Turned to stone at level 4 (3.5)

[Egiam]

(I first posted this in the Q&A thread, not good enough answer)

Today I was DM'n my 4th level Eberron group, and they were attacked by a Cockatrice during the night. Two of the characters failed miserably on their fortitude rolls; they got turned to stone. What spells would successfully (and affordably) cure this and how do I find out that?

On a related note, one of the P.C.s was a warforged Psychic Warrior 2/ Warblade 2. When targeted by the dire turkey I ruled that he/she wasn't immune to the ability because it was labeled as supernatural (magic), not extraordinary (biological). Was this a sound judgement?

[BlueWizard]

There used to be an elixir that could change stone to flesh. I usually threw one or two of these in an adventure for low level types that would be fighting creatures that could turn you to stone.

{Remember you're the DM, you can make anything work in your world. Gygax's orders.}

[Jack_Simth]

(I first posted this in the Q&A thread, not good enough answer)

Today I was DM'n my 4th level Eberron group, and they were attacked by a Cockatrice during the night. Two of the characters failed miserably on their fortitude rolls; they got turned to stone. What spells would successfully (and affordably) cure this and how do I find out that?

Umm... you're up a creek without some DM fiat; you're basically looking at a Stone to Flesh spell, or rolling up new characters. If you don't want new characters, I might suggest a "friendly" wizard who will do it for a price not in gold - a Geas to go fetch a particular item or some such (with the de-stoning payment in advance) - that there's some reason or other he can't fetch himself (he's busy, the place is warded specifically against him, or something of that nature).

On a related note, one of the P.C.s was a warforged Psychic Warrior 2/ Warblade 2. When targeted by the dire turkey I ruled that he/she wasn't immune to the ability because it was labeled as supernatural (magic), not extraordinary (biological). Was this a sound judgement?

Dire Turkey? What was the specific effect?

[RTGoodman]

Yeah, sorry I couldn't help. Really, though, I don't think there IS another option besides flesh to stone and stone salve, as I said in Q&A thread. Cockatrices are sort of problematic in that at the level they're supposedly to be used at (around 3) there's not really a way to cure PCs hit by them.

Most adventures I can think of that use cockatrices or medusas or other petrifying critters are usually either high level or throw you some stone salve.

[BlueWizard]

[QUOTE=Jack_Simth;5890854]I might suggest a "friendly" wizard who will do it for a price not in gold - [QUOTE]

I like this idea, a wizard does it, but at the cost of sending the PCs on a new quest! Even better!

[Starbuck_II]

Break Enchantment says it works.

Options:
1) Scroll of BE (spell level 5 Wiz/Cleric or 4 Bard) Bard scroll cost 1000, Wiz/Cleric cost 1, 125.
2) Stone salve costs 4000
3) scroll of Flesh to Stone (level 6). Costs 1, 650

[RTGoodman]

Break Enchantment says it works.

I'm not sure it does. It just says it removes "enchantments, transmutations, and curses," and I don't think the cockatrice's Petrification ability is any of those. It's just a supernatural ability that hits you with the Petrified condition. It'd certainly not be game-breaking to let it, but as-is I don't think it works.

Really, the cockatrice is just a poorly-designed monster.

[Egiam]

Would remove disease work? They have a halfing healer.

If Starbuck is right, two scrolls of Flesh to Stone used by the healer or sorceror is still less than a dose stone salve. No problem getting those in Eberron. Tomorrow (in-game) they will pull into Zilspar and should be able to get those.

EDIT:

Dire Turkey? What was the specific effect?

I was talking about the aforementioned Cockatrice.

[Jack_Simth]

I'm not sure it does. It just says it removes "enchantments, transmutations, and curses," and I don't think the cockatrice's Petrification ability is any of those. It's just a supernatural ability that hits you with the Petrified condition. It'd certainly not be game-breaking to let it, but as-is I don't think it works.

Really, the cockatrice is just a poorly-designed monster.

More specifically, the summary table that lists the spells says it works, but the detail text sort-of says it doesn't.

