a question about Visualization

[whswhs]

One of my players has a character with Visualization, and would like to apply it to her practice of Book Magic. I'm not seeing anything obvious about this in the RAW. Do they specify whether this can be done, either directly or by implication?

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Originally Posted by whswhs

One of my players has a character with Visualization, and would like to apply it to her practice of Book Magic. I'm not seeing anything obvious about this in the RAW. Do they specify whether this can be done, either directly or by implication?

Hello man,

I think this is like, the “shortcut” for extra-time; I suppose she wants to improve her skills?

But how can you know the precise results of something you don't (completely) know? … If you are practicing, how do you know you will be successful (even if you picture you will be)?

Don’t you think this is similar to making a bet? You know your chances if you take into account your skill level; then you make a “prediction”: A guy with skill 15 has very good chances for success, and can “make a good picture”. Another guy with skill 10, has less chances of success and so on.

My take is allowing the person to describe/predict the outcome and let them roll the skill without bonuses. Then, if they fail badly, I give them the 1/3 modifier, if they do pretty well… then they have the full bonus and so on.

Finally, have you seen this post? The main thread is very interesting as well.

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[Culture20]

The “practice” (skill) of magic is not the same as practicing (learning) magic. But even so, Visualization requires only that you visualize the successful result, not the *actual* result, else whence comes the bonus for a roll which has not yet been made? So a gifted visualizer apprentice who has seen her master cast a spell can visualize herself doing the same thing.
Read the blurb on page 15 of Magic about designing characters. It specifically points out Visualization for echantments and ritual casting. I know it’s bot the ssme as RPM, but the reasoning is identical.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Culture20

Read the blurb on page 15 of Magic about designing characters. It specifically points out Visualization for echantments and ritual casting. I know it’s bot the ssme as RPM, but the reasoning is identical.

Unfortunately, at the moment my copy of Magic is in Riverside and I’m in Poway, a long way away. But I accept your testimony. I was asking about Path and Book magic, but I expect the logic is the same, just as it would be for RPM.

[Anaraxes]

The 3e Voodoo (original source, I think, of both Visualization and ritual magic) didn't seem to have any special prohibition against combining the two in either the description of Visualization or the description of casting spells. I did just a quick skim, though.