xBurtlex
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Aug 16, 2023 2:11 PM
xBurtlex
132984
1920
38
BeckyLookAtHerButt
That warms the villain's heart.
MasterBountakun
DM: "Ha! I like that! You'll deal your damage, but if he lives, you're gonna have to deal with that shit." How hard is to just do this?
reverendbonobo
gablestout
LuminoZero
The ONLY time a GM let me get away with this is when we were dealing with an antagonist that liked to taunt us then dimension door away. I had a ring made that could cast Dimensional Anchor once a day with just a command word. He wanted to make a deal, so I offered to shake on it (discarding my weapon and not being a spellcaster) and the GM let the handshake count as the 'touch' attack because he wasn't expecting it from me.
Deathbetray
MrMorrison226
Power word kill
Mewmus
DM: "ok, so the villain now has a major case of heartburn"
vincentleeprice
frischcode
Fireball is the solution for everything https://youtu.be/gmAub3iRWaU
goflyblind
artrald
At that range you want Inflict Wounds.
Hexrowe
See, this is the sort of multiclass MADNESS that happens when you let spells be used for Backstab.
sillyDad
BryanTenn
Sad to say.. but fireball and arrows end up being my only two weapons in every Skyrim play no matter how I start out. (Yes, I know the story is about D&D.. I played D&D in the 80s/90s)
rogerjun0497
"Then I put my Bag of Holding in our Portable Hole and run like cray!"
Ionico
I hug the villain. I break my Staff of the Magi across the small of his back.
ChickenVegetas
Isn't fireball an AOE attack?
TheAccursedHamster
Yes, better to use burning hands.
The22ndDoctor
No, that was a translation error. The original quote was Empathy is Death.
woozle
LostCause97
Cast Delayed Blast Fireball...
UpvoteBuddyJesus
Fireball is always the answer.
onlyhalfghost
actually this is an excellent case for upcast Burning Hands or Power Word Kill.
fr0stbyte124
Okay but the question was "what is an appropriate spell for contact range"? And the answer...wait why does this say fireball?
FabulouslyTiti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MgAhJvmc3s :D
RecurringNightmare
thats a bluff check for the lie opposed by sense motive, a sleigh of hand check to hide the bat guano opposed by spot and finally concentration to cast defensively to avoid an attack of opportunity...
3Davideo
Delayed-blast fireball. In their ear canal.
swatz
Tried that with 'flick of the wrist' feat and a hidden dagger, back in 3.5e.
HitandRyan
That’s danger close for a fireball.
mistaopportunity
Your past is irrelevant when your current actions cause great harm to others. Save your sob story, your tears won't ease the burning.
mrsdowneyjr
I see you don't believe in determinism
iDrinkDrano
Too much talking, not enough exploding. Monologue over the corpse.
CptRobotNinja
I can sympathize with the pain you've experienced without excusing the pain you're inflicting. Take comfort in the knowledge that your charred corpse will end the pain if many, including your own.
CheshireCad
"Also, I've compiled a list of actions you took in your backstory which were questionably reasonable, both from a logical and emotional standpoint. For example... How was murdering a room full of toddlers at all necessary to saving your wife? Especially when this plan was based purely on the flimsiest of non-promises? And even if it somehow did work, did you put any consideration between the personal value of one woman you love, compared to a dozen children which you barely knew? Furthermore..."
Cranbananarama
mistaopportunity
Thanks batman, that means a lot coming from you, and you're a perfect example of how one's past does not need to devolve into evil action.
Cranbananarama
Batman causes pain...for good!
thethingthatwentsplat
Not so. Their past is a story and a warning that should similar events be allowed again, the same result is more likely to occur.
PosthumousExile
It's a warning so you can help the next one before they do the same thing and need to be killed too
rusrsdude
Once a villain, always a villain?
RARusk
If you live long enough even heroes can become villains.
ClutteredDesk
I think it's more "History doesn't repeat, it rhymes". If Villain A happens because of situation X, and Villain A dies, but Civilian B is exposed to the same situation X, you're probably looking at Villain B a little down the road.
