From: pentangl@spdcc.com (Scott Moir)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Cube of Force usage question
Date: 10 Sep 92 13:20:32 GMT
Article-I.D.: spdcc.1992Sep10.132032.23144
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA

In article <BuC97C.KGw@news.cso.uiuc.edu> tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Deus Imperator) writes:
>In article <1992Sep9.112026.12705@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu> crchakford@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu writes:
>>In article <1992Sep8.215417.15358@aa.cad.slb.com>,
>> jackson@ess43.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Jackson) writes:
>>>     In our adventure last weekend, our priest took out his Cube of Force
>>>     and invoked it to keep out "all non-living matter".  We then had a
>>>     discussion about whether or not people inside the cube:
>>>     Our DM of the day ruled that:
>>>         1) air wasn't affected by the cube and so they could keep breathing;
>>>         2) You couldn't poke people inside the cube with a polearm, but you
>>>            could enter the cube area, draw your sword, and then hack.
>>>     I disagree.  I think that:
>>>         1) If air could pass through, then so could a cloudkill, which
>>>            sort of defeats the purpose of that function of the cube:
>>>         2) You'd have to be naked to get into the cube.

I agree with you. Gas is not living matter, so it would be kept out.
Also, someone clothed would be prevented from entering the cube.

>>        I think you were right.  No question.  I also think any DM who
>>gives his players a cube of force is a moron.  It's just to d*mn
>>powerful.

That is why you give it -very- limited charges.

>>        DM: "The great wyrm red dragon attacks!"
>>        PC: "I turn on my cube of force, face 6, stops EVERYTHING!
>>             *evil grin*"
>>        DM: "@$%^&%&$*%*&(@!!!!!!"
>>        PC: "The magic user teleports us outta here! *chuckle*"
>>        DM: "....."

This would work IF:  Everyone were within 5 feet of the magic user.
                     The MU had the levels to bring everyone with him/her.
                     The cube made its save vs Dragon Breath.

>NONONONONO...you silly person.  More like this...
>	DM:  The great Wyrm Red Dragon attacks!"
>	PC:  I turn on my cube of force, face 6, stops EVERYTHING!
>		*Evil grin*
>	DM:  Well, the red dragon breathes on the ceiling, burying 
>		you and the cube under 100 tons of rocks.
>	PC:  Fine!  We teleport out...
>	DM:  Now what kind of cube would allow people to teleport
>		through it?  I mean, if you could teleport _through_ it,
>		the dragon woulda teleported one of those 10 ton boulders
>		in there too.  Nope.  No teleport for you.

The cube in the mage's inventory would go with him/her. This is going
to be VERY traumatic to those people who the mage did not have the
levels to carry along on the teleport. (Or conversely, you could just leave
them standing there.)

Other options for the dragon....

Pick up the cube and go airborne.. at around 1000 feet, drop it.
Sit and wait for the group to run out of air.
Keep breathing on it to HEAT the cube....

>I once had a group so potent that before they retired, I allowed them to 
>visit the Soulforge, and create a weapon of Reknown (something that would 
>make them legendary...).
>	One of the characters had a cube.  She asked if it could be 
>incorporated into the +5 bow of speed she was fashioning.  The bowyer looked
>at her kind of funny.  "You _sure?_"  "Yup."
>	One of her descendants "accidentally" found it (she wasn't a very 
>good roleplayer).  Against ten orcs, she activated it.
>	The cube expanded _within_ the bow.  Boom.  No more bow.  She wept. 

You slimed the player. Any bowyer capable of making the +5 bow of speed
would have known that there would be some items that wouldn't work together.
Also, if the cube of force worked the way you describe, whenever the mage
activated it, he/she would be -outside- the cube.

If you didn't want the item around, you shouldn't have pretended to allow
it to exist.

Scott

-- 
Scott Moir / Pentangle / Satyr ______ # "There's really only one requirement 
pentangl@Ursa-Major.spdcc.com  \ \/ / #  for a Prophet, and you've got it."
B4 f t+ w g k+(+) s+ m r p+     \/\/  # "What's that?"
These are my opinions, not SPDCC's    # "A mouth." - 'God' to J.R.'BoB' Dobbs
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd