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Old 05-23-2020, 12:22 PM   #1
Scott Wolfgang Alex
 
Join Date: May 2020
Default Low Mana Areas

I'm starting a TFT campaign in the GURPS Banestorm setting, which has regions of varying mana levels.

In GURPS, a low mana region has two effects:

1. Non-mages cannot cast spells.
2. All spell casting is at a -5 to skill.

I want to translate this to TFT

The first effect is easy. Only wizards can cast spells in a low mana region.

I'm asking for suggestions on how to reflect the challenge of spell casting in a low mana region in a TFT based system.

The only idea I've come up with, so far, is to have casters roll versus their IQ to see if the spell succeeds.

Last edited by Scott Wolfgang Alex; 05-23-2020 at 01:37 PM.
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Old 05-23-2020, 01:34 PM   #2
TippetsTX
 
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Default Re: Low Mana Areas

Keep it simple... make casting require a 4 or 5d DX roll.
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Old 05-23-2020, 01:43 PM   #3
Scott Wolfgang Alex
 
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Default Re: Low Mana Areas

Thanks for the feedback.

In GURPS, one's spellcasting skill is IQ-based, a wizard learning to function in a low mana area would cultivate a high IQ just to be effective.

Hence, why I lean towards making the roll versus IQ instead of DX (They'd have to make a DX roll in addition, if the spell normally required it).

Last edited by Scott Wolfgang Alex; 05-23-2020 at 02:01 PM.
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Old 05-23-2020, 02:19 PM   #4
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Low Mana Areas

Here is the disrupted Mana rules I sent in for a setting. (Note that I cover "automatic" magic such as items and healing potions.)
Provence hexes adjacent to the Red Mountain require one additional die to activate any magical effect or cast any spell. Magical effects that automatically work only function on a roll of ten or less on two dice.
The mountain itself is even more disruptive, adding two dice to usual magical rolls and requiring automatic magics to roll ten or less on three dice
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Old 05-23-2020, 02:35 PM   #5
JimmyPlenty
 
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Default Re: Low Mana Areas

Quote:
Originally Posted by TippetsTX View Post
Keep it simple... make casting require a 4 or 5d DX roll.
easy peasy...seconded!
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Old 05-23-2020, 03:20 PM   #6
TippetsTX
 
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Default Re: Low Mana Areas

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Wolfgang Alex View Post
Hence, why I lean towards making the roll versus IQ instead of DX (They'd have to make a DX roll in addition, if the spell normally required it).
I try to avoid extra die rolls in TFT whenever possible. And remember, DX is also an abstraction for general character prowess in TFT (how well they do stuff) as well as the obvious dexterity/agility-related activities.
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Old 05-23-2020, 05:50 PM   #7
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Low Mana Areas

I agree that the extra die for success rolls to cast spells is the closest match to the -5 modifier.

A flat modifier would also work. TFT has a -4 to cast spells when a wizard is carrying iron on their body... and in original TFT there was a -4 to cast spells for all non-wizards. So making Low Mana a penalty would also make sense... it'd also allow you to say how low the mana was in various places, if you wanted to do that.

Switching to IQ would be making TFT _wizards_ more like GURPS wizards, which I wouldn't personally want to do (but some other players have suggested - search House Rules sub forum if interested), and it would alter the balance of wizards a lot, removing most of their usual need for DX, which as TippetsTX just mentioned, represents casting spell in TFT (in a way that GURPS Magic unfortunately tends to let get swallowed by high-IQ+Magery casters). If it's just another IQ roll to cast a spell, it would tend to mainly mess up lower-IQ wizards but only occasionally effect high-IQ wizards, which wouldn't match the effect in GURPS that it's harder to effect subjects with Regular-type spells in Low Mana.

Another idea is that self-powered magic items might not be able to be self-powered in Low-Mana areas, and/or that even magic items that normally don't have a ST cost to use, would cost ST at some rate to use in a Low Magic area.

Or ALL magic items might require some roll to even activate in a Low Mana area.
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Old 05-23-2020, 06:07 PM   #8
JimmyPlenty
 
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Default Re: Low Mana Areas

Now that I think about it more and Skarg's comments, I guess it would also depend on the manner of the variability of the area. Is it pockets of mana depletion and at different strengths? Then the "add dice" would work here.

If it is a constant dampening field, then a straight -# would be better.
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Old 05-23-2020, 08:39 PM   #9
Scott Wolfgang Alex
 
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Default Re: Low Mana Areas

Thanks to everyone for the feedback.
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Old 06-02-2020, 12:21 AM   #10
ColinK
 
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Default Re: Low Mana Areas

Okay, please don't let this question disrupt the flow of what seems to be a set of answers that are already working for you.

If the following should be put in a separate thread, please move it.

Thinking of a similar low-mana type of adventure region, how about the concept of doubling the cost of casting? Basically, wizards have fewer spells they can successfully activate before they exhaust themselves. This would make the various mana storage items, Aid and other such magic more valuable, apprentices more important, multiple mage rituals for item creation more necessary, etc.

Has anybody tried something like this? I need to test more. So far, it looks like my wizard volunteer needs to think harder about when to point the staff and when to swing it....
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