Spellplague Question - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Spellplague Question

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Shiftkitty
Sep 27, 2008 12:31:09 I know that things that are infused with magic, such as armor, weapons, etc., still function normally and that things like wands, staffs, etc., don't. A player has asked me about things in a Bag of Holding.

I'm sure the bag would still function., i.e., wouldn't suddenly disgorge or destroy its contents, but if there were wands, rods, and staffs within, would they still work, or would they be affected? Also, how about scrolls and spellbooks, whether within the bag or not?
#2
conanb
Sep 27, 2008 13:08:25 The Spell Plague affected everything. It warped planes and touched the gods. I think a bag of holding wouldn't be immune to something so far reaching. If you think of it just as a planar pocket, then yes it would be affected as would everything in it. Especially if you consider that the Feywild & Shadowfeel were yanked into proximity with the main plane and the elemental planes were mixed into one plane.
#3
karazhan
Sep 27, 2008 15:00:55 To answer your question, you have 3 options:

1) Go with the general 4e guideline in the core books and have any charged item simply stop working.

or

2) Go with the novel flavor used so far and allow some charged items to remain functional. These items would prove to be very valuable and irreplaceable unless ways were discovered to recharge them. These items could be found in vaults and places warded with wizardly mythals as many of these places emerged unscathed during the spellplague.

or

3) Do what makes the most sense to you and makes your game work best.

Cheers!
#4
Shiftkitty
Sep 27, 2008 15:53:27 So if we go by the FRCG a Bag of Holding is not a charged item, therefore the bag itself would not have been affected, but any charged items therein would be affected, since the Spellplague did have an affect throughout the planes. Does this sound reasonable?

And what about scrolls and spellbooks?

(The player in question had a couple of bags where he stored various goodies that he might need at a moment's notice, mostly wands, scrolls, and magic weapons.)
#5
karazhan
Sep 27, 2008 16:15:01 The spellplague pretty much affected anything not protected with layers of powerful wards. Your example is very reasonable and the bag could easily continue to function as it always has.

In terms of scrolls, this is another iffy thing in my mind. If you go by canon, they no longer work. However, there are ritual scrolls in 4e so you could again say that pre-spellplague scrolls contain their magic and play them as irreplaceable (or not) relics of the old Art.

Spellbooks would have survived the spellplague just fine. However, as the magic system has shifted you again have decisions to make. Most abjuration, conjuration, alteration, (i.e. non combat) spells can be converted to rituals. This will take work on your part as there are no real hard and fast rules for conversion. You can also take those spells and convert them to "powers" which also would take some modifications.

In my group, we brainstormed a way to maintain the 3.5 system of magic while honoring the 4e belief in balance. This involves adapting all insta-death effects as well as reducing the damage output of 3.5 magics.

Again, the new system is open to much interpretation and you can do whatever you need to with it to make your gaming experience enjoyable.

Cheers!
#6
Shiftkitty
Sep 27, 2008 16:47:42 Thank you! You have given me more coal for the imagination boilers than you probably realize...! *starts rifling through old game notes like a neurotic hamster through shredded paper to see what was and wasn't affected*
#7
karazhan
Sep 27, 2008 17:20:00 Glad to help! If you ever need a sounding board feel free to pm or post most questions/ideas. Since you have an interest in the magic aspects of 3.5 to 4e I would suggest reading/interlibrary loaning the books Mistshore and Blackstaff Tower as they show the flavor of magic in 4e (which is virtually the same as 3.5).

One last piece of coal for you..since the Sarrukh (a progenitor race) have returned, and they were the ones who gathered all early forms of magical methodology together in the form of the Nether Scrolls, they could very well still have means to use the Art as it was before the Spellplague or teach casters a new way to use magic as it was.

Cheers!
#8
lord_karsus
Sep 29, 2008 11:55:58 -I'm fairly sure that Rich Baker answered this question before (or one similar to it).
#9
Shiftkitty
Sep 29, 2008 11:58:52 I didn't see an answer in my books and don't get a lot of time to root through articles on the site. If you find a link to his answer, I'd love to read it in case it answers anything else I may not have thought of.

