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From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Physics in AD&D
Message-ID: <401@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-May-85 13:49:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.401
Posted: Tue May  7 13:49:30 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 9-May-85 00:13:37 EDT
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 37

Here's a D&D physics question for you.  First, some background:

How to kill a beholder:

	1. Take a ballista bolt or two and have a  high-level  mage  shrink
	   them to crossbow bolt size.

	2. Use a heavy crossbow to launch them at the beholder.

	3. The beholder sees them coming, detects magic, and aims its anti-
           magic ray at them.

	4. The shrink is dispelled, the beholder is  hit  by  the  ballista
           bolts which do it a world of hurt.

My DM assures me that this technique, and variations on it,  are  the  only
sure method he's heard of safely killing a beholder.

Flaw:
The unshrunk ballista bolts have regained their full size and  mass  (never
mind where it was) but only have the kinetic energy of an ordinary crossbow
bolt.  They should fall out of the air before they get to the beholder.

The above, of course, assumes conservation of mass  and  energy.  The  real
question  is:  are these and other physical properties conserved in a world
where magic works?

(I know this is basically up to the DM, but it seems  like  an  interesting
topic for discussion).
-- 
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
Citicorp TTI
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA  90405
(213) 450-9111, ext. 2483
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