Quellian-dyrae
2007-01-31, 09:47 PM
I...find it very hard to get any real use out of divinations in D&D. Locate Object and Locate Creature are too limited in range; scrying is nice for watching what people are doing but allowing a saving throw makes it very unpredictable. Legend lore is limited in scope...commune and contact other plane don't tell you much and are costly/risky besides. The psionic power Hypercognition is cool but if you need a 15th level psion to get good information...we have a problem.
Now, don't get me wrong. I know why this is so. Divinations are the ultimate Ruin The Mystery spells. At the same time, they are classics of the genre, and can also be very useful to a DM in moving the story along.
In a game system I've been working on, I tried to make divinations so that they could be useful to the characters and the DM alike, without being easy ways for the characters to ruin surprises. This post is an attempt to translate that system to D&D.
This doesn't cover all divinations, it introduces a subschool called "queries"; divinations that center around questions.
I'm not going to do any major spell revisions here, but my assumption is that most divinations can have their restrictions and costs toned down significantly, because they are no longer major potential threats (personally, I don't think they ever were, considering their limitations, but whatever). Their ranges of answers can also be extended significantly. For example, augury, while still answering questions about the risk/reward of a future event, might give a Factual Response, Short Reply, Unexplained Vision, or Variable Potentialities result. Commune could be directed away from yes or no only (myself, I think that a deity or its agents would be glad to provide useful information on questions that support their agendas, but would give very little to a cleric who asks about unimportant things) and could probably lose the XP cost.
Divination (Query) Spells:
Queries allow you to learn things you don't otherwise know. When casting a query, you ask the DM a number of questions, depending on the spell. There are multiple types of responses for a query, which the DM can choose from to structure its answer. The choices the DM can make are limited by the character's understanding of the subject and the spell used. The DM's reply must be truthful, and must be appropriate to the question. Multiple queries on the same topic reveal the same answer, even if by different casters in the group or working for the group (at the DM's discretion, new queries might reveal new information after a significant amount of time has passed or the characters have gained more information through mundane means). A query about a previous query fails; for example, if you get a cryptic puzzle answer, you cannot use another query to ask "what did that mean?". If no type of reply is legitimate (for example, the only replies in the appropriate range are not allowed by the spell), the spell fails.
When the character casts a query spell, determine the range of the query based on its understanding of the subject:
--1: You know nothing about the subject.
--2: You have a working understanding of topics definitively related to the subject (for instance, you might not know about the warlord's battle plans, but you know about tactics in general). A character with at least five ranks in an appropriate skill (usually Knowledge, but other skills might apply) always counts as having at least this much understanding. Skill ranks aren't the only way this knowledge might be demonstrated, but they are a good starting point.
--3: You have significant knowledge of things definitively related to the subject (for instance, you might not know about the warlord's battle plans, but you are, yourself, an expert tactician). A character with at least ten ranks in an appropriate skill can be said to have this level of understanding.
--4: You have a working understanding of the subject itself (for instance, you know that the warlord has been spending a lot of effort taking the north bridge and holding back most of his troops, but not why).
--5: You have significant understanding of the subject you are dealing with (for instance, you know what the warlord's goals and strategies are; you just need to know his next move).
For example, a mage with 10 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) is trying to divine the effects of a ritual it believes a foe is attempting to work. This rates a 3 on the above list; the character has significant knowledge of things definitively related to the subject, but not the subject itself. The DM can choose any answer where the range includes a 3. If the character knows the steps for performing the ritual, it would rate a 4, and the DM could select any answer with a range of 4.
Confounding Twist (1-2): The DM gives a truthful, relevant, and utterly useless answer to the question. For example, if the character is asking where a villain is, the DM might reply by giving a room in the villain's home (without revealing where that home is). This type of answer generally replies with something that the characters already know or can easily guess, but it might also be something they really don't need to know ("What is the warlord's current plan?" "To have steak for dinner.") The reply must be both accurate, and a legitimate answer to the question. As such, very careful wording of the question can make this a difficult or impossible reply to give. This type of answer is best used when the characters have very little information, and the DM wants them to get more through actual quests or role playing, rather than simply tossing queries around.
