All right, this is more of a question on how screwed up, or not screwed up other people think this is.
Backstory: We have a rogue/magus who's strength is too low to carry all his stuff (and that's with a handy haversack and a heavy load belt) so every time at the beginning of combat, he drops his backpack to fight. During this Combat a Succubus came out half way through and picked up his back pack. He charges her, gets charmed into stripping naked. After a while of fighting the Succubus hits the point in Morale where she should flee, but the other party member are currently cut off from the two of them. So, she takes this opportunity to grab all the gear he dropped and teleport away with it (we ruled that since it was his last round he could keep his armor)
So now he's stuck, at the beginning portion of a high lvl dungeon (with no way out btw) with out his bonded object, and the Enemy just absconded with a bunch of magic items that are useful to her.
Is this something you would do in your game?
Would you have nabbed the armor too?
It has been something I have "sorta" done. In the situation I ran, the group had some items taken from them by a thief and they had to hunt the guy down in a small dungeon to re-obtain their items. The items were non critical gear and primarily gold/other items the party was intending on selling.
But even then, I felt super guilty.
This just seems so wrong in so many ways, but I guess it would depend on how the GM is going to move forward from here. Are they going to give the PC a decent chance to find/obtain their gear in a fair time-frame (maybe 3 or so rooms in)? Is it crucial to an on going story line? Is the PC going to be given some slack by finding a decent hoard of items in the very near future?
The question that is really important, however, is how okay the PC is with this? I'm sure they are at least concerned. Has the GM already spoken to them about this with reassurances? The GM is supposed to be providing a fun adventure for everyone to experience. This does not sound like a fun adventure to experience, and although misfortune is a part of the game, it should never make a player feel targeted (and this feels like a targeted mishap).
So, with only knowing as much provided, this rates pretty high on the "I'd probably stop playing with this group scale". I'm hoping the GM at least took the player aside and said "Hey, don't worry about your stuff, you'll be getting it back very shortly." Along with some reason why they needed to lose just about everything but their armor.
Your player is a rogue/magus and presumably still has access to magic so he's not supremely deadweight assuming he still has his spellbook on him and can prep spells or is specced to be a face. Basically let the player stew for an encounter or two without his gear but do align circumstances to allow him to recover some/all his gear depending on how vindictive you're feeling. This can range from simply hunting down and killing the succubus or maybe have her offer a deal with the player for him to do her dirty work in exchange for his stuff back (jerk option is one item per deed).
His spellbook was kept in the bag he threw to the ground, but we did pick up 6 in a different room, believe the GM will allow him those.
As far as a deal, we've got 2 Paladins in the group who have a 'No deals with devils' mantra, coupled with a 'All demons must die' outlookThe question that is really important, however, is how okay the PC is with this? I'm sure they are at least concerned. Has the GM already spoken to them about this with reassurances? The GM is supposed to be providing a fun adventure for everyone to experience. This does not sound like a fun adventure to experience, and although misfortune is a part of the game, it should never make a player feel targeted
He seems OK with this. Overall the campaign has had its ups and downs, but for the most part the GM seems to be fair. There was one player that felt targeted, but withdrew his complaint when he realized it was something the book literally said to have happen. On another note, the GM had, on several occasions, warned him of dropping stuff on the ground, and even made it possible for him to purchase a bag of holding. He instead opted for a new longbow to make his new bonded object. (got tired of the short bow)
Well if he was warned that this might happen and was given outs prior, I don't have much sympathy for his situation. Course you said he's taking it well so that's always nice to hear.
Anyway, as for the deal idea, no one ever said he had to make it public to the pair of sticks in the mud. He's got rogue levels! And potentially invis! Nothing stopping him from sneaking off to speak with the ole succ (or vice versa). That said, it's probably a bad idea in general simply due to the likelihood of the party coming to blows over it (unless your group loves this sort of drama in which case offer it to the GM as an idea)
Love is one word...love to hate. Big fights hurt feelings etc etc.
I've been in games (outside of pathfinder) where there are monsters who will automatically destroy your equipment if it's made of certain materials, and one more there was a creature that ate the magic off of items. At least in this case he still has a chance to get his items back should we find the Succubus
Have you ever seen anybody robbed in one of your games?
He seems OK with this. Overall the campaign has had its ups and downs, but for the most part the GM seems to be fair. There was one player that felt targeted, but withdrew his complaint when he realized it was something the book literally said to have happen. On another note, the GM had, on several occasions, warned him of dropping stuff on the ground, and even made it possible for him to purchase a bag of holding. He instead opted for a new longbow to make his new bonded object. (got tired of the short bow)
If he's okay with it, then I guess it's "no harm no foul".
