Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ArcShot Aug 13, 2015 19:45:54	My party encountered an Ochre Jelly. After few combat rounds, the bard used his Vicious Mockery against the jelly.   "You are one fat oily piece of slithering sh*t!"   The jelly died from the insulting damage.   Seriously?? Is this how it works? Can the jelly even hear the insult?
#2 mellored Aug 13, 2015 20:11:39	magic. though i'd make them immune to psycic damage.
#3 MechaPilot Aug 13, 2015 20:25:28	ArcShot wrote:
#4 ArcShot Aug 13, 2015 21:45:39	Bard's going to do this to black pudding next...
(Reply to #2) Nevvur	mellored wrote:
#6 strider13x Aug 14, 2015 8:56:23	Using GB2 to explain an akward D&D ruling? Mechapilot wins the interwebz today!
#7 strider13x Aug 14, 2015 8:58:52	If Vicious Mockery requires the target can hear then I would say no.
#8 sim-h Aug 14, 2015 10:01:06	This one has come up in my campaign too, but against undead skeletons and zombies. I ruled it's the magic, not the actual insult, that causes the damage. The insult is just the means to deliver the magical energy [edit] and have a laugh....
#9 mellored Aug 14, 2015 10:36:27	strider13x wrote:
#10 Slagger_the_Chuul Aug 14, 2015 11:15:58	mellored wrote:
#11 ArcShot Aug 14, 2015 12:23:50	Slagger_the_Chuul wrote:
#12 Grazel Aug 14, 2015 13:59:43	That's assuming the DM allows the spell to work. I'd personally rule against it as there's nothing about the Ochre Jelly that indicates it can hear audio, and in fact hints that it has no ability to hear (immunity to deafened condition). The section on oozes say they are drawn to movement and warmth indicating their blindsight is a kind of mix of thermal "vision" and tremorsense.   Remember that Vicious Mockery requires the target can hear the bard, though they don't need to understand it. This has led to humurous situations in our group as the bard threw insults at giant frogs, lizards, and bullywugs. Skeletons and zombies would seem to be reasonable tactics as it's implied that they can hear and accept verbal commands. It is indeed the magic of the spell that causes the damage not the meaning of the insult, the target just needs to be able to hear the insult for the magic to trigger. Think of it like siren song, it can't affect those who can't hear it.
#13 Slagger_the_Chuul Aug 14, 2015 20:11:58	Grazel wrote:
#14 ArcShot Aug 14, 2015 21:30:57	When the bard decided to use Vicious Mockery, the first thing that naturally came to me is that the Ochre Jelly should immune to psychic dmg (even if it can 'hear') since the ooze is just a mindless ever-consuming matter. Then I realized MM stated (or in this case not stated) otherwise.
#15 Orethalion Aug 14, 2015 21:54:24	ArcShot wrote:
#16 Mad_Jack Aug 15, 2015 13:31:50	Nevvur wrote:
#17 Grazel Aug 15, 2015 16:20:43	Mad_Jack wrote:
#18 Slagger_the_Chuul Aug 16, 2015 6:20:49	Grazel wrote:
#19 Undrhil Aug 16, 2015 9:56:33	Actually, I think it's more about whether or not the jelly is in a zone of silence.  Because the ability to hear means the soundwaves are reaching the target.  If a creature's statblock specifically calls out that it is deaf, then no Vicious Mockery.  Otherwise, unless someone has cast silence or the creature is in the vacuum of space, Vicious Mockery works just fine.
#20 Razintarr Aug 17, 2015 4:26:10	The spell quite clearly states that the target doesn't have to understand the insult, that includes both targets that don't speak your language (but may gather by the tone of your voice that you're insulting him) but also targets that have no concept of an insult (like undead, oozes, animals). Also the spell does damage, and so has a potential to kill the target, which doesn't quite fit with the target being distracted or demoralized by the insult itself (sticks and stones will hurt my bones, but words won't hurt me).    I like to think that the insults in the spell are not the means by which the spell does damage, but that they form a powersource of sorts that the spell can convert into psychic damage. It's not that the target has to know that it's being insulted, but the caster that needs to know he's insulting someone. The spell takes the intent to hurt the targets feelings and enhances it to just plain hurt them.    That the target must be able to hear you is still a requirement though. The words that are now magically enhanced to hurt someone still have to reach the target.
#21 Yunru Aug 17, 2015 9:40:44	It can't be simply insult them, or everyone would get Viscous Mockery, not merely Bards. No, rather it's magic.
#22 Noctaem Aug 17, 2015 10:48:38	ArcShot wrote:
#23 ArcShot Aug 18, 2015 0:04:45	Noctaem wrote:
#24 Slagger_the_Chuul Aug 18, 2015 0:25:11	Noctaem wrote:
#25 Grazel Aug 18, 2015 6:56:42	Razintarr wrote:
#26 Slagger_the_Chuul Aug 18, 2015 7:26:22	Grazel wrote:
#27 Awakened_Gazebo Aug 21, 2015 12:15:59	Slagger_the_Chuul wrote:
(Reply to #23) ezrider23	ArcShot wrote:
#29 Sea-Envy Aug 21, 2015 21:15:21	IF you decide to go "Evil GM" and rule the spell to not work against some monsters because of logic just tell your players. Not before combat, but when they are makeing characters and picking spells so you do not suddenly go "gotcha you picked wrong"
#30 Slagger_the_Chuul Aug 22, 2015 2:49:21	Awakened_Gazebo wrote: