101 Uses For X-Ray Vision

[The Vorpal Tribble]

X-ray vision can penetrate 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, or up to 3 feet of wood or dirt. Thicker substances or a thin sheet of lead blocks the vision.

What good, useful ways can this be used do you think?


#1. There's a dragon on the other side of the door you say? Oh ho!
#2. Can read lips of the secret meeting in the next cave.
#3. Hey, you swallowed my buddy, I see him in there!

[sofawall]

#3. Hey, you swallowed my buddy, I see him in there!

Unless it's an earth elemental that swallowed your buddy, you don't seem to be able to see him.

[PersonMan]

#4. Oh my, Cleric McGood-Good! You have a phylactery embedded in your heart! Get someone to prepare Resurrection soon...
#5. What's that, you say? There's a thief in one of these crates, and the other two contain priceless MacGuffin Plants that will wither and die on contact with air? No problem!

...That's all I can think of.

[drengnikrafe]

#6. Wonder what treasure you'll be getting when you kill that stone giant and crack him open? Me too. Let's check.

[The Tygre]

#7: Those immature (practical) reasons that I'm sure have already popped into everybody's head.
#8: See the mechanisms of a trap in the walls.
#10: Find the well placed cracks of secret doors.
#11: Write a secret message on an applicable surface. Cover it up with the same base material. Have a friend with X-ray vision be able to read the message.
#12: Visually test the thickness of a material.
#13: Find the weak points on constructs.
#14: Find out who's carrying around lead. That's just suspicious, right there. I'd get familiar with nuclear radiation rules real fast if I saw some guy walking around with a sheet of lead, if y'know what I mean...

[sofawall]

#4. Oh my, Cleric McGood-Good! You have a phylactery embedded in your heart! Get someone to prepare Resurrection soon...

Unless Cleric McGood-Good is an Iron Golem, no such luck. X-Ray vision, oddly, cannot see through flesh.

#13: Find the weak points on constructs.

Aren't constructs immune to critical hits because they have no point that is weaker than any other?

[Cealocanth]

I won't bother with the numbering due to the fear of being Ninja'd.

Searching for secret rooms on the other side of walls.

Being able to see a medical problem, ie. seeing if someone has cancer without scanning their body. [Edit: oh, it can't see through flesh? That stinks...]
Being able to see if someone else is getting into trouble.

An easier way to navigate through thick forest.

Being able to Spot a trap on the other side of the door.

[balistafreak]

#15: Give everyone around you cancer/massive cellular death from radiation poisoning.

... what?

[Critical]

# 16 Spy on women's bathroom.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

# 16 Spy on women's bathroom.

See use #7.

[Critical]

See use #7.

One time isn't enough.

[The Tygre]

Aren't constructs immune to critical hits because they have no point that is weaker than any other?

It's admittedly a flavor use and requires complete DM fiat. I'm thinking along the lines of jamming gears, bending bars made of weaker metals, bursting joints, etc. It's reaching, I know.

[Knaight]

# 16 Spy on women's bathroom.

A bathroom of all places? Really? Unless you have a defecation fetish, there have to be better places for this. Plus, theoretically medieval world here. Single sex bathrooms came after the personal toilet.

[Lycanthromancer]

Giving it to your warforged cohort self so you won't get fatigued.

Spotting spring-loaded traps in doors and on treasure chests, as well as mechanical traps inside walls and floors. Who needs a rogue?

Spotting a puppeteer.

Catching ambushes in the bushes, or around corners.

This.

[chiasaur11]

Finally prove that Clark Kent is Superman.

[taltamir]

You could check out the sexy bone structure of your preferred gender compatriots.

Also: #2.

Can read lips of the secret meeting in the next cave.

will not work, you will see right through their lips.

[Zovc]

I have to admit, if I had X-Ray vision, the first thing I'd probably do with it is look through women's clothes.

[Another_Poet]

24. Slowly but reliably cause cancer in anyone you dislike.

25. Regrettably but inevitably cause cancer in everyone you love.

26. Work at a clinic and do 3 people's jobs for a salary equal to 2 people's. And much faster!

[Mr.Moron]

Check on what you have in the oven, without having to open the oven.

[Raging Gene Ray]

Looking for Dragonmarks (or any similar magical birthmarks).

Looking for the tattoos that mark the members of the Thieves' Guild/Local Cult.

Looking for any identifying marks for specific individuals.

[2xMachina]

I have to admit, if I had X-Ray vision, the first thing I'd probably do with it is look through women's clothes.

Meh, the internet has more than you could ever want to see.

[Mr.Moron]

Actually if you could have a version that didn't tax you for excessive use, you could use it to have a really cool helmet with no eye slits. Just one solid piece of metal, with some air-holes. That'd look badass.

[Lycanthromancer]

Meh, the internet has more than you could ever want to see.

Ain't that the truth.

[The_Pyre]

I may be mistaken, but it doesn't say you can see through clothes or flesh.

[Raging Gene Ray]

I may be mistaken, but it doesn't say you can see through clothes or flesh.

Unless it specifically says you can't, any reasonable DM should allow it. After all, aren't those usually the first things people's minds go to when they hear X-Ray vision?

[2xMachina]

On command, this ring gives its possessor the ability to see into and through solid matter.

Is clothes/flesh solid matter? I'd say yes.

EDIT: Bad luck on liquids though, so a thin film of watered ink stops your x-ray vision.

Oh, and you'd be seeing blood. Lots and lots of blood. And digestive juices.

[Mr.Moron]

After all, aren't those usually the first things people's minds go to when they hear X-Ray vision?

I can't really speak for anyone else but myself but no.

[sofawall]

You could check out the sexy bone structure of your preferred gender compatriots.

Also: #2.
will not work, you will see right through their lips.

Please go read the D&D version of X-ray vision, or read my comments on the matter:

Unless Cleric McGood-Good is an Iron Golem, no such luck. X-Ray vision, oddly, cannot see through flesh.

[Ravens_cry]

A circumstance bonus to Heal checks to set broken bones?
Your fellow party members make better doors then windows? Not anymore!
To find out what you may not want to know about that androgynous elvin mage who has recently joined the party.

[2xMachina]

Please go read the D&D version of X-ray vision, or read my comments on the matter:

Where did you get that? It specifically says you can see through solid matter. Which flesh should be. (Unless you're a elemental or ooze)