Spell Component: Brick

So I'm playing in the 4E adventure Keep on the Shadowfell(TM) and running a dwarf fighter. Dwarf fighters have been my stock in trade since the dawn of D&D - they are pretty low maintenance while having some cool little powers. 4E dwarf fighters are a little more involved, but still fun. So much fun, that I decided, halfway through the session, that all the Fighter exploits were Chuck Norris jokes:

Cleave, which allows you to do additional damage to a different target becomes Chuck Norris hits you so hard your friend takes damage.

Reaping Strike, which does damage even if you miss becomes Chuck Norris hits you so hard that the breeze from a miss does damage.

Brute Strike, which does massive damage but is not expended if you miss becomes Chuck Norris does not miss - he merely delays inflicting pain.

And this impromptu renaming brought to mind something from 2nd Edition that Karen Boomgarden and I came up with (Karen was the editor of the original Forgotten Realms grey box, among other things). She put forward the idea that most of the low-level Wizard spells could be performed with the Spell Component: Brick. Examples.

Magic Missile: Spell Component: Brick. Throw brick at target.
Sleep Spell: Spell Component: Brick. Knock out target with brick.
Charm Person: Spell Component: Brick. Threaten person with brick unless they agree to be your friend.
Rope Trick: Spell Component: Brick. Tie brick to rope, throw brick through upper story window, climb up rope to window and hide there.

It is one of the strengths of roleplaying that, regardless of the system or edition, stuff happens around the table that no designer could or would anticipate.

More later,

Update: The Lovely Bride reminds me that I used Spell Component: Brick, in one of our novels. It is now official - senility is setting in.