Author Topic: Thought Exercise: Black Tentacles vs. Low/No Int  (Read 3405 times)

Offline Arturick

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Thought Exercise: Black Tentacles vs. Low/No Int
« on: November 10, 2011, 09:27:48 PM »
So, I was gaming last night and I temporarily tripped up a Shambling Mound with Evard's Black Tentacles.  The DM had the Mound leave the area of the spell as quickly as it could.  The Mound still died an ineffectual death, beating on a summoned Celestial Lion while an Enlarged, Hasted Fighter with a Halberd whacked it over the lion.

Now, I'm not complaining about the DM's call, but I was wondering if Plant or Construct type monsters would really try to escape the EBT.  Wouldn't they, unless commanded, fight the tentacles?

Round 1:

Golem - "Kill enemies in front of me.  Being attacked by floor monster.  Kill floor monster."

Round 2:

Golem - "Getting shot with arrows.  Still haven't killed floor monster."

Round 3:

Golem - "Not sure if hurting floor monster.  Don't know bio...  biol... don't know how floor monster work."

Round 4:

Golem - "Dying... but... had... floor monster... on the ropes..."

Just saying, it's not like an Iron Golem is going to make a Spellcraft check to know what the hell an EBT is, or whether the EBT is something that can follow it.

Offline Mooncrow

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Re: Thought Exercise: Black Tentacles vs. Low/No Int
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2011, 09:39:01 PM »
Shambling Mounds are actually Int 7 - but to your more general question, yeah, unless given orders otherwise, most Int - creatures are going to pound on the thing in front of them.

Offline Nachofan99

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Re: Thought Exercise: Black Tentacles vs. Low/No Int
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2011, 09:55:00 PM »
The tentacles can't be attacked as their are no rules for attacking them.  How would any creature fight the tentacles?  Nothing says any creature will just sit there, doing nothing.  Does a low int creature being Entangled start to attack the vines Entangling it?

Offline veekie

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Re: Thought Exercise: Black Tentacles vs. Low/No Int
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2011, 11:28:31 PM »
Well, it depends low int or no int.
Low int:
1) getting hurt, hit back
2) ow
3) cannot hit back, run

No int meanwhile is programming dependent(for golems anyway), but it probably has a standard process for such things if created.
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Offline RobbyPants

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Re: Thought Exercise: Black Tentacles vs. Low/No Int
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2011, 09:17:01 AM »
Well, it depends low int or no int.
Low int:
1) getting hurt, hit back
2) ow
3) cannot hit back, run

No int meanwhile is programming dependent(for golems anyway), but it probably has a standard process for such things if created.
At worst, I'd go with something like this.

Now, I think you could argue that they might not take the most direct route out if they had other orders they needed to carry out. A good way to mess with no Int creatures is illusions. Creatures with no Int score don't question their environment.
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Offline Havok4

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Re: Thought Exercise: Black Tentacles vs. Low/No Int
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2011, 01:32:54 PM »
With any sort of decent programming and command structure the creature should not spend all of eternity uselessly attacking nothing. They should spend a few rounds attempting it however. It mostly comes down to how the DM wants to play it.

Offline Noliar

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Re: Thought Exercise: Black Tentacles vs. Low/No Int
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2011, 08:17:56 AM »
I've seen PCs uselessly attack black tentacles which is not unreasonable if you don't know that particular spell since you can damage many similar spell effects. Mindless minions should not be played as smart as a GM with a rulebook,

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: Thought Exercise: Black Tentacles vs. Low/No Int
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2011, 11:50:42 AM »
I had to deal with something similar my last session

Ceratosaur (int2 dino) vs. a silent image of a Bison created right in front of it. The PCs were already engaged with the creature, and the illusion was created as hope for a breather.

Unfortunately for them, the Ceratosaur has scent. I counted this as its interaction with the illusion, it won the will save, and proceeded to brutalize the PCs.

Generally for low int, think of its primal instincts.
Is it noms, does it smell tasty, does it look tasty?
Is it smaller, less scary, prey?
Ow, it's hurting me. Is it going to kill me? Can or should I run to survive?