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Old 12-07-2018, 04:12 PM   #21
platimus
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Default Re: Roll DX for Spells

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Originally Posted by platimus View Post
The only part that doesn't feel right to me is the wizards going first but that's only because spells take effect as soon as they are cast. If you change that --make spells take effect at the end of the whole turn (not the end of the wizard's turn to act) -- it feels GGRREAT! Spell-casting should take time. The wizard might start casting before everyone but he won't finish until everyone else has had their turn.
On second thought, it would be better to group all spell-castings at the end of the turn -- in the same way all polearm charging stuff is grouped at the beginnning of the turn. I had to think about two opposing parties with multiple wizards casting spells before I realized this would be the more sane approach.
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Old 12-07-2018, 04:14 PM   #22
warhorse11h
 
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Default Re: Roll DX for Spells

I think I would just leave it alone. Using DX to cast these easy spells that you are so familiar with just represents the chance that while you're doing this easy thing, something you've done a thousand times, something, a noise, a yell, whatever, distracts you at that crucial second and you miss. It happens all the time in the real world, why should our fantasy one be any different.
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Old 12-07-2018, 05:29 PM   #23
JLV
 
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Default Re: Roll DX for Spells

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I get that. I'm only asking about the 'to hit' roll. DX makes sense when spell casting requires targeting and gestures, but when your IQ is high neither of those things seem to be a factor anymore for low-level spells.

Just curious if anyone else finds this odd.
To be perfectly honest, this never really made sense to me in terms of "reality," even though it makes perfect sense in terms of game mechanics. If casting a spell is primarily an intellectual activity (much like singing a song), wouldn't it make more sense to roll versus adjIQ (with various things affecting IQ -- such as distractions, lighting, noise levels, and so on)?

However, in terms of game mechanics, it makes perfect sense -- less to remember, easily transferred, equates warriors and wizards at some basic level, etc., etc.
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Old 12-10-2018, 09:33 AM   #24
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Default Re: Roll DX for Spells

Would your perception of the game change much if the stats were labeled "Health", "Reaction" and "Wisdom"?

Note that wizards are non-magical, just trained to harness the natural mana of Cidri.
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Old 12-10-2018, 10:30 AM   #25
larsdangly
 
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Default Re: Roll DX for Spells

Rolling vs. DX is a game necessity that can be rationalized through some sort of conceit about wiggling your fingers about our whatever; in this sense it is like the spell slots in D+D's Vancian magic. Vancian magic as a concept of how magic works is sort of goofy and feels like a bad choice for a generic fantasy roleplaying game. But spell slots as a mechanism are great and perfectly match D+D's focus on resource management and modular descriptions of character types and abilities. Vancian magic means nothing to me, but I think spell slots are essential D+D.
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Old 12-11-2018, 06:14 AM   #26
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Roll DX for Spells

As an example you take your suspected magical thingy to the Wizard's Guild for inspection.

You hire an average starting wizard for one hour to work from his own lab.

ST 8 DX 9 IQ 15
Staff(1d,+3DX, free action blast)
Staff I -IV, Aid, Detect Magic, Analyze Magic, Literacy, Weapon/Armor Enchantment plus six skill points more

His weekly rate is $150 plus $200 for the lab plus $750 for the rental on the 50 point powerstone plus $450 for the rental on his +1 charm (The alchemists have all the +2 charms of course) for a total of $1,550 a week.

His day rate is then $310 and the hour rate is $40.

* Turn one he fails his first self-Aid spending one fatigue.

* Turn two he draws one powerstone mana during the Renew Spells phase then casts +5 DX self-Aid. He is now ST 8 - 5(fatigue) DX 9 + 5(Aid) -3(for being at ST 3) IQ 15

* Turn three he draws five powerstone mana during the Renew Spells phase then casts Reveal at DX 14 with a +1 charm

* Turn four he draws 2 powerstone mana during the Renew Spells phase then casts Reveal at DX 14 with a +1 charm. (He then draws 2 mana next turn.)

He repeats this 2.5 times, burning through 28 mana.

