| | Ref | Ouvrage | Question | | Reponse |
|---|
| 51. | DR071 | Dragon #71 | ASTRAL, Movement and Combat: If movement on the Astral Plane depends only on intelligence,
then it would seem that a magical sword or other weapon
that had ah innate intelligence would be able to move and
fight just like a sword of dancing can. If this is so, then how
could you determine the fighting ability of an intelligent
weapon? | | This question didn’t occur to us during the production of the
original astral article. It opens up many more questions than
just the one above — for instance, could an intelligent sword be
made to push treasure along? Haul unconscious party members?
Fight independently, either as a sword or by making a
long run at something like a spear?
Fortunately, there is a good “game” answer to the above
question that also makes some sense “realistically”: The intelligence
of a magic weapon is not a biological intelligence that is
normally accustomed to acting while being able to move independently;
in contrast, characters or creatures that can and do
move independently on the Prime Material and other planes are
accustomed to acting while moving on their own, even though
movement ability is not a function of intelligence in their normal
environment.
Thus, magical weapons have no effective movement on their
own in astral space (except for swords of dancing, which function
as per the DMG). Magic weapons are assumed to have no
sensory awareness of their surroundings except by means of
whatever powers they might possess (detect traps, detect
metals, etc.) In a word, they are blind. If such a weapon is held
by a character, it may be assumed that the weapon can obtain
some limited awareness of its surroundings, through the
wielder’s own senses, but that is all. In the AD&D adventure
provided with the Astral Plane article in DRAGON #67, Fedifensor
itself might have escaped its predicament if it had been able
to move on its own astrally. |
| 52. | DR071 | Dragon #71 | ASTRAL, Movement and Combat: Shouldn’t the initial penalty of -6 “to hit” on missile fire
(because the archer is not initially used to shooting without
having to account for gravity) be removed after it is suffered just
once, to reflect the archer’s sudden realization that all he has to
do is aim at a target directly? | | This good point was made, in one way or another, by several
persons. The rule stated in the original article should still apply
to all attacks made with thrown weapons; one will always have
the penalty initially, and even after compensating for it will have
to re-learn how to compensate each time the Astral Plane is
re-entered. (Perhaps a few practice sessions at throwing things
would be in order right after one enters astral space.) Slings are
also governed by this rule.
A modification to the rule may be made for all types of bows
and crossbows that permit direct missile fire. Immediately after
entering the Astral Plane, a person who is familiar with archery
(who has taken a bow or crossbow as a personal weapon of
expertise) rolls 3d6; a result equal to or less than the character’s
intelligence score indicates that the character already realizes
the weightlessness of the plane will change the path of arrows
or bolts to a straight line; the first missile such a character fires
will have a -2 “to hit” penalty, but the rest will be fired as normal.
Would-be archers who fail the roll vs. intelligence will automatically
miss any target over 60’ distant on the first attempt to
hit it. However, with each subsequent missile fired, the archer
or crossbowman may again attempt to roll intelligence or less
on 3d6, and if successful will have a -2 “to hit” on the next
missile fired, and then make all future shots at normal “to hit”
odds. (Again, a little target practice at first couldn’t hurt.) One
character may forewarn another about the adjustments, so the
second archer won’t need to do an intelligence roll; the procedure
of firing the first missile at a -2 “to hit,” however, stays the
same. Once this difference in missile fire is learned, an archer
does not need to make any further intelligence rolls upon reentering
the Astral Plane, but will always shoot the first missile
he fires on that plane at -2 (while “learning” the procedure
first-hand over again).
|
| 53. | DR071 | Dragon #71 | ASTRAL, Movement and Combat: Since all movement depends upon simply thinking about
moving, couldn’t a character dodge a blow by literally thinking
himself out of the way? | | Not really; the ability to dodge blows in this fashion is subsumed
in the normal armor class adjustments involving dexterity.
The higher dexterity one has, regardless of intelligence, the
better one’s nervous system is at responding to mental commands
to move. (Think of dexterity as analogous to reaction
time.) One astral character could “swoop down” at another
character and strike as he flew past, but unless the target
character is preoccupied, he or she will get a chance to strike
back, too, at normal odds “to hit.” |
| 54. | DR071 | Dragon #71 | ASTRAL, Movement and Combat: Since any missile in astral space will follow a straight-line
path without slowing down, shouldn’t the maximum missile
ranges be extended to infinity, or at least to “as far as the eye
can see”? | | It’s true that missiles will have infinite range; they can (and
perhaps do) travel “to infinity.” But the probability of hitting a
target — which is what missile firing is all about — at long
ranges is extremely low; it approaches zero much sooner, and
much more rapidly, than the missile approaches infinity.
