HYPERBOREA / I feel a bit sorry for Ungovernable Hideous Laughter...

**Posted by mabon5127** 6/11/2018 12:18 pm

This spell is so cool in the Witch's arsenal! The description is very weird fantasy! Unfortunately it seems to pale in comparison to the boring old Hold Person spell in duration, effect, and range....(that witches get at the same level)

Then trying to think out of the box how would this great spell be used out of combat. Perhaps the spell could be used at a funeral, on a noble that was trying to fake their sadness at the passing of a rival. A ruined reputation is great for punishing an enemy that you cannot reach otherwise!

I had a great player at a con use this spell on the big bad causing him to collapse in front of a giant spider. The villain spent his final moments laughing hysterically as he was eaten alive.

Any other spells out there that may not seem as useful that would have yet undiscovered uses?

**Posted by Ghul** 6/12/2018 1:05 pm

mabon5127 wrote:
I had a great player at a con use this spell on the big bad causing him to collapse in front of a giant spider. The villain spent his final moments laughing hysterically as he was eaten alive.

That is excellent.

**Posted by Caveman** 6/13/2018 6:13 am

Try a poison pen letter:

Using "Sepia Snake Sigil," send an unexpecting fellow a letter with sigil in placed and have a messenger deliver it to them. Good for removing unwanted intrusions whether political or otherwise.

**Posted by Jimm.Iblis** 6/13/2018 10:00 pm

Hold Person functions on men and giants.
UHL functions on anything that might have a sense of humor.

Last edited by Jimm.Iblis (6/14/2018 5:08 pm)

**Posted by mabon5127** 6/17/2018 3:13 pm

Caveman wrote:
Try a poison pen letter:

Using "Sepia Snake Sigil," send an unexpecting fellow a letter with sigil in placed and have a messenger deliver it to them. Good for removing unwanted intrusions whether political or otherwise.

Nice!

**Posted by mabon5127** 6/17/2018 3:43 pm

Jimm.Iblis wrote:
Hold Person functions on men and giants.
UHL functions on anything that might have a sense of humor.

Interesting difference. The spell includes humanoids as well so the distinction narrows somewhat. I'm not sure how humanoids are defined in AS&SH?

I would tend to be very strict with only very slight variation on the human base.

**Posted by Jimm.Iblis** 6/17/2018 5:12 pm

UHL should work on demons. They have a sense of humor, dark and twisted as it is, but I wouldn't rule demons and other extraplanar beings subject to Hold Person.

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/17/2018 5:52 pm

mabon5127 wrote:
Jimm.Iblis wrote:
Hold Person functions on men and giants.
UHL functions on anything that might have a sense of humor.

Interesting difference. The spell includes humanoids as well so the distinction narrows somewhat. I'm not sure how humanoids are defined in AS&SH?

I would tend to be very strict with only very slight variation on the human base.

Personally I would define a "humanoid" in AS&SH as any normal, living, basically bipedal creature. So ape-men, orcs, vhuurmis, snake-men, minotaurs, etc. would all be affected. Undead, automata, and bipedal daemons (for example) would not be.

**Posted by mabon5127** 6/18/2018 6:16 am

Blackadder23 wrote:
mabon5127 wrote:
Jimm.Iblis wrote:
Hold Person functions on men and giants.
UHL functions on anything that might have a sense of humor.

Interesting difference. The spell includes humanoids as well so the distinction narrows somewhat. I'm not sure how humanoids are defined in AS&SH?

I would tend to be very strict with only very slight variation on the human base.

Personally I would define a "humanoid" in AS&SH as any normal, living, basically bipedal creature. So ape-men, orcs, vhuurmis, snake-men, minotaurs, etc. would all be affected. Undead, automata, and bipedal daemons (for example) would not be.

Not to be argumentative but would that also include Trolls, Troglodytes, Yeti, Ogres, etc. Or have we wandered into "monster" territory. From your list I would omit minotaurs, and snake-men. I'm not sure I can define exactly why, but I feel as though mino's are monsters and snakes are too alien to be "humanoids".

**Posted by Blackadder23** 6/18/2018 1:07 pm

mabon5127 wrote:
Blackadder23 wrote:
mabon5127 wrote:
Interesting difference. The spell includes humanoids as well so the distinction narrows somewhat. I'm not sure how humanoids are defined in AS&SH?

I would tend to be very strict with only very slight variation on the human base.

Personally I would define a "humanoid" in AS&SH as any normal, living, basically bipedal creature. So ape-men, orcs, vhuurmis, snake-men, minotaurs, etc. would all be affected. Undead, automata, and bipedal daemons (for example) would not be.
Not to be argumentative but would that also include Trolls, Troglodytes, Yeti, Ogres, etc. Or have we wandered into "monster" territory. From your list I would omit minotaurs, and snake-men. I'm not sure I can define exactly why, but I feel as though mino's are monsters and snakes are too alien to be "humanoids".

I don't consider it argumentative. You should rule however you like.
The key for defining a humanoid, to me, is that it be shaped like a man, and also a normal, living creature. Of the creatures you list, I would include ogres (they're just giant cave-men, right?), yeti, and troglodytes. I would also include lizard-men (which are affected by the AD&D version, for whatever that's worth). I wouldn't include trolls because I consider them magical creatures due to their regenerative abilities. I wouldn't include gargoyles or night-gaunts for similar reasons. I wouldn't include bird-men because, while they are living creatures, they're not really man-shaped. On reflection I might not include snake-men because they have an inherent magical ability to alter their appearance, which might tip them over into the "unnatural" category. I would include fish-men, because they are (notoriously) closely akin to humans. And so forth. It's a rule of thumb I'm comfortable with, anyway.

**Posted by mabon5127** 6/18/2018 8:43 pm

I would agree with the assessments above.