MechaNinja
Let's say potentially rather than probably. Some people are more likely to become villains (as opposed to depressed, dead, or insane) than others.
ClutteredDesk
Fair. I'll concede that point for IRL. In DnD on the other hand... XD
OnePageMage
I'll be That Guy: still have to roll initiative, BBEG is NOT surprised,so they might go before the spell is cast, and you just put your squishy into melee range. Good luck!
SillyZombie
"Ok reaction counterspell, on his turn he stabs/casts/whatever"
Kittynomnoms
I wouldn't even roll initiative at this point. It'd probably be a contested check to see if you could even get the spell off, considering you're sitting there chanting in their face. If they're able to grab your hands, that'd pretty easily halt your somatic components. If you manage to get the spell off (or they manage to stop you and decide to attack) then initiative is rolled.
OnePageMage
That's exactly what initiative is though. Dex checks to see who's quicker on the draw. Just roll initiative, and if the villain comes out on top, they can try to restrain, or run the wizard through, or whatever else comes to mind.
SpotlightStealer
Ok but stuff like this is what surprise rounds are for.
PaintyGuys
Not in 5th edition if that is what they are playing.
SpotlightStealer
There's no surprise rounds in 5e? What?
PaintyGuys
There is no surprise round it’s a condition. Before this happened the DM should have rolled against deception to see if it would work. Let’s say it did and the bad guy is “surprised” which means they cannot do any actions or reactions for the first round of combat but initiative would still be rolled because of the bad guy goes first for example….on their turn the surprise effect ends, they can’t do any actions but they would be able to react for the rest of the round.
SpotlightStealer
What penalties does the surprised condition do? I'm a 3.5/Pathfinder vet so I should understand the lingo
AzraelWalker
100% Correct. Making surprise a condition also allows certain classes to be immune to it which can be more helpful then it seems
GiveYourBallsATug69
If the wizard had been sniping with his fireball from a hidden location, sure, probably. But fireball has verbal and somatic components, BBEG would realize what's going on before the spell had finished casting, thus initiative.
SpotlightStealer
I suppose yeah it's got components. I'm pretty used to the rule that if you manage to make the gm think you're genuine then surprise em, the enemy should be surprised too.
GiveYourBallsATug69
That's a common way to do it, for sure. I think people do it that way because of how it used to work in previous editions that had a 'surprise round' (like in 3.5, can't remember in older ones). With 5E treating surprise as a condition, you'd have to roll initiative anyway, and it'd be hard to argue that the BBEG is caught fully unaware, though surely some DMs would allow it.
Asadsadsadclown
Sorcerer, still spell, silent spell.
GiveYourBallsATug69
Yeah, I think that'd be a good way to do it (merged into Subtle Spell in 5E). Though fireball still has a material component as well, maybe you could get away with a sleight of hand check, or even without one if you're using an arcane focus instead.
Asadsadsadclown
I haven’t played the tabletop since 3.5e, so the way around it in 3.5 would be the Eschew Materials feat that removes all material requirements that do not have an explicit gold cost. So unless fireball now requires a Ruby worth at-least 20gp or something, it’ll work. Otherwise the use of a spell casting focus which could be a glove would work as well.
frischcode
echoawoo
Lol a divination nyxe whose still obsessed with fireball
PlanckEraWasMyBestEra
I've never played D&D (though I've wanted to) and thanks to BG3 I FINALLY understand D&D memes. *Gentle sob*
ArchMagos
"I foresee fire, fire and screams." "You would, mate, you're a rocket launcher." -Steel Oracle Z-11
Tomigami
Lampmonster
I did COS with an angry gnome fire wizard who hated vampires. Such a good time. My team tanks would just stand in doorways and I'd weave fire between their legs, turning our foes to ash. Took out an entire ambush with a fireball basically targeted on myself at one point.
CycloneSP
that last scenario of yours reminds me of the time my party was surrounded by shadows in a cave. my sorc cast sickening radiance on self
CycloneSP
and basically instantly won the encounter XD I love playing chaotic sorcs, they're so much fun
TheDoctorCrankenstein
Wild Magic Sorc for life! Nothing like a magic surge fireball for max damage centered on self.