The smallest fraction of error in aiming at a very distant target
can produce a complete miss. Imagine having a rifle in outer
space and being told to shoot at a 5-foot-diameter target one
mile away. You can see that far, and a fired missile would
certainly travel that far, but the slightest error in your aim
means that you miss. Doubling the maximum missile ranges
seemed like a fair way to extend missile fire without failing to
account for the loss of accuracy. The chance of hitting anything
(unless it is really big) at a distance greater than the
double-distance long range (as set forth in the original article)
should be considered very small — too small to be worth bothering
about.
But . . . if some magic-user were to invent, perish the thought,
“smart arrows” that track a target by its innate intelligence, or
some wizard eye- like guidance system, well . . . let’s let that
possibility go for the time being. |
| 55. | DR071 | Dragon #71 | ASTRAL, Movement and Combat: Why is overbearing not allowed, but grappling and pummeling
are? Couldn’t an attempt to overbear disorient and upset
the defender, sending him rolling and tossing? | | The sort of attack described in the question could be done
just as well by grappling. Overbearing requires that there be a
surface to fight on, and gravity that will work to the overbearer’s
advantage. Otherwise, attacks meant to overbear will work out
(in non-gravity) just like grappling. |
| 56. | DR071 | Dragon #71 | ASTRAL, Traveling: Can astral characters who are “adjacent” to another plane be
seen by other inhabitants of astral space who are not “adjacent”
to the same plane? | | Yes. It would work something like this: Suppose a group of
astral travelers is “adjacent” to an Outer Plane, looking it over.
Approaching behind them is a shedu. From the shedu’s viewpoint,
the characters appear normal, except that they are
slightly out of focus in its vision (since they have moved into the
“borderland” between the planes). The characters will also
appear to be looking around, viewing something the shedu
cannot see since it is not also “adjacent” to the other plane.
The characters, if they turn around, will be able to see the
shedu in the Astral Plane “behind” them, as well as get a further
glimpse of the surroundings on the Outer Plane to which they
are “adjacent” (something like a double exposure on a piece of
film). The shedu and the characters may interact, but neither
will be able to affect any inhabitants on the “adjacent” Outer
Plane unless certain special spells are used. A medusa, if one
were present on the Outer Plane the characters are viewing,
would be able to see the characters and attack them but could
not see or attack the shedu.
Any area in astral space considered “adjacent” to another
plane appears indistinguishable from any other area of the
Astral Plane. Only the spell caster who initiated the traveling
can find such a place. Any plane touching the Astral Plane may
have several or many “adjacent spots” from which it may be
entered from astral space. |
| 57. | DR071 | Dragon #71 | ASTRAL, Traveling: When a cleric travels the Astral Plane, can his or her holy
symbol be brought along without a magical aura being placed
upon it? | | No, unless the holy symbol itself is enchanted and has magical
powers of its own. However, a cleric could cast a simple
spell like light upon the symbol, which in essence causes it to
radiate a magical aura and will allow it to be brought into astral
space. |
| 58. | DR043 | Dragon #43 | At what level does the Hand of Vecna operate for
the purposes of overcoming magic resistance? | | 21st level. |
| 59. | DR127 | Dragon #127 | BATTLESYSTEM™: Can magic spells be disrupted by
missile fire or melee in a
BATTLESYSTEM supplement as they
can be in a normal adventure? | | Attacks during the initial missile phase
will not disrupt spell-casting because spells
are cast later in the round. For missile fire
in the magic and missile phase, simply
make an initiative roll (this is separate
from the roll in the initiative phase); spellcasters
losing this roll have their spells
disrupted if they are struck by missile fire
(a single spell-caster that is with a unit is
immune to missile fire, like any other
hero). Spells are cast before melee, so a
unit cannot disrupt a spell by fighting the
spell-caster. Note, however, that another
hero can launch missiles or melee attacks
at a spell-caster and keep him occupied
until the duel is over. See page 18 of the
rulebook for more details. |
| 60. | DR127 | Dragon #127 | BATTLESYSTEM™: Can missile fire occur in woods if
both the target and the attackers are
within the woods? | | No. The tree trunks, leaves, branches,
etc., get in the way. |
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