Do you need to actually hear the Piper's music to be affected by it?

[Einmaliger]

In the last session my group had serious problems with the Piper encounter. With two of them in the negative hit point range they finally retreated. Then they discussed a combat strategy and decided that the main problem was his music, so for the next attack they want to put wax or something in their ears, so they cannot hear anything. Of course, then they cannot communicate verbally during the fight (and get -4 initiative, etc.) making this an interesting encounter.

However, I am not really sure how I will rule this. My intuition is that the effects are like mind-affecting spells and the music is just flavour. The description says that all living creatures in the area are to make the rolls, so hearing is not relevant; but if you fail, how can then you be "entranced by the music" if you cannot hear any? Or do you hear it in your mind even if you are deaf? And would that also be true for music played by a character using the Piper's tarnished silver flute?

How would you handle this?

[Sean Mahoney]

Well, regardless of a strict reading of the rules, I would handle this in the way that makes for an interesting encounter. For example, if they retreated and came back the same day they can't be effected by the hold person effect again... but if the second encounter wouldn't be fun if they couldn't be effected again then I would allow it to work once per encounter.

In this case, the PCs had a tough fight... they retreated and CAME UP WITH TACTICS! That is a such a big deal for the group I play that I would make sure that the plan worked. I would play up the fact that it was the pre-planning and tactics that made the difference. Reward the behavior.

Of course, maybe that is normal for your group in which case maybe a strict reading of the rules would be more appropriate. I don't know.

Sean Mahoney

[Sean Mahoney]

Reading through the piper's haunt, I am not seeing anything that indicates that this is a sound based effect. A bard would not be able to deal with it either.

The fact that the haunt does not affect everything that can hear it (the whole level) but just a specific area kind of supports that it is not linked to the sound.

However, as above, I personally would let it work.

Sean Mahoney

[Einmaliger]

I think I'll go with a compromise: The characters faintly hear the music in their minds, but the saves' DC are at -4 (DC 10 instead of 14).