Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name:
Karen Workman

Comment:
What happens to the items in a bag of holding if you slice it open? We had an instance where a player character placed a bag of holding over an enemies head and sliced it open.


Gamer Forge Response:

Inside this issue of The Gamer Forge...

It's our bag, baby! DCR says:

1. There's two ways this can go. Either the dimensional space is negated and everything inside the bag is simply expelled, or the space is destroyed and everything in the bag is winked from existence. But which one is your GM's call, not ours.

2. However, we have to ask: why would you do that to someone? That's just mean, man! Suppose you had 50,000 gold pieces in there; that poor fool had better be Scrooge McDuck, or he's getting a very expensive Texas funeral. On the flip side of the coin (get it?), the person's head suddenly ceases to exist, leaving the body flopping around like a chicken. Grisly!

3. As always, be prepared to explain why it happens. Nothing kills your credibility more than resorting to telling your players, "It's just magic, go with it." Lame!

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name:
Roger Smithfield

Comment:
Hey guys can you help me out. I'm wanting to use the optional Armor as Damage Reduction rules, but there is nothing listed as how it interacts with rules based on AC such as touch attacks and the like. I know that touch attacks still go against touch AC but does this change "nerf" the characters that use touch attacks as a perk?


Gamer Forge Response:

It's either Nerf, or nothing. DCR says:

Nope, damage reduction doesn't raise, lower, or interact with armor class. It's being able to decrease damage is just the perk of having damage reduction. Mind you, it does make the player's job a deal harder by giving them even more math to figure out, rather than playing the game. That's the trade-off you make when incorporating alternate or optional rules to enhance gameplay.



*Bonus XP: Don't have a Bag of Holding and want to have your enemies driven before you? Take a look at some of the finishing moves of video games like Mortal Kombat. For a more realistic(?) look at finishing someone off, look no further than pro wrestling's most dangerous finishers. Watch these examples and you'll be hearing the lamentations of the women in no time!

Gamer forge Listener Email:

Name: 
Devon Smart

Comment:
Can Cure Light Wounds be used inside an Anti-magic field?

Gamer Forge Response:

Hello, Devon! DCR says:

No. No supernatural ability or spell (or spell-like abilities) can be used within an Antimagic Field. The Field only supresses, or delays, magic. Items like Rings of Protection are temporarily rendered useless until the person wearing or using the items leaves the area. Before you ask, this is only temporary, so the items are not destroyed. Also, before you think about trying to beat the system, two Fields do NOT cancel each other out. You can't "meta" this one. But for a nominal finder's fee, Lord Flagoon would be willing to look the other way when trying to cheat.

Gamer forge Listener Email:

Name:
Marcus Ryno

Comment:
Is there a feat (or other way, I guess) to use Dex or Con instead of Str when making melee attacks? The only time I ever make a basic melee attack is an attack of opportunity, so I guess another way to fix this would be a way of using one of my attack powers instead of basic melee for an AoO.

As requested by commenters: I'm playing an unusual Monk build, and although I've not built for AoO-spamming, I do seem to end up with a lot of them, and as I've not got a high Str, that's left me missing most of those.

Gamer Forge Response:

When getting your sneak on, DCR says:

Yes, sort of. The feat Melee Training will allow your basic attacks to be keyed into a stat other than Strength. Being a "rogue", being able to use your Dexterity in it's place would be well worth the investment of a feat. Plan your levels accordingly.



*Bonus XP: Need more reasons to train your melee skills more? Try modelling your next characters after these tried and true heroes: Fezzik from The Princess Bride fought through sheer constitution, letting his size do the talking. Sherlock Holmes fought with a hefty dose of intelligence. Cain from Kung Fu used the inner light of wisdom to negotiate his trials. Finally, the penultimate badass, Snake Plissken from Escape from New York could conquer through sheer force of personality, aka "Charisma".

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name:
Henry Bronson

Comment:
I'm confused about Rogues and Use Magic Device. I've searched the core book and the Internet for the past 4 hours and can't find the answer to my simple question.

Since a Rogue doesn't have any spells, a spell list or caster level, do you have to emulate a class feature in addition to all other necessary checks to use items like scrolls and wands?

Gamer Forge Response:

This one doesn't need a witty intro, or a long, drawn out answer! Hooray for simplicity! When faking it until you're making it, DCR says:

Wands (unless otherwise specified) don't need any skill, feat, or ability to use it. That's the whole point for wands: anyone can use them. The "Use Magic Device" skill, however, IS a class feature. The "Rogue" is one of the very few classes that can use it. The skill requires nothing more than succeeding on a check against the caster level of whomever created it. In making the check, you effectively fool the item into believing that you meet the prerequisites for using it. Handy for use on scrolls, weapons, and anyone who decides to be a douche to you. This skill opens up a whole new level of prankery.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name:
Travis Johnson

Comment:
Pathfinder seems to have a few varied ways of identifying magic items and their properties, though some are used only with specific types of items.

What is, if any, the default way of identifying such items? What are the specific cases ?

To make this as complete as possible, other methods giving partial information about magic items (knowing it's magic but nothing more) are also welcome.

I have attempte to answer this question myself with what I've found so far but I have no idea if I'm right or have covered everything. Please let me know your thoughts?


Gamer Forge Response:

You don't need to be a super-sleuth to figure out magical items! DCR says:

The "Identify" spell is used to figure out the specifics of magic, mysterious items. Each round spent observing or meditating on the item reveals more of its abilities. Sometimes a magic sword just has a simple glowing enchantment on it, and some things have abilities that our puny human brains can't comprehend. But each round reveals something new, if there's something new to learn. The "Detect Magic" spell merely reveals the presence of a magical aura. It's not as awesome and catch-all as it sounds.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name:
Malcom Haverstock

Comment:
How does water affect Mage Hand? I know there are rules regarding disorientation with ray spells, and use of fire under water. But if a person wanted to, for example, grab some keys from a well, would there be obstacles to overcome for using mage hand?


Gamer Forge Response:

Give the mage a hand. Ha Ha! Get it? DCR says:

Not really. A Mage Hand spell can reach the item, provided you can see it. The real problem is, once you have the item. The hand is incorporeal, but the item is not. If you're trying to pull it out of a thorn bush or between prison bars, it still MUST be able to fit through and not snag on something. We only bring this up so you can be a total dick at all the right times. We love you, too, Internet.


*Bonus XP: When you're short on ideas when describing magic items, look no further than Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. The television show has, bar-none, the most exciting and still practical descriptions of magic and how it relates to people. Plus, you can explore a time before vampires sparkled and werewolves weren't required to go shirtless.