immovable rod question

[Darth Stabber]

Okay, I've seen it ruled both ways, so I am looking for a RAW answer, is an immovable rod unmoving relative to its observer (ie you activate it on a moving ship and it keeps moving with the ship), or is it an effective anchor/emergency brake for ships? I realize that it stops you from falling (very painfully, and only from high enough up that you don't fall the whole distance in one turn), but specifically how does it work inside of a large moving vehicle (a ship, a hollowed out greatwyrm red zombie, ect)?

[Forged Fury]

I think RAW answers get ugly (rotation of the planet around its axis and local solar body, etc). Personally, I let it do whatever the player wants it to do as long as the point is for the rod to stay in place (whether relatively or absolutely). I'd shoot down anything I consider ridiculous as well.

[Mauther]

I kind of handle these situtations like Griffin, with the caveat that once we settle on an effect, that's how it works from now on.

[Seonor]

Immovable rods are immobile to the object that exerts the greatest gravitational force upon them and move with these objects if those move. Way less headaches that way.

[Curmudgeon]

is an immovable rod unmoving relative to its observer (ie you activate it on a moving ship and it keeps moving with the ship), or is it an effective anchor/emergency brake for ships?
It's not going to be able to brake a ship; the force is well beyond the 8,000 lb. limit for an Immovable Rod. Even the force of wind on exposed hull area, without any sail, is going to be too much in any noticeable breeze.

[Rixx]

Great way to tear a hole in a ship, though.

[Seharvepernfan]

Immovable rods are immobile to the object that exerts the greatest gravitational force upon them and move with these objects if those move. Way less headaches that way.

This.

Id say itd stop the ship (anchors do, and they weigh less than 8000, right?)

[RaggedAngel]

This.

Id say itd stop the ship (anchors do, and they weigh less than 8000, right?)

Woah woah woah. As someone who actually knows how to sail, I can safely say that if you ever attempt to stop a ship with an anchor you've just ruined your ship and your anchor. Anchor's hold a ship in place once you've already stopped; if you lower it while moving you're asking to either break or flip your ship, depending on the size of the vessel.

[Cog]

Immovable rods are immobile to the object that exerts the greatest gravitational force upon them and move with these objects if those move. Way less headaches that way.

This object is not likely to be the planet you are on. It will probably be the local cluster of galaxies or something along those lines, and you are probably moving stupendously fast relative to that reference.

[Darth Stabber]

This object is not likely to be the planet you are on. It will probably be the local cluster of galaxies or something along those lines, and you are probably moving stupendously fast relative to that reference.

So let's instead say that it is unmoving relative to the planet/moon/asteroid/diskworld/space colony/spacecraft upon which it is activated. Its usually best to avoid the confluence of astrophysics and D&D, think of the catgirls.

[Cog]

So let's instead say that it is unmoving relative to the planet/moon/asteroid/diskworld/space colony/spacecraft upon which it is activated. Its usually best to avoid the confluence of astrophysics and D&D, think of the catgirls.
That was kind of my point, actually. :smallcool:

[Yuki Akuma]

This object is not likely to be the planet you are on. It will probably be the local cluster of galaxies or something along those lines, and you are probably moving stupendously fast relative to that reference.

Er, actually... In the default cosmology there aren't any galaxies. >.> Most material planes are, at best, solar systems. Some are single planets.

[Re'ozul]

I usually rule that things like immovable rods send out a ping.
They send out hundreds of thousands pings of varying distance (with a certain max distance) which then latch on to whatever material they end in. They then become immobile relative to the greatest amount of Pings that are immobile in respect to each other.

[Moriato]

This object is not likely to be the planet you are on. It will probably be the local cluster of galaxies or something along those lines, and you are probably moving stupendously fast relative to that reference.

That cluster may have a lot of gravitational pull, but because of its distance the gravitational effect of the planet you're on is much, much stronger. If not, we'd have all been pulled off the earth into space a long long time ago.

[Fortuna]

This object is not likely to be the planet you are on. It will probably be the local cluster of galaxies or something along those lines, and you are probably moving stupendously fast relative to that reference.

Wait, what? Force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. 9.8 newtons per kilogram is the greatest force operating on me right now (roughly), from the Earth.

[Cog]

Er, actually... In the default cosmology there aren't any galaxies. >.> Most material planes are, at best, solar systems. Some are single planets.
This does not seem to be in the description for the Material Plane. In fact, that one is described to be Earthlike, and Earth wouldn't be very Earthlike without a universe around it; further, usual physical laws are stated to apply unless specifically contradicted. Can you provide a source for your statement? (Spelljammer doesn't count - it's a specific campaign setting.)


