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Old 04-22-2019, 08:28 PM   #1
OgreMagi
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
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Default Missle spells in ITL

Are Missle spells capped at 3ST max?
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Old 04-22-2019, 08:49 PM   #2
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Missle spells in ITL

No, get a 20 point rod and shoot off a 20 die Wizards Wrath if you please.
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Old 04-22-2019, 08:58 PM   #3
Shostak
 
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Default Re: Missle spells in ITL

Yes, ITL 135 says plainly that missile spells are capped at 3 points of ST.
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Old 04-22-2019, 09:46 PM   #4
larsdangly
 
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Default Re: Missle spells in ITL

Yes; this is a clearly stated change from the original rules. I wasn't aware that the magic items made an exception.
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Old 04-23-2019, 12:18 AM   #5
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Missle spells in ITL

Rods might be another case of "Steve tried to change something but didn't catch all his own references to it from 1980", but yeah they still explicitly say you could cast a 20-die missile from one. Better dodge!
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Old 04-23-2019, 05:34 AM   #6
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Default Re: Missle spells in ITL

Yes, I caught the rod issue. And if I caught it, I know my players will. But, magic items are always easier for a DM to control than cast spells.
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Old 08-09-2019, 07:33 AM   #7
JustAnotherJarhead
 
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Default Re: Missle spells in ITL

3d6 is a pretty neutered lightening bolt.

I could maybe see 5d6, but 3?

Brings me back to the Magic Fist days, young wizards were limited, but if you had a decent ST, you could at least power up and unload a 6d6 THUMP. albeit 6d6-12 for real damage

And you kinda needed to pump it up a few ST cause 6d6-12 only averaged 9 hits

with a 3d6 limit, that appears to handicap new wizards.

EDIT**

I find it interesting that Magic Fist and Fireball SPECIFICALLY state the limit of 3 ST, but...Lightening and Wizards Wrath do not. They could, but they do not.

Oversight? Or is it just assumed that Steve wanted to take the bang out of Martial Wizards knocking down Giants?

Last edited by JustAnotherJarhead; 08-09-2019 at 07:50 AM.
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Old 08-09-2019, 11:16 AM   #8
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Missle spells in ITL

Quote:
Originally Posted by JustAnotherJarhead View Post
3d6 is a pretty neutered lightening bolt.

I could maybe see 5d6, but 3?

Brings me back to the Magic Fist days, young wizards were limited, but if you had a decent ST, you could at least power up and unload a 6d6 THUMP. albeit 6d6-12 for real damage

And you kinda needed to pump it up a few ST cause 6d6-12 only averaged 9 hits

with a 3d6 limit, that appears to handicap new wizards.
Fortunately, it's super-easy to house-rule, as long as no one objects.

I could see a group compromising and saying the limit for Magic fist is 6, fireball 4, and lighting 3 (or really anything they like).

Interesting to me is that GURPS Magic started limiting all missile spells to 3d, but later editions made it 3 x Magery, so 9d or 15d or maybe more, depending on the campaign's limit on Magery.

I think it's also important to note how a game is ruling the option to switch to Dodge. I play that you can change your option to Dodge if you haven't acted yet, if/when someone does a ranged attack on you. That tends to make being able to cream someone with a huge fireball much less certain.



Quote:
I find it interesting that Magic Fist and Fireball SPECIFICALLY state the limit of 3 ST, but...Lightening and Wizards Wrath do not. They could, but they do not.

Oversight? Or is it just assumed that Steve wanted to take the bang out of Martial Wizards knocking down Giants?
Oversight. The new rules mention that limit applies to all missile spells in the general section on Missile Spells.
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Old 08-12-2019, 09:13 PM   #9
Helborn
 
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Default Re: Missle spells in ITL

However a Magic Fist Rod or Fireball Rod or Lightning Rod or Wizard's Wrath Rod has no 3 pt limit. They can issue a 20d Fireball..... See ITL pg 163
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Old 08-13-2019, 04:48 AM   #10
Chris Rice
 
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Default Re: Missle spells in ITL

I don't think I like the 3ST cap; on the other hand I do agree that under the old rules they were probably too powerful. There are a number of ways to reign them back without directly capping them:

Increase their cost; so a 1ST spell costs 1. A 2ST spell costs 1+2 (3). A 3ST spell costs 3+2 (5). So each spell costs its own ST plus the cost of the level below. This is just one idea, you could come up with other formulae.

Reduce their utility; missile spells are now treated like a creation spell in that the missile must be formed one the first turn, before it can be cast on the second turn. You could also rule that if the Wizard is wounded whilst holding the uncast missile spell, then it goes off, injuring the Wizard themselves.

These are just a couple of examples.
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