Fluff that doesn't make sense

[Rama_Lei]

Do you know of any fluff features that make absolutely no sense? Or are much more suited to another class? For me, the druid's "Thousand Faces Ability" and the monk's "Tongue of the Sun and the Moon" are much more suited as bard abilities!

[Talyn]

I agree with "tongue of the Sun and the Moon." That's just weird.

Also, the Duskblade is an INT-caster, not a CHA-caster... that just doesn't make sense to me at ALL.

How about Gruumsh, the orc god of war, having his favored weapon be a spear. A SPEAR. Not a greataxe? I mean, seriously, at least a morningstar. While we are at it, Erythnul's favored weapon of a "blunt stone-headed morning star" - that mean's it's a freaking HEAVY MACE. NOT a morningstar. Geez.

[SpiderBrigade]

There's that dwarf god somebody mentioned in another thread, something or other Brightaxe, I think? And their favored weapon is...a sword....?

[Dhavaer]

Also, the Duskblade is an INT-caster, not a CHA-caster... that just doesn't make sense to me at ALL.

I makes perfect sense to me. The Duskblade is a trained arcane caster, like the Wizard or Assassin, instead of a natural caster like the Sorcerer or Hexblade.

[Folie]

Assassins MUST be evil, because killing people for money is perfectly okay as long as you don't poison them.

[Dhavaer]

There's that dwarf god somebody mentioned in another thread, something or other Brightaxe, I think? And their favored weapon is...a sword....?

Haela Brightaxe, from FR Faiths and Pantheons, has the greatsword as both her favoured weapon and symbol. In the same vein, Sehanine Moonbow has the quarterstaff as her favoured weapon.

[clericwithnogod]

Warmage edge being INT based while warmages are CHA based casters.

The Favored Soul getting spells based on CHA and having saves determined by WIS.

The Favored Soul getting both Diplomacy and Sense Motive, but having 2+ INT skill points and an ability description that states, "In addition to using Charisma and Wisdom for spellcasting, a favored soul also benefits from high Dexterity, Strength, and Constitution scores." making it unlikely the character will be able to max both and Concentration. Bonus points here for Knowledge:Arcana rather than Knowledge:Religion as a class skill.

Samurai getting Greater 2-Weapon Fighting and Improved 2-Weapon Fighting 5 levels after Rangers (or a character with the same BAB and necessary DEX).

The Dark Hunter getting Improved Stonecunning as an ability and Disable Device as a class skill, but not getting Search as a class skill. It also has 5 levels of Craft (Trapmaking) as a prerequisite, and has nothing relating to Trapmaking in it's abilities.

The Dark Hunter getting an Assassin death attack at DC15+INT at 5th level as a capstone ability as a 10th level as a character...and it never improving, so a Darkwood Stalker suddenly does it better at DC20+INT at 10th level as a 15th level character.

The Swashbucker getting Grace rather than just having a good REF save.

Mettle for the Hexblade, who has a poor FORT save (or the evasion-like ability of the Divine Oracle, who has a poor REF save and is entered from classes with a poor REF save).

The Hexblade getting a familiar that is three levels weaker than the familiar of a sorceror or wizard. To complete the kick in the nuts, a feat (Obtain Familiar) lets a caster that doesn't have a familiar as a class ability get one at full strength.

Knowledge:Dungeoneering being a class skill only for Wizards, Bards and Rangers.

The well-publicized prerequisites for Invisible Blade that have nothing to do with any of the classes abilities.

The requirement for entry into Fiend-Blooded being 8 ranks of Knowledge: The Planes despite the description stating that the prestige class is most easily entered into as a sorceror.

Prerequisites probably don't count as fluff features, but those two annoy the crap out of me.

[Talkkno]

Illthid heritdge feats in complete psionics..*
*See Lords of Maddness, Illthids dont reproduce sexually.

[Galathir]

Beguilers basing their casting off intelligence. After all, they cast without preparing in advance, just like a sorcerer and most of their key skills and other abilities are based on charisma. Of course, this is probably to balance them out, so they need more than one high score to function well, but it doesn't make much sense outside of mechanics.

[clericwithnogod]

How about Gruumsh, the orc god of war, having his favored weapon be a spear. A SPEAR. Not a greataxe? I mean, seriously, at least a morningstar.

Actually, there is a reason for this... Gruumsh has had a spear as his favored weapon dating back to AD&D.

[Thomas]

Illthid heritdge feats in complete psionics..*
*See Lords of Maddness, Illthids dont reproduce sexually.

How about half-illithids, though?

(Edit: Half-illithids are the unlikely result of an implantation in a non-human host.)

[NEO|Phyte]

Illthid heritdge feats in complete psionics..*
*See Lords of Maddness, Illthids dont reproduce sexually.

Unless I'm mistaken, doesn't LoM also state that Illithids are from the future, thus making those with Illithid Heritage feats the ancestors of Illithids? Or is the future thing from a different book...

[Thomas]

Unless I'm mistaken, doesn't LoM also state that Illithids are from the future, thus making those with Illithid Heritage feats the ancestors of Illithids? Or is the future thing from a different book...

LoM does state that.

Time travel always hurts my head.

[heretic]

I thought illithids inplanted seed/tadpole things in people and they turned into half-illithids. Maybe they do it to fresh corpses. I forget.

[Dhavaer]

I thought illithids inplanted seed/tadpole things in people and they turned into half-illithids. Maybe they do it to fresh corpses. I forget.

