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Old 08-24-2016, 03:36 PM   #1
VariousRen
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Default [Sorcery] Afflicting Magic Resistance

As my parties designated buff wizard, I have been working on a spell to help our party members resist the magic effects of other wizards. I settled on afflicting magic resistance 10, which accomplishes everything I want it to. However, a question arose about afflicting magic resistance on a wizard. Magic Resistance as written does not allow characters with magery (Sorcerous Empowerment) to have it, and if you have magic resistance you cannot cast spells.

If I afflict an enemy (or friendly for that matter) mage with magic resistance, do they immediately lose the ability to cast spells? It seems like the proper way would be to make an affliction that negated the Sorcerous Empowerment advantage, but then what happens when they have magic resistance afflicted upon them?
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Old 08-24-2016, 04:19 PM   #2
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Default Re: [Sorcery] Afflicting Magic Resistance

I believe you're correct that it would disable all Magery and Sorcerous Empowerment if successful. Do note that the subject would get a HT roll to resist, and Sorcery Talent should would probably be allowed to add to HT for this (in which case, use the higher of Talent and Empowerment as spells do to resist dispelling, which would make high-power sorcerers really hard to shut down this way). Also note that DR will also add to this resistance roll unless it's done as a Malediction.
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Old 08-24-2016, 04:24 PM   #3
Culture20
 
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Default Re: [Sorcery] Afflicting Magic Resistance

According to RAW, it seems that way, of course would the addition of 10 levels of magic resistance trigger another save against your magic (thus canceling it once cast on anyone)?

I have never liked the concept of magic resistance as personal null-magic. It seems a better fit for creatures so magical they have extra magical defenses. Has anyone every statted out the value of MR that doesn't disable magery?
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Old 08-24-2016, 04:24 PM   #4
Christopher R. Rice
 
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Default Re: [Sorcery] Afflicting Magic Resistance

Quote:
Originally Posted by VariousRen View Post
As my parties designated buff wizard, I have been working on a spell to help our party members resist the magic effects of other wizards. I settled on afflicting magic resistance 10, which accomplishes everything I want it to. However, a question arose about afflicting magic resistance on a wizard. Magic Resistance as written does not allow characters with magery (Sorcerous Empowerment) to have it, and if you have magic resistance you cannot cast spells.
Right, so maybe create a spell with a basic and improved level: Basic - if you are hit with the spell and you have the ability to use magic you lose it while it's active. Improved - you can use magic and the spell's resistance normally.

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If I afflict an enemy (or friendly for that matter) mage with magic resistance, do they immediately lose the ability to cast spells?
Seeing as they get to resist it I don't see an issue. Yeah, they lose magic, but they get a bonus vs. hostile magic. That seems like a useful tradeoff.

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Originally Posted by VariousRen View Post
It seems like the proper way would be to make an affliction that negated the Sorcerous Empowerment advantage, but then what happens when they have magic resistance afflicted upon them?
That seems unnecessarily complex to me.
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Old 08-24-2016, 05:17 PM   #5
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Default Re: [Sorcery] Afflicting Magic Resistance

I liked how the version in Magic only applied a casting penalty equal to the MR to the target rather than completely removing their abilities. But that is harder to set up using advantages.

Personally, I prefer using Neutralize, Mana-Damper, and Static as the base advantage for anti-magic spells since these advantages are explicitly for power negation.

While I'm reluctant to do so, I might allow this build. Firstly, the target does get a chance to resist. Since the spell is targeting the sorcerer's abilities directly, I would use Rindis's suggestion of increasing the sorcerer's resistance. Secondly, unlike the above bases this method is vulnerable to being dispelled.
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Old 08-24-2016, 05:27 PM   #6
Christopher R. Rice
 
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Default Re: [Sorcery] Afflicting Magic Resistance

I'd call that a +50% version of Cosmic - you can cast, but you're at a penalty.
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Old 08-24-2016, 05:41 PM   #7
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: [Sorcery] Afflicting Magic Resistance

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Originally Posted by VariousRen View Post

If I afflict an enemy (or friendly for that matter) mage with magic resistance, do they immediately lose the ability to cast spells?
No. There are two ways to do it. You can say that because Magic Resistance is a taboo trait for people with some form of magery, the attempt to afflict Resistance on them simply won't work. Under this approach, you can't, say afflict a mundane stone with increased intelligence or increased movement. It has no intelligence to increase and it can't move under it's own power. Those traits are simply incompatible with "being a stone".

Alternately you could rule that it's just taboo to buy Magic Resistance for Mages. You can still afflict them with it or have them wear a Resistance gadget and they will still be able to cast spells. Just at minus whatever the level of Resistance is.
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Old 08-24-2016, 06:19 PM   #8
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Default Re: [Sorcery] Afflicting Magic Resistance

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Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
No. There are two ways to do it. You can say that because Magic Resistance is a taboo trait for people with some form of magery, the attempt to afflict Resistance on them simply won't work. Under this approach, you can't, say afflict a mundane stone with increased intelligence or increased movement. It has no intelligence to increase and it can't move under it's own power. Those traits are simply incompatible with "being a stone".

Alternately you could rule that it's just taboo to buy Magic Resistance for Mages. You can still afflict them with it or have them wear a Resistance gadget and they will still be able to cast spells. Just at minus whatever the level of Resistance is.
The first option is what I personally lean towards. But I was having trouble putting this into words. Thank you.
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Old 08-24-2016, 06:36 PM   #9
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Default Re: [Sorcery] Afflicting Magic Resistance

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Originally Posted by Culture20 View Post
I have never liked the concept of magic resistance as personal null-magic. It seems a better fit for creatures so magical they have extra magical defenses. Has anyone every statted out the value of MR that doesn't disable magery?
That would be the Improved enhancement.

As for Afflicting MR to a mage? I'd just say they're at a penalty equal to their MR, and the trade-off is that they're resistant to hostile mages.
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Old 08-25-2016, 11:44 AM   #10
VariousRen
 
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Default Re: [Sorcery] Afflicting Magic Resistance

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That would be the Improved enhancement.

As for Afflicting MR to a mage? I'd just say they're at a penalty equal to their MR, and the trade-off is that they're resistant to hostile mages.
If I have a spell that gives me flight though, how would magic resistance impede me? I don't have to make any rolls to fly, I just spend the FP to cast the spell and away I go.

One thing that my groups discussion has lead to is the concept of a counter-counter spell. Afflicting yourself with a small amount of MR (Allows own spellcasting +150%) should make it very difficult for an enemy mage to deny you your own casting powers (MR 3 would be a 6 point difference in the quick contest, for example). Fights might all start with mages casting their defensive spells first (before another mage has the ability to deny it to them), then they switch to buff/offensive spells.

I have one more question about how talents would apply in the above case though. When afflicting MR upon someone they can choose to resist, and assuming it's a malediction the roll is Will+talent vs HT. If a mage gives themselves a defensive magic resistance buff (of MR 3 in this case) is the roll now (Will + Enemy Talent - 3 vs HT + 3) OR (Will + Enemy Talent - 3 vs HT + Your Talent +3)
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