02-16-2018, 10:53 AM | #31 |
GCA Prime
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Portland, OR
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Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?
Ah, sorry about that. My GM always insisted on Command being one word, so I internalized it that way, I guess. Or confused it with D&D, maybe.
Anyway, we did always play it where commands that they understood the language for, but didn't understand the word or application, just caused them to be confused for a bit; effectively a lost turn.
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02-16-2018, 10:57 AM | #32 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?
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02-16-2018, 11:01 AM | #33 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?
Command has two fundamental uses:
a) Spoil an attack (block) b) Burn a foes turn You can often get a useful side effect - disarming the opponent ("Drop that!"), or re-positioning them slightly, or other fun little things, but for major effects you usually want another spell.
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02-16-2018, 11:10 AM | #34 | |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?
Quote:
I'm not sure I have a clear rubric for the difference between "useful" and "fun", here (but maybe that is just me). If you can make them drop down, can you make them jump off a ledge or onto a landmine? If you can make them drop a weapon can you make them drop a grenade? If you can make them look, can you make them look at a gorgon? Can you have them crash a vehicle they are piloting? Can you make them holster a weapon (just a Ready after all)? Can you make them unload? Last edited by sir_pudding; 02-16-2018 at 11:15 AM. |
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02-16-2018, 11:41 AM | #35 | |
GURPS Line Editor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?
Quote:
Spelling out exactly how each possible type of command would work in a variety of different language models, and depending on whether your subject responds to a pointed finger like a human or more like the stereotypical cat ("Look, a finger!"), would fill pages of rulebook. That's pretty clearly way too much for a low-cost spell that endures for one second and could be the third spell a wizard learns. In short, the most important word in the spell description is in the heading: "Blocking." The spell blocks an attack. All the words that follow are color explaining interesting ways that could happen, which could have other neat effects if the players aren't frustrating the GM with rules-lawyering. Even shorter: Command is basically Fascinate moved from vision- to hearing-based, minus the option to sacrifice your own future turns to make your subject miss turns.
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02-16-2018, 02:28 PM | #36 |
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?
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02-16-2018, 03:09 PM | #37 | |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?
Quote:
Honestly I always thought that "Attack (or stab/shoot/bash) yourself" was allowed based on the text, and the primary break on abuses was its fairly minimal resistance penalty and the -1/hex versus ranged attacks. |
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02-17-2018, 02:21 AM | #38 |
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?
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02-17-2018, 05:02 AM | #39 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?
Quote:
I’m quite surprised “lie down” isn’t the default, really. Pretty reliably wastes next turn as well.
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02-17-2018, 08:38 PM | #40 |
GURPS Line Editor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?
Exactly. You can tell somebody with a reach 1 axe or reach 1, 2 rapier or reach 1-3 halberd to attack themselves, but their lack of a reach C weapon is going to mean they do something worthless like spend their turn trying to turn their sword around to fall on it, or just punch themselves in the helmet. So it'll waste a turn but not accomplish a great deal. This is especially salient in the DFRPG (as opposed to GURPS), where the rules don't offer a plethora of options for using weapons in close.
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Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News] |
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