The question to ask probably isn't "can one use this in PFS" but more to the point of "what can you do with one in PFS?"
Immovable rods are famous for the creativity of players in using them. I imagine some of the more "creative" uses might not pass a PFS GM's scrutiny.
However, using a pair of them to make a "ladder" would seem to be completely acceptable in PFS. Just my $.02.
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There are very few items in the Core Rulebook that are not allowed in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. You can check out the Additional Resources page in order to find out what is and what isn't legal for play in PFS.
While I don't believe an immovable rod is illegal in PFS, I'm fairly certain that it is limited by your fame. You see, many items are limited by the amount of fame your character has. As his fame increases via completion of scenario missions and faction missions, higher priced items are unlocked for availability. For further information, please check out the free-to-download Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM and we can discuss it further.
I hope that helps.
Developer
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Immovable rods are totally legal, but their use (especially creative uses) will fall into the dreaded realm of table variation and GM adjudication. There aren't rules for, as an example, how much damage one does if it's activated inside a moving creature by a PC who's been swallowed whole. So go for it if you can afford them, but expect for different GMs to permit different uses of them, or to interpret the same use of them multiple ways.
There aren't rules for, as an example, how much damage one does if it's activated inside a moving creature by a PC who's been swallowed whole...
OH GAWD I DON'T WANT THAT!!!! @.@
That particular use has never occured to me before... though 'setting immovable rod vs charge' and 'blocking rods' has... Plus the always ammusing 'cast 'Knock' on this door, why dontcha.'
How about turning ethereal then activating the rod inside of a person?
I've been wondering what would happen if you put Anchoring (turns a weapon into an Immovable Rod) onto an Amulet of Mighty Fists, myself.
:D
-j
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In a 3.0 home game several years ago, we were standing on the top of a giant wall (Bloodstone gates into Vaasa in the old Forgotten Realms campaign setting) and a white dragon was attacking.
It came and grabbed our halfling rogue/deepwood sniper (who was a machine gun by the way) and flew away with him.
He was down to just a few hit points and we all feared for his life, for none of us had fly available at the time.
So he pulls out his immovable rod and asks the GM, "Um, what would happen if I activated this as he's flying at 200ft per round, in his mouth?"
GM blinked and basically ruled that the Dragon would be dead as it blew out the back of its skull.
The halfling survived that day.
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This is one of my most coveted items. I play a thief (Oops, rogue - I am dating myself) and she could really use the Immovable Rod. Although, I have to admit I was thinking about mechanical uses. I don't think I would have ever thought about the Dragon scheme. That's fraking BRILLIANT!
I do have a question though: How did he get it there? I assume he was being carried inside the Dragons mouth? Wouldn't it just have stayed in place in the Dragon's mouth; since the Dragon was moving, attached to the tissue, teeth etc?
Another interpretation, perhaps but I am still looking for the wisdom of the collective (Resistance is futile).
Eros
It'd be like running full tilt with your mouth open, into a stationary stick.
It would at the very least cause some damage.
And I have to go wince now just imagining it.
-j
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oh without a doubt!
you're basically hitting a small object at 136.3mph, which considering the thickness of the skull of regular baseball players hit with nearly the same speed (I realise there's a big difference in situations, but it's the closest real world parallel) they may have had a broken jaw or a concussion, but none have died from it the MLB. Likewise a skull as thick as a dragon simply requires alot to get through.
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oh without a doubt!
you're basically hitting a small object at 136.3mph, which considering the thickness of the skull of regular baseball players hit with nearly the same speed (I realise there's a big difference in situations, but it's the closest real world parallel) they may have had a broken jaw or a concussion, but none have died from it the MLB.
Though it is rare, Baseball players to include MLB players have died from getting hit by a pitch.
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My favorite use in 3.5 with my rogue was as a quick doorstop or such. He (when he became an arcane trickster) would put an invisible one behind him as he ran.. instant clothsline.. or put one up against a door as a 'quick lock' or use a couple as instant 'steps' to get away.
Even used one as a 'parachute'.. though he took a goodly amount of damage landing on it. (better than the bottom of the pit of spikes though.)
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I'm assuming you mean Ray Chapman one man in the MLB... we know it can happen, but still dealing it's an incredible rarity.
It's not just "getting hit by the Rod" that's making me wince.
It's "getting hit by the Rod in the back of the throat".
At full speed.
Ow.
-j
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With a bullet or a baseball, the energy is transferred from the projectile to the skull slowing the projectile in the process. With the immovable rod, none of the energy is transferred to the rod. The skull has to bear the full brunt of the impact of the full weight of the dragon at 100+mph on an area ~1 square inch.
I mean, best case scenario is the dragon gets hurt a little and stops in midair. Even with Hover, it'd be like having a titanium splinter bouncing around in your head.
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I'm not disagreeing it wouldn't hurt, but it's not exactly totally immobile, the rod is able to be moved with a str check. And they have extremely thick bones...
Of course this is all not an issue if the GM had just said "do you have it out and ready? nope? good luck getting to it while being nommed on." and if he's not being nommed on, he's probably not actually in the mouth or inside it =D
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, Contributor
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100MPH I keep hearing these numbers but they don't math out? A large or bigger dragon moves at 200' round. That puts a dragons normal move speed at about 22 MPH and that's a large dragon using his full 200' of movement. If the dragon was taking the run action, or diving and charging at the same time he'd hit 88 MPH. The only way he could be doing 130+ is if he's diving and running at the same time.
Similarly, is the guy in it's throat even going to have enough of a sense of direction to point the thing exactly along its line of travel so it hits a "1 square inch area"?
In a game where players are able to cut through the stomach lining of a creature and crawl out from the inside and have the thing still fight on, I'm thinking this isn't a huge deal. Definitely breaking out a fistful of D6s, but instant kill is overboard.
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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I'd probably do some damage, then make the thing nauseated as it tries to fly in such a way as to extricate himself from the situation, while choking on the rod every time he moves wrong and he slams the inside of his throat against it.
Defeat the dragon? No.
Cease to be its highest priority for a while? Definitely.
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100MPH I keep hearing these numbers but they don't math out? A large or bigger dragon moves at 200' round. That puts a dragons normal move speed at about 22 MPH and that's a large dragon using his full 200' of movement.
Doh! That's what I get for trusting another poster's maths. :D
And even if it did kill the dragon (which I'm convinced now that it wouldn't), how did you survive the fall inside the dragon's plummeting body? Hang onto the rod and wait to be rescued? If so, how did you survive the exit from the dragon? Your character certainly is not an immovable rod.
I would treat it as falling damage for the size of the Dragon, I would also make it do x2 damage for crit, because there was no way to avoid it, and it was targeting a critable area.
In fact I would follow the called shot head rules for what happens as well as the damage, that you can find in the Ultimate Magic book!
...how did you survive the fall inside the dragon's plummeting body?
"Ah, thank you. You broke my fall perfectly!"
If so, how did you survive the exit from the dragon?
Are you REALLY sure you wanna know? Could head into kinda squickier directions. I mean, more squick than we already have.
-j