Power of a true name.

[Renen]

Im looking at some stuffy doll type threads, and see alot of (true name) please die.
How powerful IS a true name? Any rules you can prlvide for me to read over?

[Extra Anchovies]

The Truenaming chapter of Tome of Magic has a few things about true names, if I recall correctly.

[Heliomance]

Truenaming is a magic system introduced in Tome of Magic. On the whole, the system is broken - as in, it doesn't work. When extreme amounts of cheese and TO are thrown at them, however, they have access to a few rather powerful tricks that no-one else can do - for example, deleting someone from existence.

[Renen]

Yeh the deleting one. Where does it say someones true name lets me do that?

[Kelb_Panthera]

Disclaimer: this is from memory since I'm afb.

The bereft prestige class gets unname as a capstone ability and, I think there may have been an unname spell that requires the target's personal truename (?)

[Red Fel]

Yeh the deleting one. Where does it say someones true name lets me do that?

Unname is a 9th-level spell that requires recitation of the target's truename. Fort negates, otherwise the target simply ceases to exist, no corpse, no nothing. Note that not only does this require the target to make a Fort save - generally the highest save - but it also requires the caster to recite a personal truename. According to page 195 of Tome of Magic, speaking a creature's truename requires a Truespeak check with DC of 15 + (2x CR) +2. Non-Truenamers generally won't see much need to optimize this skill.

Note also that this is an arcane (Wiz 9/ Sorc 9) spell, which Truenamers don't get access to on their own. In other words, one of the most powerful Truespeak abilities can't be used by the Truenamer class. Because that part of the book is awesome and well-designed.

[Renen]

It sadly required thing to already be dead. Is there anything that allows "I command stuffy doll to cause itself to seace existing"

[Red Fel]

It sadly required thing to already be dead. Is there anything that allows "I command stuffy doll to cause itself to seace existing"

Unname doesn't require the target to already be dead. It simply requires the target to be a creature with an Int score of 3+.

But as previously mentioned, from an optimization standpoint, it's simply not worth it. The mechanics of truenaming are such that only people who have optimized for the Truespeak skill can perform it consistently, particularly at high levels. And non-Truenamers have no real need to optimize for that skill. And since you have to recite the name to get the spell working, it's not likely to work - at levels where you could use a level 9 spell, you may be facing an opponent with CR 20 or more. That's a DC 57 Truespeak check. The average caster is unlikely to make that check.

[Renen]

1) I wish to have their true name.
2) I use a number of spells and items to gain truenaming as class skill and put enough points into it to make any check.
3) I use the spell.

But problem is often that stuffy doll thinga are immune to such things like a simple lvl 9 spell. But somehow I still see it work >_<

[Fouredged Sword]

Yeah, the trick is that you need to wish for a piece of paper with the target's true name written on it, invest two skillpoints cross class into truenaming, and then boost your skill check by 56. Not hard considering Guidance of the Avatar and Divine Insight get's you to +35 right off the bat, and most wizards have +10 int mods at 20th level.

Really, it's just a save or die that ignores most immunity, but takes a lot of prep time to make work.

[lord_khaine]

Im honestly not sure you can just wish for a targets true name though, as i recall there are rules for researching those in Tome of Magic.

And both Guideance of the Avatar and Divine insight are as i recall divine spells, so its not quite as easy as you makes it sound.

As i recall there are at least one Wizard/Truenamer prestice class though, but i cant recall if they get level 9 spells or not.

[Extra Anchovies]

Unname is kind of overrated. Sure, it's a very permanent way to kill someone, but it's Fortitude negates and SR: Yes. There are much, much better (and easier) ways to eliminate someone even if you already know their personal truename.

[Chronos]

If you're going to use truename spells, the real trick is to convert them to spell-like or supernatural abilities that don't have any components. By RAW, that would include the truename component. Even there, though, Truename Dispel is probably more effective against most opponents than Unname, since there are no defenses to it once you get past the skill check.

And there is no official prestige class to combine wizard and truenamer. In fact, there is no official prestige class that advances truenamer utterances at all. There are probably plenty of homebrews, though.

For completeness, there's also some mention of truenames in the Book of Exalted Deeds, under the Words of Creation. The mechanics are completely different from the Tome of Magic, and both less underpowered and more situational.