Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Endarire Apr 09, 2008 23:21:49	Polymorph is one spell series along with polymorph any object and shapechange that players tend to love and DMs tend to hate because of its versatility. Having played a wizard in the last campaign, I typically avoided using polymorph because of the massive amount of extra work it required, one character sheet per form per level. I doubt my players will seriously research this possibilities and I don't want my game to go awry when they ask me for advice. Should I ban polymorph? Scrying doesn't seem to be my players' style, but it's logical that a villain of a reasonable level would cast this regularly on any problematic person of which he'd heard. Combined with teleport, this means such a villain could find the group while they slept, appear near them- personally or send minions- and kill them. Should I ban scrying? Teleport is a spell I love. As a wizard, being able to zip out of most situations is handy; however, at what point is it fair for players to expect areas to be dimensionally locked? Are teleport and greater teleport worth keeping for the troubles they seems to cause? (I realize this thread is probably better suited for another board; however, I wanted the perspectives of people who know how to reach the limits on these spells.)
#2 phaedrusxy Apr 09, 2008 23:37:24	Polymorph is one spell series along with polymorph any object and shapechange that players tend to love and DMs tend to hate because of its versatility. Having played a wizard in the last campaign, I typically avoided using polymorph because of the massive amount of extra work it required, one character sheet per form per level. I doubt my players will seriously research this possibilities and I don't want my game to go awry when they ask me for advice. Should I ban polymorph? Scrying doesn't seem to be my players' style, but it's logical that a villain of a reasonable level would cast this regularly on any problematic person of which he'd heard. Combined with teleport, this means such a villain could find the group while they slept, appear near them- personally or send minions- and kill them. Should I ban scrying? Teleport is a spell I love. As a wizard, being able to zip out of most situations is handy; however, at what point is it fair for players to expect areas to be dimensionally locked? Are teleport and greater teleport worth keeping for the troubles they seems to cause? (I realize this thread is probably better suited for another board; however, I wanted the perspectives of people who know how to reach the limits on these spells.) I don't ban any of that stuff when I DM, and I do use those tactics with villains. I warn the PCs ahead of time that I play villains intelligently, and if they don't prepare counter-tactics, the Scry and Die NPCs kill them. Simply sleeping inside a Rope Trick prevents Teleport from getting to them directly, and gives them a +5 on the Will save to resist Scry. And they don't have a guard when they sleep? Or an Alarm spell? Then again, I like high powered games and optimizing the main NPC villains to be on par with a well optimized PC.
#3 archerpwr Apr 09, 2008 23:46:35	I like the following rule: Rule One-If you use it, expect it used against you. Anything PCs can do, NPCs can do better. It solved a *lot* of issues without any houserules before the game started.
#4 vicen_korel Apr 10, 2008 0:11:42	As a general rule I guage my NPC's off of my PC's in a party. If the PC's are using fairly standard RPG tactics, and not using every dirty trick in the book to try and get around challenges then I don't go out of my way to put them in no win situations. That being said if you are going into the BBEG's HQ you should expect it to be VERY deadly and perpare accordingly. In fewer words, same as archerpwr I expect.