11-26-2018, 07:37 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Protection from Evil vs. Eye of Death
The Protection from Evil spell (Spells, p. 64), provides +1 DR and +2 MR per energy point versus "direct attacks and spells from creatures of pure Evil." The Eye of Death (Monsters, p. 27) is truly evil. It's gaze attack cannot be defended against, but can be resisted by HT-5.
Should Protection from Evil have any effect on this attack? If so, would you provide the DR (calling the gaze a "direct attack) or add the MR to the resistance roll (treating the gaze like a spell, despite the fact that the Eye can't cast spells). I lean toward saying yes, the spell can work, and going with the first interpretation (DR). This would be the only DR that would count against the attack. Thoughts? |
11-26-2018, 10:12 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Central Texas, north of Austin
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Re: Protection from Evil vs. Eye of Death
Interesting dilemma.
Versus the Eye of Death I would not allow the +2 Magic Resistance from the Protection from Evil spell. The DR protection from the spell is questionable, but I would probably allow it in lieu of an official response. Basis for some of my reasoning: I would consider Death Gaze a direct attack (as required by Protection from Evil). I would not view Death Gaze as having any magical basis. The Eye of Death is an Elder Thing and that monster type is explicitly not magical. The Eye of Death has Magic Resistance (10) precluding it from any spell casting. The DR dilemma. Death Gaze explicitly ignores all DR. However, Protection from Evil is decidedly for use against Truly evil creatures of which the Eye of Death is labeled. However, just researching, Protection from Evil "protects as Armor [spell]," and the Armor spell provides DR "treated like armor DR for all purposes." |
11-26-2018, 11:08 PM | #3 |
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: Protection from Evil vs. Eye of Death
I'd go with the + Resistance option, but that's me. As the Eye already allows for resistance and the Spell already has a resistance boost option, that seems the shortest and quickest manner.
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11-27-2018, 05:42 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Re: Protection from Evil vs. Eye of Death
I mostly agree with the evileeyore - if there is already a standard way to resist it and the spell boosts one of those, go that way.
Regarding Elder Things not being magical, I think DFRPG plays a little fast and loose with the words "magic" and "evil," so you need to have some flexibility. |
11-27-2018, 02:32 PM | #5 | |
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: Protection from Evil vs. Eye of Death
Hmmm.
I've gone back and read the Eye of Death. It has MR, so it's attack is clearly not Magic. However, it's attack also ignores all DR, so clearly DR cannot stop it. So on reflection, no, I'd say However, if I were to allow the Eye of Death's Death Gaze to be affected by Protection from Evil, I'd still go with the MR adding. My reasoning? Rolling HT means the Wizards is still likely to die Quote:
Here however... I'd be fine with the Good God(s) being able to block (or at least interfere with) the machinations of the Elder Things. |
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11-27-2018, 02:44 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Protection from Evil vs. Eye of Death
+DR would be expected to have no effect on attacks that ignore DR (but see the thread on DR vs magic; Kromm has added confusion here). +MR is not mentioned as working against an eye of death, and given that eyes of death have magic resistance and do not have magic dependency, its probable that their attacks aren't classed as magical and MR has no effect.
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11-27-2018, 03:11 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Re: Protection from Evil vs. Eye of Death
Digging out the more detailed description from DF, the EoD does Cosmic damage, so yes, spells should not generally interfere.
On the other hand, the HT resistance roll would presumably be buffed by any HT buffing spell, so maybe use that instead. Eesh, they're nasty Things regardless. |
11-27-2018, 03:38 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Re: Protection from Evil vs. Eye of Death
Thanks, all, for your thoughts.
My group is small, non-optimized, and new to GURPS, so I tend to be generous when they apply logical ideas ("This thing detects as really evil; let's use the spell that's sounds like it is meant to protect us from it."). I concur, however, that RAW suggests that PoE would only provide extra DR for slam attacks from the eye (now that's a goofy image!). |
11-28-2018, 12:10 AM | #9 |
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: Protection from Evil vs. Eye of Death
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11-28-2018, 08:24 PM | #10 | |
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Central Texas, north of Austin
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Re: Protection from Evil vs. Eye of Death
Quote:
It started to dawn on me that the truly evil label on the Eye of Death may be a bit irrelevant with its special features. Would that label even be able to come into play at all? I haven't researched all the ways. Turning seems to require undeath in addition to evil. Even the Holy Warrior's Resist Evil ability (Adventurers, p. 27) may not apply if you deem the Death Gaze's cosmic nature as eluding the requirement that said innate attack be supernatural. |
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eye of death, protection from evil |
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