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2009-05-05, 12:20 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- on the computer
- Gender
[3.5] Magic 8-Ball (Wonderous Item)
Magic 8-Ball
This lets the user ask up to eight questions. Each time the question is asked, the number on the ball is decremented. When the last question is asked, it turns into a worthless cue ball. To ask a question, the user turns it upside down, asks the question, shakes it, then turns it right side up. It will give the most applicable of the following 20 answers:
- Yes
- No
- Unknown
- None
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four to Ten
- Tens
- Hundreds
- Thousands
- Successful. At lest one of you will die.
- Successful. At lest one innocent will die.
- Successful, but prohibitively expensive.
- Desirable result, but not what was planned.
- There is something more worthy of your time.
- Run
- Hire more mercenaries.
- Destroy it.
- Go to the nearest city. Travel the NE road until you reach a tavern with a seven-letter name. Ask for Steve. Tell him Aaron sent you.
In addition, it will give the owner a +1 insight bonus when used to play pool.
Moderate divination; CL 9th; Craft Wonderous Item, Commune, Price 2,250 gp; Weight 1lb.
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I'm not sure if that last answer should be something that inexplicably helps multiple times, or should be the result of an oracle having the maker put that in for a specific situation. If it's the latter, people should have realized that there must be 20 answers, but not know what the last one is.
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2009-05-05, 01:05 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2008
Re: [3.5] Magic 8-Ball (Wonderous Item)
What do you mean it will give the "most applicable?" What is the point of even having those set responses? Couldn't you either make the responses more general or just let the DM come up with them?
But I guess if you did that there wouldn't really be much point to homebrewing the item if all it does is have the DM answer questions.
Maybe you could have the player roll a d8 and give the following types responses.
1. Overly dense metaphor
2. Roll again
3. Answer a question with a question
4. Yes or No only
5. Vague response
6. Specific response
7. Specific response and extra info
8. Vague to the point of worthlessnessLast edited by Limos; 2009-05-05 at 01:09 AM.
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2009-05-05, 07:40 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2008
- Location
- Nashville, TN
- Gender
Re: [3.5] Magic 8-Ball (Wonderous Item)
Cute. A magic eight ball. The problem, although #20 is funny, the players have no way to know that that's one of the default answers, and think that the ball will answer questions perfectly and give great advice.
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2009-05-05, 10:30 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- on the computer
- Gender
Re: [3.5] Magic 8-Ball (Wonderous Item)
It gives the answer that the Deity most wants them to have. For example, if the answer to their question is "Yes", but the party is about to be ambushed, they'd probably get the answer "Run".
The commune spell is only supposed to answer yes or no, so it wouldn't make sense to have it give limitless answers. When I wrote that I was thinking the spell allowed one-word answers. As it is, answering the eight questions is equivalent to 35 questions with commune. 22 if you count the fact that they can answer unknown, so there are technically three answers. I suppose I should make it more expensive.
Also, real 8-balls have 20 answers. They have a d20 in there with an answer on each side.
What do you mean making the responses more general?
The players will be told how the ball works before they buy it. They also won't get number 20 until they've used it a while. It might not be their first ball, or even their first campaign.
As is, I don't think #20 would be that unlikely. Most cities will probably have taverns that the owner started just for that. They could use the whole looking for Steve thing for the Gods to warn them of something specific.
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2009-05-05, 09:06 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2005
- Location
- Sector ZZ9 Pural Z alpha
- Gender
Re: [3.5] Magic 8-Ball (Wonderous Item)
It gives the answer that the Deity most wants them to have. For example, if the answer to their question is "Yes", but the party is about to be ambushed, they'd probably get the answer "Run".
Ya know Dan, if i run that campain, im going to put one of these into it.
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2009-05-05, 10:55 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- on the computer
- Gender
Re: [3.5] Magic 8-Ball (Wonderous Item)
Presumably, there's at least one god that likes them. If not, they probably won't live long enough to use this thing.
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2009-05-05, 11:03 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2005
- Location
- Sector ZZ9 Pural Z alpha
- Gender
Re: [3.5] Magic 8-Ball (Wonderous Item)
Dan, i think i sent you a PM.
So this assumes a discworldy sort of thing where mortals are activly directed by the will of the gods?
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2009-05-06, 12:17 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- on the computer
- Gender
Re: [3.5] Magic 8-Ball (Wonderous Item)
It works like the Commune spell. Looking at it again, you could get the god or their agent. I take it agent means secretary.
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2009-05-06, 12:44 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2005
- Location
- Sector ZZ9 Pural Z alpha
- Gender
Re: [3.5] Magic 8-Ball (Wonderous Item)
Or, in the case of the god of music, you would get the person who arranges record deals for them. Zing!