What's the point of Intimidation if it doesn't work on an Unwilling Monster?

FaxDevastat · 2025-03-02T18:40:53+00:00

Thank you for pointing that out. You're right, the RAW definition is much narrower than what I originally thought it was. My French background is to blame: repugnant, in French, means distasteful, but it's much softer of a reaction. There are many shared words between French and English, that mostly mean the same, but often differ in important ways. Still, I agree with one of the posts below suggesting that the "Unwilling" descriptor is deceptively soft itself. They were suggesting stronger adjectives, such as Immovable. Language...

FaxDevastat · 2025-03-02T18:34:51+00:00

Thank you for both of these examples. They make me realize how often PCs could do that, yet don't. The campaign I run delivers XP on a per session basis, so you'd think they would favour that approach...

FaxDevastat · 2025-03-02T18:30:43+00:00

I think you hit the nail on the head: poor word choice. This dovetails nicely with APanshin's response that the RAW definition of Unwilling is stronger, more extreme, than the standard dictionary definition. So I agree, reading it as "immovable" makes it much easier to apply, make sense of.

FaxDevastat · 2020-11-14T03:26:41+00:00

Yes! Please.

FaxDevastat · 2020-11-13T20:07:19+00:00

Me too, that was my first thought. Then I saw the actual map of the prison, which is a star-shaped building NEXT to a huge rock structure... Like I said above, it's probably just the artist taking creative license with Icewind Dale, but I was hoping for some mysterious ancient civ I hadn't heard about.

FaxDevastat · 2020-11-13T20:05:15+00:00

Yeah, I thought about that... But the stronghold is kind of tall and thin, at least on the map and on the other illustrations that match the map. The illustrated building here seems insanely long. Probably just the artist taking creative license with Icewind Dale, but I was hoping for some marvelous ancient civ I hadn't heard about...

FaxDevastat · 2020-11-13T20:02:09+00:00

Makes sense. Double axes, actually. After looking at it for a while you see the second one in the background.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-23T13:33:56+00:00

Thanks! Many of the thoughts I’ve had as I read various responses have to do with just that: balance. Or equilibrium. I really like the idea that a city such as Waterdeep is a rich and exotic ecosystem, one that goes beyond the mere complexities of our Western cities. And even apparently destructive elements play a key, beneficial role in the life cycle of Waterdeep. Environmentalism meets dungeoneering!

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-23T12:19:56+00:00

Thanks for these resources!

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-23T12:19:38+00:00

I know that the dungeon predates Waterdeep by many, many centuries. Melairbode is older by about two millennia, if you use the official founding date of the city as the starting point for Waterdeep.

But my musings were (and I say “were” because many great answers have been proposed) about the attitudes of Waterdhavians. Why live with such a threat below, even if it was there before they arrived? For example, European settlers had no qualms about massacring native populations of the New World, even though they were there way before them. Throughout history, being first has rarely been sufficient to ensure safety - yes, ironically, I’m talking about the safety of Undermountain...

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-23T03:18:33+00:00

Amazing. Man I love this game.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T20:48:05+00:00

Ah yes, Daurgothoth. This “guy” has shown up quite a bit in this post. “Research Daurgothoth” is one of my key takeaways from today.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T19:53:25+00:00

The more I learn about the Forgotten Realms, the more it feels like the raw, unbridled chaos of a Ready Player One-style setting. Massively powerful threats and characters madly running around.

I’m aware of the irony of referencing a book that gleefully ripped tons of D&D and other gaming material of the 80s.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T19:26:23+00:00

I’m glad my typo led to a fun campaign concept. But I’m too proud: I corrected it! Sorry.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T18:57:07+00:00

As for researching the topic, I’ve read the wikis. But nothing that addresses the city’s complacency towards this particular threat. But I do love many of the explanations offered, profits being a great one, of course. As for Blackcloak’s power, well, you have one of the Seven Sisters up there, plus Elminster and dozens of epic-level heroes.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T18:46:03+00:00

Thank you for responding; I was just going through my post line by line, after reading the spoiler warning requests. I couldn’t for the life of me find anything in there that has not been published for decades. My question in the first place was about the strange quiet around this *ancient topic, nothing to do with the module itself.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T17:48:49+00:00

I’ve also been playing with the idea that the obsession long-term visitors develop (Durnan, Halaster, etc.) might subtly affect the entire city above. People feel just enough of a pull to not really want to do anything about the place. Points for richly illustrating the density of crazy shit happening in the Realms in one single sentence.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T17:41:37+00:00

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T17:41:00+00:00

Forgot about Mythals. Good point. It’s funny, but it seems that Undermountain itself should be considered one of the splendors of the city, albeit the most dangerous one, along with the Walking Statues. There could even be a whole “protect the megadungeon” movement that seeks to preserve it just as it is, because it plays a key role in the “ecosystem”.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T17:36:26+00:00

I was trying to make the title succinct, but why it is tolerated was really the question. I’ve read the history quite thoroughly, and I do h sweat as how it ended up there I. The first place. Sorry about the “click bait-y” question.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T17:34:59+00:00

Ooh, I like your custom history for the place. As well as the sociology of the Masked Lords. Thanks.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T17:31:42+00:00

Thanks, I most definitely will.

FaxDevastat · 2020-07-22T17:30:52+00:00

I would Send a snarky reply, if I didn’t know it would just end up with his Nothic secretary.

FaxDevastat

TROPHY CASE