That cluster may have a lot of gravitational pull, but because of its distance the gravitational effect of the planet you're on is much, much stronger. If not, we'd have all been pulled off the earth into space a long long time ago.
Sorry, that's not how gravity works. We don't fall off the Earth into the Sun because the Earth is "falling" (orbiting) at the same speed we are, Earth doesn't fall away from the Sun into the galactic core because the Sun is orbiting the galaxy at the same... etc, etc.


Wait, what? Force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. 9.8 newtons per kilogram is the greatest force operating on me right now (roughly), from the Earth.
Lazy me: I was thinking in terms of gravitational potential energy rather than acceleration in the strictest sense - I was putting the "dominant" before the "force". Fair point.

[Forbiddenwar]

So, hmm.
Immovable Rods then.
I don't know. Immovable relative to the largest force that would fail against it's str check, maybe? Or relative to 8,000 pounds of people or creature?

[Yuki Akuma]

This does not seem to be in the description for the Material Plane. In fact, that one is described to be Earthlike, and Earth wouldn't be very Earthlike without a universe around it; further, usual physical laws are stated to apply unless specifically contradicted. Can you provide a source for your statement? (Spelljammer doesn't count - it's a specific campaign setting.)

I'm going by the fact that the Great Wheel setting is the Planescape setting (it even has Sigil and the Lady of Pain!), and the second edition Planescape book made several references to Spelljamming.

And a planet can be Earthlike without being exactly where Earth is. :smalltongue:

[Sylivin]

Because it is magic it is supposed to break the rules, but I'd suggest keeping it relative to the planet it is on. The moment you place it, it becomes tied to the planet and rotates and move the same way as the planet does - aka: unmoving from the point of view of a stationary person on the planet's surface.

So using it on a boat - probably a bad idea. Using it on a flying mount? Also bad unless it is hovering.

[Laendri]

I think RAW answers get ugly (rotation of the planet around its axis and local solar body, etc). Personally, I let it do whatever the player wants it to do as long as the point is for the rod to stay in place (whether relatively or absolutely). I'd shoot down anything I consider ridiculous as well.

THIS.

What I will do. They use it in the air, they ship keeps moving the rod doesn´t.
They use it the a room of the ship, the ship keeps moving, the rod doesn´t, making break holes in the wood while the ship goes.
They use it in the chain of the anchor, the ship breaks as if the anchor were deployed, with a big brake and maybe some parts of the ship broken due the chain sudden break. ( Ex: the chain holder)
But if they, for example, want to climb a part of the ship and they use the rod, touching the wood wall, I would let the rod move with the ship.

[calar]

So using it on a boat - probably a bad idea. Using it on a flying mount? Also bad unless it is hovering.Or, possibly a very very good idea depending on the circumstances. :smallwink:

[Sylivin]

Or, possibly a very very good idea depending on the circumstances. :smallwink:

True that. ;)

[DarkestKnight]

This came up in my gaming group when a player recounted the time where a guy killed himself with it, as the dm ruled that it's position was relative to the universe, and didn't mention whether the planet had rotation or not. The player was standing on the wrong side and caught the rod in the noggin at approx 1000 Mph (dm used earths spin as a stand in). The rod then went and destroyed a castle (the enemy's), a hill, a mountain, a mountain range, and then managed to give the tarrasque a nasty shot in the rear (the cleric cast scry to watch that last stuff).

story aside, my group has ruled collectively that the rod is relative to the largest body in reasonable proximity. if you are on a ship, it is relative to the ship. if you are by a cliff its relative to the cliff. if you are in a vacuum it is relative to your body. Basically you can't use it to bust down castles, because you would also destroy everything at that altitude around the entire world (assuming it didn't get sundered).

[Feytalist]

Heh, DM's fiat: "If the players does what I want them to do, I allow it. If they do what I hadn't thought of, I let it go horribly wrong for them."

[Dr.Epic]

What happens when an immovable rob meets and unstoppable object?

[NNescio]

What happens when an immovable rob meets and unstoppable object?

Despite its name, the immovable rod is actually movable; just load it with 8000 pounds-force or beat a DC 30 strength check.

[Maerok]

Now the CL for the standard immovable rod is 10. What would a CL 20 or epic rod look like? :smalleek:

[Freylorn]

Now the CL for the standard immovable rod is 10. What would a CL 20 or epic rod look like? :smalleek:

It would probably greatly resemble a rod of some sort.

... I apologize. I just couldn't help myself on that one.

[Feytalist]

It would probably greatly resemble a rod of some sort.

... I apologize. I just couldn't help myself on that one.

Totally justified.