When they do it to humans, they turn into illithids. When they do it to anything else, it turns into a half-illithid. They can't do it to corpses.

[Arceliar]

The Horizon Walker PrC. Everything about it. The first five levels make sense for ranger, but then the last 5 you get planar terrain master...wtf? It requires Knowledge (Geography) to get in, and then starts giving you a bunch of planar stuff half way through. Since when does knowing about geography warrant fire resistance?!?!

[Quietus]

Tongue of the Sun and Moon, for a Monk, makes sense; They're essentially gaining the Tongues ability, which is fairly common among Outsiders, which is what Monks are working toward being.

[clericwithnogod]

The Horizon Walker PrC. Everything about it. The first five levels make sense for ranger, but then the last 5 you get planar terrain master...wtf? It requires Knowledge (Geography) to get in, and then starts giving you a bunch of planar stuff half way through. Since when does knowing about geography warrant fire resistance?!?!

Hey, but you get access to this gem....

"Weightless (Planar)
You gain a +30-foot bonus to your fly speed on planes with no gravity or subjective gravity."

Now that's something you'll get a lot of use from.

Though, it's arguably as useful as any of the other non-skill-bonus abilities...which arguably as written in the SRD don't apply outside of a specified terrain.

"Terrain mastery gives a horizon walker a bonus on checks involving a skill useful in that terrain, or some other appropriate benefit."

"Horizon walkers take their terrain mastery with them wherever they go. They retain their terrain mastery bonuses on skill checks, attack rolls, and damage rolls whether they’re actually in the relevant terrain or not."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Illthid heritdge feats in complete psionics..*
*See Lords of Maddness, Illthids dont reproduce sexually.

However, Illithids are from the future. People with Illithid heritage feats are their ancestors. *brain explodes*

edit: Wow... I was simu'd like half an hour ago... *cough*

...and there I was feeling clever.

[krossbow]

Illithids so need robot death machines...
________
FORD PROVING GROUNDS PICTURE

[That Lanky Bugger]

The Wizard/Sorcerer's Transformation spell being similar to Divine Power while being two levels higher and applied to a class which DOESN'T have d8 HD and Heavy Armor proficiency.

In fact, Divine Power loses a Dex, Con, AC Bonus, and Fortitude Bonus compared to a mage's Transformation. However, a Cleric generally has armor which makes up for the AC Bonus, a Fortitude Save which matches (or beats) the Fortitude Bonus, and gains +1 HP/level. While being 2 Spell Levels lower. Plus, they can still cast their Clerical spells while the Wizard or Sorcerer is essentially a melee-type with a d4 HD and CANNOT cast their spells until the spell is over.

So a Wizard can't even match a Cleric's spellcasting when they've got a spell which is 4 character levels away from the time a Cleric can cast a similar spell.

Sorry, it's a pet peeve.

[Dhavaer]

Though, it's arguably as useful as any of the other non-skill-bonus abilities...which arguably as written in the SRD don't apply outside of a specified terrain.

"Terrain mastery gives a horizon walker a bonus on checks involving a skill useful in that terrain, or some other appropriate benefit."

"Horizon walkers take their terrain mastery with them wherever they go. They retain their terrain mastery bonuses on skill checks, attack rolls, and damage rolls whether they’re actually in the relevant terrain or not."

I don't see how there's much of an arguement there, it seems pretty clear that they keep them.

[Hallavast]

How about Gruumsh, the orc god of war, having his favored weapon be a spear. A SPEAR. Not a greataxe? I mean, seriously, at least a morningstar. While we are at it, Erythnul's favored weapon of a "blunt stone-headed morning star" - that mean's it's a freaking HEAVY MACE. NOT a morningstar. Geez.

Where do you get the idea that orcs wield greataxes?

[Jack Mann]

When they do it to humans, they turn into illithids. When they do it to anything else, it turns into a half-illithid. They can't do it to corpses.

Not just humans. Any mammalian humanoid in a certain height/weight range.

[Dhavaer]

Where do you get the idea that orcs wield greataxes?

The 3.0 Monster Manual had greataxes as the default weapon for orcs.

[Hallavast]

The 3.0 Monster Manual had greataxes as the default weapon for orcs.

I thought we were referencing 3.5 fluff, though?

[Dhavaer]

I thought we were referencing 3.5 fluff, though?

No, no-one's said that. In any case, the purpose of the thread doesn't change the fact that the 3.0 Monster Manual is a likely candidate for the thought that D&D orcs wield greataxes.

[Hallavast]

No, no-one's said that. In any case, the purpose of the thread doesn't change the fact that the 3.0 Monster Manual is a likely candidate for the thought that D&D orcs wield greataxes.

So if I see one picture of one orc wielding one greataxe, then naturally the entire race must hold the weapon as iconic. Gotcha.

Edit: Furthermore, what purpose would it serve if one started to complain about fluff that's already been updated in later editions?

[Dhavaer]

So if I see one picture of one orc wielding one greataxe, then naturally the entire race must hold the weapon as iconic. Gotcha.

Well, RAW, they did. Orcs attacked with either greataxes or javelins. Sure you could modify them, but they came standard. Now, of course, they use falchions, which are still definately not spears.

[Beleriphon]

Well, RAW, they did. Orcs attacked with either greataxes or javelins. Sure you could modify them, but they came standard. Now, of course, they use falchions, which are still definately not spears.

Yeah, but Gruummsh always struck me as the primitive among primitives. Spears certainly qualify for that.