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Old 08-19-2015, 08:16 AM   #5
Kromm
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
Default Re: [Magic] Blocking spells cast on others, and as normal spells

Where it would make sense to cast a given Blocking spell as a Regular spell, go ahead and do so. Think of such spells as having a casting time of "a scant second": You can (just barely!) manage to cast one a turn as a reaction (i.e., active defense), but you need a Concentrate maneuver to do so as an action . . . and if you do the latter, that's your Blocking spell for the turn, so you can't cast another one to defend yourself.

For instance, I could cast Command as an active defense to make my attacker drop his sword before he hit me. After that, I couldn't cast another Blocking spell until my next turn. Alternatively, I could take a Concentrate maneuver on my turn to cast Command as a form of minor mind control. If I did the latter, that would be my Blocking spell for the turn, and if I were attacked before my next maneuver, I couldn't use Blink, Command, Iron Arm, etc. to defend myself.

Note that several existing spells are already explicitly "Regular or Blocking" in this way: Boost (Attribute), Fascinate, and Master. All I'm saying is that there is little harm in reading "Blocking" as "Regular or Blocking" in general provided that you enforce a one-second casting time on the Regular application and remember that such a casting still uses up your option to cast a Blocking spell when it comes time to defend yourself.
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