Wouldnt legal pads in an AD&D world be enchanted?

[silvadel]

I would think some kind of geas(not necessarily that exact spell) would be laid on any legal paper.

That said it makes me wonder if there would be an issue if haley breaks the deal.

[BRC]

Not necessarily. A Legal Pad simply refers to a type of notebook the last time I checked.

[Optimystik]

Celia seems sensitive to such things, though it's dubious as to whether that would've stopped her. It's irrelevant if the paper was ensorcelled, however, since Haley didn't actually sign it.

[Kish]

I would think some kind of geas(not necessarily that exact spell) would be laid on any legal paper.
Sounds expensive.

[Tamburlaine]

Sounds expensive.

Is there any other kind of legal doohickey?

[Pyron]

Is there any other kind of legal doohickey?

Geas (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/geasQuest.htm)

That will ensure Haley won't break any deals.

[Haven]

This thread makes me think it's a good thing C.C.'s contract wasn't an actual, literal contract; otherwise she would have had to have Lelouch look over the fine print, and he'd have to find a pen, and as patient as those soldiers are about holding off on shooting him until he can make a dramatic speech and then make them kill themselves, they'd get sick of it -eventually-, I'm sure.

It would have been a lot less interesting to watch than the little acid sequence, at any rate.

[hamishspence]

there is also the Contract Of Nepthas: a magic item in Complete Arcane, needs the lesser geas spell to manufacture, only, instead of normal penalties, the breaker is rendered blind, deaf and mute.

[David Argall]

The answer is they could be, but in most cases likely are not.
Magic is expensive in 3.5, and most of D&D. The cheapest magic lists as 12 1/2 gold, and most people make only silver a day. So an enchanted contract could easily cost a year's pay. We can likely find ways to reduce the cost, but even so, only the real big important contracts will warrant enchantments.

[Mando Knight]

The answer is they could be, but in most cases likely are not.
Magic is expensive in 3.5, and most of D&D. The cheapest magic lists as 12 1/2 gold, and most people make only silver a day. So an enchanted contract could easily cost a year's pay. We can likely find ways to reduce the cost, but even so, only the real big important contracts will warrant enchantments.

And a reusable legal pad with a Use-Activated (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#useActivated) Geas/Quest would cost 6 (spell level) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/geasQuest.htm) * 11 (minimum caster level for a 6th level spell) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/cleric.htm) * 2000 gp (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm#tableEstimatingMagicItemGol dPieceValues), or 132,000 gp... greater than a +5 greatsword (50,000 gp).

[amuletts]

I wrote a scenario once that took place in a trading city. It was an investigation type scenario so I invented a handful of background characters as potential red herrings. One such was a tax collector. He radiated evil. The idea was that if they tryed to track down the villians by following anyone with an evil aura they would... have a few possibilities. Anyway, he was evil but didn't really do anything other than collect taxes. He was a rather rude gent however, so there was a chance he could have annoyed the PCs enough to kill him. If they had they would have found on him a +1 clipboard of efficiency. What did it do? It simply ensured that whatever piece of paper you needed was at the top.

[Optimystik]

Anyway, he was evil but didn't really do anything other than collect taxes.

The black hearts of the IRS pump the vilest ichor indeed :smallbiggrin:

[LurkerInPlayground]

It would depend upon legal procedure really. And as pointed out, since magic is expensive anyway, it would be more of a question whether or not it is legal to use such means to enforce contracts.

Besides, why enchant the pads when you can ensorcel the person directly?

[Pyron]

It would depend upon legal procedure really. And as pointed out, since magic is expensive anyway, it would be more of a question whether or not it is legal to use such means to enforce contracts.

Besides, why enchant the pads when you can ensorcel the person directly?

Exactly.

The cheapest magical way for the Guild to enforce their important contract is to get the High Priest of Loki to cast Geas/Quest on the recipient.

Total cost: less than 1,000 gp (depending on caster level).

[TheSummoner]

In the long run though, the expensive pad with infinate reusability would be cheaper than a cost of X per transaction. Doesn't seem to me like the guild plans to stop enforcing contracts anytime soon...

[whitelaughter]

Sort of. Gold spent on the legal pad is gold that can't be invested elsewhere. Frex, getting a candle caster to place Arcane Mark on a candle gives you a permanent candle, which pays itself off in a month, and the start up cost is only 12.5gp
Also, a thug-heavy guild isn't going to be overly interested in magically enforcing contracts as that puts the thugs out of business - and the handful of characters who can slaughter the thugs also have access to high level spellcasters who could just break the enchanments.
Finally: do you really want to make an extremely valuable, small portable item when you are surrounded by an entire thieves guild?

[duboisjf]

And a reusable legal pad with a Use-Activated (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#useActivated) Geas/Quest would cost 6 (spell level) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/geasQuest.htm) * 11 (minimum caster level for a 6th level spell) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/cleric.htm) * 2000 gp (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm#tableEstimatingMagicItemGol dPieceValues), or 132,000 gp... greater than a +5 greatsword (50,000 gp).

A +5 greatsword can be use to convince someone into not breaking a contract and for slaying monsters ... Much more useful :)

[Kurald Galain]

I would think some kind of geas(not necessarily that exact spell) would be laid on any legal paper.

No, it's probably a death note. :smalltongue:

[TheSummoner]

Now THAT would be a useful little tool...

I've never played before, but would such a thing be possible in a D&D game?

[mikeejimbo]

Is there any other kind of legal doohickey?

Very short wills?

"The estate of mikeejimbo: Burn it."

[Optimystik]

Now THAT would be a useful little tool...

I've never played before, but would such a thing be possible in a D&D game?

You mean a Death Note? It would almost certainly be an Artifact, given that it has a range of The Material Plane, among other things.

[silvadel]

Seeing how powerful lawyers tend to be -- I would think it wouldnt cost as much as people are saying -- likely specialized supplies that would cost no more than 50g to start for a pad which causes the signatories problems if they break the contract.

[zyphyr]

Seeing how powerful lawyers tend to be -- I would think it wouldnt cost as much as people are saying

The prices mentioned are what it would cost according to the rules of the game. The relative levels of influence that a lawyer might have isn't going to do anything to get that lowered. After all keep in mind how much power the Wizard has...

Lawyer : "I am an important person, I demand you lower your price."
Wizard : "I can turn you into a frog, or disintegrate you. How do you feel about my pricing schedule now?"