Time for a wizard!

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Stone Dog

I agree with Sir Pudding about the light a fireball would give off, but I think that mitigating darkness penalties equal to fatigue spent in the spell / x might be reasonable. Fatigue divided by two or three though?

That makes fireballs cast by higher skilled wizards dimmer. It also isn't how light sources in the DFRPG work, which give a radius of effect with no penalty and -3 out to three times the radius. Also if an 18d explosive fireball negates -18 or -12 in penalties it would be significantly brighter than daylight, which is, I think, way too bright.

[Stone Dog]

Technically I meant FP in the spell itself, not how much FP the mage spent after discount, but I see and agree with your point.

Maybe an equivalent level of illumination for every X number of dice? I think an 18d fireball should be pretty hard to look at.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Stone Dog

Maybe an equivalent level of illumination for every X number of dice? I think an 18d fireball should be pretty hard to look at.

I wouldn't want to make "I carry a fully charged fireball" able to blind people and kill vampires, or make it a no-brainer alternative to Continual Light, or make it totally incompatible with stealth.

I also personally don't envision them in their held state to be especially bright (but rather they flare when fired), or that damage effects brightness much (hotter flames aren't necessarily brighter in the visual spectrum).

"As a candle, regardless of damage" seems to be fairest, IMO.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by JMason

I was thinking about this the other day. If a wizard has a Fireball held at the end of his/her staff, how much light does it give off? An extra light source for the party, without taking up weapon hands (wizard already holding the staff) seems like a nice "extra".

A Flame Jet of any size or any kind of Flaming Weapon is equivalent to a lantern or torch (Exploits, p. 19), so I'd be kind and say that a held Fireball, Explosive Fireball, Lightning, Explosive Lightning, or Sunbolt of any size works the same way. It's true that this means offensive spells can sometimes cast more light than a more expensive Continual Light spell . . . but they're also spells "on" and dangerous, and in the case of Missile spells they're barriers to casting further spells.

[Stone Dog]

And wouldn't count as sunlight for vampire purposes anyway, I imagine.

[Kromm]

Folks, this is just a friendly reminder to keep GURPS-specific concepts – complex builds, especially – out of this forum. By all means discuss such stuff over in the GURPS forum. Here, please just give it a clever name, state its effects, and propose a point cost. Thanks!

[adm]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

...or make it a no-brainer alternative to Continual Light...

I would note that you might still want the Continual Light spell after you toss that Fireball.

[Flyndaran]

I know I wouldn't want a dungeon mage-disco-strobe-rave.

[JMason]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I know I wouldn't want a dungeon mage-disco-strobe-rave.

... and now I know what I DO want for my next dungeon theme.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by adm

I would note that you might still want the Continual Light spell after you toss that Fireball.

Setting your enemy on fire is even better than having a light source centered on you.