Reversing Missile spells

[pzmcgwire]

On ITL p.135, it indicates that a wizard who casts a missile spell and hits its target has the missile spell sent back to him and if it misses him, it continues past him.

This seems to allow wizards to make a roll to miss a reversed missile spell unlike regular hero archers who always get hit by their own missiles.

Another wizardly advantage?

[hcobb]

My reading is that Reverse Missiles is more effective against missile spells, reflecting even misses back at the caster.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by pzmcgwire

On ITL p.135, it indicates that a wizard who casts a missile spell and hits its target has the missile spell sent back to him and if it misses him, it continues past him.

This seems to allow wizards to make a roll to miss a reversed missile spell unlike regular hero archers who always get hit by their own missiles.

Another wizardly advantage?

No advantage; there is only one roll, as described on ITL 23. The wizard casts a missile spell against someone protected with Reverse Missiles, and rolls to hit, as normal. Then, if the roll is successful, instead of hitting its target, the spell doubles back and hits the caster. This is exactly the same as for normal missile. I suspect that p.135's mention of the missile spell continuing past the wizard who cast it if it misses him is due the spell Turn Missiles, which would make his spell pass by him to anyone directly behind.

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by Shostak

No advantage; there is only one roll, as described on ITL 23. The wizard casts a missile spell against someone protected with Reverse Missiles, and rolls to hit, as normal. Then, if the roll is successful, instead of hitting its target, the spell doubles back and hits the caster. This is exactly the same as for normal missile. I suspect that p.135's mention of the missile spell continuing past the wizard who cast it if it misses him is due the spell Turn Missiles, which would make his spell pass by him to anyone directly behind.

You could have two characters with Reverse Missiles. In which case, the spell/missle could endlessly go back and forth until either one them stopped the spell, was knocked unconscious, or died.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by Bill_in_IN

You could have two characters with Reverse Missiles. In which case, the spell/missle could endlessly go back and forth until either one them stopped the spell, was knocked unconscious, or died.

Or if they moved to another hex out of the path of the missile.

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Or if they moved to another hex out of the path of the missile.

Correct. I forgot that option. You may have to tell your party to stay clear of being directly behind.

[hcobb]

1. Which side is making the roll to miss when an innocent bystander wanders into the field of fire a few turns in?
2. And what happens to the missile spell after it expends its maximum range by bouncing back and forth?

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by hcobb

1. Which side is making the roll to miss when an innocent bystander wanders into the field of fire a few turns in?
2. And what happens to the missile spell after it expends its maximum range by bouncing back and forth?

That's where a GM does their job and makes the call. Here's my take on it.

To your first question, I would make the last Reverse Missile spell controller be in control of the missile path make the roll.

To our second question, I guess that the GM could base that on the stated max range for the spell or missile weapon as a starting point and then work it from their. When they move that far apart, it loses energy and falls to the ground.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Which side is making the roll to miss when an innocent bystander wanders into the field of fire a few turns in?

The person who cast/loosed the missile.

And what happens to the missile spell after it expends its maximum range by bouncing back and forth?

It’s magic, so I’d be inclined to dispense with this level of book-keeping.

[tomc]

Originally Posted by hcobb

1. Which side is making the roll to miss when an innocent bystander wanders into the field of fire a few turns in?
2. And what happens to the missile spell after it expends its maximum range by bouncing back and forth?

1) I'd expect the missile to have traveled is maximum range long before the start of the next turn. If missiles were slow enough to take more than one turn (5 seconds) to travel their maximum range (ST x 25 hexes), dodging them would be pretty easy.

2) The same thing that happens after it expends it's maximum range by traveling in a straight line: it fizzles out.