"Fast Cast" Melee Spell / Missile Spell

[Sdrolion]

My random resuming of forum activity continues.

I'm wondering if something like this exists anywhere: is there a perk anywhere to enable speedier use of a melee spell or missile spell? To clarify:

Normally, to use a melee/missile spell, you have to cast it first on one turn, and then on your next turn, you make the attack with it (no matter how high your skill with the spell is, you don't remove that "cast, then attack" sequence). Is there a perk/skill/advantage that enables you to cast it and attack with it on the same turn?

(Basic idea: a "fast draw" kind of effect for the melee/missile spell instead of for weapons.)

I'd imagine that if something like that exists...or if we were going to make one for our game...we should probably (unless the world is intended to be populated entirely by superfast casters) make it require a new perk/skill/etc. per spell.

Does anyone have any resources on this, or an idea of a fair way to do this (to not make it too powerful, but allow it)? I don't think just having a perk that just lets you cast that one and attack with it without any cost quite works, but neither am I sure there should be a separate skill for each one like Fast Draw...maybe something like this (based off the "Adjustable spell" rules and using "reduced time" as the modifier to get the general impact)?

Quick Cast: By casting at a -2 penalty and +2 to energy cost, you can cast one specific missile or melee spell (that you could already cast in only 1 second) quickly enough that you can still attack with it in the same turn. You may not "hold" the spell to charge it--therefore, you may only use it at the charge level you can reach on your initial casting.

Or, based off of Quick-Shooting Bows, from Martial Arts, without the perk:
Quick-Casting Spells: Melee or Missile spells can take a -6 penalty to casting and attack rolls to both cast and attack in the same turn. Since this prevents the spell from being "held" to charge it, you may only cast it at the power level that you could obtain with your initial casting.

With Quick-Casting Spells, I don't think I'd require a perk--that's based off something that the Martial Arts book basically allows any bowman to do, just at a hefty penalty...and -6 to cast and attack is a hefty penalty. The other one...a -2 penalty and +2 to energy...I think I'd require a perk for.

Any other thoughts or suggestions, or something obvious I missed in a book? O_O I have Magic, Thaumatology, Magical Styles, Martial Arts, and Fantasy (along with the Basic Set, of course).

[Diomedes]

I think the way to do this is with Compartmentalized Mind, or Altered Time Rate.

[sir_pudding]

Compartmentalized Mind (One Spell Only -80%) would still be 10 points.

[Sdrolion]

Yeah...Compartmentalized Mind, even with One Spell Only, is both a little pricey for this and a little powerful. CM would allow you to not only cast the spell and attack on the same turn (at no penalty), but also reliably cast that spell and one regular/area spell you had the same turn (though not after casting the melee/missile spell due to spell rules, unless you had the Melee or Missile mastery), or attack and then cast the spell, etc. There's probably more that it would allow that I'm missing. Obviously, yeah, if you're serious about being an amazing battle mage of doom able to do this with a dozen spells, then you want CM--but if you're a guy using, say, single-spell magery and only interested in doing this specific sequence with this specific spell...it might be a bit much.

So I think there's room for a smaller, more focused item that allows you to cast & attack only with one specific spell and in one specific way: you cast a spell, you attack with that spell...that's it.

[Diomedes]

So you want something like Compartmentalized Mind (Only to speed up Missile Spells).

[sir_pudding]

Extra Attack (One Attack -60%, Cosmic Doesn't require a prior Attack Maneuver +50%, Accessibility: Only after casting a single spell -50%) would also still be 10 points.

[mlangsdorf]

In my DF games, I've allowed people to fast-cast Jet, Missile and Melee spells at -6 to both the casting and attack rolls, with Weapon Master/TbaM reducing the attack roll penalty to -3.


I've also added two advantages dealing with fast-casting spells:

Battle Magic Mastery (10 points)
You reduce the penalty to Rapid Strike to cast and attack with a jet, melee, or missile spell to -3. This reduction is applied to both the the casting roll and the attack roll.

Heroic Evoker (20 points)
You reduce the penalty to Rapid Strike to cast and attack with a jet, melee, or missile spell to -3. This reduction is applied to both the the casting roll and the attack roll. If you make a Move and Attack with a missile spell, you suffer no penalty for the spell's Bulk. If you Step and Attack or All-Out Attack, you can add the spell's Acc to your roll as though you were a Heroic Archer.
If you have both Heroic Evoker and Battle Magic Mastery, you have only a -1 penalty to cast and attack with a jet, melee, or missile spell.


A couple of people have fast cast, at various times. I haven't seen a focused fast casting ranged wizard yet (with lots of Psychic Guidance perks, Heroic Evoker, Battle Magic Mastery, high skill in a few missile spells). I think that's because its more costly, points and fatigue wise, than being a Heroic Archer for not a whole lot of benefit.

[Figleaf23]

I can see how Compartmentalized Mind lets you handle a series of spells more efficiently, but not how it would help fire off the first one more quickly.

What about a Reduced Time enhancement on Magery?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

I can see how Compartmentalized Mind lets you handle a series of spells more efficiently, but not how it would help fire off the first one more quickly.

You use your extra mental Maneuver for a Concentrate to cast the spell, and your regular Maneuver for an Attack to fire it.

What about a Reduced Time enhancement on Magery?

Almost certainly broken.

[Sdrolion]

Yeah--"Reduced Time" on Magery is actually suggested to be flat-out disallowed per Thaumatology (as is Reduced FP). You use increased spell skill to reduce your time and cost with spells.

The trouble is that this never allows you to remove that last barrier to a single-turn melee/missile casting, thus why you'd need CM, ATR, or some of the custom rules suggested above.

mlangsdorf: Yeah...that's kind of along the lines of what I'm thinking. Maybe allow a person to take "Single Spell -80%" on one or both of those advans, and you'd end up with a person who specializes in it...just that he uses one spell instead of a bow. It's more costly FP-wise, but cheaper CP-wise...kind of. You did also have to buy Magery. And the spells. I'm more aiming to use it for melee spells, so the whole ranged thing isn't much of a concern to me.