Water Jet damage Question [magic]

[Tinman]

Water Jet: p.187 of magic it says in the text that it does knockback to all targets & damage to creatures of flame. It can kill or knockdown flying swarm creatures.

1) Does that mean it only does knockback to ground swarms & not real damage?

2) all the most other jets that say they do knockback in the text (Air jet, Mud Jet, Snow Jet) list the damage as 1d knockback. Water Jet says 1d damage.
Q: is it supposed to be only knckback or is it real damage?

(Second Printing)
thanks.

[Tinman]

Another question/errata: pyramid 4-1 p.9 the sting spell doesn't have any max limit to the amount of energy that can be put into the spell.
Is that an error?

One more: Magic p.196 Shocking touch
All the other lightning spells do 1d-1 per en. This one does 1d+1. Error?
(Second Printing)

[ehrbar]

Originally Posted by Tinman

Water Jet: p.187 of magic it says in the text that it does knockback to all targets & damage to creatures of flame. It can kill or knockdown flying swarm creatures.

1) Does that mean it only does knockback to ground swarms & not real damage?

2) all the most other jets that say they do knockback in the text (Air jet, Mud Jet, Snow Jet) list the damage as 1d knockback. Water Jet says 1d damage.
Q: is it supposed to be only knckback or is it real damage?

(Second Printing)
thanks.

I would treat it as knockback-only to most targets, crushing damage to fire and flying swarms. (And am adding that specification to my unofficial errata PDF.)

Originally Posted by Tinman

Another question/errata: pyramid 4-1 p.9 the sting spell doesn't have any max limit to the amount of energy that can be put into the spell.
Is that an error?

It might have been, but it's not a major one. Since Sting is a Missile spell, we go to the general rules on page 12 of Magic, which says:

"On a success, you may invest one or more points of energy in the spell, to a maximum of a number of energy points equal to your Magery level."

Originally Posted by Tinman

One more: Magic p.196 Shocking touch
All the other lightning spells do 1d-1 per en. This one does 1d+1. Error?
(Second Printing)

No. The difference is that the 1d-1 spells are ranged Missile spells, while Shocking Touch is a melee-only spell. You get more damage in exchange for no range.

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by ehrbar

I would treat it as knockback-only to most targets, crushing damage to fire and flying swarms. (And am adding that specification to my unofficial errata PDF.)


It might have been, but it's not a major one. Since Sting is a Missile spell, we go to the general rules on page 12 of Magic, which says:

"On a success, you may invest one or more points of energy in the spell, to a maximum of a number of energy points equal to your Magery level."


No. The difference is that the 1d-1 spells are ranged Missile spells, while Shocking Touch is a melee-only spell. You get more damage in exchange for no range.

I'd agree except burning touch p.76 doesn't get any damage bonus and both ignore armor (which i'd argue is the bonus for melee combat).
Fireball: 1d/e -> B.Touch: 1d/e
Ltng: 1d-1/e -> S.Touch: 1d+1/e
A big jump.

[ehrbar]

Originally Posted by Tinman

I'd agree except burning touch p.76 doesn't get any damage bonus and both ignore armor (which i'd argue is the bonus for melee combat).
Fireball: 1d/e -> B.Touch: 1d/e
Ltng: 1d-1/e -> S.Touch: 1d+1/e
A big jump.

Hmm. Looking back and comparing with 3rd edition:

3e: Fireball: 1d/e, Breathe Fire 1d+1/e, Burning Touch 1d/e.
3e: Lightning 1d-1/s, Lightning Stare 1d/e, Shocking Touch 1d/e.

4e: Fireball 1d/e, Breathe Fire 1d+1/e, Burning Touch 1d/e.
4e: Lightning 1d-1/s, Lightning Stare 1d/e, Shocking Touch 1d+1/e.

So, it's not systematic in either edition, but it's not clear why Shocking Touch would get even further out of line in 4th edition. It's entirely possible + instead of - for Shocking Touch was a typo made when the 4th edition reviser two decades ago intended to make it a systematic "-1 relative to Fire equivalent".