01-21-2021, 07:59 AM | #11 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: Any way to reduce a target's Magic Resistance?
What really hurts is when an enemy possesses Magery and Magic Resistance (Improved).
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01-21-2021, 08:31 AM | #12 | |
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Re: Any way to reduce a target's Magic Resistance?
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The presumption here is that the Rule of 16 was invented based on typical normal human defenses of 10. It's meant to always give someone at least some chance to resist. But if you're comparing the super-resistant with the super-skillful, you don't want a hard cap that's not itself based in the super-scale of skills routinely being beyond 20. This version still gives an advantage to superior skill, without removing any chance of resistance from the poor mundanes. Last edited by Anaraxes; 01-21-2021 at 08:55 AM. |
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01-21-2021, 12:01 PM | #13 |
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The Hall of Fallen Columns
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Re: Any way to reduce a target's Magic Resistance?
Thanks to everybody who responded. This is for a villain NPC (the BBEG of the dungeon) who is a very accomplished arcane spellcaster, so part of the question of populating the dungeon will also concern how such a spellcasting lich could have gotten the magic-resistant inhabitants under control in the first place.
Conclusions thus far: 1. It seems that my understanding of Magic Resistance is correct: given that it not only penalizes the attacker's roll (as many posters here have illustrated), but also boosts the target's resistance roll (as is apparently less obvious), that means my BBEG atheist lich is going to have to rely primarily on spells that don't trigger MR (missile spells being a good example since they create the missile in your hand and you then throw it at the target more-or-less naturally). 2. Rule of 16 (or 17 with relevant perk) does mean that the majority of spells at approximately MR 4 will whiff regardless of attacker's spell level. With thanks to Anaraxes for the nod, a possible solution to this scenario is contemplated in the Basic Set Campaigns book at BS349 under Extreme Scores, albeit normally this only applies to Regular Contests - which a Resistance Roll usually is a Quick Contest and thus outside of this rule treatment. I could pump up the lich's IQ to 25 and Magery to 6 for effective casting skill of 28 for known spells and then pour more Skill points into it. Given that this is an NPC main villain, this does have merit as the path of least resistance to the DFRPG rules as written (if not necessarily the path of greatest CP efficiency, but for villains CPs hardly matter). This would not bypass the problem of the target having an unchanged high chance of resistance, however - but it might allow the BBEG to throw many instances of spells in the hope that one of the dozens will get through. Not my favorite solution. 3. Affliction with Negated Advantage as Coronatiger suggests is a very interesting option, thanks for the pointer! I may go with this because, although it's not a native rule for DFRPG, the boxed set does state that devious GMs are likely to create villains who have advantages, spells, and other effects not found in the DFRPG rulebooks. This is nonetheless RAW for standard GURPS, so I'd consider it a reasonably balanced exercise of such GM discretion. Last edited by SolemnGolem; 01-21-2021 at 01:37 PM. Reason: Added contraindication for point 2. because of target resistance remaining unchanged, whereas 3. is base GURPS RAW. |
01-21-2021, 09:02 PM | #14 | |
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The Hall of Fallen Columns
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Re: Any way to reduce a target's Magic Resistance?
Going with option 3 above, this was what I came up with. All from Basic Set:
Quote:
The caster still needs to succeed on a Will QC in order for this to work (albeit the target gets a –9 penalty), and even then it only means the target's MR gets reduced to minimum of zero, for a duration of 1 minute per margin of failure (often enough to last for an entire fight). With a zero MR, the target can still roll usual Resistances, but it means that likelihood of failure on either Will or HT will usually be less farfetched if MR did apply. |
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01-21-2021, 09:09 PM | #15 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: Any way to reduce a target's Magic Resistance?
Wouldn't the Affliction need to be Magical though?
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01-21-2021, 09:42 PM | #16 | |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: Any way to reduce a target's Magic Resistance?
Quote:
Last edited by David Johnston2; 01-22-2021 at 12:25 AM. |
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01-21-2021, 10:57 PM | #17 | ||
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The Hall of Fallen Columns
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Re: Any way to reduce a target's Magic Resistance?
Quote:
Because on re-reading, it seems like both the caster and the subject are essentially rolling 3d6 against the same target number, with defender winning ties. If this is the case, then you're right - this is actually a lot better odds than I initially thought. Quote:
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01-22-2021, 04:35 AM | #19 |
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Cambridge, MA
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Re: Any way to reduce a target's Magic Resistance?
In my DF game I've written a lot of spells that open up possibilities for mages who want to focus on various kinds of threats. Here are two of the relevant ones to this thread:
Pierce Magic Resistance Regular This spell is cast on another spell, allowing it to ignore some or all of its target’s Magic Resistance. The spells are cast one after the other, with no delays between castings. Pierce Magic Resistance is cast first, and counts as a spell “on” for determining the effective skill for the second spell. The second spell’s subject has reduced Magic Resistance equal to half the energy put into this spell. Duration: Equal to target spell. Cost: 2 to 10. Subject spell’s target has Magic Resistance reduced by 1 for every 2 energy points put into this spell. Prerequisite: Spellguard. Pierce Resistance Regular This spell is cast on another spell, making that spell more difficult to resist. The spells are cast one after the other, with no delays between castings. Pierce Resistance is cast first, and counts as a spell “on” for determining the effective skill for the second spell. The second spell gains a resistance penalty equal to half the energy put into the spell. Cost: 2 to 10. Subject spell gains -1 to resist per 2 points of energy. Prerequisite: Pierce Magic Resistance or Evil 6. These two have not seen very much use in play, PCs haven't taken them and I've only had a few NPCs try them, so not much playtesting. However, the few times they have been used they have not caused much trouble, probably due to being a bit slow and expensive for just a chance at getting through with another spell. Last edited by Gnome; 01-22-2021 at 04:39 AM. |
01-22-2021, 04:43 AM | #20 |
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: England
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Re: Any way to reduce a target's Magic Resistance?
I wouldn't require anti-magic countermeasures to take a -10% magical power modifier for the same reason anti-psi doesn't take a -10% psionic power modifier - unless there's some sort of anti-anti-magic ability, anyway. This should probably be "Magical, +0%".
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reducing magic resistance |
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