A funny list of strangely amusing game mechanics.

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Lock-picking, which should be stealthy breaks Invisibility but bashing the lock with physical strength doesn't.

Range: Touch spells that cannot be cast on the caster, your cleric can touch you but aren't allowed to touch themselves

Stoneskin is a perfectly acceptable spell to cast on a skeleton.

Can anyone think of any more?

 

• Barkskin can also be cast on a skeleton.
• You can petrify a skeleton with flesh to stone. Then undo it with Stone to Flesh.
• Evil clerics can still cast the "holy" spells, while good clerics can cast "unholy" spells.

 

3rd Edition in an IE game is a weird game mechanic alone.

 

Fireball covers every inch of ground in a 20-foot radius in arcane fire and gets completely blocked by one mirror image, avoiding both caster and any other images. Way to take one for the team.

Druids can summon a legion of elementals who immediately kill the Druid for not knowing the 'protection from evil' spell.
Presumably this isn't a druid skill passed down from generation to generation.

 

IIRC, in 2E P&P mirror image is not affected by fireball or AoE spells like it (stinking cloud, skull trap, ice storm, etc) at all, nor vice versa. Because it's an AoE, all the mirrors look like they've been hit by a fireball, and none are dispelled. It doesn't absorb any of the damage either. This is NOT the case of spells like lightning bolt, and cone of cold is adjudicated by what part of the cone hits. If it's an edge then it's treated like Magic Missile or Lightning Bolt, but if it's the middle of the cone so the surrounding squares are hit, the cast is hit without dispelling an image.
Unfortunately, I can't recall for sure if this was in the core books or if it was house rules or a mix. It's been 22 years since I last played P&P, what was a house rule and what was a core rule is blurring together if I don't get a reminder from a CRPG that uses <3E rules (namely Gold Box games & Infinity Engine games, though I just got Menzoberranzan working with DOSBox but haven't gotten around to playing it.)

 

The Tremor spell can knock a Keg unconscious.

Wearing heavy metal armor cancels the Monks Wisdom to AC bonus and the evasion ability but turning your entire body into a metal one using the spell 'Iron Body' does not.

Animate dead are immune to the Heal spell but will happily accept healing from Mass heal. Undead workers of the world unite.

 

In EE, fireball, and many other AoE spells, are no longer affected by mirror image.