In the specific case of the Cockatrice? Tough call. The ability isn't called out as a Transmutation effect (although the Flesh to Stone spell is), and no effective spell level is given (caster level is implied by the hit dice) - and those are the three bits that matter for finding out whether or not Break Enchantment will work.

I was talking about the aforementioned Cockatrice.

Ah. Let's see... the Construct type doesn't specifically grant immunity to Petrification (although it does to Fort save effects). Whether or not the specific Warforged character inherits that depends on whether you consider the Warforged as a Living Construct to be a Construct with the Living subtype (thus inheriting everything from the Construct type not specifically overridden by the Living subtype) or if "Living Construct" is a type in-and-of itself.

That's a longwinded way of saying you're not out of line to say the Warforged is affected, but others might say otherwise.

I like this idea, a wizard does it, but at the cost of sending the PCs on a new quest! Even better!

Standard Operating Procedure for fixing such things.

[Chronos]

Ah. Let's see... the Construct type doesn't specifically grant immunity to Petrification (although it does to Fort save effects). Whether or not the specific Warforged character inherits that depends on whether you consider the Warforged as a Living Construct to be a Construct with the Living subtype (thus inheriting everything from the Construct type not specifically overridden by the Living subtype) or if "Living Construct" is a type in-and-of itself.

The construct immunity to Fort save effects isn't something specific to constructs, but a consequence of having con --. Warforged have a con score, so they don't get that benefit.

And the printed text of Break Enchantment says that it works on petrification; it's just missing from the SRD.

[Skaven]

If someone in your party has ranks in alchemy, I would personally rule they can create some manner of stone to flesh potion using cockatrice blood and some kind of local plantlife if they roll decently.

Otherwise, if you are dead set against them rolling up new characters, I suppose yo could rule it wears off after a set amount of time.

Last option: go to local temple, donate a hefty amount and ask the head priest if they can help.

[MustacheFart]

Correct me if I am wrong but the Stone to Flesh spell has a significant chance of killing the target when attempting to remove petrification. If I recall correctly, it turns them into a variable goo.

In fact I'm almost positive it does now that I think about it because in a campaign I played in, pretty much the same situation occurred. We ran straight into a Basilisk and I think 2 of us failed our saves, 1 of the 2 being myself. The party then paid for and used scrolls of stone to flesh which I believe saved the other person but killed me. The party then used the gold and valuables I had on my "pile" to reincarnate me. Then when they re-met up with me they gave me some of my stuff back*.


*Obviously the gold spent to cast reincarnate was gone. However, they also kept the few valuable gems I had on me, that I had found and had stashed into my bag earlier in the encounter without the party knowing. Really, this was my worst ever case of meta-gaming. I mean I was playing a rogue who was up on a shelf and the DM specifically stated: "You find such and such. Do you tell the party?" They saw me grab some of the potions (slide of hand or whatever check wasn't high enough) but not the gems. In fact I won a bluff telling them there wasn't any other loot.

However, one player didn't like that and knew when I died that he could keep the gems (even though his character being good shouldn't have), knowing that I couldn't bring it up (I would have to make subsequent bluff checks, that never even should have been needed to be rolled, in order to explain myself).

Anyway, sorry I got off on a tangent. It's just... I simply HATE petrification! It brings back bad memories lol. One thing to note though was that all of the above occurred because we had NOT known about the cheaper alternative to Flesh to Stone, Break Enchantment.

So what I am trying to say is, you have 2 real choices to absolutely avoid character re-rolls. They are:

1. Break Enchantment - Up to you on if it works but given it mentions Petrification, I am inclined to think it would.
2. Have a friendly wizard free them and set them on a new quest!

In fact, I have an idea about the Warforged you mentioned as well. I'd be inclined to say it wouldn't but that's water under the bridge now. Here's my idea:

Have the petrification effect only last momentarily on the Warforged. I mean it could last just until they get to town. That would offer the assumption that it does work on warforged, just simply not permanently. Also this would cut down on the cost to "fix" the other petrified player.

