What would you do?

[Xar Zarath]

Its on the news, in the papers, on your tablets and smartphones. And its real. A man or woman was seen hurling spells and members of the playground and gamers of dnd know what kind of spells he/she hurled. The cause is unknown as to why that magic-user did so but the fireballs, maw of chaos, summon monster spells now have the whole world on edge...
This magic-user is seen in many parts of the world here and there, doing simple things like sunbathing in California, shapechanging into a dragon and flying all across Asia...

But aside from that long intro, what my question to the playground is, if all the world knew that a powerful magic-user came here to Earth,
what would your first reaction be?
what would you do?
what could you do?

(Me,personally, I would hope against hope that I could become an apprentice to the magic-user.:smallredface:)

What about you guys?

[Serarya]

Its like a dream comeing true that magic IS possible ... *dreaming*

[Aharon]

Well, likely nothing, tbh. I have no way to contact him, his travel capabilities are far superior than mine, and I'm not in a position that would enable me to do something to him/about him/with him (like being a head of state or something).

If he came to Germany, I might try to travel whereever he appears.
If the phenomenon persists and it isn't shown to be a fraud after a few weeks, I might try my hand at "traditional" magic from our history, since DnD magic is based on this and if one works, maybe the other does, too.

[Dawgmoah]

But aside from that long intro, what my question to the playground is, if all the world knew that a powerful magic-user came here to Earth,
what would your first reaction be?
what would you do?
what could you do?


What about you guys?

It is my opinion the various world governments would attempt to suppress the news: and failing that control the news in such a way to divert attention.
Fear would be the over-arching reaction to someone or something like that. Religious groups would go into a frenzy; all trying to explain what is happening through their own filtered beliefs.

And if this person proved to be non-cooperative to governments/religious organizations/big business/insert name of group here they would be attacked: either to be forced into submission or to end this inexplicable threat to the everyday world we all live in and know.

The unfamiliar evokes dread, uncertainty, and fear.

Personally I'd watch how it would all unfold on the news and hope I'm not too close when someone decides to take the person on.

[malmblad]

It's like having a neighbor with a nuclear weapon. Governments just can't let something like that exist. The potential for destabilization is too great.

I would do my best to avoid the fallout.

[Harlot]

Hide. And stay hidden.

[(Un)Inspired]

My first step would be to build myself a new house out of lead to stop the magic-user from using divination to watch me poop.

I know that's why he's come to Earth.

[shadow_archmagi]

Start drafting my application letter for the X-COM project. I know which side I'm on.

[Maginomicon]

Hope that it's not Mordenkainen (http://youtu.be/u1AT_FbOR0Y?t=11m50s).

If we can confirm that it's not him, I'd try to get his attention somehow and see if together we can bring either "Spellfire Wielder" or "Hidden Talent (Call Item)" or at least a repeating boon trap of "Create Food and Water" to the masses.

[Ortesk]

If dnd magic is real, im calling tippy and ryu. They can tell me what tier he is. Then, deoending his tier i will devise means to destroy him. I lack magic, i have other means to kill even a wizard

[Jeff the Green]

Try to figure out how he's faking it. I mean, no one's ever been shown to have any real magic abilities before, but a lot of people have managed to convince people they do. That's a pretty darn strong prior probability against the proposition that this one is real.

[molten_dragon]

I'd lie low until the shooting stopped.

Because honestly, that's what would happen. The governments of the world wouldn't stand for someone with that amount of power to exist outside of their control. It would be FAR worse than a terrorist with a nuclear weapon.

If they were smart, they'd simply wait until he was sunbathing in California, and have a half dozen snipers with Barrett M82s take him out. The quicker they learned to do it, the less time he'd have to learn to protect himself from the threats the modern world has to offer.

[rexx1888]

I'd lie low until the shooting stopped.

Because honestly, that's what would happen. The governments of the world wouldn't stand for someone with that amount of power to exist outside of their control. It would be FAR worse than a terrorist with a nuclear weapon.

If they were smart, they'd simply wait until he was sunbathing in California, and have a half dozen snipers with Barrett M82s take him out. The quicker they learned to do it, the less time he'd have to learn to protect himself from the threats the modern world has to offer.

pretty much this, as yet i havent seen a spell thatll help a wizard avoid someone with an anti material rifle from a few miles away...