CycloneSP
oh ye. had that happen with that character too, a either a bit prior or a bit after that encounter iirc :D wild magic surge is so fun, and I try to have it pop off every chance I can get by using tides of chaos at every opportunity
Lampmonster
That's awesome. My cleric once got to take out an entire group of undead that were pursuing us with destroy undead in a horror one shot. It was a fun moment, they were hounding us, we later figured out they were driving us into an ambush, so I dropped back and hid and when they were all around me I unleashed DU. Every single one failed their saves and Poof, entire flank vaporized. The rest of the team took out the ambush fell apart pretty quickly after that.
CycloneSP
that's aweseome :D yeah, another fun situation with the same party before: we were had just flown atop an underground tower and encountered the bbeg of the area. our wizard cast resilient sphere on him, and my char pushed him off the tower and we all watched as he plummeted 300ft before the wizard dropped concentration just before impact XD it was hilarious
Randomice
DM: "At such short range the fireball spell backsplash hits the wizard for....you are both dead."
PutItInNeutral
Kanye the Giant slaps that bitch.
Talbotous
Roll half orc wizard. Cast fireball at feet. Lose all health, half orc trait leaves you at 1hp. ...profit.
newsguycraigevans
Cast Sun Fire instead. It's fireball that explodes around the caster without impacting the space occupied by the caster.
Xanthx
Evocation mastery. Boom.
transientmind
“WITNESS ME”
Mmbear
Necromancer: Ah shit my time has come.
ironymus
Not if the wizard has a natural fire resistance. Yeah I know what is the point of throwing a fireball when you can't even harm yourself a little bit
kdinphilly
Evocation school can shape blast
jesuisgur
Reminds me of the few times I DM'ed. Team captures the villains in their lair, the campaign is finished, I'm wrapping things up, then one of them sees all the military equipment still around and says 'I don't want any of them to come back, I shoot the fuel tank'. In a cave. All the players jumped saying 'NO!' but I went along 'BOOM!', you are all dead...
TheWombatStrikesAgain
You can cast fireballs from level 5 on. At that point there are also ways to protect yourself from fire damage.
tazedconfused
That's alright, just empty your bag of holding, throw in the ashes and a Striker of Resurrection, shake and stir, and out pops a new wizard, with different modifications. Problem solved! (for now)
awkungen42
I cast fireball 30 feet behind the wizard just out of my squares range.
potatoqueen
I have a feeling the Villian might have way more HP than said Wizard :')
SillyZombie
That wizard probably had the feature to meld the fireball around himself and friends
NappaTheFriendlyGhost
I cannot begin to list how many times I’ve seen a wizard or sorcerer die to their own splash damage. It’s around 5% of the number of party members that they kill with it. My favorite was when not 2 turns previous someone’s perception confirmed that we were in a wooden hut. Guess what element they used?
akefay
2e lightning bolt was a great way to accidentally die by extreme overkill because it reflects off stone surfaces and, contrary to physics, all reflections automatically aim it directly at the caster, and it doesn't stop bouncing until it reaches the full length. If you went for line mode that's 80 feet. If youre in a corridor and cast into a small room...oops. might hit you 4 times, maybe 8, depends how small the room. Cwispy
frischcode
stankginchfurbuger
For real there are like 10 spells that would make more sense in this situation. Hit him with a disintegrate!
Babomonkey
Wouldn't you be at disadvantage for casting a ranged spell from melee distance?
textilelover
No, it takes a save, not a to-hit. But an 8th level inflict wounds would be ...ouchie. And be a touch more cinematic, in my opinion.
WynnCreek
Cast 10th level magic missile.
JustLettingPeopleBeWrong
SemperFortuna
Imgur servers lately
vegivamp
"last decade"is a funny definition for "lately".
Srcsqwrn
Me: *whispers* "Excellent."
4vie
Wizard: "Cleric's there to revive me!"
