05-12-2020, 12:37 AM | #11 |
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Re: Gestrues and Incantations
Do you think that would happen even if using IQ was only for silent spells at a 4/IQ? How about 5/IQ?
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05-12-2020, 01:30 PM | #13 |
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Re: Gestrues and Incantations
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05-12-2020, 02:58 PM | #14 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
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Re: Gestrues and Incantations
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05-12-2020, 06:32 PM | #15 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Re: Gestrues and Incantations
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The first thing is that a 17 is the highest echelon of society for that stat. We need to remember that. I would expect Michael Jordan to have a DX of 17 and be able to pull of the toughest of basketball moves with grace. So why not Molly? So, she would cast 12 IQ and less spells silently at a equivelent DX 10 on 3 dice. A 13% increase from what she had otherwise. Not a big deal. And that is for an unrealistic Molly in play. A more subtle 13 or 14 IQ would struggle at 18%-ish on 5 dice. If the idea of silent spells (and only with silent spells) being a hindrance rather than a privilege is used. It is tough for most mages, even 13 or 14 IQ ones (much above average) to pull it off. |
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05-12-2020, 08:09 PM | #17 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Re: Gestrues and Incantations
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If this were a game of Melee or Wizard, I would say you'd be right. Those demand the upmost of balance. But for an RPG, with its ever expanding variables, things should be tuned toward the average, playable character. Worrying about outliers paves its way to madness. Sure, it is a good exercise to point out flaws. (which you do very well) But the work is never done. Like a siren atop a spirialing staircase, beckoning one hither. Either way, I appreciate you and everyone else chiming in. Last edited by JimmyPlenty; 05-12-2020 at 09:41 PM. |
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07-12-2020, 08:04 PM | #18 | |
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Portland, Maine
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Re: Gestrues and Incantations
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Spells based on DX have physical gestures that need to be done (with both hands) to aid in casting. The voice also conveys the power of the casting. The wizard has trained his body gestures to do the magic for him. The wizard also has memorized, enunciates and projects the sound element to aid in doing the magic for him. The casting roll (DX) then verifies that the character did the right gestures and vocals. Spells based on IQ also go through the same process but with casting IQ rolls. - - - - - - - I like to think of Spells based on DX as ones in which the character is trained to imagine physically doing the thing sought, like throwing the spell to hit a person, etc. I like to think of Spells based on IQ are ones that the character dreams a result, like an image of a fighter. When a wizard has 2 – 4 IQ above a spell level, then he has enough intelligence to visualize doing the complete gesture or vocalization while finishing up the rest of the spell casting. Basically, he is so competent that he is like a Genius Writer, able to leave things out (or edit) and still create an effect. When a wizard has 5+ IQ above the spell level, he can visualize the whole lower level spell being cast, so does not need the physical world to do the psychic spell. So I think that all the DX based spells are patterned in the wizard to be done with DX attribute, even if +5 IQ spell wizard is now doing it in a visualizing mental realm.
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07-16-2020, 03:26 AM | #19 | |
Join Date: Jun 2019
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Re: Gestrues and Incantations
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A wizard starting at 8/8/16 could reliably cast IQ 8-11 spells if allowed to roll against the high IQ rather than the abysmally low DX 8. On the other hand it couldn't cast an IQ 12 spell or higher to save its life, as those would require DX rolls, unless it lived long enough to raise its IQ by another point. As this wizard will probably get a broken neck tripping over their own shoelaces, I suppose it can't really hurt the game too much. But if it did survive and increase IQ to say 20 (now it's still just a 36 point character), and pick up a Mana Staff, it would become a holy terror at long range (T)hrown spells without ever spending a jot of XP to fix that low DX. And in a pinch, it could up that DX with its own Aid spell, which is hardly ever going to miss rolling against 20. We might have ourselves another form of Molly!
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"I'm not arguing. I'm just explaining why I'm right." |
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07-16-2020, 06:00 AM | #20 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
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Re: Gestrues and Incantations
Here's my take on the advantage of IQ for spellcasting.
"There is no penalty to cast a spell of five or more below the casters IQ level in HTH. All higher level spells are cast with a -4 adjustment."
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