Cryptic Puzzle (1-3): The DM replies in the form of a puzzle of some sort. The puzzle itself, or the answer to it, contains useful information, but the players have to figure it out. This is a good answer to give when you want the characters to have some information, but you also want the players to use their own brains--it is a good default answer for use in mystery-oriented games. Of course, it often requires a good bit of thought on the DM's part to come up with a challenging puzzle.
Factual Reference (1-3): The DM reveals factual information. The information should be useful, but need not necessarily be complete, and certainly doesn't need to be enough to solve a given problem. Factual references work well when the players are asking about something that won't unhinge the quest, but the DM doesn't want to risk revealing important mysteries.
Full Reveal (4-5): The DM gives the players whatever information they want to know. This works best when the DM wants to avoid mysteries and get players right into the action, although it does require that they have some understanding of the subject.
Gentle Reminder (2-5): The DM reminds players of some important, relevant thing they have forgotten or overlooked. The DM need not reveal just why this thing is important or relevant, however. This is a good way to get players back on the right track when they are stumped.
Helpful Hint (2-4): The DM gives a clue that will help the players figure out the answer they want. No real information is given, but the clue should be helpful in leading them to a correct conclusion.
Mission Lead (1-5): The DM reveals a task of some sort (usually a short quest or mission) that the players must achieve to get closer to learning what they want to know. Upon completing the mission, they might wind up with more information, or simply realize a better question to ask. It is possible for the DM to keep revealing mission leads with successive divinations as the players complete missions, making this an excellent type of answer for keeping the quest moving along.
No Response (1): The DM does not give an answer. This is best used when the players are asking about something outside the scope of the campaign (for instance, characters asking how to make gunpowder).
Partial Reveal (2-3): The DM provides useful, relevant information, but few details. For example, if the characters are asking what the dangers of a certain place are, the DM might reveal that there are guardians, traps, and natural hazards, but wouldn't give information as to numbers or type. This is good for giving the characters some degree of information without allowing them easy access to future knowledge.
Short Reply (1-3): The DM gives a short, one-word answer, typically "yes" or "no", but other answers (such as "danger," "good," "bad," and so on) are also possible. This is a good way to give basic information without revealing anything too critical.
Unexplained Vision (2-4): The DM actually describes a vision that the character sees. This vision may be complicated, allegorical, or otherwise difficult to decipher. It should, however, be something that the players can figure out, if they set their minds to it (it doesn't have to be hard or cryptic, but it can). This is a good tactic for getting the players thinking, like a cryptic puzzle. It is also a good way to reveal lots of information in a more entertaining manner.
Variable Potentialities (1-5): The DM responds that the answer is unknown. This answer is only appropriate if the DM actually isn't currently sure of the answer, or it might change depending on circumstance.
The list of possible replies by ranges are as follows. At DM discretion, the player may roll d% to determine the reply given (reroll if the reply is inappropriate to the question).
1: Confounding Twist (1-10), Cryptic Puzzle (11-30), Factual Reference (31-45), Mission Lead (46-70), No Response (71-75), Short Reply (76-90), Variable Potentialities (91-100).
2: Confounding Twist (1-4), Cryptic Puzzle (5-12), Factual Reference (13-28), Gentle Reminder (29-40), Helpful Hint (41-48), Mission Lead (49-64), Partial Reveal (65-72), Short Reply (73-84), Unexplained Vision (85-96), Variable Potentialities (97-100).
3: Cryptic Puzzle (1-8), Factual Reference (9-20), Gentle Reminder (21-32), Helpful Hint (33-44), Mission Lead (45-64), Partial Reveal (65-76), Short Reply (77-88), Unexplained Vision (89-96), Variable Potentialities (97-100).
4: Full Reveal (1-10), Gentle Reminder (11-25), Helpful Hint (26-50), Mission Lead (51-80), Unexplained Vision (81-95), Variable Potentialities (96-100).
5: Full Reveal (1-30), Gentle Reminder (31-50), Mission Lead (51-90), Variable Potentialities (91-100).
