Things Screwball Can No Longer Do in Pony Tales: AoH

SilentBelle wrote: off a cliff, or setting them on fire Taking out enemies before a fight with your utilities is one of the most effective combat strategies. Your DM just has to be able to take it in stride.

This is not true. There is a hard and fast rule that utilities cannot affect combat or function in combat in any way - unless you're attempting to escape combat (and you cannot do so in a way that would harm an enemy). Your DM can bend this rule or even overrule it depending on the situation (such as triggering a rockslide to crash down on the enemies' position - that's something I'd probably allow in most situations) but as a rule - it simply isn't allowed. This is to maintain the combat/non-combat separation that's so important to the system.

This is why the fast-as-lightning + enemy doesn't work. You can't hurt them. You can't even aggressively grab them and carry them up - as they'd resist and that would initiate combat. You can however use yourself as a living missile to smash through fortress walls and such.

362. Not allowed to say, "Because Dan said so!" Whenever the PH rules/player attempts something contrary to what I want.

*laughs*

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:

SilentBelle wrote: off a cliff, or setting them on fire Taking out enemies before a fight with your utilities is one of the most effective combat strategies. Your DM just has to be able to take it in stride.

This is not true. There is a hard and fast rule that utilities cannot affect combat or function in combat in any way - unless you're attempting to escape combat (and you cannot do so in a way that would harm an enemy). Your DM can bend this rule or even overrule it depending on the situation (such as triggering a rockslide to crash down on the enemies' position - that's something I'd probably allow in most situations) but as a rule - it simply isn't allowed. This is to maintain the combat/non-combat separation that's so important to the system.

This is why the fast-as-lightning + enemy doesn't work. You can't hurt them. You can't even aggressively grab them and carry them up - as they'd resist and that would initiate combat. You can however use yourself as a living missile to smash through fortress walls and such.

Hmm, well, I guess it depends on the DM. I've had a situation where the players hit the main big-bad by opening a door with a crit athletics check + Yeehaw + generosity. Then they decided to engage him and his cronies in combat. So I made him bloodied and stunned for a round. Good times and a very clever plan on the player's part. I've also had monsters that allow players to use skill checks as a minor action to do some neat things. And just the other day I used fabricate + a good roll of mechanics to catch an opponent in a cage before combat, delaying his participation in battle for two rounds. As long as everyone agrees, then utility + combat can work fantastically well. It's when a player disagrees with such uses that the DM should take a step back and see which rules they are treading on and reaffirm exactly how they are playing the game with their players

Absolutely. I actively bend the rules in order to reward creative plans all the time in my own games. All those examples sound like excellent explanations on how to bend the rules well. The reason for the separation is simply to prevent anyone from taking utility talents specifically to aid in combat - which ruins the whole point of separating them - and so DMs don't have to try to calculate how much damage a Hippogriff using Fast as Lightning would do if they cratered into the big bad.

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:Absolutely. I actively bend the rules in order to reward creative plans all the time in my own games. All those examples sound like excellent explanations on how to bend the rules well. The reason for the separation is simply to prevent anyone from taking utility talents specifically to aid in combat - which ruins the whole point of separating them - and so DMs don't have to try to calculate how much damage a Hippogriff using Fast as Lightning would do if they cratered into the big bad.

Would *you* allow me to treat an insanely large creature as "adjacent to itself?"

(funny story - shortly after asking that question, I use It's Over for 61 damage and "explode the crap" out of the golem/guardian/thing. I question how badly I'd have broken the DM if he said yes.)

*laughs* Probably not... Unless it was so cinematic, story-relevant and hilarious that it would be worth it.

363. When asked if I want to go around the mountain or climb it, 'sunderblade it in half' is not the third option.
364. If I successfully harvest and utilize the wings of a fallen foe, it is taken that I will NOT continue going after the wings of future enemies.
365. Even if it is doable and sensible in character, 'sit still and wait for eight years' is not a suitable solution to any problem.
366. Even if I'm going to time travel back
367. 'Racist against alicorns' is not a real character trait.
368. Especially not if I am an alicorn.
369. I don't get to be an alicorn.
370. The DC for using sunderblade to cut through the space time continuum is higher than whatever you got, no matter how many magic points you sink into it.

