It finally happened! Those rare moments that are actually covered by the rules.

[Particle_Man]

I had a character with a longspear (for reach) but this thing can be set vs. a charge. Now usually this is a "soft power" thing because if you set it, then it deters would-be chargers from charging. So you don't actually get to do double damage vs. chargers with it.

Except once. Some foolish goblin decided to charge my set longspear! It was glorious double damage (and possibly overkill) and the one and only time I have actually used the "double damage if you set a spear vs. a charge" rule.

So have any of you had "once only" game experiences that were supremely rare, but actually covered by the existing rules?

[ciopo]

I've actually used the bard countersong feature the once

(I thought some NPC might have been Erinyes-charmed)

[Remuko]

I had a character with a longspear (for reach) but this thing can be set vs. a charge. Now usually this is a "soft power" thing because if you set it, then it deters would-be chargers from charging. So you don't actually get to do double damage vs. chargers with it.

Except once. Some foolish goblin decided to charge my set longspear! It was glorious double damage (and possibly overkill) and the one and only time I have actually used the "double damage if you set a spear vs. a charge" rule.

So have any of you had "once only" game experiences that were supremely rare, but actually covered by the existing rules?

couldnt you ready an action to set it if you get charged? if the DM isnt metagaming, the enemies wont know your plan and will run into it.

[Troacctid]

Setting a weapon against a charge happens a lot more frequently if you have steadfast boots.

I think mine is that I've actually had multiple situations where I found myself calling for a Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check from my players.

[Saintheart]

I once actually used a Heal skill to treat a disease! I felt like House MD, I was very proud.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

I was investing in Appraise (prereq. for Dread Pirate), and then got to use it to determine prices of holy water were high, thus that the supply was low, thus that the temple was having troubles.

[Khedrac]

I had a character with a longspear (for reach) but this thing can be set vs. a charge. Now usually this is a "soft power" thing because if you set it, then it deters would-be chargers from charging. So you don't actually get to do double damage vs. chargers with it.

Except once. Some foolish goblin decided to charge my set longspear! It was glorious double damage (and possibly overkill) and the one and only time I have actually used the "double damage if you set a spear vs. a charge" rule.

So have any of you had "once only" game experiences that were supremely rare, but actually covered by the existing rules?

Annoyingly I had the reverse happen - I set my longspear against a charge (because we could all see the enemies were preparing to charge us) and then the DM ruled that I could not take an attack of opportunity against one moving (not charging) through my threatened area to attack someone else without abandoning my set against charge!
I know that there is a fair degree of logic in that position, but this is Pathfinder - what does logic have to do with the rules?

[Seto]

In my last session as a GM, my players visited the Plane of Air. I finally got to use Subjective Directional Gravity and the associated rules.

[Kaleph]

The first thing coming to my mind is the constructor's "ecto protection" bonus.

And it was quite relevant, since the AC was grappling an enemy, that used greater dispel magic as a SLA against the construct in order to free itself, and wasn't successful because of that +2/+3 bonus.

I was the DM, but I recommended the class actually, and was therefore somehow happy that its class features proved worthy. It also kinda fell like when you unpredictetly find some money you forgot about, in a place you didn't look in for quite some time. It's still your money, but it feels like it's an unexpected present!

[Efrate]

Had a player use knowledge architecture and engineering to find a flaw in the design of a wall. Allowed them to direct seige engines to focus fire there.

[H_H_F_F]

Setting a weapon against a charge happens a lot more frequently if you have steadfast boots.

Which book are those from?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Which book are those from?

They're in the MIC.

[Kurald Galain]

Dwarven Stability, funnily enough. I've played several dwarf characters with it never coming up, and my most recent dwarf played all the way from level 1, and finally at level 12 he was standing on a walkway over a huge acid pit (think 20d6 immersion damage per round, and out of dwarvish principle this character refuses to fly) and someone tried to telekinetically bull rush me off. And finally the pretty big stability bonus made its difference.

Likewise, the Stabilize cantrip. On any character that can cast it, I tend to prepare it out of general principle, as a "just in case" emergency maneuver. And of course it never comes up, because cantrips aren't that great. This character, too, played from level 1; and at some point at level 13 being attacked by a humongous ooze, one of my teammates got in serious risk of dying (and we had no raise dead ability in the party) and suddenly I remembered I always had this stabilize spell for the past dozen levels.

Finally, one of my characters has an intelligent weapon with thankfully matching alignments. A rarely-seen ability intelligent weapons have, is to "take over" their wielder with an ego check. At one point my character got Magic Jar possessed by a shadow demon (a variant ability with indefinite duration). At which point my sword said "NOPE", and a few rolls later I was counter-possessed by my own sword, with the demon powerless in the back of my mind somewhere. Although it took several adventures to get rid of the demon permanently and to allow me to be myself again.

[Remuko]

Finally, one of my characters has an intelligent weapon with thankfully matching alignments. A rarely-seen ability intelligent weapons have, is to "take over" their wielder with an ego check. At one point my character got Magic Jar possessed by a shadow demon (a variant ability with indefinite duration). At which point my sword said "NOPE", and a few rolls later I was counter-possessed by my own sword, with the demon powerless in the back of my mind somewhere. Although it took several adventures to get rid of the demon permanently and to allow me to be myself again.

Thats so cool!