Crystal ball: unlimited power?

[Ancalagon]

Hello

So I was looking at that item last night. Is there no limits to its use or did I experience a serious reading failure?

 

[Satyrn]

I read it as no limits, too.

 

[iserith]

If the target succeeds at the saving throw, it can't be used against that target for 24 hours. Also, a creature that can see invisible objects notices the sensor. If targeting an area instead, the sensor doesn't move so that is also a limitation.

So, some limits, but still quite powerful as befits a very rare or legendary item.

 

[Satyrn]

If the target succeeds at the saving throw, it can't be used against that target for 24 hours. Also, a creature that can see invisible objects notices the sensor. If targeting an area instead, the sensor doesn't move so that is also a limitation.

So, some limits, but still quite powerful as befits a very rare or legendary item.

Oh yes, that sort of limit. I was assuming he was just asking if there were a limited number of times he could cast scrying.

 

[Ancalagon]

I basically was asking if you could cast this all day long - yes the save DC is a limit, but you could spend 12 hours scrying a large area....

 

[Hawk Diesel]

I basically was asking if you could cast this all day long - yes the save DC is a limit, but you could spend 12 hours scrying a large area....

You could, but what would be the point of that? Seems like a boring way to spend playing the game. That's a situation when I as a DM might hand wave the plot forward, or provide the other players an opportunity to do their own downtime activities. Or maybe even use Sending Stones to allow the one using the Crystal Ball to be the "eye in the sky" to warn players about threats or have books ready to provide Intel.

 

[Ancalagon]

You could, but what would be the point of that? Seems like a boring way to spend playing the game. That's a situation when I as a DM might hand wave the plot forward, or provide the other players an opportunity to do their own downtime activities. Or maybe even use Sending Stones to allow the one using the Crystal Ball to be the "eye in the sky" to warn players about threats or have books ready to provide Intel.

Knowledge is power.

 

[Dausuul]

Keep in mind that countermeasures exist. Villains with access to mid-level spells would almost certainly perma-ward their lairs with Mordenkainen's sanctum; between the anti-scrying and the anti-teleportation effects, it's a no-brainer. When you have to leave your lair, 25 gp for a nondetection spell will cover you till you get back home, or an amulet of proof against detection and location if you have one. (Mind blank is of course the ultimate anti-divination spell, but 8th-level spells are out of reach for all but the biggest of BBEGs.)

As a matter of fact, nondetection and amulets of proof against detection and location can really screw with a party that's relying too heavily on divination magic. They make the subject invisible to scrying sensors, but don't prevent scrying the area where the subject is--so the party can easily be lulled into a false sense of security, seeing an empty room where in fact a deadly foe is waiting to ambush them.

 

[Satyrn]

You could, but what would be the point of that? Seems like a boring way to spend playing the game. That's a situation when I as a DM might hand wave the plot forward, or provide the other players an opportunity to do their own downtime activities. Or maybe even use Sending Stones to allow the one using the Crystal Ball to be the "eye in the sky" to warn players about threats or have books ready to provide Intel.

That sounds cool. Batman and Robin out in the field, Oracle or Alfred scrying in.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

That sounds cool. Batman and Robin out in the field, Oracle or Alfred scrying in.

Yep. Much better than just sitting and watching.