[HolyCouncilMagi]

pretty much this, as yet i havent seen a spell thatll help a wizard avoid someone with an anti material rifle from a few miles away...

Contingent Wind Wall when a projectile comes within 30 feet and is heading directly towards him? Contingent Plane Shift when somebody tries to attack him? Double Contingency to Teleport and use a tracking spell to the source of the attack? It all depends on the wizard's level. And it becomes much easier depending on how that rifle is repelled by Protection from Arrows, which I don't think any wizard would go sunbathing without.

[Emperor Tippy]

pretty much this, as yet i havent seen a spell thatll help a wizard avoid someone with an anti material rifle from a few miles away...

Foresight, Shapechange, Astral Projection, Clone, Contingency, Celerity

Hell, Hide Life alone means that HP damage will never be enough.

And then there is the little fact that a level 17+ wizard has enough HP to just outright tank a hit from an anti-material rifle.

Assuming a hit in the first place, which is pretty much only going to happen on a natural 20.

---
Yeah, a wizard has a bad Base Attack Bonus; what with it only being +10 at level 20.

Want to know the kicker? After the -4 non proficiency penalty said wizard can still pick up a rifle and out-shoot an Olympic gold medalist. Especially if Dex was his secondary stat (14 base, +6 Gloves, +4 Inherent means 24 Dex and thus a +7 to ranged AB).

[ryu]

If dnd magic is real, im calling tippy and ryu. They can tell me what tier he is. Then, deoending his tier i will devise means to destroy him. I lack magic, i have other means to kill even a wizard

No. Nope. Nawp. Negatory. Not a chance. Seriously no. You CAN'T judge these things for certain based only on a day or two of seeing him work. They can change their loadout on a daily basis remember? Not to mention we have no way of verifying all possible contingent tricks he could have saved. Personally, without magic of my own, the correct answer is to hope a relative station of low importance and public image isn't enough to get his attention. Never say a word against the man in case he has contingencies for that event or divines me by accident or choice at an inopportune moment. First rule of muggle: Don't **** with wizards. Not even then. Especially not then. This means you. Also it goes double for you specifically world political leaders.

[Kane0]

Set myself up a little ritual at an old stone altar, summon a devil, sell off my soul and become the first warlock. Failing that, use the same setup to find myself some vestiges and become the first Binder. Hell, why not both?

If he can do it, I can too!

Edit: Though I'd probably try to find out if I'm related to them first. If I am, then I might be a sorcerer!

Edit2: Then i'd clean up the altar and pray properly. Why not go for Cleric while i'm here?

[AzureKnight]

I would find a picture of my ex wife's sister in the nude, have her write a steamy letter proclaiming her yearing for his wizardy might, find said mage and give it to him.

If that doesnt send him running back to his plane of existing at x5 run, than he may fry her with a meteor swarm. either way for me, its win win.

I may get lucky and he take me with him as a way of saying, dude, i feel your pain. lol

[Morcleon]

Chant "Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu..." :smallamused:

[Xar Zarath]

My first step would be to build myself a new house out of lead to stop the magic-user from using divination to watch me poop.

I know that's why he's come to Earth.

Hahaha, why would he want to see you poop?

[Xar Zarath]

I would find a picture of my ex wife's sister in the nude, have her write a steamy letter proclaiming her yearing for his wizardy might, find said mage and give it to him.

If that doesnt send him running back to his plane of existing at x5 run, than he may fry her with a meteor swarm. either way for me, its win win.

I may get lucky and he take me with him as a way of saying, dude, i feel your pain. lol

I could not stop laughing at this!:smallbiggrin:

[Xar Zarath]

Hmm, what if the Wizard knew about us first? A healthy,paranoid wizard would scry anything and cast repeated divinations before going out to get the mail, so it would reason that the Wizard would have spells to block physical attacks.

What if the Wizard did not mean any harm?

[ryu]

Hmm, what if the Wizard knew about us first? A healthy,paranoid wizard would scry anything and cast repeated divinations before going out to get the mail, so it would reason that the Wizard would have spells to block physical attacks.

What if the Wizard did not mean any harm?

