• From: Perth, Western Australia
  • Registered: 2010-08-11
  • Posts: 17

Topic: Creating a protection scroll

Hi,

I was looking at the rules for creating a protection scroll in the Magic book and they don't seem right to me.

Say we want to create a scroll that will protect from Orcs, a 1HD creature. A number of Hit Dice must be sacrificed of the creatures to create the scroll. The number of HD determines the chance of success. So if I want a 100% chance to create this scroll then I have to CAPTURE 100 orcs, then sacrifice them in the correct way. I imagine that capturing the creatures will be harder than just killing them outright. I would need a large number of people to help me. I would need some of them to be using non-lethal weapons. Some orcs would be killed as they fight back so I would actually have to combat MORE than 100 orcs. Then I would need to move them to wherever I have to store them, which would need to be a jail big enough to hold 100 orcs. Then I sacrifice these 100 creatures. Then, after this little orcish genocide, I would have a scroll that would protect me from them for 30-60 minutes. Oh yeah, it would take 100 days and cost 10,000gp. Does this cost include the people helping you or not?

After all that, I don't think I need protecting. There won't be any orcs left to be protected from. The orcs need protection from me. If I gave it to someone else, I don't think 30-60 minutes would be much help. It also only stops them from coming within 10 feet. I guess the orcs could still fire arrows at no penalty.

I think either the effect should be more powerful or the cost should be reduced. Maybe protect an area with 100 foot radius for 1d4+2 days. Or make the cost 1gp/day with no sacrifice required.

Regards,

John.

  • JimLotFP
  • Lord of All Fevers and Plagues
  • Offline
  • From: Helsinki, Finland
  • Registered: 2009-10-07
  • Posts: 613

Re: Creating a protection scroll

Changes here are already under consideration.

It's a bit difficult though, because rules or no rules, I've never heard of (let alone met) someone want to make a protection scroll in the 25+ years I've been around this sort of game. The basic idea was taken from the original DMG that you need part of what you wanted to be protected from.

Times and costs for all the scroll types are being looked at. It's a balance between discouraging their use by making it too hard to make them and basically giving the whole game away by making it too easy and it's not like I run an all-MU game so testing of various parts that nobody ever does (like protection scrolls) is spotty.

JimLotFP's Website

  • From: Perth, Western Australia
  • Registered: 2010-08-14
  • Posts: 42

Re: Creating a protection scroll

If nobody does it, leave it out.

Or make it like a regular scroll that requires a hair/ear/snout/soul of whatever you need protection from (bring me the liver of a plump tax collector...).

The other costs and procedures seem reasonable and it seems like a valid way to get cash out of the game without turning fudalism into capitalism.

Last edited by hogscape (2010-10-01 03:25:58)

It's not the years, it's the mileage.

hogscape's Website

  • From: Perth, Western Australia
  • Registered: 2010-08-11
  • Posts: 17

Re: Creating a protection scroll

I keep coming back to the idea of the scroll lasting for an infinite amount of time, until the caster has moved out of the area.

The creatures are bearing down, you have one last hope, to use the protection scroll. You read it out and as you pronounce the final syllable, a shimmering barrier appears, stopping them in their tracks. Now you are safe, but the creatures kept such a short distance away pace to and fro, looking at you with hungy eyes and calling to you. They tear apart the carcass of your faithful henchman who was not close enough when the spell was cast. You start to wonder, how long will your rations and water last for, what items and skills do you have that you can use to get out of this situation, is there anyone coming to help you?


There is probably a way this is broken.