This is what happens when you dump STR too far. When your character cannot carry everything it needs even with magical help you need to rethink your build. The player made the decision to dump his STR way too far so he should have to deal with the consequences. The only way I could see this not being entirely his fault is if you were using some sort of weird stat generation where you rolled you stats and in order and were not allowed to change them. If that were the case I might be inclined to cut him some slack. If on the other hand a point buy was used I would let the player face the consequences of his own choices.
If I had a player who created a character like this I would have told him from the beginning that I thought his character was going to have problems, and suggest he rebuild it. If the player insisted on playing it I would have given him a final warning, which it sounds like your GM did. After the first time he dropped all his gear at the beginning of a combat I would have given him a second warning. I would have probably used this tactic on him a lot earlier. From the sound of it your characters are pretty high level so this should have happened to him multiple times already. About the only thing your GM did wrong was to wait so long to use this tactic. This should have happened much earlier and probably in a situation where it was more of an inconvenience than a crippling blow.
As Tarik Blackhands said stealing all a players gear is kind of a dick move, but this is more of a player doing it to themselves.
I don't know what level or setting your campaign is but having a monster that can randomly show up specifically interested in what amounts to mundane adventure junk and teleport away just seems a bit... coy. I personally would have had a more generic, animal take the pack because it wants the food or something like that or maybe even a natural threat like a fire spreading or a sink hole forming.
Unless there's some sort of reason why the Succa wants the items, are they secretly part of some ritual? Does she want to use them as bargaining leverage against the party? You really need to make the monster feel like it had actual motive and means to do something as character destroying as removing all their worldly possessions.
That said, it could be an interesting jaunt for the character, playing without your phat loot can be interesting, you have to depend on what your character can do, not what your +1 magical whatever can do.
From what the original poster said she got a lot more than just some mundane adventuring gear.
So now he's stuck, at the beginning portion of a high lvl dungeon (with no way out btw) with out his bonded object, and the Enemy just absconded with a bunch of magic items that are useful to her.
Not only that the character has also been severely weakened. Reducing your enemies options while expanding your own is a very good tactic. Since the character lost his spell book was taken that means he will have a problem memorizing spells. While he did find other spell books he still has to learn the spells, and they probably don’t have the same spells he had. Many Magus are one trick ponies relying on a few spells (Shocking Grasp). If that spell is not in the new books his power level is going to be really reduced.
Don't know if it's been mentioned. But you did something wrong.
Charm Person isn't dominate person. You probably couldn't get the Rogue/Magus to disrobe completely and drop all his stuff.
Charm person makes you best friends with someone. It doesn't let you mind control them. If you're best friend ask for "all" of your stuff would you just give it to them? No, probably not. You would ask why. Even then you're probably not going to give them everything on your person. If they asked for one item (even his bonded object) he might give that up, with the expectation that his friend would give it back.
So the rogue magus isn't naked and isn't completely devoid of stuff. But he doesn't have what's in his backpack and probably doesn't have 1 magic item that was on his person. But probably didn't give up all his stuff.
The player chooses to drop his gear at the start of every fight.
It's only a matter of time before something picks it up and runs.
If your spellbook was in the gear the player chose to drop, he won't make that mistake again.
You probably exceeded the limits of Charm Person. Just have the succubus take 1 item, the Handy Haversack, and call it good.
I could see a succubus using charm to get someone naked. When a really hot girl that you trust tells you to get naked so she can do kinky things to you, are you really going to say no? I am not saying this is what happened, but if it did it would probably be within the power of charm person. It is after all a succubus.
Besides from the sound of it most of his gear is in the handy haversack. That had already been dropped before the succubus even showed up. So anything in the handy haversack and that was in his hands is a given. Also things like cloaks belts and other clothes would have been removed. Things like Rings or other things that are not removed for sex would probably stay on.
I could see the succubus asking, and someone respond "Here, now? In the middle of combat, in plain view of everyone?"
Not everyone is an exhibitionist.
All right, this is more of a question on how screwed up, or not screwed up other people think this is.
Backstory: We have a rogue/magus who's strength is too low to carry all his stuff (and that's with a handy haversack and a heavy load belt) so every time at the beginning of combat, he drops his backpack to fight. During this Combat a Succubus came out half way through and picked up his back pack. He charges her, gets charmed into stripping naked. After a while of fighting the Succubus hits the point in Morale where she should flee, but the other party member are currently cut off from the two of them. So, she takes this opportunity to grab all the gear he dropped and teleport away with it (we ruled that since it was his last round he could keep his armor)
So now he's stuck, at the beginning portion of a high lvl dungeon (with no way out btw) with out his bonded object, and the Enemy just absconded with a bunch of magic items that are useful to her.
