| | Ref | Ouvrage | Question | | Reponse |
|---|
| 541. | DR054 | Dragon #54 | Are demons and devils immune to Sleep and Charm spells,
just like the undead are? | | Not exactly, although the end result is about the same. Demons
and devils are not by nature immune to Sleep and Charm
spells- except for the manes and lemures, which are specifically
described as being immune to both those types of magic. The
rest of the ranks don’t need to be “made” immune to Sleep spells
— they already are, because the spell only affects creatures of
up to 4+4 hit dice, and none of the demons or devils (except for
manes and lemures) has a hit-dice figure lower than 5+5.
Demons and devils are technically vulnerable to the effects of
a Charm Monster spell, but the percentages aren’t exactly in
favor of the character who tries to use such a spell -and keep it
working after it is cast. Considering the magic resistance of
demons and devils, plus the fact that they get a saving throw
against the spell even if their magic resistance fails, plus the fact
that they can successfully “break” the charm after it is cast, the
odds are definitely against the spell caster. For example, consider
an 11th-level magic-user trying to snare a “lowly” Type I
demon with Charm Monster: The demon has a 50% chance
(magic resistance) of being unaffected, a 35% chance to make a
saving throw vs. the spell even if its magic resistance fails, and a
45% chance per week thereafter of snapping out of it. That all
adds up to less than an 18% chance that the spell will succeed
and be effective for longer than one week. The chance of success
is a lot lower for the most powerful demons and devils, and
it would not be improper for a DM to simply rule that the “big
names” (Demogorgon, Juiblex, Orcus, Yeenoghu, Asmodeus,
Baalzebul, Dispater, Geryon) are effectively immune to the
spell. The idea of being able to bring one of the demon princes
or arch-devils under control by means of a mere 4th-level spell is
hard to accept. |
| 542. | DR054 | Dragon #54 | What are the exact effects of the succubus’ energy-draining
power? What is an “energy level”? | | Quite simply, an energy level is equivalent to a level of experience.
Losing an experience level means losing a number of
experience points which will bring the victim down to the lowest
possible point total allowable for the next lowest level. Example:
A 4th-level fighter with 15,000 experience points get a big smack
from a succubus, turning him into a 3rd-level fighter with 4,001
experience points.
As specified in the Monster Manual description of the vampire,
a loss in energy level also requires “corresponding losses
in hit dice, ability level, attack level, etc.” In the case of our
unfortunate fighter, the loss in level would also mean the loss of
one weapon proficiency and the loss of any other abilities or
characteristics he received simply by virtue of being 4th level.
The loss does not include personal possessions, and does not
involve a mandatory decrease in an ability score. |
| 543. | DR056 | Dragon #56 | Can a ranger or a paladin become a bard? The Players Handbook
makes it sound as if only true fighters can become bards.
Is it possible for a bard-to-be who is neutral evil to become an
assassin instead of a thief? | | The answer to both questions is no. The bard description in
the Players Handbook makes this clear by using the words
“fighters” and “thieves” in italic type, for emphasis. A player
character who intends to become a bard is not allowed to have
the special skills and benefits of a fighter or thief sub-class
during the preliminary stages of the character’s development;
the special skills and benefits that the character receives when
achieving bard status are more than adequate to compensate
for this “disadvantage.”
Also, consider that the decision to become a paladin, ranger
or assassin involves making a commitment in alignment that
might prove uncomfortable later in a would-be bard’s career.
This is especially true of a paladin, who would automatically
have to undergo an alignment change (and suffer all the appropriate
penalities for doing so) when switching to the thief
class. |
| 544. | DR056 | Dragon #56 | When bards start as fighters, are they limited in the armor
they can wear? | | No, because they’re not bards yet. A would-be bard who is
currently a member of the fighter profession is treated exactly
like a fighter, and can use any armor or weapons while following
that profession. Of course, it’s good to apply some forethought;
if a fighter intends to eventually become a bard, he
should plan to direct his weapon-proficiency training toward
the weapons which a bard can use, and it would be a good idea
to find a suit of +1 chain mail during the fighter phase and tuck it
away in a safe place during the thief phase of the character’s
development. |
| 545. | DR056 | Dragon #56 | According to the Players Handbook, a bard is permitted to wear magical chain mail and carry a bastard sword, but a thief cannot use either. Can a bard employ these things while using
thieving abilities without penalty? | | Yes — assuming, of course, that the bard has attained proficiency
with the sword. One of the significant benefits of becoming
a bard is the ability to use armor and weapons not normally
usable by a thief, and still be able to perform the various thieving
abilities. All that’s necessary to properly play a bard with
respect to this is to interpret the Players Handbook literally: A
bard is able to use any of the armor and weapon types listed as
permitted to the class, and a bard is able to function as a thief of
the level which the character attained while pursuing that profession.