Thanks, guys!
#10
lord_karsus
Sep 29, 2008 12:24:32 -It might have had to with "permanent" magic items, I don't know. Those, I know, are supposed to still be working good.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Shiftkitty Sep 27, 2008 12:31:09	I know that things that are infused with magic, such as armor, weapons, etc., still function normally and that things like wands, staffs, etc., don't. A player has asked me about things in a Bag of Holding. I'm sure the bag would still function., i.e., wouldn't suddenly disgorge or destroy its contents, but if there were wands, rods, and staffs within, would they still work, or would they be affected? Also, how about scrolls and spellbooks, whether within the bag or not?
#2 conanb Sep 27, 2008 13:08:25	The Spell Plague affected everything. It warped planes and touched the gods. I think a bag of holding wouldn't be immune to something so far reaching. If you think of it just as a planar pocket, then yes it would be affected as would everything in it. Especially if you consider that the Feywild & Shadowfeel were yanked into proximity with the main plane and the elemental planes were mixed into one plane.
#3 karazhan Sep 27, 2008 15:00:55	To answer your question, you have 3 options: 1) Go with the general 4e guideline in the core books and have any charged item simply stop working. or 2) Go with the novel flavor used so far and allow some charged items to remain functional. These items would prove to be very valuable and irreplaceable unless ways were discovered to recharge them. These items could be found in vaults and places warded with wizardly mythals as many of these places emerged unscathed during the spellplague. or 3) Do what makes the most sense to you and makes your game work best. Cheers!
#4 Shiftkitty Sep 27, 2008 15:53:27	So if we go by the FRCG a Bag of Holding is not a charged item, therefore the bag itself would not have been affected, but any charged items therein would be affected, since the Spellplague did have an affect throughout the planes. Does this sound reasonable? And what about scrolls and spellbooks? (The player in question had a couple of bags where he stored various goodies that he might need at a moment's notice, mostly wands, scrolls, and magic weapons.)
#5 karazhan Sep 27, 2008 16:15:01	The spellplague pretty much affected anything not protected with layers of powerful wards. Your example is very reasonable and the bag could easily continue to function as it always has. In terms of scrolls, this is another iffy thing in my mind. If you go by canon, they no longer work. However, there are ritual scrolls in 4e so you could again say that pre-spellplague scrolls contain their magic and play them as irreplaceable (or not) relics of the old Art. Spellbooks would have survived the spellplague just fine. However, as the magic system has shifted you again have decisions to make. Most abjuration, conjuration, alteration, (i.e. non combat) spells can be converted to rituals. This will take work on your part as there are no real hard and fast rules for conversion. You can also take those spells and convert them to "powers" which also would take some modifications. In my group, we brainstormed a way to maintain the 3.5 system of magic while honoring the 4e belief in balance. This involves adapting all insta-death effects as well as reducing the damage output of 3.5 magics. Again, the new system is open to much interpretation and you can do whatever you need to with it to make your gaming experience enjoyable. Cheers!
#6 Shiftkitty Sep 27, 2008 16:47:42	Thank you! You have given me more coal for the imagination boilers than you probably realize...! starts rifling through old game notes like a neurotic hamster through shredded paper to see what was and wasn't affected
#7 karazhan Sep 27, 2008 17:20:00	Glad to help! If you ever need a sounding board feel free to pm or post most questions/ideas. Since you have an interest in the magic aspects of 3.5 to 4e I would suggest reading/interlibrary loaning the books Mistshore and Blackstaff Tower as they show the flavor of magic in 4e (which is virtually the same as 3.5). One last piece of coal for you..since the Sarrukh (a progenitor race) have returned, and they were the ones who gathered all early forms of magical methodology together in the form of the Nether Scrolls, they could very well still have means to use the Art as it was before the Spellplague or teach casters a new way to use magic as it was. Cheers!
#8 lord_karsus Sep 29, 2008 11:55:58	-I'm fairly sure that Rich Baker answered this question before (or one similar to it).
#9 Shiftkitty Sep 29, 2008 11:58:52	I didn't see an answer in my books and don't get a lot of time to root through articles on the site. If you find a link to his answer, I'd love to read it in case it answers anything else I may not have thought of. Thanks, guys!
#10 lord_karsus Sep 29, 2008 12:24:32	-It might have had to with "permanent" magic items, I don't know. Those, I know, are supposed to still be working good.