When does a Missle Spell count as held?

[WhiteLily]

According to DFRPG Spell P 13, the turn after you initially cast a spell, you have 3 options:
- Attack with it
- Enlarge it
- Hold it

While holding it, if you are "injured," which I assume to mean subjected to any form of damage, you must make a Will check or the missile affects you.

So is the spell not being held immediately after you cast the spell or immediately after you enlarge it?

For that matter, if you elect to hold a spell, can you later choose to enlarge it? Would that make any difference in terms of if you got injured immediately there after?

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by WhiteLily

So is the spell not being held immediately after you cast the spell or immediately after you enlarge it?

This line leads me to believe that the spell is being held as soon as you create it: "The missile appears in your hand, 'charged' to the desired level." One of the dangers of missile spells is the possibility of getting hit before you launch it.

For that matter, if you elect to hold a spell, can you later choose to enlarge it? Would that make any difference in terms of if you got injured immediately there after?

I don't think this would unbalance things too much either way, but my reading of RAW id that you can't enlarge it after you stop enlarging it or after 3 seconds, whichever comes first.

[ArchonShiva]

If you have the missile in hand, it’s “held”.

The potential issue to enlarging later is that 36 energy explosive missiles become a lot more repeatable (spend 12, rest with missile in hand, repeat), but maybe resting with a missile in hand is the issue here.

Aside from that, remember that missile spells cast in combat are pretty terrible and could get some buffs.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Dalin

This line leads me to believe that the spell is being held as soon as you create it: "The missile appears in your hand, 'charged' to the desired level." One of the dangers of missile spells is the possibility of getting hit before you launch it.

Unless of course you play with a 'lite' version of gurps (and it's magic) such as http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/lite/3e/gurpslite.pdf

In that case you follow page 31's casting time per page 30's rules which have no special properties for missile spells appearing early and enlarging them, so they wouldn't appear until you finished.

In that case I'm left wondering if you need to specify your desired energy or casting time when you begin, or can leave off at any moment.

Sadly I don't think there's a lite version of the magic rules for 4e

[Anthony]

3e casting time worked significantly differently from 4e (a 1 turn casting time in 4e completes when you take the action; in 3e it completed at the start of your next turn) so 3e precedent is not very useful.

It would appear that the missile spell is held once you complete the first concentrate maneuver.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Plane

Unless of course you play with a 'lite' version of gurps (and it's magic) such as http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/lite/3e/gurpslite.pdf

In that case you follow page 31's casting time per page 30's rules which have no special properties for missile spells appearing early and enlarging them, so they wouldn't appear until you finished.

In that case I'm left wondering if you need to specify your desired energy or casting time when you begin, or can leave off at any moment.

Sadly I don't think there's a lite version of the magic rules for 4e

One thing about the Dungeon Fantasy RPG: From the authors' perspective, and from the product's: It's a complete game. If the rules aren't in the boxed set, they're not official. While any gaming group is more than welcome to bring in whatever rules they wish, discussions of what the intent or letter of a rule should be solved ONLY with the five books in the boxed set (six if you include the sets that include Fantastic Dungeon Grappling as a bonus from the Kickstarter...but even though I'm rah rah rah about my work, it's an option not a requirement.)

Referring to anything in 4e that is not in the boxed set itself is not going to help with questions in the Dungeon Fantasy RPG. 3e is, as the quote goes, "right out."