371. Even if I have to leave the session early, it is unacceptable to make my final action be casting laughter on the party leader.
371a. Especially if I'm uncertain of whether or not another session will ever occur.
372. "Addiction: water" is not a valid flaw to houserule.
372a. Especially if I just don't mention it to the PH and hope no one notices.
373. Fudging dice rolls on rolz is impossible. I will not attempt to do so.
374. No matter how high my skill score, I cannot use a Destiny-induced Stealth Cutie Mark Critical to avoid a volcanic eruption
374a. Even if I am incorporeal.

375 - Not allowed to infinitely summon and create an infinite amount of necromantic conjurations and summons from a single enemy.
376 - Even if the rules allow it.
377 - When rescuing a traumatized child from a scary enemy, not allowed to inflict further trauma by being scarier than the enemy.
378 - Kidnapping/teleporting children with evil-looking shadowy tendrils is in very poor taste.

379: I am no longer allowed to use horrific zombie minions to save small children.
380: Even if I am playing a buck, I may not make "horny" jokes.
381: They are antlers.
382: I may not gather my shed antlers to made a spear.
383: Or a spiked wall of death.
384: Or a rotary shredder.
385: Or a grappling hook.
386: My antlers are no longer allowed to shed.
387: Even if I am a sheep, I am not allowed to invent computers by "providing ram".
388: I do not get bonus points for making the PH break down crying.
389: Even if I am carnivorous, I will not invent Kentucky Fried Gryphon.
390: Aparently the "Kentucky" bit wasn't the part that caused problems.

391: Unicorns are not infernomancers.
392: Not even if they admit it.
393: May not apply both Herp Derp and Spellchild to Laughter.
394: Especially if The Fun Has Been Doubled.
395: Changelings can, in fact, have the Element of Honesty.
396: Changelings who don't have Honesty can still be honest.
397: So can everyone else.
398: Bat-ponies are NOT bugs. (Raise your hand if you get that one.)
399: My character is not related to the Mane 6.
400: Or any other named canon character.
401: No, not even if the GM says so.
402: Can't use The Rainbow Dash indoors.
403: Or in forests and similar bits of wilderness.
404: Or in heavy traffic.
405: The previous rule is NOT missing.
406: Not allowed to rob the ice cream store.
407: If I rob a store, I should NOT throw my party members to the police.
408: Not allowed to use The Rainbow Dash any more.
409: I can not make my party members fight each other in order to use I'll Rainbow Dash To Your Side.
409: I can not take I'll Rainbow Dash To Your Side any more.

411: I will not use outdated slang to provoke fights.
412: I will not use outdated slang to impersonate the elderly.
413: I will not use outdated slang.
414: I will not use slang.
415: Even though there are valid religious interpretations for it, a swastika is not a valid Cutie Mark.
416: Especially if my pony is blond maned blue eyed and named Blitz van Leiderhozen.
417: I may not declare my pony Jewish so I can start off with extra bits.
418: I may not declare my pony black so that I get a bonus to Athletics.
419: I may not declare my pony white so that I may weaponize bad dancing.
420: I may not declare a real world ethnicity for my pony.
421: Or a real world religion.
422: I may not worship the Invisible Pink Unicorn.
423: I may not PLAY the Invisible Pink Unicorn.
424: No matter how well I explain it, I cannot play a God.
425: Or a Goddess.
426: Or a Divine Being of Indeterminate and/or Non-Existant Distinct Gender.

427: I am no longer allowed to add a bunch of new ridiculous overpowered utility talents, combat talents, items, destinies and similar to the rules fifteen minutes before the session I'm guest-starring as a player in so that I can use them... Then take them out of the handbooks the moment the session ends.

428: I am no longer allowed to add a bunch of new ridiculous overpowered utility talents, combat talents, items, destinies and similar to the rules, period.

