|
03-23-2020, 04:29 AM | #1 |
Join Date: May 2018
|
Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills
If a wizard fails the contest of wills to gain a wish, the demon attacks him. Page 143 says, "Pentagrams will not protect the wizard in this battle of wills – though a good pentagram would prevent the demon from smashing anything else after he finished off the wizard!"
How is it possible for the demon to attack the wizard when it can't cross the pentagram and it has no ranged attacks? I suggest this clarification: If there is a pentagram, the wizard must be on the same side as the demon for the contest of wills to take place. So if a wizard summons a demon into a pentagram, the wizard must enter the pentagram with the demon in order to gain a wish. Last edited by zot; 03-23-2020 at 09:23 AM. Reason: typeo |
03-23-2020, 07:54 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: North Texas
|
Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills
Or perhaps the 'battle of wills' is an abstraction for determining how secure the wizard's pentagram really is. If the demon wins, it means they found a flaw which makes the wizard vulnerable to attack.
__________________
“No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.” -Vladimir Taltos |
03-23-2020, 08:41 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
|
Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills
The section on demon summoning does not come across as thoroughly playtested, since there are obvious contradictions. I don't use these rules as written, but as a cursory guide. I also prefer the demon stats from the original ITL.
|
03-23-2020, 09:04 AM | #5 |
Join Date: May 2018
|
Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills
I think my suggestion might resolve all of the contradictions...
|
03-23-2020, 09:49 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
|
Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills
|
03-24-2020, 10:22 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: May 2015
|
Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills
Quote:
And a GM who does see it as a problem can of course change whatever they want. But yes, changes are needed. The part about the pentagram not protecting in the contest of wills is left over from the original version, where losing the contest means you die, no combat, and get to roll another such contest to see if you can be revived, or if you're a pile of ash. I would tend to either use the original system, or develop my own invention for how it works and what demons are really like and what their abilities really are. Because I want wishes to be very rare and special things, which don't get industrially produced and mostly don't ever come into actual play, because it risks a very rare and powerful wizard to have even a chance to produce one. |
|
03-24-2020, 07:46 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
|
Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills
Quote:
Allow the contest of wills as written, but allow a +5 bonus to the IQ of the lesser demon or demon and impose a -5 penalty to the IQ of the wizard. It could be claimed these are the result of the hostile and alien mind of the demon and the effects it has on the wizard. It should make it much harder to obtain a wish. Just a thought. |
|
03-23-2020, 09:03 AM | #9 |
Join Date: May 2018
|
Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills
The text indicates that the demon does not find a flaw in the pentagram because if the wizard dies, the pentagram still prevents the demon from smashing anything else: "Pentagrams will not protect the wizard in this battle of wills – though a good pentagram would prevent the demon from smashing anything else after he finished off the wizard!"
|
03-23-2020, 10:25 AM | #10 | |
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: North Texas
|
Re: Resolving problem with pentagrams and wish contest of wills
Quote:
Getting inside the pentagram would be a very bad idea.
__________________
“No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.” -Vladimir Taltos |
|
|
|