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[Jimmy]

Bedroll of Deep Slumber: Nothing says you can’t pull them out of the bedroll and then stab them.

Sure it does. When they fall asleep on the bedroll, they're immune to harm for 8 hours. Getting moved off the bedroll, fired out of a cannon and falling into an active volcano doesn't change that. So long as you fall asleep on the bedroll, you gain its benefits. What happens after you're asleep is the !!FUN!! part.

[SOLDIER First]

That... seems dumb.

[wierd]

I see this being abused in ways you dont expect nor want Jimmy.

Spoiler: Not for the faint of heart, horrible things inside, you are warned. (click to show/hide)

Take for instance, it being part of a rape kit. Since the person sleeping on it cannot be roused, and there is a full 8 hours of sleep time basically assured, it is like magical date rape drug.  Unless of course, the magic of its protection also doubles as a super chastity belt of some kind.

Other, less horrible uses might include
"Oh fuck, he's bleeding out and will die in a few turns!"
"Shove him in the sleeping bag!"
"What?"
"Shove him in the sleeping bag, then cast sleep on him!"
"Whaa?"
"We then have 8 guaranteed hours to lug his stupid lumbering ass back to town with and to haggle for a price with the healer."
"Oh!"

Or even

"We need a distraction!"
"---I Got it! We put the bard in the sleeping bag, then make him drink sleeping potion, then put him in the middle of the room. We release the monsters behind the grate, and spam area effect spells through the door until they all die horribly. The bag will keep the bard perfectly safe. We have 8 hours time to do the nuking with!"
"AWESOME!!"

And then of course--

Stupid rope trick + Sleeping bag + self-inflicted sleep spell == Evade detection for 8 solid hours, no risk of suffocation.

[smjjames]

I'd think maybe a DM of Jimmy's caliber would stop the players before they got to 'rape kit', but yeah, it definetly sounded like a cryochamber or stasis chamber in the whole idea of everything being suspended for a time. Also, who's to say that the player can't prolong their sleep?

[Mephisto]

<implies bards are useless>

What is this buffoonery? You need to see my kobard in action before making such claims.

[pikachu17]

Yeah, seriously. Bards have never been below high-medium tier, at least in DnD. If this is 5E, you are using the most powerful class as bait...
Shouldn't the fighter be the bait, considering he's pretty much doing what he always does, tanking?

[Jimmy]

I'd happily let my players draw mustaches or phallic objects on a sleeping character's face, but if the topic of involuntary sex came up, I'd warn them OOC that that sort of behavior isn't tolerated at my table, and will result in me ending either their character or the session, depending on the situation. If needed, I'd state that the character is immune to penetration of any kind as an extension of the "immune to harm" clause, but honestly I trust my players not to even go there. We're all adults, even if we sometimes don't act like it.

As for prolonging sleep, there's a certain point at which people stop sleeping and are simply conscious but resting instead, which I'd call at typically 8 hours per the normal resting rules for most games. I personally welcome creative uses of the item, but if you try to pair it with a sleeping spell, the target becomes immune to the spell per the item's effect, which means it would fail to work. Tossing unconscious players into monster pits as bait is fine with me though, especially when the beasts decide to drag the meat popsicle back into their den for later.

Anyhow, let's get some new items created!

Spoiler: Catskin Vest (click to show/hide)

This slim-fitting garment is sewn from the hide of a large feline. Nine tiger eye gemstones adorn the vest's collar when created, and a clasp in the shape of a silver claw holds the vest shut. The vest grants the wearer confidence that there's more than one way to arrive at a solution. Once per day, the wearer may reroll an attack roll, skill check, or saving throw as an immediate action; if so, the second result must be taken, even if it’s lower. Should the wearer be slain, the vest heals the wearer for 5d8+9 points of damage as an immediate action as per the breath of life spell and one of the nine gemstones turns black. For each black gemstone the vest bears, the wearer gains a cumulative -1 luck penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws.

[wierd]

What makes you think I implied bards are useless?

What if the goal is to get the monster to drag home more than it can chew? (EG, the monster knows how to get to its lair better than the party does. So, put him in the bag. Monster is distracted by the "sleeping meal", and drags it home. Bard wakes up, commences to dish out whoop ass. Especially if the bard has some analog of magic door to get back to the entrance with.)

The part that is DM aggravating is that all the traps in the labyrinth could be evaded this way.

[Mephisto]

What makes you think I implied bards are useless?

What if the goal is to get the monster to drag home more than it can chew?

I was just shitting around.

As for the second point, there's this bit from the post I responded to.

We release the monsters behind the grate, and spam area effect spells through the door until they all die horribly.

[wierd]

Not a dig at bards being useless; It's a dig at bards being annoying.
(See also, cliche about bard spending entire session trying to woo the NPC barmaid)

[SOLDIER First]

Ah, so, also a baseless dig.

[wierd]

It's important to know which one to complain about though!

[Kagus]

Honestly, my first thought with the bedroll was getting someone to fall asleep on it and then using their body as an indestructible weapon for the duration.

Even if you don't specifically use them to beat people up, just strap them to someone beefy and use them as a human shield of infinite durability.


And useless bards have been a meme for ages.

[smjjames]

@wierd: Regarding traps, unless the bard can single handedly kill the monster or somehow sneak, the rest of the party is still going to have to get through them. Plus, if the party is high enough level to use something like dimension door, chances are the lair would be warded against it. A smart or clever DM (or one whose forum mates are telling them about possibilities, heh) who anticipates it or perhaps one who has a party that uses such tricks often, could also employ countermeasures.

[Mephisto]

Or you can take the easy way out.

Why is this random cave in the middle of BFE riddled with anti-magic fields? BECAUSE I SAID SO!