"Keen-eared individuals will gain a bonus of 1 or 2 in 20 (5% or 10%). Use chance of hearing a noise to determine if a character is keen-eared the first time he or she listens at a door, and if it is indicated, tell the player to note the fact for his or her character." The DMG - Page 60.I think that's a neat idea. Screw all this Listen Skill crap! You're either keen eared, or you're not and most likely you ain't!
On Detecting Evil (Eeeevilll!)
I don't remember how I used to rule this and didn't remember the exact ruling on the subject, either. The stereotype of the Paladin, marching about detecting evil on everyone and everything, comes to mind. I don't think I've ever had a Paladin PC in any of my games."It is important to make a distinction between character alignment and some powerful force of evil or good when this detection function is considered. In general, only a Know Alignment spell will determine the evil or good a character holds within. It must be a great evil or a strong good to be detected. Characters who are very strongly aligned, do not stray from their faith, and who are relatively high level (at least 8th or higher) might radiate evil or good if they are intent upon appropriate actions." The DMG - Page 60.
I'm getting ready to start on page 61 - Combat! Woo-hoo! Deep down, I knew that reading the DMG would make me want to run the game. I'll decide about that, sometime this week. For now, I'm reading the DMG during breaks at work and the Forgotten Realms Grey Box in the evening. I have an idea for a campaign set in the Dalelands, forming in my mind. On the other hand, over the weekend I won an ebay auction for the City System. Combined with my copy of FR1, I'll be all set for kicking things off in Waterdeep!
Keep up the DMG goodness... Looking forward the Combat revelations!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on starting off in Waterdeep!
BTW, the 'What I'm DMing' Spongebob graphic cracked me up...
Hi Scottz - I have to thank Jeff Rients for sharing that pic with us! It still might be the Dalelands, or maybe even somewhere else, by the time I finish reading the Grey box.
ReplyDeleteMan, is it Spongebob day on the blogosphere and everyone forgot to tell me?
ReplyDeleteEveryday is Spongebob day!
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I was told about a session in which a paladin was using detect evil to locate all the monsters in a dungeon. I was thinking, I am sure it does not quite work like that, but it turned out to be a D20/3e game. That passage about detecting evil has subsequently become one of my favourite delineations between editions (in second edition it is less clear, but basically works the same as in first edition).
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, Detect Alignment is one of the things I always strike straight out of my games if I'm not in a Chaos v Law, Moorcock-flavor setting.
ReplyDeleteIt adds so little and takes away so much.
When we were teens most of our games took place in Waterdeep, or in the wilderness outside and around the city. Nowadays I find the prospect of city adventuring to be a little more intimidating, but somehow we did it all the time as youngsters... I wonder what happened?
ReplyDelete