Explosive Runes

[Arctaris]

I recently started thinking about another medium for the explosive runes spell. Can you cast the runes on a person, say on their forehead?

[Mothman]

The spell's "target" is "One touched object, weighing no more than 10lb."

So I'd say putting the runes onto a living creature would not work. Of course, you could probably create a variant of the spell which could be cast onto the flesh of a living creature I suppose.

[d13]

or if the target was very small.

You could probably cast it on a fairy, or some other fey.

maybe, baby halflings?

[Arctaris]

I dind't see that part of the spell description. A variant would have to be of higher level or do less damage due to increased versatility. Still casting on someone's rations while they slept would be fun.

[DmRrostarr]

Arctaris wrote:

I dind't see that part of the spell description. A variant would have to be of higher level or do less damage due to increased versatility. Still casting on someone's rations while they slept would be fun.

Also a quick note from the SRD:

"You trace these mystic runes upon a book, map, scroll, or similar object bearing written information."

[Mothman]

d13 wrote:

or if the target was very small.

You could probably cast it on a fairy, or some other fey.

maybe, baby halflings?

Oh, it's so wrong that I laughed at that. Bad Mothman!

However, I think the term "object" probably precludes a living creature ... so maybe a homonculous instead

[d13]

Mothman wrote:

However, I think the term "object" probably precludes a living creature ... so maybe a homonculous instead

HA! Yes!

This is a ridiculously funny idea that I will be stealing for my homebrew.

A homonculous with exploding runes on his forehead. If he gets willful or hard to control, the wizard can just shout, "Dont make me say it!" and the little guy quiets right down.

Oh goodness, I have to take a look at all that this gag would entail (rules-wise) but it could make for a very funny or startling moment for my PCs.

[Arctaris]

Or a skinny pixie!

[Tak]

You could put it on the victem's shirt? They just need to walk around long enough for someone else to read it.

"Hey, cool shirt! What's explosive runes mea-" !!BOOOM!!!

[d13]

Tak wrote:

You could put it on the victem's shirt? They just need to walk around long enough for someone else to read it.

"My parents went to the Isle of Dread and all I got was these lousy explosive runes?"

BOOM!

[Arctaris]

Or on some valuable magical item! Perhaps even a whole novel written in exploding runes set up so when one goes off they all do. TPK! What problems can't be solved by exploding runes?

[Mothman]

d13 wrote:

Tak wrote:

You could put it on the victem's shirt? They just need to walk around long enough for someone else to read it.

"My parents went to the Isle of Dread and all I got was these lousy explosive runes?"

BOOM!

Nice!

[d13]

Arctaris wrote:

Or on some valuable magical item! Perhaps even a whole novel written in exploding runes set up so when one goes off they all do. TPK!

A little explosive rune graffiti near the end of a Manual of Bodily Health. Oops! Sorry! You dont get the bonus to constitution.

Arctaris wrote:

What problems can't be solved by exploding runes?

Learning the joy of Reading. Explosive runes make Levar Burton cry.

[Vic Wertz]

Spoiler:

BOOM!

Gotcha.

[Fake Healer]

Vic Wertz wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

Good one, Vic. Can't believe I fell for it on an explosive ruins thread. Good thing I made my save.

FH (limping away)

[Arctaris]

Why didn't I see that one coming?

[llaletin]

Definately a good one. I didn't know it was possible to do something like that on the boards :-)

I did set it up during a game (The Red Hand of Doom) so that a PC who was climbing up a ladder and onto the roof (chasing a Ninja NPC) noticed a piece of paper on the ladder.
Opening the paper up he read: "Did you honestly think that I wouldn't have prepared Explosive Runes today?"
The PC then jumped off the ladder in a bid to avoid the explosion, only to find that there was none. As if a ninja would be able to cast Explosive Runes!

During a Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil game, the group of PCs returned to a Mind Flayer's lair only to notice that the illithid had carved something onto his desk, so they stopped to read it. Boom!!

[Bill Lumberg]

I want to cast explosive runes on e-mail.

[Doug Sundseth]

I have to say that I really like the idea of including the runes in the text of a novel.

"Great book; you'll never get over the explosive finale."

[Fatespinner]

I once had a wizard NPC who was trying to help the party escape a city that had been overrun by orcs and ogres cover the entire wall of a building with something like 10 castings of explosive runes because he had been assigned "magical warding duty" at the academy that day and was going to need them. Not long after, an orc war party came down an alleyway looking for them and noticed the scribbles on the walls...

BOOM!!!

Sure it was an NPC that did it, but my players thought it was hilarious.

[Thanis Kartaleon]

Fake Healer wrote:

Vic Wertz wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

Good one, Vic. Can't believe I fell for it on an explosive ruins thread. Good thing I made my save.

FH (limping away)

The reader doesn't get to make a save...

[Fake Healer]

Thanis Kartaleon wrote:

Fake Healer wrote:

Vic Wertz wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

Good one, Vic. Can't believe I fell for it on an explosive ruins thread. Good thing I made my save.

FH (limping away)

The reader doesn't get to make a save...

Ouchie.

Good thing I am a deity then.