429: I am not allowed to take a PC baby dragon as my Dragon Deciple mentor do that if he use in combat I jump to 10.
430: I am Forbiden to practice combat dentistry.
431: My teammates do not count as improvised weapons.
432: I am no longer permitted to use precise ponykinisis to apply pressure to the back of knees in order to pop them.
433: I am no longer permitted to use precise ponykinisis to snap necks.
434: I am no longer permitted to use precise ponykinisis.

435: There is no longer such a talent as Precise Ponykinesis.

436: Must try to refrain from solving the GM's super-duper "escape the room" puzzle that was supposed to take at least half an hour in 30 seconds by wandering over, trying the door, and finding it unlocked as my very first action.

437: I am forbidden to take Spike as my dragon mentor just so he dies once I hit level 10 due to a dislike of his episodes.

438: Nor may I take Garble, the other teen dragons, the unnamed red or green dragons from the episode, or Crackle.

439: I may not take a group of ponies disguise as a dragon as my dragon mentor.

440: I may not make a reformed Discrd my Secret Ally.

441: I will not us time travel to attempt to hijack Twilight's accent to become an Alicorn I instead of her.

442: Nor may I use time travel to become one of the Elements of Harmony.
442a: Not even if I would be objectively better than the one I am replacing.
442b: I am extra forbidden if the Element Bearer I am trying to replace doesn't even match my own element.

443: Fan fiction I have written is not valid canon.

444: Even if I flavor my attack talents to include labor eyes and super strength, I am not playing Super Mare.

445: Or a Green Lantern

446: I cannot use a Hippogriff to play The Flash.

447: I may not use a psychic changeling to play the Martian Mare Hunter.

448: I may not use a sea pony to play Aqua-Mare.

449: I may not use a bat pony to play Bat Mare, no matter how logical the association.

450: I will not assemble a Justice League of Equestria as a party if we are not running a superhero themed game.

451: This rule cannot be used to create a Blue Screen so Death.

452: I am not allowed to take Twitchy Tail just to ask "Is the answer to this question 'no'.
453: I am not allowed to take twitchy Tail just to ask about what Celestia had for Breakfast that morning.
454: I am not allowed to take Twitchy Tail in conjunction with Break the Fourth Wall to ask questions about show spoilers in game.
455: I am not allowed to take Twitchy Tail just to ask long scientific questions to let us all break for planning time.
456: I am no long allowed to take Twitchy Tail.

457: I am no longer allowed to take Twitchy Tail to ask about the details of the DM's relationship with his girlfriend (this actually happened).

(off topic but wouldn't you need break the fourth wall for that.... also why?)

458. I am not allowed to turn MYSELF in for the bounty, knowing that I can escape the prison.
459. Suplexing a train, while awesome, is usually evil and will be treated as such.
460. No matter how much it makes sense in context, 'illusionary mask' does not conjure luchador masks.

461 - I will not creat the combat talent Summon Luchador
462 - I may not play a Luchadr.
463 - The figures I'm trying to use to justify it are mardigras masks, so stop it.
464 - I may not play apony that is constantly drunk because the think it's mardigras.
465 - I may not hook up with every mate "because mardigras".
466 - There is no mardigras in Equestria.
467 - NO THAT DOES NOT MEAN THOSE FIGURES ARE LUCHADORS NOW!

468: I cannot rename any of my combat talents "Punch Skyline in the Face"
469: I cannot rename any of my utility talents "Punch Skyline in the Face"
470: I cannot punch Skyline in the face.
471: Or anywhere else.
472: I am not allowed to harm Skyline in any way.
473: Nor are my constructs, summons, area-of-effect powers, or any environmental effects that are a product of anything I have done, no matter how long ago.
474: I can no longer do things now that will intentionally boost Skyline's performance later.
475: I will stop interacting with Skyline in any way that causes this list to expand.
476: I will stop interacting with any of Ahjy's characters, in any campaign, in any way that causes this list to expand.