Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Using spells based on X gives unexpected modifiers

Shimmin Beg · 06-15-2021, 07:39 AM

I'm trying to make a character with spellcasting based on Will, rather than IQ. I notice there's a modifier available for this on each spell. There's also the variant file Variant Magic 4e - Alt Attribute Will.gdf which I've installed.

The results aren't what I was expecting. My character has IQ 10 and Will 14, and Power Investiture 3.

If I simply add a spell, with the default 1 point, I get it at level 11. Okay, that's 10-2+3, so it's based on IQ.

If I select the "Will-based" modifier, my skill goes down to 7. Looking at the options, this is giving me a new modifier: "-4 from Create Fire (Clerical)". Seems odd...

so I pulled open the modifier itself, and it's calculating as gives -(ST:Will - ST:IQ) to owner::level. Will 14 - IQ 10 gives us 4, so it's giving me a -4 modifier. I would expect the opposite. The other X-based modifiers seem to work the same way.

As far as I can tell, this X-based modifier is calculating how much better X is than the normal attribute, and then penalizing you by that much, instead of benefiting you.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? Do I need to activate Variant Magic 4e - Alt Attribute Will.gdf somehow? I added it after first trying just the modifier and getting the result above. As far as I can tell nothing changed when I installed it and restarted.

06-15-2021, 07:39 AM	#1
Shimmin Beg Join Date: Nov 2020	Using spells based on X gives unexpected modifiers I'm trying to make a character with spellcasting based on Will, rather than IQ. I notice there's a modifier available for this on each spell. There's also the variant file Variant Magic 4e - Alt Attribute Will.gdf which I've installed. The results aren't what I was expecting. My character has IQ 10 and Will 14, and Power Investiture 3. If I simply add a spell, with the default 1 point, I get it at level 11. Okay, that's 10-2+3, so it's based on IQ. If I select the "Will-based" modifier, my skill goes down to 7. Looking at the options, this is giving me a new modifier: "-4 from Create Fire (Clerical)". Seems odd... so I pulled open the modifier itself, and it's calculating as gives -(ST:Will - ST:IQ) to owner::level. Will 14 - IQ 10 gives us 4, so it's giving me a -4 modifier. I would expect the opposite. The other X-based modifiers seem to work the same way. As far as I can tell, this X-based modifier is calculating how much better X is than the normal attribute, and then penalizing you by that much, instead of benefiting you. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Do I need to activate Variant Magic 4e - Alt Attribute Will.gdf somehow? I added it after first trying just the modifier and getting the result above. As far as I can tell nothing changed when I installed it and restarted.