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I'm just getting back into this after many years. I don't think the version I last played had cantrips and I usually played fighters anyway :)
The cantrips seem very useful and I've read several threads on this site and others about them. Mage Hand seems to be very popular. Do you have to see the object in order to use Mage Hand on it. Suppose I KNOW that there is something inside a box...can I use Mage Hand to move it?
Even better....I KNOW that an orc has a set of family jewels. Can I use Mage Hand to move them to an uncomfortable position?
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Exactly what type of "family jewels" are we talking about? Ha ha.
Generaly, yes, you have to be able to see a target to interact with it. Line of Sight. General rule of thumb. If you cast a spell and let it go, like fireball, you may not need to see exactly what it hits. If you are concentrating to keep a spell going or doing something, yes, you need to be able to see it, (or sense it in some cases).
Generaly, yes, you have to be able to see a target to interact with it. Line of Sight. General rule of thumb. If you cast a spell and let it go, like fireball, you may not need to see exactly what it hits. If you are concentrating to keep a spell going or doing something, yes, you need to be able to see it, (or sense it in some cases).
Beckett is quite right, but it is neither "general" nor is it a "rule of thumb":
You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specifically choose that target.
However, even if it's an orc nudist, I would strongly advise against allowing this.
How would you even arbitrate it? How much damage does Mage Hand do to a groin? If he survives, is he crippled? Stunned? Sickened? Fatigued? Exhausted? Panicked? Demoralized?
HP in this game are an abstract. What if every (male) dragon in the world could be knocked into unconsciousness by a level 1 wizard going after his weak spot with a Mage Hand?
And if it's female, well, use your Mage Hand to gently insert a ten-penny nail into her eye.
You could use Mage Hand to grab the tongue of an enemy wizard, preventing most spellcasting.
You could use Mage Hand to insert this long slender needle into an enemy's ear and pierce their ear drum and even into their brain.
Heck, why not just use Mage Hand to reach into their chest and squeeze their heart? Well, you might need X-Ray vision. Or Clairvoyance. But it should be workable...
And if Mage Hand can do it, why can't our rogue go for the family jewels with a pair of ordinary kitchen tongs? Or garden shears...
And if he can do that, then why can't the fighter just hit the orc in the groin with his greatsword? Why can't the monk kick him in the groin?
Why even mess around with HP at all? Everyone knows the weak spots. Groin, throat, temples, solar plexus, kidneys, heart, lungs, knees for crippling, wrists for disarming. Everyone should just attack these spots and always kill or disable their foes with every hit.
I'm not trying to be rude. I'm just pointing out that this is a very slippery slope - once you start down this slope, you're going to slide way down to places you never intended to be.
If the game had hit locations, armor that has varying degrees of protection on different body locations, critical hits specific to body location, etc., then I'd say go for it.
But in a Hit-Point system like this, attacks are abstract, damage is abstract, hit locations are abstracted. It's all rolled into HP. Groin shots are represented by critical hits, and if the orc survives it, there is no built-in stun or crippling effect; he survived so on his round he can attack you back.
Oh, and once the players start doing this to the orcs, it won't be long until the orcs are doing it back to the players. That orc shaman gets the jewel-squeeze on your wizard first and you just watch your wizard try to cast any spells while he's bent over double and tossing his lunch on the ground.
Be very careful hopping down onto that slippery slope.
Owner - D20 Hobbies
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1) Suppose I KNOW that there is something inside a box...can I use Mage Hand to move it?
2) I KNOW that an orc has a set of family jewels. Can I use Mage Hand to move them to an uncomfortable position?
1) You would need to see the target in the box, but the DM might allow you to fumble around like a carnival claw machine until you happen to grope the object. I probably wouldn't but some might.
2) Sure, but there would be absolutely no game mechanic benefit to doing so.
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Generaly, yes, you have to be able to see a target to interact with it. Line of Sight. General rule of thumb. If you cast a spell and let it go, like fireball, you may not need to see exactly what it hits. If you are concentrating to keep a spell going or doing something, yes, you need to be able to see it, (or sense it in some cases).Beckett is quite right, but it is neither "general" nor is it a "rule of thumb":
You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specifically choose that target.However, even if it's an orc nudist, I would strongly advise against allowing this.
How would you even arbitrate it? How much damage does Mage Hand do to a groin? If he survives, is he crippled? Stunned? Sickened? Fatigued? Exhausted? Panicked? Demoralized?
HP in this game are an abstract. What if every (male) dragon in the world could be knocked into unconsciousness by a level 1 wizard going after his weak spot with a Mage Hand?
And if it's female, well, use your Mage Hand to gently insert a ten-penny nail into her eye.
You could use Mage Hand to grab the tongue of an enemy wizard, preventing most spellcasting.
You could use Mage Hand to insert this long slender needle into an enemy's ear and pierce their ear drum and even into their brain.
Heck, why not just use Mage Hand to reach into their chest and squeeze their heart? Well, you might need X-Ray vision. Or Clairvoyance. But it should be workable...
And if Mage Hand can do it, why can't our rogue go for the family jewels with a pair of ordinary kitchen tongs? Or garden shears...
And if he can do that, then why can't the fighter just hit the orc in the groin with his greatsword? Why can't the monk kick him in the groin?
Why even mess around with HP at all? Everyone knows the weak spots. Groin, throat, temples, solar plexus, kidneys, heart, lungs, knees for crippling, wrists for disarming. Everyone should just attack...
Great points about the abstraction of hit points Blake. That does make sense. Otherwise, the pregen wizard Ezren could use his Wand of Magic Missiles to shoot every Orc in the face. :)