Is this something you would do in your game?
Would you have nabbed the armor too?
Keep in mind unless you're tossing out rules at this point, that Madame Succubus is limited to 50 lbs of stolen payload.
Keep in mind unless you're tossing out rules at this point, that Madame Succubus is limited to 50 lbs of stolen payload.
50 lbs is just light load for a STR 13 character, Mme Succubus could still pile up to 750 lbs of stuff in a sack and drag it along the ground.
Honestly, that's what I might do here: the succubus is undone by her greed, as "carrying too much stuff" makes it possible for the party to catch up with her, at which point she drops everything in order to engage in combat.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
On another note, the GM had, on several occasions, warned him of dropping stuff on the ground, and even made it possible for him to purchase a bag of holding. He instead opted for a new longbow to make his new bonded object. (got tired of the short bow)
When the GM warns, wise players listen. Sadly, he was asking for it.
After reading this thread I NEED to use this.
Keep in mind unless you're tossing out rules at this point, that Madame Succubus is limited to 50 lbs of stolen payload.50 lbs is just light load for a STR 13 character, Mme Succubus could still pile up to 750 lbs of stuff in a sack and drag it along the ground.
Honestly, that's what I might do here: the succubus is undone by her greed, as "carrying too much stuff" makes it possible for the party to catch up with her, at which point she drops everything in order to engage in combat.
the limit is not in strength but what she can teleport with.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
After reading this thread I NEED to use this.
Ooh, the Psychic and Mesmerist get it, so you can really build a character around making sure people fail that save.
...Keep in mind unless you're tossing out rules at this point, that Madame Succubus is limited to 50 lbs of stolen payload.
The Succubus was a boss..or mini boss, not quite sure, I didn't see her information. But the party was pretty hurt after the fight.
As far as what she took, The handy haversack he dropped at the beginning of the fight, a long bow, cloak, Amulet, ring, and a Belt.We played again and found some magic items he could use for the time being, but nothing to replace his bonded object, and no time to bond to a new one even if we did.
If I had a player who created a character like this I would have told him from the beginning that I thought his character was going to have problems, and suggest he rebuild it. If the player insisted on playing it I would have given him a final warning, which it sounds like your GM did. After the first time he dropped all his gear at the beginning of a combat I would have given him a second warning. I would have probably used this tactic on him a lot earlier. From the sound of it your characters are pretty high level so this should have happened to him multiple times already. About the only thing your GM did wrong was to wait so long to use this tactic. This should have happened much earlier and probably in a situation where it was more of an inconvenience than a crippling blow.
The player is experienced (or at least I think he is) he helps others with their information. As far as previous encounters, up until recently, nothing has ever run from the party. Don't know if its because of what's written in the book he's running for morale or because our resident druid can do around 16d6 dmg per hit with multiple attacks a round...just takes him three rounds to enter melee.
Could just be that our endgame tactics are falling apart. I mean why on earth did a ranged rogue with low str and con dmg decide that it was a good idea to leave the 3 melee tanks and charge across the room on his own to get his pack back from a demon?
Then the last time we played, my character (a mystic theurge) opened a secret door and walked in on a lich who hid behind a force wall, when I booked it out of the room he dimension doored with a monster he summoned and wound up right in front of me. That with a prismatic ray and a flying table (yes, a flying table) almost took out the party..but then a fumble on his part led to him critting himself in the face with said flying table..we play with the crit/fumble decks
At the start of my campaigns I tell my players that their characters are permanent but not their gear. Items come and go. Players may get upset when their characters lose stuff, even temporarily, but I think it can give them a good opportunity to grow and to show that they can be awesome without their Stuff of Awesomeness.
I think you did a very good thing that will lead to much more memorable experiences than if you had let him keep his stuff. Now he will have to think more tactically and convince his comrades to help until he gets his stuff back. He also has a nemesis that could become a reoccurring villain.
If your players complain a lot, then next time you could have the succubus dominate the tank, teleport away, and mentally command the tank to attack the rest of the group. After using a succubus to its full (scary) potential they may be more grateful that they only lost some gear.
I would not apologize or undo anything, just roll with it and let character growth and role playing occur. You may want to secretly soften up the upcoming fights just a little until he gets his stuff back, just don't tell your players. You want your characters to struggle but ultimately be victorious.