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ArchonShiva · 01-15-2021, 01:17 AM

I finally got motivation to care about how imbuements work, and it turns out the text doesn't say what I (or many) thought the text said on FP. But it also doesn't say any one thing entirely consistently.

There are three situations here. Using an Imbuement skill normally, using an Imbuement skill at -5 to avoid FP cost, and using Combination Skills (let's say three, and that they don't try to avoid FP cost):

Code:

              Success    Failure    Critical failure
Normal          1 FP       A FP      2 FP (paragraph 2)
At -5           0 FP       B FP      2 FP (paragraph 3)
3-Combination   3 FP       C FP      2 FP (p. 14)

Paragraphs refer to the header Using Imbuement Skills on p.5.

1. A=0, B=0, C=0.
Everything is consistent but "You can try to avoid this cost by making your Imbuement Skill roll at -5", has to be interpreted as "try to avoid spending FP altogether", because it always succeeds at avoiding the 1 FP.

2. A=1, B=0, C=3
3. A=1, B=1, C=3
Any version where C is equal to 3 (or more, for bigger combinations) means that critical failure saves you FP over a normal failure and has no other listed effects, (it saves you FP over success, but accomplishing your goal is better than saving some FP).
While there are other slight inconsistencies in wording that make this reading suspect before you get to Combination skills, I'm almost willing to throw these out just based on the critical failure thing.

4. A=1, B=1, C=1.
There is no reasonable reading of the rules for C=1. At best, that's importing a rule from Magic.

In terms of what's best for the game, solid PCs don't fail rolls that much, and it won't matter significantly at high-level play. But a character with an Imbuement skill at 8 can try to make their mace do fire damage or double knockback each turn, and spend 1 FP when they succeed about a quarter of the time. If each failed attempt costs FP, they might as well save it for Feverish Defense or Mighty Blows.

01-15-2021, 01:17 AM	#1
ArchonShiva Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Montréal, Québec	FP cost of Imbuement failure I finally got motivation to care about how imbuements work, and it turns out the text doesn't say what I (or many) thought the text said on FP. But it also doesn't say any one thing entirely consistently. There are three situations here. Using an Imbuement skill normally, using an Imbuement skill at -5 to avoid FP cost, and using Combination Skills (let's say three, and that they don't try to avoid FP cost): Code: Success Failure Critical failure Normal 1 FP A FP 2 FP (paragraph 2) At -5 0 FP B FP 2 FP (paragraph 3) 3-Combination 3 FP C FP 2 FP (p. 14) Paragraphs refer to the header Using Imbuement Skills on p.5. 1. A=0, B=0, C=0. Everything is consistent but "You can try to avoid this cost by making your Imbuement Skill roll at -5", has to be interpreted as "try to avoid spending FP altogether", because it always succeeds at avoiding the 1 FP. 2. A=1, B=0, C=3 3. A=1, B=1, C=3 Any version where C is equal to 3 (or more, for bigger combinations) means that critical failure saves you FP over a normal failure and has no other listed effects, (it saves you FP over success, but accomplishing your goal is better than saving some FP). While there are other slight inconsistencies in wording that make this reading suspect before you get to Combination skills, I'm almost willing to throw these out just based on the critical failure thing. 4. A=1, B=1, C=1. There is no reasonable reading of the rules for C=1. At best, that's importing a rule from Magic. In terms of what's best for the game, solid PCs don't fail rolls that much, and it won't matter significantly at high-level play. But a character with an Imbuement skill at 8 can try to make their mace do fire damage or double knockback each turn, and spend 1 FP when they succeed about a quarter of the time. If each failed attempt costs FP, they might as well save it for Feverish Defense or Mighty Blows. __________________ Per-based Stealth isn’t remotely as awkward as DX-based Observation.