Also should they ever encounter petrification again and the whole party somehow fails (probably will not ever happen but just saying if it did), you would avoid a total TPK by having the Warforged able to "wake up" at a later time. He could then go get help to rescue his pals.

Those are my suggestions. I'm also in total agreement with everyone else that the Cockatrice is really flawed. Personally, I'm still new to DMing but one thing I do is, if I should ever include something early on in an encounter that is character-eliminating, I make sure to add a solution to resolve said effect.

Good luck with whatever you do!

-MustacheFart

[Charity]

Erect a monument in their honour

[Tsotha-lanti]

Break Enchantment says it works.

Options:
1) Scroll of BE (spell level 5 Wiz/Cleric or 4 Bard) Bard scroll cost 1000, Wiz/Cleric cost 1, 125.
2) Stone salve costs 4000
3) scroll of Flesh to Stone (level 6). Costs 1, 650

11th-level caster casting stone to flesh costs 660 gp.

I fail to see the OP's problem, really. Surely that's affordable for a 4th-level party after an adventure? Well, at least one; the rest can go round up another 660 gp.

[Leon]

If you have a base of Operations then establish a Rockery

[Hawriel]

Yes a stone to flesh scroll or I guess the salve is a good bet.

You did not make a mistake as a GM. Half the party turning to stone by a cockatrice is apart of the time honored tradition of PCs getting ganked. Hell one of my friends whole parties where disintigrated, turned to stone, gone stark raving mad and fataly poisoned in the first round of combat in a bar fight with two beholders. The builds character! In the snow. Up hill. With only one +1 weapon in the whole party. And we liked it!! Oh sorry old man rant.

The point is... What was the point? Right the point is this supposed 'mistake' can be prime fertilizer for adventure. Better get hip waders it may get deep.

So now you know, as GM, how to turn lawn jocky back into a halfing. The fun part is having the players find out how. Well the PCs at any rate. Any true friend will find some way to drag their stony butts back to the neerest semblence of civilization. There are two ways. 1) The peaple left alive drag them from ware ever they are by what ever meens they devise. Good luck stoned friends will be heavy. 2) The party members left alive huff it as fast as they can to the neerest village and buy, beg, or barrow a wagon. or maybe they find some crazy old wizard or druid in the woods. Now they are back to civiliazation. Well what passes for it. Or ran into a crazy old man in the woods ala the wizard suggestion mentioned befor.

Now that the party may have found a place to get help whare or how do thay ask? The local church? Good place to look. But to easy. Maybe the priest doesnt have all he needs for the fix. You have to go look for the items needed. Or the priest that can do it is missing. Maybe bandits stole a delivery and kidnapped the priest. The PCs have to track them down. The villigers point them in the direction of a crazy old man, druid or wizard, that live three days ride north.

Do the PCs take their petrified palls with them or leave them in the village for safe keeping? Does the inn keeper charge them a storage fee? If they do leave them whether in the spot they got zapped or in the village, are they still their on the PCs return? Did farmer bob tell the shariff his wagon was stolen and give him a description of the theives?

What ever the PCs must do to save their friends from an eternity of pegion poop it must be heroic. Heroic as in obsurd pain in the ass that the good friends will hold a grudge for quite along time. In which they will bring up when ever the stone heads ask for a favor. No I didnt forget the players with stoned characters. Roll up a couple "npc" to help in this most noble task. The players might have fun playing some one whos only purpose is to save their own ass. Then the temp characters can become trusted friends and allies in the village.

So the point. There is one. Dont get to disceraged of somthing my go wrong. Just take a little time to think on it and how it can be put into your campain or start a new story. Maybe it would be a fun little adventure or help creat ideas for a whole campaign.

[Sebastian]

1) warforged are not immune to petrification (after all, when you are petrified also your armor turn to stone, doesn't it?)

2) break enchantement should work, unless differently specified (IIRC) spell-like and supernatural abitilities should work exactly like the equivalent spell. Flesh to stone is a Trasmutation, so any effect that turn someone to stone is considered a trasmutation.

IMO IIRC, ETC.

[Sebastian]

Correct me if I am wrong but the Stone to Flesh spell has a significant chance of killing the target when attempting to remove petrification. If I recall correctly, it turns them into a variable goo.

