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Old 01-16-2019, 04:28 PM   #11
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Do Skeletons decay?

But nobody has a problem with the lone Necropus doing a dozen disbelief attempts per turn all around the world at the same time at her full IQ 19 each?
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Old 01-16-2019, 11:02 PM   #12
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But nobody has a problem with the lone Necropus doing a dozen disbelief attempts per turn all around the world at the same time at her full IQ 19 each?
Seems like a separate side-topic in a thread where we're having trouble agreeing what the rotting rule is.

I'd be happy to see a house rule limiting that, and/or reworking disbelief.

For example, maybe a mind can only disbelieve one illusion per turn, no matter how many remote eyes it has going. That actually seems closer to a ruling/interpretation than a house rule, to me.
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Old 01-17-2019, 06:47 AM   #13
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Default Re: Do Skeletons decay?

Thanks for the feedback so far. Glad to see I'm not the only one who assumed skeletons were treated differently from zombies regarding the rot/dissipation effect. I'd still love it if we could get an "official" answer from someone at SJ Games, but in the absence of that it sounds like the GM will decide for their particular game setting whether or not the effect applies to both.
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Old 01-17-2019, 10:28 AM   #14
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Default Re: Do Skeletons decay?

On the topic raised here -- I always assumed that any undead lost power, not because they are rotting (which would imply they had innate "power" of their own), but because the power of the SPELL itself slowly decayed over time. Admittedly, that's just my opinion, but it meets the logic of the spell itself, and of magic in TFT in general...
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Old 01-17-2019, 10:45 AM   #15
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Default Re: Do Skeletons decay?

If you make this distinction would you distinguish between old dry bones and the fresh wet bones that the Necopus uses? (She can't crack the bones because of the spell requirement, but the rest is tasty.)
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Old 01-17-2019, 11:07 AM   #16
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Honestly, I'm failing to grasp why I would care. Is this question relevant to the subject? (Not trying to be harsh or combative here, just trying to understand where you're coming from, since I was under the impression that the original question was about whether or not skeletons lost power like zombies do. As far as I can say, your necropus can eat anything she wants without affecting the game rules per se...)

Just looking at actual physics, we do know that bones "decay" and eventually crumble into dust (unless they are preserved as fossils), so I think the title of this thread is almost self-answering in that regard...
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Old 01-17-2019, 11:19 AM   #17
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Default Re: Do Skeletons decay?

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On the topic raised here -- I always assumed that any undead lost power, not because they are rotting (which would imply they had innate "power" of their own), but because the power of the SPELL itself slowly decayed over time. Admittedly, that's just my opinion, but it meets the logic of the spell itself, and of magic in TFT in general...
Yah, that logic works as well. That's pretty much my problem, not just with this but with most things - I can find reason on both sides.

My long-ago approach to skeletons was that they don't decay, but after considering it recently I think it makes more sense to assume that they do decay like zombies, as the animating magic itself simply wanes over time unless one renews it or uses a zombie ring to maintain the effect. But again, I can see the case for arguing that the two types are treated differently, too. Barring a ruling from on high, I think each GM will just have to decide for themselves.
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Old 01-17-2019, 11:37 AM   #18
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Default Re: Do Skeletons decay?

I totally agree; the GM should make the call. (The zombie ring is what really clinched it for me -- it seemed to clearly indicate that the zombie's body wasn't the problem, so much as the spell animating it was, but I can live with a different answer too.)

I certainly wasn't trying to suggest that my response was the correct one (I don't think I've ever done that on this website), but rather explain the logic I use in this case. If I came across as announcing, deus ex machina-like, what the answer was, I sincerely apologize!
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Old 01-17-2019, 01:12 PM   #19
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I certainly wasn't trying to suggest that my response was the correct one (I don't think I've ever done that on this website), but rather explain the logic I use in this case. If I came across as announcing, deus ex machina-like, what the answer was, I sincerely apologize!
Speaking for myself, I didn't take your comments that way. I think this has been a pretty productive discussion with good points raised for both interpretations of the rules. Especially regarding a rule which likely will never have any bearing on most campaigns. ^_^
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Old 01-17-2019, 02:12 PM   #20
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Again, I agree -- something that I hadn't really spent a lot of time thinking about since about 35 years ago was brought up for discussion, and it helped me clarify my interpretation and remember how I got there in the first place. In my book, that's a good convo! ;-)
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