Sample Divination (Query) spells:
*Note: All can also be considered psionic powers with the school Clairsentience (Query). Level is Psion/Wilder of same level as for a wizard.
Learn the Past
Divination (Query)
Level: Brd2, Clr3, Sor/Wiz3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/3 levels
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Each round for the duration of the spell, you concentrate on a single question about something that occurred or existed in the past, and the answer manifests in your mind. This spell must deal exclusively with the past, and never provides information from within the past twenty-four hours. For each question you ask, the QL provides an answer appropriate to your range of understanding.
Learn the Present
Divination (Query)
Level: Brd4, Clr5, Sor/Wiz5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/3 levels or 1 minute per level (see text)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell functions like Learn the Past, except that it reveals information only from within the past 24 hours. If you wish, rather than asking multiple questions, you can receive constantly updating information for one minute per level about something that is currently going on. For example, if you ask what your enemy is currently doing, you will receive information for the next one minute per level as it changes (this information, however, will come in the form of the appropriate response type; if you get a short reply response, for example, you may learn only "eating", "getting up", "leaving the dining room", "yelling", and so on, where if you got a full reveal you would get a detailed description of what the villain was doing (what it was eating, who was around, why it got up and left, who it was yelling at and why, what it was yelling, etc).
Learn the Future
Divination (Query)
Level: Brd6, Clr7, Sor/Wiz7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/3 levels or one hour/level (see text)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell functions like Learn the Present, except it reveals information on what will occur in the future (when you ask your question, you may specify certain situations, such as, "if we enter the dragon's cave, what will it do?" or "if we succeed in capturing the fortress, what is the warlord's next move?") The range of time for this question is essentially unlimited, but the further into the future you go, the more likely it is that alternate situations will change the outcome, resulting in a Variable Potentialities response--or worse, resulting in a response that has changed by the time you catch up.
Rather than ask a series of questions, you can receive constantly updating information as with Learn the Present, except this information persists for one hour per caster level and applies to what is going to happen a predetermined period from the current time (again, time range is not strictly limited, but the chance of an upset is even greater with this version of the spell). For example, you might obtain updating information about the villain's plans for an hour from the current time. When you cast the spell, you might learn that the villain plans to attack the temple. You travel to the temple, but the villain learns about you and changes course. You would then learn that the villain plans to gather minions from its lair, and so on.
Now, don't get me wrong. I know why this is so. Divinations are the ultimate Ruin The Mystery spells. At the same time, they are classics of the genre, and can also be very useful to a DM in moving the story along.
In a game system I've been working on, I tried to make divinations so that they could be useful to the characters and the DM alike, without being easy ways for the characters to ruin surprises. This post is an attempt to translate that system to D&D.
This doesn't cover all divinations, it introduces a subschool called "queries"; divinations that center around questions.
I'm not going to do any major spell revisions here, but my assumption is that most divinations can have their restrictions and costs toned down significantly, because they are no longer major potential threats (personally, I don't think they ever were, considering their limitations, but whatever). Their ranges of answers can also be extended significantly. For example, augury, while still answering questions about the risk/reward of a future event, might give a Factual Response, Short Reply, Unexplained Vision, or Variable Potentialities result. Commune could be directed away from yes or no only (myself, I think that a deity or its agents would be glad to provide useful information on questions that support their agendas, but would give very little to a cleric who asks about unimportant things) and could probably lose the XP cost.
Divination (Query) Spells:
Queries allow you to learn things you don't otherwise know. When casting a query, you ask the DM a number of questions, depending on the spell. There are multiple types of responses for a query, which the DM can choose from to structure its answer. The choices the DM can make are limited by the character's understanding of the subject and the spell used. The DM's reply must be truthful, and must be appropriate to the question. Multiple queries on the same topic reveal the same answer, even if by different casters in the group or working for the group (at the DM's discretion, new queries might reveal new information after a significant amount of time has passed or the characters have gained more information through mundane means). A query about a previous query fails; for example, if you get a cryptic puzzle answer, you cannot use another query to ask "what did that mean?". If no type of reply is legitimate (for example, the only replies in the appropriate range are not allowed by the spell), the spell fails.
