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Old 03-23-2020, 04:29 AM   #1
zot
 
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Default Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills

If a wizard fails the contest of wills to gain a wish, the demon attacks him. Page 143 says, "Pentagrams will not protect the wizard in this battle of wills – though a good pentagram would prevent the demon from smashing anything else after he finished off the wizard!"

How is it possible for the demon to attack the wizard when it can't cross the pentagram and it has no ranged attacks?

I suggest this clarification:

If there is a pentagram, the wizard must be on the same side as the demon for the contest of wills to take place. So if a wizard summons a demon into a pentagram, the wizard must enter the pentagram with the demon in order to gain a wish.

Last edited by zot; 03-23-2020 at 09:23 AM. Reason: typeo
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Old 03-23-2020, 05:34 AM   #2
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Default Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills

I read it as a mental contest. The wizard's body is untouched but burns into ash.
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Old 03-23-2020, 07:54 AM   #3
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Default Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills

Or perhaps the 'battle of wills' is an abstraction for determining how secure the wizard's pentagram really is. If the demon wins, it means they found a flaw which makes the wizard vulnerable to attack.
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Old 03-23-2020, 08:41 AM   #4
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Default Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills

The section on demon summoning does not come across as thoroughly playtested, since there are obvious contradictions. I don't use these rules as written, but as a cursory guide. I also prefer the demon stats from the original ITL.
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Old 03-23-2020, 09:02 AM   #5
zot
 
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Default Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills

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Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
I read it as a mental contest. The wizard's body is untouched but burns into ash.
The blasting to ash part only happens if the wizard is killed, which isn't guarnateed: "Failure means the demon attacks him! If the wizard is killed, try the same IQ contest again. If this roll succeeds, the wizard may be revived after the demon leaves (see Death). However, if this roll is also failed, the demon will blast the wizard to ashes, permanently and totally killing him."

The rules indicate that the demon won't necessarily succeed in killing the wizard and since the rules don't give any reason to think a demon can make a mental attack (only fists and weapons are listed as attacks for demons), I think the attack has to be physical.
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Old 03-23-2020, 09:03 AM   #6
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Default Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills

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Originally Posted by TippetsTX View Post
Or perhaps the 'battle of wills' is an abstraction for determining how secure the wizard's pentagram really is. If the demon wins, it means they found a flaw which makes the wizard vulnerable to attack.
The text indicates that the demon does not find a flaw in the pentagram because if the wizard dies, the pentagram still prevents the demon from smashing anything else: "Pentagrams will not protect the wizard in this battle of wills – though a good pentagram would prevent the demon from smashing anything else after he finished off the wizard!"
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Old 03-23-2020, 09:04 AM   #7
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Default Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills

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Originally Posted by Shostak View Post
The section on demon summoning does not come across as thoroughly playtested, since there are obvious contradictions. I don't use these rules as written, but as a cursory guide. I also prefer the demon stats from the original ITL.
I think my suggestion might resolve all of the contradictions...
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Old 03-23-2020, 09:49 AM   #8
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Default Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills

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I think my suggestion might resolve all of the contradictions...
Except that is not how pentagrams are ever used, at least to my knowledge.
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Old 03-23-2020, 10:25 AM   #9
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Default Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills

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Originally Posted by zot View Post
The text indicates that the demon does not find a flaw in the pentagram because if the wizard dies, the pentagram still prevents the demon from smashing anything else: "Pentagrams will not protect the wizard in this battle of wills – though a good pentagram would prevent the demon from smashing anything else after he finished off the wizard!"
I assume that pentagrams in TFT provide two levels of protection... the most obvious one is physical, but the flaw I am referring to would be related to the mental barrier. Losing the 'battle of wills' means the demon fries the wizard from the inside out (picture Scanners).

Getting inside the pentagram would be a very bad idea.
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Old 03-24-2020, 01:28 AM   #10
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Default Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills

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Getting inside the pentagram would be a very bad idea.
That should be on a T-shirt!
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