The Cowards Way Out of Combat

[ExemplarofAvg]

The Psionic ability "Time Hop" found here:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/timeHop.htm

It doesn't say anything about not using it on yourself, are there any rulings passed that says you can't manifest it to avoid combat all together?

[Big Fau]

The Psionic ability "Time Hop" found here:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/timeHop.htm

It doesn't say anything about not using it on yourself, are there any rulings passed that says you can't manifest it to avoid combat all together?

You can, but you'd look like a jerk to your party.


Personally, I like using Greater Anticipate Teleportation (delays teleportation effects for up to 3 rounds) with the Regroup spell (PH2, teleports one willing creature/level) to achieve a similar effect, but for the whole party (as a bonus, unless the enemy makes a Spellcraft check, they won't know what happened and you can get a Surprise Round on reentry).

[Psyren]

It doesn't say anything about not using it on yourself, are there any rulings passed that says you can't manifest it to avoid combat all together?

Ah, the "Celebi strategy."

Sure you can, but I'd love to hear the argument to the DM that you still deserve XP after that.

[Big Fau]

Ah, the "Celebi strategy."

Sure you can, but I'd love to hear the argument to the DM that you still deserve XP after that.

Avoiding an encounter counts as defeating it, as the DMG says. Doing this is avoiding it, technically.


Again, it's a Jerk Move, but very handy at times.

[Maho-Tsukai]

Hmm...did you just find a way to emulate Madara's space-time migration technique with psionics? If so big props, as now it means Madara can actually be stated out with psionics along with all the other Naruto characters who have already been moddled with psionics.

Also, yes, it is indeed a jerk move, but a useable one none the less.

[Psyren]

Avoiding an encounter counts as defeating it, as the DMG says. Doing this is avoiding it, technically.


Again, it's a Jerk Move, but very handy at times.

That's if all of you avoid it though. Hiding while everyone else does the work is different (or should be.)

At the very least, you should get less exp because your "challenge" consisted of manifesting a power with no chance of failure.

[Shadowknight12]

That's if all of you avoid it though. Hiding while everyone else does the work is different (or should be.)

At the very least, you should get less exp because your "challenge" consisted of manifesting a power with no chance of failure.

Nah, there's a better way to solve that. Have a wight as the party pet. Every time he pulls that trick, he gets a share of the XP, just as if he had actually contributed to combat, and then a kiss from the wight.

Problem solved. With just as much jerkassitude.

[Big Fau]

That's if all of you avoid it though. Hiding while everyone else does the work is different (or should be.)

At the very least, you should get less exp because your "challenge" consisted of manifesting a power with no chance of failure.

XP is awarded per character, not per party. But as a DM, I would agree to the latter part.

[Psyren]

XP is awarded per character, not per party.

Exactly - the ones who stay and fight get the full amount.

If there was a rogue in the party who stayed hidden in every encounter and used all his actions to either move away or delay, I would say the same thing. And he is at least rolling skill checks to stay unnoticed. The Time Hopper doesn't have to do anything at all to be completely untouchable.

[Vladislav]

While he's time hopping, the party can simply decide the challenge is too much for them, turn and run away. At that point, when the frustrated monster gives up on the chase and is ready to go home, the power's duration expires....

[Elric VIII]

Just to expand on this strategy, Synchronicity + Time Hop = Abrupt Jaunt, right?

Would you end up skipping your turn or simply act right after the Timp Hop brings you back?

And is there a way to lower the duration to 1 round?

[ExemplarofAvg]

Technically I was thinking of making a baddie that did this, that or some guy the party is supposed to protect, so survivability was needed.


Hmm...did you just find a way to emulate Madara's space-time migration technique with psionics? If so big props, as now it means Madara can actually be stated out with psionics along with all the other Naruto characters who have already been moddled with psionics.

Inadvertantly, yes, but I'll take some credit all the same, lol.


And is there a way to lower the duration to 1 round?

I dunno, in the "Time Hop, Mass" an eighth level power. It specfies you, and says you can control the duration. A la: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/timeHopMass.htm

[Lycar]

That's if all of you avoid it though. Hiding while everyone else does the work is different (or should be.)

At the very least, you should get less exp because your "challenge" consisted of manifesting a power with no chance of failure.

Heh, with that argument you should also dock XP from any spellcaster who just one-shot an encounter with a 'win-button' spell.

After all, all he did was cast a single spell with no chance of failure (and what wizard will have any appreciable chance of failure after boosting hi spells' save DCs into the stratosphere). :smalltongue:

Although... the DMG actually states that if the party breezes through an encounter it obviously wasn't a challenge and thus isn't worth full XP. I wonder if this part of RAW ever gets used in a real game though. :smallamused:

[Vladislav]

I fail to see why our time-hopping friend should get any XP for an encounter that took place while he wasn't there. Sure, the party fought the Terrible Monster of Doom, but he wasn't there. He wasn't even sneaking around in the shadows in the general area; he was just not there, not even present in the time-space continuum. He didn't even get to see the fight, unless someone videotaped it for him.

If you want to make a case he deserves any XP whatsoever, I would like to remind you there are a lot of fights happening on the Prime Material Plane between different monsters, NPCs and factions at any given time. What do those fights have in common? Just like the fight which he time-hopped, this character is not present for any of them.

By the same logic, you'd have to award him XP whenever any fight goes on anywhere in the world.

[Psyren]

Heh, with that argument you should also dock XP from any spellcaster who just one-shot an encounter with a 'win-button' spell.

I wouldn't dock XP, but certainly he wouldn't have earned very much.

Which is why good casters "end the encounter" not by one-shotting the BBEG, but by incapacitating him so thoroughly that the lowly beatstick can one-shot him.

Also, what Vladislav said.

[olentu]

I wouldn't dock XP, but certainly he wouldn't have earned very much.

Which is why good casters "end the encounter" not by one-shotting the BBEG, but by incapacitating him so thoroughly that the lowly beatstick can one-shot him.

Seems rather metagame encouraging to me.

[Tyndmyr]

I give XP to anyone who participated in a fight. IE, making attacks, contributing resources, taking hits, etc. But you have to actually be there to take hits.

The rogue who sneaks off in the opposite direction or the mage who contingent teleports away the instant combat starts? No xp.

Yes, if you cleverly bypass encounters to get to an objective, it's worth xp. Cleverly bypass does not mean hide while your party does the work. That's not really a bypass. I also allow pvp. These problems sort themselves out quickly.

[Avalon2099]

Can you persist Anticipate Teleport? like with the Incantatrix's ability to use a Metamagic on an ongoing spell? So lock the people teleporting in for 24 hours, go have dinner, read a book go to sleep, wake up, shave, work out, build a fence around your house, come back in, re-persist, repeat?

[Big Fau]

Can you persist Anticipate Teleport? like with the Incantatrix's ability to use a Metamagic on an ongoing spell? So lock the people teleporting in for 24 hours, go have dinner, read a book go to sleep, wake up, shave, work out, build a fence around your house, come back in, re-persist, repeat?

It all ready has a duration of 24 hours, but the time-delay on the Teleport can't be metamagic'ed as far as I'm aware.

[Psyren]

Seems rather metagame encouraging to me.

How do you figure?

[olentu]

How do you figure?

Well I could win this fight thereby reducing the danger to the party, making risk of escape less possible, and probably using less resources. However because the DM does not like certain class abilities and instead of banning them use of them is punished I shall avoid them.

Now considerations from outside the game are not necessarily bad and can be quite important but if you are going to use outside considerations to influence in game behavior why not just say I do not like that tactic so please don't use it or something of the sort.