Dragon Issue #317 - 3 / 04 - Truenames article: feedback?

[Phil Greeley/Rochandil Calenlad]

Hi all,

Has anyone gone ahead and incorporated the rules for truenames and fetishes from this article into their campaign? Found it useful, too weak, too powerful, etc.? I am curious to find out what people's experiences and feedback are.

Thanks for your help!

Rochandil Calenlad

[Sword of Cyric]

I consider them too weak, more precisely, I consider it too easy for a foe to learn a true name.

The check everytime someone uses his true name is a too easy way to discover true names. Especially since I also consider the DC for the check to be too low.

True names are most often used by really powerfull entities, yet these same beings easily have spellcraft checks with a bonus higher than the DC to learn each others true name!

Take Orcus as an example: DC 32 to learn his true name if he uses it to cast a wizard spell, or DC 34 if he uses it for his spell-like abilities.

Yet Orcus himself has already +46 on his spellcraft check.

Since we can assume that Orcus would need his true name power boost only against equally powerfull foes (no need against foes who are inferior anyway), and that this equally powerfull foes have equally high checks, his opponent would instandly automatically learn Orcus' true name the first time Orcus would use it.

[Catharz Godsfoot]

I have't used them but I have to say that they looked pretty cool. Basically, the big risk for big payoff thing. Remember that, hopefully, the person who hears your true name is either an ally or is incapacitated by the spell.

[Sword of Cyric]

Catharz Godsfoot wrote:

Remember that, hopefully, the person who hears your true name is either an ally or is incapacitated by the spell.

Well, even a close ally isn't someone who I would trust with knowing my true name.

And with the more powerfull beings, it's unlikely that a single spell will be enough to deal with them, so you're basically limited to use your true name only once, in the final killing strike, as any earlier use of it will result in automatically giving it to your enemies.

[Phil Greeley/Rochandil Calenlad]

Thanks for the input, guys. Couple of points: One, I think that the DC for Orcus' spell-like abilities would be 39, not 34: 10 (base) + 20 (caster level) + 9 (Int modifier). That is, if it were appropriate; the MM states on pg. 315 that spell-like abilities "are not spells" and "have no verbal...components". As a DM, I'd rule that a powerful being such as Orcus would be able to use his truename to power-up a spell-like ability; but that's each DM's call.

The other point to consider is this: how many times has Orcus changed his truename? There is a +5 modifier each time you have done so, and a being in his position would have both many reasons and many opportunities to do so. Obviously, this goes for any being of a deity's stature, and also comes under the purview of the DM who is incorporating truenames into his or her campaign.

You can also set the base DC to be 20 + level + modifier. That was my original figure, but it became 10 during the article's edit process.

Has anyone used them and not found them too easy to discover?

Thanks again, and keep the feedback coming!

Rochandil

[Phil Greeley/Rochandil Calenlad]

shameless...BUMP!

anybody else with experience to share?

[Phil Greeley/Rochandil Calenlad]

OK, its been a month...time for a BUMP! Anyone else have any comments or feedback for me? I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks,
Rochandil Calenlad, aka Phil Greeley