From: sears@tree.egr.uh.edu (Paul S. Sears)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Stoneskin and Haste Spells
Date: 23 Jul 92 19:14:03 GMT
Reply-To: sears@tree.egr.uh.edu
Organization: University of Houston

In article <1992Jul21.080721.10823@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>  
bc122@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Naveed Ihsanullah) writes:
=>
=>In a previous article, sears@tree.egr.uh.edu (Paul S. Sears) says:
=>
=>>     Haste is a little trickier. I run a campaign where I keep track of  
time.  
=>>Each character has an age at which they will die of old age(unknown to  
them).  
=>>With the party being high enough to build their own magic items and  
=>>strongholds, and able to cast Wishes and Gate spells, aging one year from  
=>>being under the effects of a haste spell gets expensive real quick, not to  
=>>mention the other spells. Then, as a D.M., all you have to do is limit the  
=>>supply of Longevity potions, and watch the party slow down. NPCs (i.e.  
=>>henchmen) NEVER submit to being hasted, by the way....
=>>     On the other hand, I realize that not everybody out there is in a  
=>>campaign where people can cast Wishes & Gates. And, lots of campaigns  
aren't  
=>>so complex that the D.M. keeps track of aging. But, if that's the case,  
=>>realism isn't a serious issue, so just sit back and enjoy the game!
=>>     Mitchell White ( via Paul Flamesalot Sears )
=>	Now I've seen this idea of aging as a imiting factor on haste
=>several times now. I was wondering if anyone of these contributors have
=>ever seen the spell age creature in the Tome of Magic (6th level Priest,
=>p98).  This spell is in the sphere of Time so druids, who get 6th level
=>spells in an almost reasonable time, can cast this easily.  The material
=>component is a 'pinch of ruby'.  Now to characters capable of casting 6th
=>level spells this should not be much  of a problem.  The point I am trying
=>to get at is the reverse of this spell, restore youth, restores years lost
=>to magical aging (haste, gate, wish, etc.)
=>
=>	In my opinion this spell significantly reduces any fear a character
=>or even henchmen and hireling would have of getting hasted.  Wouldn't a
=>henchman be willing to get hasted if he/she has seen the party's druid or
=>other priest easily restore those years.  Note, this spell has no chance of
=>failure or removing the years regained by other factors, unlike a potion of
=>longevity.
        Yeah, well that's what you get with WE-PLAYTESTED-IT-FOR-5-MINUTES
2nd edition D&D. But seriously, though (I personally don't play 2nd edition  
for reasons like you just described, and I just explained sorry, TSR) I was  
unaware of the spell. OK here's what to do. Gods grant Druids spells. 6th  
level spells cost lots of divine power. The deity in question will not  
appreciate the Druid requesting 5 or 10 6th level spells to restore people's  
youth. Especially if they're non-believers. As a minimum for granting the  
request, well, let's just say that the party wouldn't have much money laying  
around. Ditto for magic.
        Next thought. Is the spell reversible? Check it, because it may not  
be. I don't know.
        Lastly,(this assumes a high level campaign) in my experience, the best  
fights come from other groups of high level humans, drow, githyanki, etc. And  
my motto is "If the party can do it, so can the monsters, and, as DM, I have a  
lot more monsters than you do party!" Most players are reasonable. If you  
explain it to them from your perspective, most parties will agree to  
limitations agreeable to both sides. If not, remember that as the DM< you have  
infinite resources to draw on. Try forcing them into a battle in an antimagic  
area in a dungeon. Against the evil wizard's personal bodyguard, a gruop of  
hihg-level, high-hitpoint fighters.

--
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