05-24-2022, 09:51 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
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Staff Zaps
The Staff spell enchants the target of the spell to be an "occult weapon" (ITL 18) that costs one fatigue to inflict a flare of magical energy. As with most other enchantments this spell has no impact on ordinary physical uses of the enchanted item. (Other than the immunity to critical failures of the Staff II+ (ITL 23), and the combination of physical attack and occult attack as a single action with Staff IV+ (ITL 30))
The staff zap is the use of a magic item and not the casting of a spell (ITL 148), that apparently functions as per the casting of special spell, and hence has the same modifiers as a thrown spell, other than range. (ITL 140). See the note about using any magic item (including the Dagger-Staff) in HTH at Hexagram #9, page 3. Thrown Spells have the same to-hit penalties for target type as thrown weapons (ITL 115), save that they never hit any target the wizard did not intend to hit. The net result of all of this is that the staff zap doesn't get facing bonuses (as thrown weapons do not, see map example at ITL 114) and spells do not (ITL 106). But it is subject to visibility and evasiveness to-hit mods of the target. I take the "The wizard must be holding or wearing the staff for it to be useful" note at ITL 148 to indicate that a worn staff can function as a mana battery, but that the occult zap requires that the staff be held in hand and ready.
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-HJC Last edited by hcobb; 05-24-2022 at 09:55 AM. |
05-24-2022, 10:25 AM | #2 | |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
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Re: Staff Zaps
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05-24-2022, 10:36 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
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Re: Staff Zaps
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Hexagram #9 does evidently refer to the occult attack as "a spell cast using a magic item", but since there is no such spell as "occult attack", I frankly don't take that reference terribly literally. Moreover, why on earth do you say (1) it's a special spell and (2) oh, but never mind about range? I guess that makes it a very special spell. It seems to me, Henry, that the reason that you claim it's a special spell and yet ignore range is because (1) you want to cast into HTH with no fear of hitting an ally and (2) you just don't want range modifiers. But, wants aside, you ought to pick one consistent view or another. Either it really is a spell (and in particular a special spell) and so you get (1) but lose (2) or it's not a spell at all but an attack and so you lose (1) but you get (2). |
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05-24-2022, 11:25 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
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Re: Staff Zaps
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05-24-2022, 11:56 AM | #5 | |
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Indiana
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Re: Staff Zaps
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I realize that ITL states that unless otherwise stated, adjust DX for range like that if thrown spells and that there is no mention of range DX adjustments in the Staff Spells. However, to me, that kind of defeats the advantage of having the staff spells. The occult attack range is limited to two hexes anyway.It's not like the wizard is going to be making this attack across the map. At a minimum, there should be no minus for the adjacent hex. I would consider house ruling it in that direction. |
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05-24-2022, 01:03 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
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Re: Staff Zaps
Consider, though, that the occult attack can't be dodged or defended against, and, at higher levels, it bypasses worn or natural armor. The modest range penalty offsets those advantages a little.
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05-24-2022, 01:57 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Indiana
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Re: Staff Zaps
There's valid arguments either direction. Looks like GM house rule territory.
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05-24-2022, 02:23 PM | #9 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
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Re: Staff Zaps
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It also suggests, as Henry says, that you can use the occult zap to hit a target in HTH with no chance of hitting a friend. I could live with that, though it contradicts the position I've taken before. And I suppose that even if the FAQ in Hexagram doesn't outright state "Occult zap is cast as a spell by using the staff", I suppose the balance of evidence is on that side. But, if that's how we're going to interpret it, then the staff must (as you say) have range modifiers, even at one hex distance, for consistency's sake. |
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05-24-2022, 02:26 PM | #10 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
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Re: Staff Zaps
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