05-17-2021, 04:53 AM | #1 |
Join Date: May 2021
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Can non-mages use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area
So this doesn't seem clear to me, in the books it says that wands and staffs give you the power to cast the spells enchanted in them without knowing them but you are under all other normal limitations for the spell so does that mean that non-mages will have to follow the limitations of not being able to cast spells in normal mana area?
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05-17-2021, 06:26 AM | #2 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: Can non-mages use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area
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1) no ritual (ie words, hands, feet)The end "All other effects are as usual for that spell" does sort of lend the impression that perhaps this stuff only works for non-mages in high power, unless I'm missing something. Would be interesting how this would apply to "Always On" items since they operate differently: "These items don’t let the wearer cast the spell – they automatically cast the spell on the wearer"So the question is: do always-on items only work (even for Mages, since they aren't casting the spell it doesn't matter) in High/VH Mana since items are not mages and can't cast spells in Normal/Low Mana? If the answer is yes then you could do some workarounds I think If the answer is no (enchanted items count as having magery 0 and effectively impart one-spell magery 0 to their users in respect to spells they give the ability to cast) then I'd probably just want to make a note of wherever a book/FAQ clarifies this. One possible workaround: if we use the optional non-mages casting in low mana rules (-6 to skill, Thaumatology) then this shouldn't be a problem: you could either apply the -6 to the Power, or else just ignore the -6 since it's Power and not Skill. "Least of Spells" magic items should also work in normal mana since IQ/A spells are usable by non-mages in normal, and ignore the -5 to skill for Mages in Low Mana. Not sure if they would ignore the -5 to Power for Mages using in Low Mana though. Last edited by Plane; 05-17-2021 at 06:29 AM. |
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05-17-2021, 08:56 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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Re: Can non-mages use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area
Yes, non-mages can cast spells by using magic items unless its description says they can only be used my mages. That is the intention of the third and fourth sentense of page 19 of Magic. "Some are only usable by Mages" here means "many can be used by non-mages".
*** text added below *** It is safe to interprate that the text applies to "normal" mana. If not, it would have mentioned so. Last edited by finn; 05-18-2021 at 05:29 PM. |
05-18-2021, 04:32 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: Can non-mages use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area
The question isn't whether or not non-mages can use them, just WHERE they can use them.
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05-18-2021, 05:30 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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Re: Can non-mages use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area
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05-18-2021, 10:21 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Re: Can non-mages use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area
I'm not looking at the book, but my recollection is that a spell's "power" is the skill at which it was cast and an enchantment requires a power of at least 15. So, if the mana level reduces the "power" to less than 15 the item wouldn't work. Or, in other words, you'd need a skill of 20 to make an item that works in low mana areas.
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05-19-2021, 12:00 AM | #7 | |
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Re: Can non-mages use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area
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It was and still is an inconstancy that annoys me no end. It seems to exist only to allow look at the table of spells and use that energy cost rather than remember to subtract 1 as they item is as skill 15 minimum.
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05-19-2021, 05:55 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: Can non-mages use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area
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If you're looking for more of a narrativist explanation (the above is purely gamist - "more utility = more cost"), perhaps it has to do with control of variables. The person enchanting the item has a lot of control over it, so can reduce the cost (to nothing) to have it always on fire, or always making invisible whatever it is placed upon, or whatever. Something that instead grants a spell to whoever wields it has a lot more variables that can come into play, so the creator can't reduce the cost.
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05-19-2021, 07:56 AM | #9 |
Join Date: May 2021
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Re: Can non-mages use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area
It seems my question was answered with that yes non-mages can use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area.
Thank you guys for answering and sorry for not replying sooner this question was eating away at me for so long. |
05-19-2021, 07:17 PM | #10 | ||
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sumter, SC
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Re: Can non-mages use magic item to cast spells in normal mana area
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normal mana, using magic items |
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