When the character casts a query spell, determine the range of the query based on its understanding of the subject:
--1: You know nothing about the subject.
--2: You have a working understanding of topics definitively related to the subject (for instance, you might not know about the warlord's battle plans, but you know about tactics in general). A character with at least five ranks in an appropriate skill (usually Knowledge, but other skills might apply) always counts as having at least this much understanding. Skill ranks aren't the only way this knowledge might be demonstrated, but they are a good starting point.
--3: You have significant knowledge of things definitively related to the subject (for instance, you might not know about the warlord's battle plans, but you are, yourself, an expert tactician). A character with at least ten ranks in an appropriate skill can be said to have this level of understanding.
--4: You have a working understanding of the subject itself (for instance, you know that the warlord has been spending a lot of effort taking the north bridge and holding back most of his troops, but not why).
--5: You have significant understanding of the subject you are dealing with (for instance, you know what the warlord's goals and strategies are; you just need to know his next move).
For example, a mage with 10 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) is trying to divine the effects of a ritual it believes a foe is attempting to work. This rates a 3 on the above list; the character has significant knowledge of things definitively related to the subject, but not the subject itself. The DM can choose any answer where the range includes a 3. If the character knows the steps for performing the ritual, it would rate a 4, and the DM could select any answer with a range of 4.
Confounding Twist (1-2): The DM gives a truthful, relevant, and utterly useless answer to the question. For example, if the character is asking where a villain is, the DM might reply by giving a room in the villain's home (without revealing where that home is). This type of answer generally replies with something that the characters already know or can easily guess, but it might also be something they really don't need to know ("What is the warlord's current plan?" "To have steak for dinner.") The reply must be both accurate, and a legitimate answer to the question. As such, very careful wording of the question can make this a difficult or impossible reply to give. This type of answer is best used when the characters have very little information, and the DM wants them to get more through actual quests or role playing, rather than simply tossing queries around.
Cryptic Puzzle (1-3): The DM replies in the form of a puzzle of some sort. The puzzle itself, or the answer to it, contains useful information, but the players have to figure it out. This is a good answer to give when you want the characters to have some information, but you also want the players to use their own brains--it is a good default answer for use in mystery-oriented games. Of course, it often requires a good bit of thought on the DM's part to come up with a challenging puzzle.
Factual Reference (1-3): The DM reveals factual information. The information should be useful, but need not necessarily be complete, and certainly doesn't need to be enough to solve a given problem. Factual references work well when the players are asking about something that won't unhinge the quest, but the DM doesn't want to risk revealing important mysteries.
Full Reveal (4-5): The DM gives the players whatever information they want to know. This works best when the DM wants to avoid mysteries and get players right into the action, although it does require that they have some understanding of the subject.
Gentle Reminder (2-5): The DM reminds players of some important, relevant thing they have forgotten or overlooked. The DM need not reveal just why this thing is important or relevant, however. This is a good way to get players back on the right track when they are stumped.
Helpful Hint (2-4): The DM gives a clue that will help the players figure out the answer they want. No real information is given, but the clue should be helpful in leading them to a correct conclusion.
Mission Lead (1-5): The DM reveals a task of some sort (usually a short quest or mission) that the players must achieve to get closer to learning what they want to know. Upon completing the mission, they might wind up with more information, or simply realize a better question to ask. It is possible for the DM to keep revealing mission leads with successive divinations as the players complete missions, making this an excellent type of answer for keeping the quest moving along.
No Response (1): The DM does not give an answer. This is best used when the players are asking about something outside the scope of the campaign (for instance, characters asking how to make gunpowder).
Partial Reveal (2-3): The DM provides useful, relevant information, but few details. For example, if the characters are asking what the dangers of a certain place are, the DM might reveal that there are guardians, traps, and natural hazards, but wouldn't give information as to numbers or type. This is good for giving the characters some degree of information without allowing them easy access to future knowledge.
Short Reply (1-3): The DM gives a short, one-word answer, typically "yes" or "no", but other answers (such as "danger," "good," "bad," and so on) are also possible. This is a good way to give basic information without revealing anything too critical.