The cost for this is $40 + $28 for the mana or $68. I.e. $20 for each Reveal Spell (rounding up, a lot) as per page 60.

* Turn 12 he casts Analyze Magic at adjDX 14 with a +1 charm (4 mana)

Turns 13 and 14 the Aid dance again (6 mana)

Turns 15 and 16 two more Analyze Magic at adjDX 14 with a +1 charm (4 mana, each)

Having spent a total of 40 mana the final actual tally is $40 + $40 for mana or $80. The guild then charges a great deal more than this. (Not bad for two minutes work in his first job.)

He gets 10 XP for each of his 50 job rolls a year and works for five years gaining 2500 XP

This is just enough to promote him to his next job:

ST 8 DX 9 IQ 20 Mana 1
Staff(1d+2,+3DX, free action blast)
Staff I - V, Aid, Detect Magic, Analyze Magic, Literacy, Weapon/Armor Enchantment, Lesser Magic Item Creation plus six skill points more

Over the next five years he'll get another 2500 XP and move on to his next job

ST 8 DX 9 IQ 21 Mana 11
Staff(1d+2,+3DX, free action blast)
Staff I - V, Aid, Detect Magic, Analyze Magic, Literacy, Weapon/Armor Enchantment, Lesser Magic Item Creation, Greater Magic Item Creation, Revival plus six skill points more
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Last edited by hcobb; 12-11-2018 at 12:46 PM.
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Old 12-13-2018, 01:59 PM   #27
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Roll DX for Spells

How important is the Charm item?

(How many Charm items are there available for rent by 32-point wizards for the purpose of improving their daily die-rolls? And 50-point powerstones? What keeps people from mugging them to get the $80,000 of magic items they have? Seems like even if there is a supply of Charm items and 50-point powerstones being rented around, they'd tend to be in use for more important things by more important people, no?)
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Old 12-13-2018, 02:13 PM   #28
platimus
 
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Default Re: Roll DX for Spells

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How important is the Charm item?

(How many Charm items are there available for rent by 32-point wizards for the purpose of improving their daily die-rolls? And 50-point powerstones? What keeps people from mugging them to get the $80,000 of magic items they have? Seems like even if there is a supply of Charm items and 50-point powerstones being rented around, they'd tend to be in use for more important things by more important people, no?)
Very true. And what a wonderful wrinkle to throw into a munchkin's plans. He gets mugged. Now the WG wants their $80,000 or several pounds of flesh! TBH, I don't think they'd let any old bloke off the street rent $80,000 worth of magic items. Wouldn't be prudent.
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Old 12-13-2018, 02:35 PM   #29
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Roll DX for Spells

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How important is the Charm item?

(How many Charm items are there available for rent by 32-point wizards for the purpose of improving their daily die-rolls? And 50-point powerstones? What keeps people from mugging them to get the $80,000 of magic items they have? Seems like even if there is a supply of Charm items and 50-point powerstones being rented around, they'd tend to be in use for more important things by more important people, no?)
Your heist starts with busting into the Wizard's Guild inner chambers? (Because these items don't leave there.)

Enchanters need that +1 Charm to avoid this:

Page 150: "He does not have to start over – unless he rolls an 18. An 18 ruins the entire spell, and the wizard must start again from the beginning. The weekly roll is made against the wizard’s basic DX. Potions, Aid spells, magic items, etc. cannot help. One exception: A Charm can help him on this roll."

Enchanters would have +2 Charms, except that the Alchemists jump in and outbid them ten to one on those.
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Old 12-14-2018, 01:43 PM   #30
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Roll DX for Spells

Your example was about casting Reveal and Analyze Magic, though, no? Seems to me they'd use an apprentice or three for any DX and ST needs, and not use/expose the charm item or high-ST Powerstones for that.

I agreed with AW/ITL that charms were very rare, and reasoned what few might exist were probably almost always in the hands of the most powerful/wealthy people, not used to slightly improve the reliability of routine spellcasting by typical wizards.

(And I tend to rule that Charms do not proof their users from critical failures. And I use Magic Item Breakdown rules that discourage constantly using magic items.)
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