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Old 09-29-2017, 02:50 PM   #11
David Johnston2
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Create Plant and Herb Lore

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
What does that even mean?
It means that you can't count on getting anything useful for a specific purpose except feeding something that can digest grass and leaves. You can't pick exactly what you get and it's mostly useful for things like creating obstacles, covering recently dug graves and pitfalls and keeping the soil from blowing away. You might be able to find a useful medicinal or poison plant but you'd have no more of a chance of doing it than you would in a similar expanse of natural growth.
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Old 09-29-2017, 07:30 PM   #12
Ailluminus
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Default Re: Create Plant and Herb Lore

So, the text of the spell doesn't specify whether it's "generic" vegetation to the landscape or if you're choosing what plant to Create, but I'm very sensitive to the argument that this could create an entire magic system around a single spell. In some ways, I'm SUPER into that, because that's interesting and rewards player creativity. On the other hand, it's a valid point that there should be character buy in on that.

It occurs to me that a very similar effect could be made by "seeding" an area and using Plant Growth (Or, in the Case of Fungimentalism, spreading spores about and using Fungus Growth) to develop into mature plants. This requires the player buy-in by demanding that they either find the appropriate herb or fungus and then maintain it at some level to be used and harvested. Once 'matured' that plant or mushroom could be harvested again for this "starter". It's also a lower process than Create Plant, taking 1 minute, rather than 1 second per FP.

I think that's more balanced, create something more of a sustainable Plant (or fungus) based system where Magic benefits Herb Lore, and also is Rules as Written as far as I can tell.

Let me know if I'm off base on that, though.

Thanks.
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Old 09-29-2017, 07:56 PM   #13
Flyndaran
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
Default Re: Create Plant and Herb Lore

I like it, because it does require forethought to make full use of.
It also leads to hypothetical adventures to gather super rare spores/seeds/etc. perhaps during the once in a century breeding time.
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Old 09-30-2017, 02:19 PM   #14
(E)
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
Default Re: Create Plant and Herb Lore

Thoughts
- plants with Magical properties are special, an option on a critical success roll maybe? But other wise out of reach of the simple spell.

- plants with beneficial properties will sometimes need to be mature (non magically rushed specimens) as the compounds may require external influences to force the plant to create them.

Having a sample or having created that plant before sounds like a good rule.
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Old 10-01-2017, 06:07 PM   #15
Jefepato
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Default Re: Create Plant and Herb Lore

Huh. I had kind of assumed that the caster could pretty much create the plants they wanted, but it's true that the spell doesn't say so. (The herbalist character I've been working on will be so disappointed.)

Of course, if you can get your hands on any seeds, Plant Growth will get you what you want soon enough, right? (Bless Plants and Essential Earth are helpful as well.)
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Old 10-02-2017, 01:43 PM   #16
Ashtagon
 
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Default Re: Create Plant and Herb Lore

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
It means that you can't count on getting anything useful for a specific purpose except feeding something that can digest grass and leaves. You can't pick exactly what you get and it's mostly useful for things like creating obstacles, covering recently dug graves and pitfalls and keeping the soil from blowing away. You might be able to find a useful medicinal or poison plant but you'd have no more of a chance of doing it than you would in a similar expanse of natural growth.
I'd allow players to make whatever appropriate skill checks to forage for useful plants in the newly-created patch. This would obviously be easier if the specific thing they are looking for is native to the area (the created plants are generic for the local climate and season).
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