RevolutionOnHerLips
Everyone talking about rules and I'm here thinking fuck yes, totally worth it for the drama
mustardburp
I forget which campaign, but Brennan Lee Mulligan (it feels weird to not say the whole name like Maria Menounos) homebrewed that an AOE spell would be heightened/distilled if concentrated within a resilient sphere. "We dutch ovened her" as one player noted.
IconicM
I'm pretty sure in AD&D the rules actually stated a fireball does more damage in an enclosed space.
iDrinkDrano
That's how explosives work so that makes sense. Shaped charge is the way to go here
Daarst
I'm going to use this opportunity to ask: who the fuck is Maria Menounos? You're the first I've seen actually mention her and I'm confused when movie theater or gas pump ads parade her as a huge name I should know.
amglasgow
That would be "EXU: Calamity"
nosimpleway
Was about to say, if your hand is already on the guy, just use a touch-ranged spell.
Navrodel
Shocking Grasp is always a viable spell when they're flat footed.
Goldmarble
I upcast Inflict Wounds.
Drix1942
A touch-ranged spell? Like punching?
StylesRockman
Bashing them with a frying pan while yelling "CAST IRON"
Drix1942
ArchMagos
I did cast Burning Hands down the throat of an enemy once. Felt like Godzilla
Leucienweaver
So, if a firecracker explodes in your palm, it stings and you might get some shrapnel damage. If a firecracker explodes in your fist, the reduced space for the energy outflow shears your fingers apart. In this TedTalk I will explain why shoving your fist into an enemy's mouth and screaming Fireball is 100% a legitimate battle strategy.
ballsoutflyer
"I cast molecular disintegration"
Asadsadsadclown
Level 6 spell. 10d6 + 40 force damage. Increase by 3d6 per level when casted using higher spell slots. If target is a living creature and this attack reduces it to 0 hp, it is disintegrated.
ballsoutflyer
That's an arch mage level of power!
ydwyrd
In Pathfinder 1e it's 2d6 per caster level, up to 40d6. Still 6th level so It's 22d6 just to start with.
Asadsadsadclown
Level 11 minimum. Which is likely on par with people that would be considered living legends or the stuff of fables. Level 15-20 is demi-god level. The average person is typically level 0. A professional soldier or mercenary would be level 2-4. A grizzled general that leads the charge into battle could be level 8-10.
OriginalAndWitty
But if you roll a nat 20- "You blast a hole in the villain's chest big enough for the dwarf to crawl through. Charred entrails splatter the wall behind. The party stands dumbstruck."; 'Who's up for shawarma?' the wizard says.
OriginalSyn
Nat 20 isn't automatic success, it's the best possible outcome, possible being the keyword, rolling a Nat 20 to survive a nuke going off right in front of you is that you die painlessly.
Iresemblethatremark
If it's unavoidable death then there's no purpose in a roll. There's no point in forcing players to roll to "die, but... faster if you pass"
OriginalSyn
I mean the interaction is going to go like DM: "are you sure you want to do that? You will certainly die as well" and you say "Yes I'm sure" DM can choose to have some fun and say "Okay roll to see how badly you die".
Iresemblethatremark
That scenario isn't rolling to survive something, then, and that would have been clear up front. Rolling a nat 20 to survive something and then dying instantly is a completely different thing than rolling to make a scene more dramatic.
QuartzPoker
Nat 20 in a nuke might be "You are in a concrete bank in a room on the far side of the building from the blast. You survive with moderate injuries." Source: Actual nuke survivors in Hiroshima credited the construction of the bank for saving their lives despite being like 200m from the epicenter
SlightlyAnnoyedDwarf
You don't roll for fireball, it's an aoe.
WoodfolkFae
You do roll for damage though but indeed that is with a d8
swefur
Fireball damage is in d6-es. 8 of them, i believe.
WoodfolkFae
Oh yeah you're right I had it the other way around.
SlightlyAnnoyedDwarf
I meant you don't roll to hit for AoE attacks. You roll to save.
merlok13
"I didn't ask what the range was. I said, I. Cast. Fireball"
mrputter
frischcode
Warmblood
When you just spec'd a fun new character and need to wrap up your current one
counterintel
"What about the guard?" "What about him?"
merlok13
"I don't think he knows how to cast fireball?"