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Old 01-19-2013, 01:32 AM   #1
Rohan
 
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Default Influence from enviroment on Elemental Mage

Hello there!

Which way is the best to show that a classic western Elementalist (Water, Earth, Air and Fire) can cast a Fire Spell easier in the desert or a burning fire but it is difficult for him to cast the same spell in a Ice Desert or in a River?

I want to do it like this: (Spell Boni)

+4 (on the Elemental Plane, for Example fire)
+3 (on a special place on the material plane, for example a Volcano, Ash Desert)
+2 (in the near of a big burning fire)
+1 (in the near of a fire )
+0
-1 (it is raining an there is no fire)
-2 (your standing in a River)
-3 (on the Sea)
-4 (on the Elemental Plane, Water)

This is one question.

Now the other one.
My player want to change his appearance when casting a special element.
For example: He cast Fireball, and his hair and eyey became temporaly burning and red.)

Is there a special Disadvantage for that?

Thanks for your answers and sorry for my bad english!
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Old 01-19-2013, 05:31 AM   #2
Mateus
 
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Default Re: Influence from enviroment on Elemental Mage

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rohan View Post
My player want to change his appearance when casting a special element.
For example: He cast Fireball, and his hair and eyey became temporaly burning and red.)

Is there a special Disadvantage for that?

Thanks for your answers and sorry for my bad english!
For that, I would put a Nuissance Effect (Basic Set: 112 - 113) on his Magery.
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Old 01-19-2013, 05:45 AM   #3
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Default Re: Influence from enviroment on Elemental Mage

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rohan View Post
Which way is the best to show that a classic western Elementalist (Water, Earth, Air and Fire) can cast a Fire Spell easier in the desert or a burning fire but it is difficult for him to cast the same spell in a Ice Desert or in a River?
If you're using Magic as Powers, then it's Environmental case. If you use actual Basic-Magic spell-based system, then I'd say it's limitation on Magery (Maybe even the very Environmental). Or this may be a feature of your universe, something like aspected Mana level.
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Old 01-19-2013, 06:35 AM   #4
Rohan
 
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Default Re: Influence from enviroment on Elemental Mage

Thank you all!

Rohan
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Old 01-19-2013, 09:11 PM   #5
Raekai
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Default Re: Influence from enviroment on Elemental Mage

I would say that if the positives and the negatives are equal like you have written then it is just a 0-point feature. It's similar to adjusting sight penalties in Fantasy. The minuses are balances out the pluses since they have fairly equal penalties/bonuses.
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Old 01-19-2013, 10:05 PM   #6
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Influence from enviroment on Elemental Mage

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rohan View Post
Now the other one.
My player want to change his appearance when casting a special element.
For example: He cast Fireball, and his hair and eyey became temporaly burning and red.)

Is there a special Disadvantage for that?
<snerk> Not really because it's not much of a disadvantage. It means that he's pretty obvious when casting an elemental spell, but most elemental spells are pretty obvious anyway. As for the spell modifiers, well they balance out don't they ?
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Old 01-19-2013, 11:20 PM   #7
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Default Re: Influence from enviroment on Elemental Mage

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<snerk> Not really because it's not much of a disadvantage. It means that he's pretty obvious when casting an elemental spell, but most elemental spells are pretty obvious anyway. As for the spell modifiers, well they balance out don't they ?
No, this should be a valid disadvantage. It makes the player an obvious perpetrator of the supernatural effect, as opposed to the spell itself being visible. Going off Low/No Signature this is a -5% limitation, for every +2 to a Perception based roll to detect the Caster/Spell, up to -25% when success is automatic.

I would be allowed as a free action Perception/Skill roll before he cast the spell, and for every round of casting if it had a multi round casting time. Success would give the element being cast at a minimum, and probably also the fatigue being put into the spell, and the Magery that is being applied to the spell. (a Perception based Thamaturgy skill roll would get the bonus, and yield even more information).

In any case, I would let anyone who made the roll treat any spell attack from such a Mage as Telegraphic, giving +2 to all active defenses to defend it.
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Old 01-19-2013, 11:48 PM   #8
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Default Re: Influence from enviroment on Elemental Mage

I would recommend simply saying that mana is aspected. This is discussed in Chapter 3 of GURPS Fantasy. Basically, you have each environment give bonuses to casting some spells and penalties to casting others. So, for example, a desert environment might give +1 or +2 to fire spells, and -1 or -2 to water spells. A city might give +1 or +2 to technology spells, or to necromantic spells, and -1 or -2 to healing spells, or to plant spells. This would not be a limitation on Magery or on any other advantage; it would be a feature of the world.

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Old 01-20-2013, 10:53 AM   #9
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Default Re: Influence from enviroment on Elemental Mage

This is clearly a case of aspected mana.

Also, about the mage's hair getting all fiery: there's an insert in Thaumatology (p25) that discusses how to simulate that kind of effect. It gives some examples and rules, it's interesting and I strongly recommend you go take a look. But it's basically a variation of the Unnatural Features disadvantage.
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Old 01-20-2013, 12:27 PM   #10
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Default Re: Influence from enviroment on Elemental Mage

Quote:
Originally Posted by Qhaysh View Post
This is clearly a case of aspected mana.
If it applies to everyone, it is. But if only some wizards get that effect, then it would just be a feature, or maybe a limitation, depending on how common deserts are vs rivers in this game.

Last edited by Dalillama; 01-20-2013 at 03:19 PM.
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