Discussion:Question about rule 0?

Question About Rule Zero

70.71.253.195 17:48, 15 June 2009 (MDT)

Hi, the tavern was working far too slow for me to be able to ask around for help with a question or two.. Im also having too much trouble trying to connect with wizards help service directly for some reason, Hopefully you could help me.

FIRST: Im having a bit of trouble making a ruling verdict with a PC who wishes to use the Booby Traps (CR 1/2) from the DMG II. Does the 50gp cover the materials needed to make one of these booby traps? Second part of this, and this gets very complicated. Is that he wants to just list on his character sheet "horde" comprised of about 500gp worth of random items for creating traps and other things. Should i force him to list each trap kit on his sheet?

SECOND: This same PC, who wants to be an artificer, is attempting to make his homonculus have a build in "pistol crossbow" capable of dealing its poison at a range? Do you believe this is broken and i should say no?

THIRD: After just talking with the PC, its starting to turn out that this artificer / homonculus / booby trap / guns style character is starting to just be too much of a headache for me to deal with. As im new to DMing, should i hold off on this type of major character building for now or try to fight through and help this PC play what he wants to. If it helps any, the PC is a long time DM (using his version of "rules") and sometimes makes drastic changes to the rules when he DMs?

Im starting to feel myself that this one single PC is very much starting to overrun me with too many custom piles of crap. And after i've figured out one aspect of what he wants, some big whole new pile of BS opens up. Arg.

Sorry for the long whole story, but any help could be appreciated.

Dragon Child 16:10, 15 June 2009 (MDT)

1) I do not have the book on hand. Usually, a "Market Price" is given. A market price is exactly what it costs to buy the trap. To craft the trap using the craft skill, you pay one-third of its price. You then have to use the craft rules... this ends up making even the most simple of traps (bucket on the ajar door full of acid, even!) take literally weeks to make. Trap rules, as written, could really use a rewrite. Honestly, I would have no problems with people "pre-crafting" traps, and then giving them a short set-up time for whatever actually seems appropriate (measured in rounds or minutes). Normally I would force people to decide on what they want before hand, yes, but I could also see an argument for materials of some being combined. If you have a blanket and stuff to dig a pit and spikes, you can have a pit with spikes with a blanket overtop, or two pits, one with a blanket overtop and one with spikes, to use a random example.

2) Homonculi have really shitty stats. Use the stats of the homonculus as written, equip it with a light crossbow, and off it goes. Remember that poison is paid for per dosage, however, and you can't just poison a bunch of darts and leave them sitting like that in your quiver (poison is wiped off, evaporates, etc). This really won't be a problem. Occasionally, the creature will get a lucky shot, but even then poisons are so expensive and the DCs tend to be so low, it won't really matter.

3) If it's too much for you to handle, just ask the PC to change to something else nicely. Explain your position, how you're not sure about writing new rules, etc. Artificers in particular can be very troublesome at times, due to the fact that smart ones will have a very very wide versatility. On the other hand, nothing you've asked so far is really that hard to deal with. More often than not, PCs are on the offensive, and so traps are hard to use.

Really, this has nothing to do with rule 0 yet, and shouldn't. It's always better to talk things over and work things out. Sure, DMs can use Rule 0... but a good DM learns he doesn't have to.

Pixel June 15th 2009

yea, sorry if my post was confusing. Im quite new to being a DM and im still unsure if i want to have to deal with all those complex rules right away or not. I guess i might just have to ask the PC to choose something more simple for the first time around so i can used to the basics. That and im not running an Eberron style world, so there would have to be a bit of modding to the class. Hard part i find is that with this particular PC he does get really uptight and angry and has to have a great debate about almost everything. On the flip side, if we try to debate something that is within the rules in his campaigns, he just uses the rule 0 excuse.

Green Dragon 18:11, 16 June 2009 (MDT)

D&D is based off rules.

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by JosephBlackly (talk • contribs) . Please sign your posts. 09:29, 23 June 2009 *MDT)

Look up the Trapsmith prestige class. It's in the Dungeonscape sourcebook, and sounds like exactly what your player is looking for. It has all the rules for crafting booby traps, so you don't have to wing it for one player.

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