Summon Instrument Limitations


Rules Discussion


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

The summon instrument spell says that the conjured instrument plays only for you.

How does that work exactly?

If I hand it to someone and they attempt to play it, doe it disappear? Explode? Break? Remain silent despite the physical act of playing it? Perform so poorly that the resulting cacophony could not be considered music? What exactly happens?

What if they tried to use the instrument in a non-traditional manor, such as by turning a violin into a percussion instrument by rhythmically tapping on it or banging it against things? Does it make any noise then?


Ravingdork wrote:
How does that work exactly?

How do you like it to work?

But "it plays for only you". Even in non-traditional manner "it plays for only you". Whatever you or others do, "it plays for only you".


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Errenor wrote:
Ravingdork wrote:
How does that work exactly?

How do you like it to work?

But "it plays for only you". Even in non-traditional manner "it plays for only you". Whatever you or others do, "it plays for only you".

In that case what is a good sturdy instrument that our barbarian can use to rhymically and soundlessly batter down the door or break the interrogated prisoner?


Ravingdork wrote:
If I hand it to someone and they attempt to play it, doe it disappear? Explode? Break? Remain silent despite the physical act of playing it? Perform so poorly that the resulting cacophony could not be considered music?

Yes. Any of those would work.

All of those in sequence would be epic.

Liberty's Edge

I would say remains silent.

Or maybe becomes intangible if someone else tries to hold it.


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Ravingdork wrote:
Errenor wrote:
Ravingdork wrote:
How does that work exactly?

How do you like it to work?

But "it plays for only you". Even in non-traditional manner "it plays for only you". Whatever you or others do, "it plays for only you".
In that case what is a good sturdy instrument that our barbarian can use to rhymically and soundlessly batter down the door or break the interrogated prisoner?

Sorry, per the Townshend precedent, that counts as playing. Doesn’t work as intended.


Townshend?

Edit: Oh. Probably Townshend.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Qaianna wrote:
Ravingdork wrote:
Errenor wrote:
Ravingdork wrote:
How does that work exactly?

How do you like it to work?

But "it plays for only you". Even in non-traditional manner "it plays for only you". Whatever you or others do, "it plays for only you".
In that case what is a good sturdy instrument that our barbarian can use to rhymically and soundlessly batter down the door or break the interrogated prisoner?
Sorry, per the Townshend precedent, that counts as playing. Doesn’t work as intended.

"You attempt to smash the prisoner's digits with the bard's lute, only to have him suddenly burst into laughter as the lute graces his toes with a light tickle instead."


Awesome!


Ravingdork wrote:
In that case what is a good sturdy instrument that our barbarian can use to rhymically and soundlessly batter down the door or break the interrogated prisoner?

Upright piano

Subcontrabass saxophone
Octobass
Pedal Harp

Or if you want to go ludricrous (unlike the above obviously):
Cathedral pipe organ
Earth harp
Five meter drum

Liberty's Edge

Plane wrote:
Ravingdork wrote:
In that case what is a good sturdy instrument that our barbarian can use to rhymically and soundlessly batter down the door or break the interrogated prisoner?

Upright piano

Subcontrabass saxophone
Octobass
Pedal Harp

Or if you want to go ludricrous (unlike the above obviously):
Cathedral pipe organ
Earth harp
Five meter drum

Carillon


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Stack wrote:
Plane wrote:
Ravingdork wrote:
In that case what is a good sturdy instrument that our barbarian can use to rhymically and soundlessly batter down the door or break the interrogated prisoner?

Upright piano

Subcontrabass saxophone
Octobass
Pedal Harp

Or if you want to go ludricrous (unlike the above obviously):
Cathedral pipe organ
Earth harp
Five meter drum

Carillon

The spell does specify handheld instrument, unfortunately. So I'm pretty sure only the saxophone would qualify.

I do agree it'd be funny to see the barbarian smashing someone with church bells though.

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