is allowed a Wisdom saving throw (DC 10 + your intelligence modifier + your level) to avoid the effect.
You may ask the DM up to 6 questions about anything related to the game and he must answer truthfully (although he may still speak cryptically). The questions may be about the nature of the universe, the truth of reality, or it may be the meaning of existence. It might be possible to ask something beyond the scope of the above examples. State your question to the DM as precisely as possible.
The DM may determine that a question is unanswerable. If that’s the case, you don’t find out the answer and that question is wasted, although the DM must tell you that the question is unanswerable.
When the spell ends, make an intelligence saving throw (DC 20) to try to retain your knowledge and understanding of the universe. On a success, you are able to recall three pieces of relevant information (determined by your DM). On a failure, you retain only one piece of information, you take 20d6 psychic damage, and you are stunned for 1d20 minutes.
NamelessHero wrote:
Thanks for your reply!
Orethalion wrote:
NamelessHero wrote:
I think it's awesome that the omiscence spell requires concentration. "My mind contails all the knowledge of the universe, but I can still only focus on one spell at a time." 
Fwiw,
I find it enormously difficult to stray from the "human experience" and I can't claim any real success from my attempts.
If I were to try something like this, I wouldn't use the term omniscience. I'd probably frame it as a special circumstance wherein any 6 questions will receive factual answers (as some have suggested). But I'd stay away from metaphysical repercussions of omniscience altogether.
Orethalion wrote:
Give the PC
- 1 minute of in-game time
- 30 minutes of IRL time
during which he can ask up to say (6 + INTmod) questions. You as DM will answer with total truth, as completely as possible. Questions about the present and the past are fair game, but not the future. (He can still ask, "What are King Obould's plans to deal with XYZ should it occur?") Let the player do some prep work, just like the character must. This is to allow him to ask good, penetrating questions, not just stream-of-surface-consciousness.
Make this a ritual but include a major handicap which counter-balances (not 'negates') the advantage gained. Such as "character immediately falls unconscious for 24 hours, cannot be wakened by any means" so he has to 'sleep on it' to understand what he saw; and sensory overload is an issue too - the human brain is not designed to carry that quantity or level of knowledge (not even elder aboleths' brains can handle THIS).
Why are you giving the player omniscience? What is your intent? What are you trying to achieve? Hopefully its to entertain the player and group, but is there a specific mode that you wish to adopt in order to do so?
If we stick with actual, (a) dictionary-defined omniscience...
"..having complete or unlimited knowledge, awarness, or understanding; percieving all things."
..then whatever we want the player to know, they will know - hence the importence of knowing what we want the player to know.
Of course, if we insist on simulation then knowing *everything* - from the weight of a butterlfy's hearts to the location of everything, all the time, everytime - would, in my game at least, result in a character utterly overloaded with information, who is most likely stunned, confused and - to the outside observer - catatonic.
Or not - we're free to re-define the term within a context better suited to our games. In which case, again, I'd ask, 'What are we trying to achieve? What do we want them to know?
..and then I'd give them the ability to achieve/ that knowledge to the player.
BRJN wrote:
Orethalion wrote:
BRJN wrote:
Finieous wrote:
Let the player see the DM notes and have full access to the other players character sheets as well. Answer any question they ask about the campaign world truthfully (1 action per question). If they ask a question you haven't thought of, answer it and have the answer be the truth. Have all of their die rolls in which outcome is still in doubt be made at advantage.
Give them accumulating amounts of insanity (per the DMG variant rules) until they relinquish the power. Mortal minds are not meant for such power.
I'm ... a bit confused about why you would want to make a PC omniscient.
What's the context?
Thoughts_My_Aim wrote: