Need a ruling on deflect

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Godogma

Especially as I'm quite uncertain how a weapon covers anything and it states specifically ALL active defense rolls.

"Weapon" isn't a discounted partial hit location. Deflect on a weapon ought to give an overall DB. Personally I don't allow Deflect. I think it's clearly a 3e legacy that ought to have been gotten rid of. What's the point of Defending Shield or Weapon when Deflect is better and cheaper?

[Godogma]

They stack would be my guess.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Godogma

They stack would be my guess.

In which case then you would always get Deflect first, and then Defending x. That doesn't seem to be the result of DF8's tables for instance.

[Godogma]

Well, according to the various fine folks on the forum they do seem to stack from what I've gathered in various threads.

Random treasure tables are... well, random.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Godogma

Well, according to the various fine folks on the forum they do seem to stack from what I've gathered in various threads.

Of course they stack. That's not my issue. My issue is that Deflect is cheaper, but otherwise more effective than the various Defending enchantments.

[Kalzazz]

Well, yes, Im the evil, bad DM who got confused by the rules

My thought was 'Deflect is like PD, it uses the same mechanics and such', thus, clearly, it only effects the area is worn on

This being reinforced by the earlier part of the Armor enchantment section where it says 'this price are for a full suit', so, I thought in order to get DB over your entire body, you had to wear a full suit over your entire body

(Or for a shield or sword, it would provide DB only for the area the shield or sword covered, which I think for shields and swords is your front hexes)

So yes, you can have Deflect 2 for 500 energy over the entire body, but it means you have a full suit, hat, socks, shirt, pants, gloves, mask etc over the full body

But since did not want a full suit of armor, wanted instead a ring of protection equivalent (that can be worn with anything from full plate to a swimsuit), which I did not think was anywhere at all near what Deflect represented (its under Armor Enchantments! Right after the part on 'these prices are for a full suit'), this seems like a much more powerful item, so my general handwavium solution was 'it costs twice as much energy to make this as a ring or such since well, the ring isnt armor and isnt physically covering any locations and works with any suit you want'

But well, I am obviously wrong . . . . though Ill admit I definitely think the book could have been written somewhat better

Whats the point of having enchanted suits armor when you can instead for the same price have an enchanted ring or whatever that provides the benefit whatever your wearing?

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Whats the point of having enchanted suits armor when you can instead for the same price have an enchanted ring or whatever that provides the benefit whatever your wearing?

Keep in mind that despite what Kromm emailed your friend, the spell descriptor says nothing about rings as targets for Deflect, just "armor, clothing, a shield, or a weapon", so your houserule that casting Deflect on a ring costs 2x normal energy is perfectly reasonable, as is not allowing it altogether.

Remember, you're the GM, the costs should ultimately reflect what you consider a fair price for your own setting, don't take for a given the random setting prices written up in Magic, this is GURPS after all, and even spells are part of our toolkit.

As for why you'd want to have options between full suits and a smaller piece, is just that it's much cheaper to cast it piecemeal.

[sir_pudding]

Except for GURPS Lite there aren't any "full suits" in 4e anyway. That's clearly 3e legacy.

[Kalzazz]

Well, yes, but presumably its also possible to cast it piecemeal for say a charm bracelet with 'Charm of Deflect Right Foot' 'Charm of Deflect Left Foot' 'Charm of Deflect Torso' etc, so again no reason to ever want to cast it on armor

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Well, yes, but presumably its also possible to cast it piecemeal for say a charm bracelet with 'Charm of Deflect Right Foot' 'Charm of Deflect Left Foot' 'Charm of Deflect Torso' etc, so again no reason to ever want to cast it on armor

Again though, that's not part of the base spell description, so any casting on things like that only works if you as the GM say it does in your setting, and at the cost you say it costs in your setting.