RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
|
I ran the Mindfog Fungus encounter last night, and it seemed to me that there was some information missing from the stat block.
1) The Trigger says that the fungus rolls initiative, but I couldn't see anywhere listing what skill the initiative roll should use. I ended up using Stealth because it was the first line on the statblock.
2) The statblock lists AC, TAC, and Hardness, but not hit points. So I wasn't sure how much damage it was supposed to be able to take.
Fortunately, after attacking it once and seeing that it released more spores, my party just left the room (dragging the two confused PCs with them) and didn't end up trying to kill the thing after all.
Using stealth for initiative is correct.
When the PCs trigger a complex hazard, the hazard first performs its initial reaction; then have the PCs roll initiative. If the hazard has a routine—a set of preprogrammed actions it performs on its turn—add the hazard’s Stealth modifer to its initiative roll.
It's a hazard, not a creature, so it doesn't have HP. Instead, it has hardness.
Hardness
A physical hazard’s Hardness indicates how difficult it is to break. If a hazard can take more than 1 Dent without becoming broken, this entry lists in parentheses the total number of Dents it can take before becoming broken. For example, “Hardness 11 (2 Dents)” means the hazard could take damage equal to or exceeding its Hardness twice (either taking damage twice or taking double its Hardness in damage at once) and still function. The next time it took that much damage, it would be broken. If the hazard has multiple components, the part of the trap with the listed Hardness is set in parentheses.
|
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
|
Ah, interesting. That was not clear to me from the statblock. I figured that since the fungus was a creature, not a trap, that it would have HP and the Hardness was the new way of expressing Damage Reduction.
I still didn't see a Dents value listed next to the hardness. Does that mean that any attack that deals more than 5 damage would destroy it? Or would the fungus be "broken" (what does that even mean to a mushroom?)?
No dent value is listed, so it can only take one before being broken (the second dent breaks it). I read broken as meaning the hazard is no longer functional. How that is described to the players in the case of fungus is up to the DM. Since I will be using a mini when I run this encounter (purple fungus to be precise) I will describe the fungus as sort of slumping over and becoming inert. From the player point of view, they will likely not realize this isn't a normal combat.
If a PC hits the fungus, subtract the hardness (6) from the damage rolled. This is the effective damage dealt to the fungus. If the effective damage equals the hardness the fungus takes a dent. If the effective damage equals twice the hardness (12) the fungus takes two dents and is broken.
ITEM DAMAGE
An item can be destroyed if it takes damage enough times. An item reduces any damage dealt to it by its Hardness. The Hardness of various materials is explained in the Materials section on page 354. If an item takes damage equal to or exceeding the item’s Hardness, the item takes a Dent. If the item takes damage equal to or greater than twice its Hardness in one hit, it takes 2 Dents. For instance,
a wooden shield (Hardness 3) that takes 10 damage would take 2 Dents. A typical item can take only 1 Dent without becoming broken. A second Dent causes it to become broken, though it can still be repaired. An item that would take a Dent or become broken while already broken is destroyed beyond salvage. Some magical or especially sturdy items can take more than 1 Dent before becoming broken, as noted in their descriptions.
For what it's worth this same math applies to raised shields.
|
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
|
OK. I think I saw the rules about item damage at one point, but I assumed that a fungus was not an item, so I didn't think those would apply here.
So, how exactly does this work? If it has hardness 6 and I deal 6 damage, then nothing happens. If I deal 7, then it takes a dent? Or does it become broken, since there is no dent value listed? Or is it just destroyed outright?
If it's broken, what does that mean for a fungus to be broken?
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
OK. I think I saw the rules about item damage at one point, but I assumed that a fungus was not an item, so I didn't think those would apply here.
So, how exactly does this work? If it has hardness 6 and I deal 6 damage, then nothing happens. If I deal 7, then it takes a dent? Or does it become broken, since there is no dent value listed? Or is it just destroyed outright?
If it's broken, what does that mean for a fungus to be broken?
If you deal 6 to 11 damage, nothing happens.
If you deal 12 to 17 damage, it takes a dent.If you deal 18 damage or more (in a single hit), it is broken and the hazard no longer functions.
Take note that in the case of the Mindfog Fungus any fire damage m
does an additional 10 points of damage!
|
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
|
OK. I think I saw the rules about item damage at one point, but I assumed that a fungus was not an item, so I didn't think those would apply here.
So, how exactly does this work? If it has hardness 6 and I deal 6 damage, then nothing happens. If I deal 7, then it takes a dent? Or does it become broken, since there is no dent value listed? Or is it just destroyed outright?
If it's broken, what does that mean for a fungus to be broken?
If you deal 6 to 11 damage, nothing happens.
If you deal 12 to 17 damage, it takes a dent.
If you deal 18 damage or more (in a single hit), it is broken and the hazard no longer functions.Take note that in the case of the Mindfog Fungus any fire damage m
does an additional 10 points of damage!
Wow, I definitely could not have figured that out from reading the statblock! I hope that they make these mechanics clearer in the final version.
Also, as a note for the designers, dealing 12 damage in one go is pretty tough for 1st level characters. Our barbarian could do it on a crit or a lucky roll, but I don't think anyone else in the party could.
OK. I think I saw the rules about item damage at one point, but I assumed that a fungus was not an item, so I didn't think those would apply here.
So, how exactly does this work? If it has hardness 6 and I deal 6 damage, then nothing happens. If I deal 7, then it takes a dent? Or does it become broken, since there is no dent value listed? Or is it just destroyed outright?
If it's broken, what does that mean for a fungus to be broken?
If you deal 6 to 11 damage, nothing happens.
If you deal 12 to 17 damage, it takes a dent.
If you deal 18 damage or more (in a single hit), it is broken and the hazard no longer functions.Take note that in the case of the Mindfog Fungus any fire damage m
does an additional 10 points of damage!
I think this isn't actually right. I think it's supposed to be:
0-5, nothing happens.
6-11, one dent
12+ in a single hit, it takes two dents and breaks.
I'll certainly agree that the item damage section is poorly worded, but I think the "shield takes 10 damage and 2 dents" example is showing that if it takes more than twice its hardness, it still only takes two Dents.
|
One more question about the fungus... 'In Detecting a Hazard, it says when approaching the characters have a chance to find the trigger/area before it activates; some are impossible to detect unless PC has a min. proficiency rank as noted.'
To make certain I'm correct, since the fungus lists no such proficiency requirement, the PCs have a chance to notice... But the DC is just the Fungus stealth roll v. perception, right? The characters do not have to be actively searching but can notice it.