Good. In that case we're not all gonna die. Make peace at least, and perhaps try to bargain resources, lab assistants, and whatever else is demanded into public projects. Energy crisis? Done. World hunger? Easy done. Pollution? All we have to do is prestidigitation clean function the entire planet. Is there any simple way of increasing the allowed area of effect allowed for tricks?

[Eladrinblade]

I would do nothing and hope that they're chaotic good. If so, they're exactly what this world needs.

[Angelalex242]

Well, if one D&D Class exists, the rest must exist too.

Time to fulfill my lifelong dream to be a Paladin. Then I'll join his party.

[chainer1216]

Try and kill him/her for the exp.

[Feint's End]

Its on the news, in the papers, on your tablets and smartphones. And its real. A man or woman was seen hurling spells and members of the playground and gamers of dnd know what kind of spells he/she hurled. The cause is unknown as to why that magic-user did so but the fireballs, maw of chaos, summon monster spells now have the whole world on edge...
This magic-user is seen in many parts of the world here and there, doing simple things like sunbathing in California, shapechanging into a dragon and flying all across Asia...

But aside from that long intro, what my question to the playground is, if all the world knew that a powerful magic-user came here to Earth,
what would your first reaction be?
what would you do?
what could you do?

(Me,personally, I would hope against hope that I could become an apprentice to the magic-user.:smallredface:)

What about you guys?

Start sharpening my mind and trying to get psionic?

But srsly has nobody considered that a wizard in our world means that there have to be means to use this kind of magic and that everybody who knows how can learn it know? It's not like he's gonna be the only one for very long (well maybe there won't be wizards since nobody knows how to actually write or prepare spells but probably some sorcerors will be born).

I for once will take up some psionic training and hope with the appearance of this guy it would get possible. After all you don't need teachers to teach you psionic ... it's more of a selfexploration.

[SassyQuatch]

Seems like a great time to collect XP.

[Mystral]

Throwing Fireballs? Shouldn't be that hard to take down.

[Ansem]

Have sex with it. Maybe magic transfers as an STD :P AND THEN I'M THE POWERFUL MAGICIAN!

[molten_dragon]

Contingent Wind Wall when a projectile comes within 30 feet and is heading directly towards him? Contingent Plane Shift when somebody tries to attack him? Double Contingency to Teleport and use a tracking spell to the source of the attack? It all depends on the wizard's level. And it becomes much easier depending on how that rifle is repelled by Protection from Arrows, which I don't think any wizard would go sunbathing without.

The problem with this debate always becomes "How do D&D rules translate into real-world physics." And to a lesser extent "How quickly can the wizard learn to understand what threats the modern world offers".

For example, with a contingent wind wall. Exactly how quickly does a contingency go off? It's an immediate action, but we have no idea exactly what that means.

We know it can go off quickly enough to protect from projectiles in D&D, but that does not necessarily mean it can protect from a rifle round traveling several times faster.

Would wind wall even protect from a round that size (or a rifle round at all)?

Would plane shift work at all? As far as we know there are no other planes you could travel to from our world.

How much damage does a .50 cal sniper rifle do anyway? How robust would that wizard be in real-world terms?

Stuff like that can't really be answered, and it's why there's never any real resolution to these sorts of debates.

[molten_dragon]

What if the Wizard did not mean any harm?

Do you think the government would allow some random guy to have a nuclear weapon as long as he promised not to hurt anyone with it?

Yeah, I don't either.

[Brookshw]

Have sex with it. Maybe magic transfers as an STD :P AND THEN I'M THE POWERFUL MAGICIAN!

Hey doc, it lightning bolts everytime I pee, got anything to help? No don't you dare cure it!


How much damage does a .50 cal sniper rifle do anyway? How robust would that wizard be in real-world terms?

iirc either 2d10 or 2d12 per d20 modern.

And to the op, start looking for a kid with a scar on his forehead.

[Xar Zarath]

And to the op, start looking for a kid with a scar on his forehead.

Oh gods, does that mean we will have to be on the lookout for a man with a snake for a face?:smalleek:

[Xar Zarath]

Do you think the government would allow some random guy to have a nuclear weapon as long as he promised not to hurt anyone with it?

Yeah, I don't either.

Hmm, in that case perhaps it would be better for the Wizard to Mindrape, Dominate and Charm those in positions of power and influence before having fun on Earth?

