this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2024
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Do abilities like familiars, and scribe wizard's manifest minds etc make scouting/dungeons unfun? Where's the narrative tension? (lemmy.world)
submitted 9 months ago by Knitwear@lemmy.world to c/dnd@lemmy.world
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[–] Platform27@lemmy.ml 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (8 children)

I think it depends. Entities in a potentially hostile area can still detect the Familiar, or Manifested Mind. I think it’s unlikely they’ll make it past 1/2 rooms, never mind an entire dungeon undetected. The entities are likely seeing this as a hostile action, and now know that there is someone nearby. They will prepare, and potentially make the situation worse for the PCs.

Edit: Should also note that abilities like Manifest Mind is VERY up to interpretation. It has no stat block, and is very limited. It can hover just above the ground, not fly, and cannot pass through objects. In other words it cannot do skill checks, cannot pass a closed door, and because it sheds light, it’s a beacon for creatures to detect.

[–] Knitwear@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

I see it going that way too, which means you're incentivised to use them to scout by design and disincentivised to use them to scout by practice.

It's not bad design, per se, it just feels...a bit flat, a bit clunky, a bit meh

There's something fundamentally fun about the fact that even in tier4 with god like arcane powers, most of the time the wizard Has To Go To The Place To Do The Thing. Maybe that's why Simulacrum inspires the same feeling, that it's powerful but is it fun?

[–] Platform27@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

For the mind, I don’t think it is a good scout. I see it as more of a flavour ability.

[–] stormdelay@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 months ago

I find it an excellent scout as long as you were not planning on being quiet anyway. Can even cast some kind of crowd control spell through it before ever being in danger, if the situation allows.

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