Unexplained Vision (2-4): The DM actually describes a vision that the character sees. This vision may be complicated, allegorical, or otherwise difficult to decipher. It should, however, be something that the players can figure out, if they set their minds to it (it doesn't have to be hard or cryptic, but it can). This is a good tactic for getting the players thinking, like a cryptic puzzle. It is also a good way to reveal lots of information in a more entertaining manner.
Variable Potentialities (1-5): The DM responds that the answer is unknown. This answer is only appropriate if the DM actually isn't currently sure of the answer, or it might change depending on circumstance.
The list of possible replies by ranges are as follows. At DM discretion, the player may roll d% to determine the reply given (reroll if the reply is inappropriate to the question).
1: Confounding Twist (1-10), Cryptic Puzzle (11-30), Factual Reference (31-45), Mission Lead (46-70), No Response (71-75), Short Reply (76-90), Variable Potentialities (91-100).
2: Confounding Twist (1-4), Cryptic Puzzle (5-12), Factual Reference (13-28), Gentle Reminder (29-40), Helpful Hint (41-48), Mission Lead (49-64), Partial Reveal (65-72), Short Reply (73-84), Unexplained Vision (85-96), Variable Potentialities (97-100).
3: Cryptic Puzzle (1-8), Factual Reference (9-20), Gentle Reminder (21-32), Helpful Hint (33-44), Mission Lead (45-64), Partial Reveal (65-76), Short Reply (77-88), Unexplained Vision (89-96), Variable Potentialities (97-100).
4: Full Reveal (1-10), Gentle Reminder (11-25), Helpful Hint (26-50), Mission Lead (51-80), Unexplained Vision (81-95), Variable Potentialities (96-100).
5: Full Reveal (1-30), Gentle Reminder (31-50), Mission Lead (51-90), Variable Potentialities (91-100).
Sample Divination (Query) spells:
*Note: All can also be considered psionic powers with the school Clairsentience (Query). Level is Psion/Wilder of same level as for a wizard.
Learn the Past
Divination (Query)
Level: Brd2, Clr3, Sor/Wiz3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/3 levels
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Each round for the duration of the spell, you concentrate on a single question about something that occurred or existed in the past, and the answer manifests in your mind. This spell must deal exclusively with the past, and never provides information from within the past twenty-four hours. For each question you ask, the QL provides an answer appropriate to your range of understanding.
Learn the Present
Divination (Query)
Level: Brd4, Clr5, Sor/Wiz5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/3 levels or 1 minute per level (see text)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell functions like Learn the Past, except that it reveals information only from within the past 24 hours. If you wish, rather than asking multiple questions, you can receive constantly updating information for one minute per level about something that is currently going on. For example, if you ask what your enemy is currently doing, you will receive information for the next one minute per level as it changes (this information, however, will come in the form of the appropriate response type; if you get a short reply response, for example, you may learn only "eating", "getting up", "leaving the dining room", "yelling", and so on, where if you got a full reveal you would get a detailed description of what the villain was doing (what it was eating, who was around, why it got up and left, who it was yelling at and why, what it was yelling, etc).
Learn the Future
Divination (Query)
Level: Brd6, Clr7, Sor/Wiz7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/3 levels or one hour/level (see text)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell functions like Learn the Present, except it reveals information on what will occur in the future (when you ask your question, you may specify certain situations, such as, "if we enter the dragon's cave, what will it do?" or "if we succeed in capturing the fortress, what is the warlord's next move?") The range of time for this question is essentially unlimited, but the further into the future you go, the more likely it is that alternate situations will change the outcome, resulting in a Variable Potentialities response--or worse, resulting in a response that has changed by the time you catch up.
Rather than ask a series of questions, you can receive constantly updating information as with Learn the Present, except this information persists for one hour per caster level and applies to what is going to happen a predetermined period from the current time (again, time range is not strictly limited, but the chance of an upset is even greater with this version of the spell). For example, you might obtain updating information about the villain's plans for an hour from the current time. When you cast the spell, you might learn that the villain plans to attack the temple. You travel to the temple, but the villain learns about you and changes course. You would then learn that the villain plans to gather minions from its lair, and so on.