No, that was in 2ed. In 3.x is pretty rare for a spell to have any permanent negative effects.

[krossbow]

Buys some softs






on a more serious note though, friendly wizard in the area who "just happens" to have scrolls of stone to flesh on him.... for a price. Have him send you on a quest to get what he wanted, but at the end have him be a BBEG with the "Revelation" that HE was behind the cokatrice attack all along!

[tyckspoon]

No, that was in 2ed. In 3.x is pretty rare for a spell to have any permanent negative effects.

It's in the 3.5 version as well; DC 15 Fort save against being death when being de-petrified via Stone To Flesh. Odd little relic, there, and a reason to avoid using Stone To Flesh if you can help it.

[Triaxx]

Animate Construct

No it shouldn't but it was explained so logically I couldn't say no. 'Well, they're already humanoid right? So animating them just makes them normal but with a few rounds of stoneskin.'

Shouldn't potions of Flesh to Stone be cheaper than scrolls of?

And while the ability isn't necessarily noted as being Transmutation the effect is.

[Sebastian]

Shouldn't potions of Flesh to Stone be cheaper than scrolls of?

But how would you drink it?

[Sstoopidtallkid]

But how would you drink it?

Oils, not potions.

[Egiam]

Right now, they are on a long distance chase. So getting back on the road fast is crucial to the plot. They have been saving cash for a while, so I think they should be able to pool and afford most of the options promised. Do you think I should get potions or scrolls if possible?

[Starbuck_II]

But how would you drink it?

I'm not sure how about:
Osmosis?

[Chronos]

Correct me if I am wrong but the Stone to Flesh spell has a significant chance of killing the target when attempting to remove petrification. If I recall correctly, it turns them into a variable goo.

This is another advantage to Break Enchantment over Stone to Flesh: If it fails, the subject is still in statue form, and you can just try again.

And potions/oils are by design more expensive than scrolls, because a potion or oil can be used by anyone, but a scroll can only be used by a spellcaster (or someone with UMD). You pay more for that flexibility. Potions are also limited to 3rd-level spells, so you couldn't get a potion of either of these spells anyway (Stone Salve is technically not a potion, but a wondrous item).

[Randel]

Crazy Idea:

The two adventurers who were petrified suddenly fall out of the sky through a portal cayying some sort of McGuffin. It turns out that their friends hadn't managed to cure them of petrification and they had sat as statues for hundreds of years until an Epic level wizard found and cured them.

However, now he sent them back in time with a package for his past self which the two of them have to deliver. So now the group has the mission of:

1). Carrying the petrified players (their statue-like remains as opposed to the living ones who were sent back in time) to the location where the wizard will eventually find them and cure them. The wizard didn't say if the statues were in one piece when he found them so the statues might get smashed up during the trip but the wizard might rebuild them when he finds them.

2). Delivering the McGuffin to the wizards past self who is alive in this time period. Failure to do this results in the players ceasing to exist via paradox because he needs that item to get to the level of power he's at in the future.

[Triaxx]

Of course Osmosis. Look at how many drinks the average adventurer soaks up. They'd have to be porous stone.

[krossbow]

on that note, does one have to actually drink the potion, or is it in itself a salve?




The age old "throw the potion at Ramza's head" gambit relies on this.

[Fax Celestis]

Umm... you're up a creek without some DM fiat; you're basically looking at a Stone to Flesh spell, or rolling up new characters. If you don't want new characters, I might suggest a "friendly" wizard who will do it for a price not in gold - a Geas to go fetch a particular item or some such (with the de-stoning payment in advance) - that there's some reason or other he can't fetch himself (he's busy, the place is warded specifically against him, or something of that nature).

Uh... 660 gold is prohibitively expensive? The Goods and Services section describes a price that is, in short, caster level * spell level * 10. Stone to flesh is a 6th level spell, and minimum caster level is 11th. 6*11*10 = 660 gold. If that's "prohibitively expensive" for fourth-level characters, then they're playing waaaaay below recommended WbL.