| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Saxmilian |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 17:13:15
This rod allows up to 200 people to relocate to a extradimensional space (or a single person for 200 days) and can be activated once per week. My question is if a single person goes in for lets say 12 days then pops out when they reuse the rod (once per week activation) does the rod reset allowing up to another 200 days or continue until the 200 days is used and then reset (leaving say 188 days remaining)? |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 21 Jul 2012 : 23:47:01
Hey my Core Rule CD offers this,
quote:
When discovered, a rod normally contains 41 to 50 (1d10+40) charges. However, while rods almost never have more charges than this, it is possible to find a rod with significantly fewer charges, particularly if it is captured from an enemy who has previously used the item.
and this quote:
The rod can be recharged by the joint efforts of a priest of 16th or higher level and a wizard of 18th or higher level.
Of course CR CD is 2nd, the 3rd Edition clearly added use once a week.
As for a pocket plane to store goods, I clearly would not say that occurred under any version, once a charge was ended, next charge would make another space, not return to the same place, a home rule does not appear to be needed for this item under either version.
|
| Ayrik |
Posted - 21 Jul 2012 : 23:24:03
quote:
Dalor Darden
The original Rod of Security required a 16th level cleric and an 18th level wizard to "re-charge" it...it had a limited number of uses.
This. At least that's my understanding from the item description in the AD&D 2E DMG.
The wand basically has 200 charges, or "man-days" or whatever you want to call them, each activation depletes the wand (even if only for part of a day), and the wand remains discharged until recharged. Such a wand is featured in one old module which basically describes the wand's function as being something like a dimension door or teleport without error spell transporting the user(s) to an extra-dimensional paradise-garden retreat; another module describes this retreat as a tropical island floating on an unaligned plane somewhere between the Planes of Positive Energy and Elemental Water. A temporary demiplane somewhere in the Deep Ethereal which is created, defined, and sustained only by the wand's magic is perfectly plausible.
I don't know where all this 7-day stuff comes from. In my own campaign it was never actually necessary to determine exactly where (and when) the retreat is located; it was only necessary for this place to follow all the same rules of physics and magic and timeflow and gameplay as the place where the characters originated. In fact, it could even be an undiscovered vale or island on the same world, not so far away from other places the characters "came from" and inaccesible by nonmagical means.
My only homebrew rule of any import on the use of this item was that each activation sends the user(s) to some "new" place, one free of any evidence of previous visits. This was to prevent my PCs from constructing a small fortress, military arsenal, hospital, library and laboratory on the "other side" ... I had no intention of allowing them to stockpile everything they could ever possibly need to withstand seasons of seige within a single pocket. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 22:40:21
Maybe this is the lesser version - The Rod of the Mall-Cop.  |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 22:37:31
The original Rod of Security required a 16th level cleric and an 18th level wizard to "re-charge" it...it had a limited number of uses.
In the "Paradise" so created, nobody aged and healing was twice as fast as normal.
The limitation on charges is what restricted this item before...it should have been changed into an item that required charges in later editions. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 22:08:18
Good point Wooly.
Perhaps have it work the way you say... unless there is some sort of 'magical chaos' in the area which disrupts its normal operation.
And once again, that entirely up to the ebilness of the DM.
@Kentinel - I am evil only when I need to 'railroad' the players somewhere. I hate that word - I prefer 'gentle nudge'. 
We have to also consider there are a fair number of other magical devices/artifacts/relics which CANNOT be brought into an extradimensional space (the most common being a bag-of-holding). |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 21:03:38
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
The question I first thought you were asking is, "what happens to people left inside, if someone pops-out and reactivates it?" In that case, I would rule a new interdimensional space is created, and you just 'lost' your friends (to wherever/whenever an ebil DM wants to put them).
I, personally, would rule that as long as the created extradimensional space is occupied by a living being, then it remains active -- so the wand-weilder could pop out, and if he tries to reactivate, he's going right back into the same extra-dimensional space.
Any non-living material (including corpses, undead, inactive clones or even people in statis) would likely get expelled into the Astral, in case of reactivation and an extradimensional space not occupied with living material.
Of course, that's based on just the information in this thread. I'm not familiar with the item in question, and it does seem rather powerful... |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 20:06:57
Markustay Are you an Evil DM? I did not consider that option, however did think it a very good way for Cleric or Wizard to craft other magical items. *G*
Yes it indeed a very powerful item, it does require caster level 20, it maybe should be higher. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 19:49:51
I didn't quite understand what you were asking, so my answer was actually to a different question (but it appears others have answered your query). The way it reads means you can hide up to 28 people indefinitely (because once you hit 29 people, you pass your 7-day limit on re-use). Kinda over-powered, no? You could have a small group of Imaskari or Netherese who have been hiding for thousands of years.
The question I first thought you were asking is, "what happens to people left inside, if someone pops-out and reactivates it?" In that case, I would rule a new interdimensional space is created, and you just 'lost' your friends (to wherever/whenever an ebil DM wants to put them). |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 19:45:32
Wow, I totally missed that item then (I thought I had a pretty good grasp of what's in the DMG). Thank you, Saxmilian. |
| Saxmilian |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 19:12:36
Sorry DMG page 236 |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 18:36:08
quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
The SRD is your friend
Indeed it is. But it still doesn't tell me in what book I can find the item.
I found the item's description on the D&D Wiki. It appears I overlooked the part about duration being affected by the number of people. Good catch, Kentinal. |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 18:15:02
quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
Cool item, by the way. Is it in the DMG?
The SRD is your friend http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/rods.htm#security only thing that modifies what OP posted is 200 person days. That is if 2 use it duration is 100 days. |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 18:09:10
The rod's description indicates that at each activation of the rod, the option of transporting up to 200 people is open to the user.
The way I read it, each time the rod resets the user can transport up to 200 people.
Cool item, by the way. Is it in the DMG? |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 16 Jul 2012 : 17:22:16
The way that reads each time activated 200 days are granted. So if first activation only used 12 days the spell effect was ended soon. The 2nd activation user would still be able to get 200 days.
As a DM I might require 7 days after end of use before the rod could be used again, though it does not appear to be written that way. As written, it appears can hide 12 days, come out of hiding, maybe find a friend, then activate again for two within just a few rounds for a full 200 days. |