[Xar Zarath]

The problem with this debate always becomes "How do D&D rules translate into real-world physics." And to a lesser extent "How quickly can the wizard learn to understand what threats the modern world offers".

For example, with a contingent wind wall. Exactly how quickly does a contingency go off? It's an immediate action, but we have no idea exactly what that means.

We know it can go off quickly enough to protect from projectiles in D&D, but that does not necessarily mean it can protect from a rifle round traveling several times faster.

Would wind wall even protect from a round that size (or a rifle round at all)?

Would plane shift work at all? As far as we know there are no other planes you could travel to from our world.

How much damage does a .50 cal sniper rifle do anyway? How robust would that wizard be in real-world terms?

Stuff like that can't really be answered, and it's why there's never any real resolution to these sorts of debates.

That is true, this is why I wonder why nobody can agree to those sort of arguments.

On the whole it seems very easy isn't it? I mean, you the normal fellow is now a Wizard. That's it, that's all there is to it. You spent a few years studying and poof you can do magic. Immediate actions, standard etc can be considered as how long it takes you to complete the incantation. Its like being asked to recite something you know from memory very well really fast.

Why cant we just say it like that?

[Brookshw]

So how many spells a round would an auctioneer get off?

[molten_dragon]

Hmm, in that case perhaps it would be better for the Wizard to Mindrape, Dominate and Charm those in positions of power and influence before having fun on Earth?

That would probably be a much smarter plan.

But then you get into the territory of how quickly can the wizard learn what sort of threat we are?

Does he realize that casting spells in public will be unusual to us? Will he realize how much of a threat that will make him seem to us? Will he realize that non-magical people have methods of sending information across the world in seconds, and that a large majority of the population of the planet would know of his existence within days (or hours)? Would he realize the scale of modern society, and the fact that there could be tens of millions of people hunting him across the globe with weapons far more powerful than he's familiar with? Does he realize that today's non-magical humans have the ability to harm him from miles away and that his senses may not warn him of the attack before it hits? Will he even understand our political system enough to know who he needs to dominate and charm?

There would be a big difference between someone from our world gaining the ability to cast spells, and an outsider from Faerun or something who was a spellcaster suddenly appearing here somehow and retaining the ability to cast spells.

[Segev]

What would I do?

First, I make sure my contingencies are all up to date. I may not be willing to start something, but I won't risk talking to an unknown unprepared.

I'd issue him a Sending to inform him that getting splashed across the airwaves makes people antsy, and politely request that he tone it down a bit.

And then I'd make sure my supply of onyx is topped off. If he's not going to listen to me, I may as well be ready to take advantage of the fallout.

[kreenlover]

So how many spells a round would an auctioneer get off?

I laughed :smallbiggrin: They probably have quicken spell.

If this happened I'd go start chanting gobbledy-**** and pointing at people. maybe I can find their truename!

[Xar Zarath]

There would be a big difference between someone from our world gaining the ability to cast spells, and an outsider from Faerun or something who was a spellcaster suddenly appearing here somehow and retaining the ability to cast spells.

That is a good point. A Wizard that came here would have a harder time of it, perhaps even getting killed, since the scale of the modern world is simply different.

That what if the situations were reversed. What if someone from our world, an Earthling, learned magic i.e 20th level Wizard?

[Xar Zarath]

So how many spells a round would an auctioneer get off?

The spell would have to be intelligible. If going by the way an auctioneer saying anything at all, I don't think he or she could cast a spell reliably. Maybe he/she will but the spells blur together?:smallredface:

[Coidzor]

Nothing I really could do, try to live my life and hope that when the wizard inevitably takes over it'll improve my quality of life rather than decrease it. I suppose if the spellcaster made an appearance near me I'd offer them my services directly and try to introduce it to the wonders of bourbon and chocolate.

If our new overlord implements any kind of magical education I'm going to do my damndest to get in, even only being able to cast 2nd level spells would be pretty nifty.

[Xar Zarath]

If our new overlord implements any kind of magical education I'm going to do my damndest to get in, even only being able to cast 2nd level spells would be pretty nifty.

Agreed, I would do so too:smallbiggrin:. However if the Wizard was from our world, that person would be most likely paranoid and selfish in the extreme.