Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

Does the caster of a Flight Spell or the recipient of a Flight Spell control the MA if the two are not the same person? Or may it be the caster passes control to the recipient even though the caster energizes the spell?

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

Good question. The subject of the spell (the recipient) controls his/her flying.

"Lets subject fly" - is the opening sentence to the spell. Thus it is the subject doing the flying.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

I concur. Detailed questions like the OP do make us think about these things that we used to just take for granted. So, the wording that you pointed out is very important.

I find this in many things these days. There is a tendency to ask detailed questions and the answer usually lies in the wording as you pointed out which is a good thing. I find this in the workplace and test procedures. Younger people come along and ask a detailed question. You look for an answer in the wording and point it out to them. Some get it. Some don't. Also, I have found that some people came behind me and took such wording out of a procedure that I wrote years earlier. I point out what is meant or supposed to be stated and then work to fix it.

Some of the best questions for me to answer at work is, "Why do we do it that way?" Sometimes, it's been well over a decade since I even had to think about it. It makes me go back over it and make sure that my thinking was correct or still applicable.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

Looking at the Flight spell, it seems stronger than the Telekinesis spell. 1) there is no listed weight limit for the former, while the latter is limited to the caster's ST ("...that he could do if his own body were there.") The Flight spell can essentially lift any (willing?) one-hex creature provided that the mind of the target knows what to do with the spell.

2) While the Telekinesis spell provides a more finer control over an inanimate object with untying of ropes or wielding a sword, would it be able to lift an unwilling person, if we consider that people aren't objects?

Carrying the average normal-sized person (150 lbs) would take a ST of 15.

And a person may carry up to 15 times ST (150 lbs at ST 10) for 10 minutes taking 1 fatigue every 2 minutes.

A person with a ST 9 could just lift (161 lbs), but not carry (max'ed at 135 lbs).

Approaching this with the concept of finding someone's "lack of faith in the Force disturbing" yet without the choking part.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

Flight is fundamentally different than Telekinesis in that it grants the power to fly rather than subjecting something to magical manipulation as though at the hands of an invisible version of the wizard casting the spell.

No, it grants the power of flight.

Telekinesis could lift anything, provided the ST. Buff up a wizard’s ST sufficiently, and yes, they could lift a person off their feet. Or feel free to build a more powerful version of Telekinesis that lets the caster move objects as though their ST were some number of points higher (perhaps determined by how much ST they put into the spell). That could be cool.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

I see an opportunity here. Let the ST put in be dynamic. The caster keeps adding more ST spent, and the GM tells them when it finally lifts. Especially fun with an evil GM:

Wiz [rolling successfully]: That's Telekinesis I just cast on that blue chest to lift it.

GM: Okay! How much ST did you put into it.

Wiz: Hmm... I spend 2, that should do it.

GM [consults his notes]: Nope, it hasn't moved yet.

Wiz: Sure ok, I guess that's bigger than I thought. I put in 4 instead.

GM: Still not moving...

Wiz: Dang! Ok, make it 6.

GM: You really want to spend 6 ST?

Wiz: Yeah, that's gotta do it!

GM: Still not moving.

Wiz: Huh? Grrr... Okay! I spent 10 ST! So there.

GM: Still not moving

Wiz: Oh good grief! [bends over, looking closely]

Wiz: HEY! This thing is nailed to the floor!

GM: Maybe you should have looked before spending 10 ST

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

There already are rules for higher fatigue costs for casting Flight or Telekinesis on multi-hex figures.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

Thanks for this answer.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

Shostak says "No, it grants the power of flight."

Unless the subject knows he has a flight spell on him, is he going to know he can fly?

He might go through the duration of the spell, not knowing he could.