Nothing in the description given in the Players Handbook
puts any limitations or restrictions on either of these
characteristics. The bard is an exceptional character class, for
truly exceptional characters who are able to attain and accomplish
things which are beyond the ability of “normal” characters. |
| 546. | DR056 | Dragon #56 | A bard is limited to the use of certain weapons. However, is it
possible for a bard to use a weapon he was previously trained in
(for instance, a bow), perhaps with a penalty involved? | | Again, this is a matter simply resolved by realizing the Players
Handbook means what it says. No, bards cannot use bows,
because that weapon does not appear in the list of weapons
permitted to the class. A character who intends to become a
bard should make a point of gaining proficiency with at least
some of the weapons usable by a bard, in addition to skills with
weapons (such as the bow) which the character might prefer to
employ during his tenure as a fighter. A bard-to-be might wisely
decide to become proficient with bow and arrow, to improve his
chances of surviving during his fighter phase. But the use of
that weapon is prohibited when the character switches to the
thief class, and it can never again be legally employed before or
after the character actually becomes a bard. |
| 547. | DR056 | Dragon #56 | The Players Handbook says that bards-to-be must switch to thieving before attaining 8th level as a fighter. A footnote on page 181 of the DMG indicates that a bard could have 8th-level
fighting ability. Of course, this only makes a difference if one
opts for the special note regarding fighters’ progression on
page 74 of the DMG. Please clarify. | | Okay, I’ll try. The Players Handbook does stipulate that bards
must stop gaining experience as fighters prior to attaining 8th
level. But it also says that bards are subject to the effects of
“magical books/librams/tomes which pertain to druids, fighters
or thieves,” and these magic items can raise the effective
fighting or thieving level of the bard beyond the usual limits.
Thus, a bard who has 7th-level fighting ability and comes
under the influence of the effects of a Manual of Puissant Skill
at Arms will operate at the 8th level of fighting ability for as long
as the manual’s benefits remain in effect.
A bard is limited to “between the 5th and 9th level” in his
advancement as a thief, which the sage interprets to mean that
the bard-to-be must stop at the 6th, 7th or 8th level of thieving
ability — between, but not including, 5th and 9th. Yet the same
footnote on page 181 of the DMG allows for bards with 9th-level
thieving ability — and it is possible for a bard to obtain that
effective level of ability by settling down with a Manual of
Stealthy Pilfering, providing he had 8th-level thieving ability to
begin with.
It’s also worth noting the table on page 181 of the DMG, to
which the troublesome footnote refers, is designed to generate
non-player characters for an encounter and has no bearing on
the definition of a bard as a player character. If you don’t want
to assume a non-player character bard with 8th-level fighting
ability has gained that ability magically, then you can assume it
is possible for a non-player character bard to have powers and
abilities far beyond those of a normal (player character) bard.
For justification of this position, see the “Adjustments to Ability
Dice Rolls for Non-Player Characters” on page 100 of the DMG;
many of these bonuses apply only to NPCs, and the overall
effect is to make non-player characters generally more formidable
(in some respects) than a player character of the same
class and race. In some cases, this means non-player characters
can possess ability scores higher than the maximum attainable
by a player character. By the same reasoning, a NPC bard
might have a higher fighting or thieving level than it is possible
for a player character to possess without magical assistance. |
| 548. | DR056 | Dragon #56 | Do ex-fighters (such as bards) keep their exceptional strength
when they become a member of another class? | | No. For bards, this is a case of giving up something to get
something else: No character who is not an actual member of
the fighter class can have exceptional strength. But when the
ex-fighter becomes a bard, he does gain many benefits which
are designed to make up for the prohibition on keeping his
exceptional strength. The Players Handbook list 18 — not
18/01, or any other higher number—as the maximum strength
possible for all non-fighter characters. As soon as a bard-to-be
switches to the thief class, the character becomes a nonfighter.
And although there will come a time when the bard-tobe
regains the ability to use the skills he had as a fighter, he will
never again be a fighter. |
| 549. | DR056 | Dragon #56 | What are the maximum fighting and thieving levels of bards?
How do you determine druid level for spell-casting ability for
a bard?
Does a bard of 7th level or higher possess the druidic ability
of shape-shifting? | | Unless something sneaky is hidden in these questions that
the sage isn’t picking up on, they are all clearly answered by the
description of the bard class in the Players Handbook:
The maximum fighting level of a bard is 5th, 6th or 7th,
depending on how far the character progressed in the fighter
class before switching to thief. The maximum thieving level of a
bard is 6th, 7th or 8th level, depending on when the character
chooses to leave the thief profession and enter the next stage of
training as a bard.
A bard is able to use druidic spells according to the chart
which is part of Bards Table I: One first-level druidic spell at first
level, two first-level spells at second level, and so on. It is also
clearly stated that a bard “gains druidic powers as a druid of the
same level,” with the exception of the spells usable per level.
These druidic powers include the identification, movement and
language skills which begin at 3rd level, plus the immunity to
certain forms of charms and the shape-shifting power which is
first acquired at 7th level. |
| 550. | DR056 | Dragon #56 | Is the original bard class, as printed in Best of The Dragon, or
the bard class from the Players Handbook, supposed to be used
for a player character? The earlier version of the bard indicates
dwarves, halflings and elves can be bards, while the Players
Handbook says only humans and half-elves can be bards. In the
article from Best of The Dragon, bards have magic-user spells.
In the PH, they have druid spells. Which is right? | | The original appearance of the article on bards was ‘way back
in the sixth issue of The Strategic Review, the predecessor of
DRAGON™ magazine, and was printed before the ADVANCED
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules came into existence. As
such, the original bard class could possibly be best employed
in a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® campaign, because this is the
game for which it was developed. However, a bard player character
which is going to be used in an AD&D™ campaign should
be built around the rules given in the Players Handbook, which
was published more than three years after the original appearance
of the bard article. To make the “new bard” fit into the rest
of the AD&D framework, many particulars in the original description
of the class were altered. The result is a bard class that
is more “right” than the first presentation — at least for the
players who intend to use the character in AD&D adventuring. |
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