The caster had better tell the subject that he can fly.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

He knows he can fly when someone trips him and he misses the ground.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

That could be said of many spells. Will the subject know that they now have Acid Touch, Hammertouch, or that they can Breathe Fire? Will they know that they now enjoy magical protection like Reverse Missiles, Fireproofing, Shock Shield, or Stone Flesh? Will they know that their DX has been boosted by Aid such that they might seriously consider an aimed shot or sweeping blow? Will they know that they have Speed Movement unless they try to move faster? Or will they notice that they are the subject of Unnoticeability, Invisibility?

Knowledge of any of those is almost certain to affect what actions players choose for their characters. If one requires a wizard to notify someone that they can fly before allowing that character to utilize the spell, similar notification might be required for other spells.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

And if you consider that the wizard does need to inform the spell subject, is your group going to insist that the player of the wizard specifically say something to provide that notification? If so, when? Is there a chance that what we'll have here is a failure to communicate? Does it make the game more interesting if there's a notification failure?

"Talk" isn't one of the TFT Options, so mechanically the notification doesn't even make it up to the doesn't-actually-cost-anything "free action" that's usual in RPGs. Yelling "Rognak, you can fly!" is beneath TFT's level of notice.

So, what would it mean to require some explicit notification, rather than just assume that such takes place as the wizard successfully finishes casting the spell? I assume you don't expect players to chant "Quas An Wis" or "In Vas Grav Corp" whenever they cast a spell, or else the spell doesn't actually happen.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

Notifications could easily influence the opposing side, too. If you tell someone they are safe from missiles, those who aim missiles may well just choose a different target.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

I keep it simple. The subject of a flight spell feels they can fly and just know. This works in a world where there is magic and a flight spell is not an unusual thing. Even if it is an animal.

If wizards in your world are rare, then the wizard should communicate it. Either ahead of time or during casting. How audible this may be to the foes is up to the GM. If not discussed ahead of time, how unbelievable this is in such a world is a whole other angle that may be an obstacle.

Lots of room for having it either way. GMs can make this fun.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

I've pondered for years about options other than the ones that are lettered out in the OPTIONS list (ITL p 102). Where is reading or picking the lock or any of the other non-combat things to be done. I have come to the conclusion that they can be included in any of the lettered options on the list, except perhaps Cast Spell and Disbelieve.

• Errol Flynn (k) repartee as he deflects a sword thrust.
• Jack (a) standing next to the keyhole picking the lock while the rest of the gang fight back the guards.
• Sally (h) swaying 1 hex while she sings and spins (using that letter option to do an audio thing and not casting a spell!)
• Sally (b) dancing her way across the ballroom.
• Wilma (i) listens to Dick pontificate as she Detects Lies. [a variation of Disbelieve]
• Tom (g) stands and whispers to Bruce that he's going to cast FLY on him in the next couple of seconds.
• Mary & Jason (t) performing night activities in bed, perhaps with hand-weapon.

Re: Who controls the MA for Flight Spell?
 

A good point. Such knowledge can affect the battle, so it may be worth houseruleing who knows.

That will drag in questions about languages, or whether the other side's archer knows who "Rognak" is so as to avoid making him their target. Enterprising players will no doubt invent codes if they have to shout in "common". "Rognak Kelebor. Repeat, Rognak Kelebor." Of course, for groups that don't care to actually invent, memorize, and require use of the code at the table, we just get back to "friendlies know, enemies don't, and it takes no extra time".

Seems likely. Even most of the games that do explicitly add an action to their list of combat stuff tend to stuff everything possible into a single generic "Perform Action" (by whatever name). Or the systems that have multiple categories; "move actions", "attack actions", "free actions" (not always so free that you can do more than one per turn), "fast actions", "slow actions", "bonus actions", "reactions", "long actions", "double actions"... it doesn't take long to get to a list as long as TFTs, only with more generic category names. So there should be plenty of space in the TFT list to houserule a list that says "A, B, and C count as an attack; D counts as a Move; E, F, and G cost your defense", and whatever other equivalence may seem suitable.

Would you make the act of shouting some sort of warning or notification an option that conflicts with any of the TFT actions or MA, and if so, which one? Or is talking a "free option" that you can do in parallel with the any of the RAW list?