Buffing Slippery Floor

[Shostak]

Given that standing on broken ground or a fallen figure imposes a -2DX penalty, I submit that Slippery Floor should, as well.

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Given that standing on broken ground or a fallen figure imposes a -2DX penalty, I submit that Slippery Floor should, as well.

What's the talent for ice skating?

[Axly Suregrip]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Given that standing on broken ground or a fallen figure imposes a -2DX penalty, I submit that Slippery Floor should, as well.

I see your logic. It is a spell that underperforms & is taken seldomly.

I always thought the big problem with it is being a Thrown spell. Change it to be a Creation spell (Sticky Floor as well) and it become easier to use since less DX is required to cast it. But not your point.

Balance questions arise:
- How does Slippery Floor now compare to: Clumsiness, Rope and Sticky Floor. Are those now replaced? Should they be?

I think it is worth a try. Can you tell your players, "There is a shift in the power of this spell. No telling if it is permanent but wizards that use it across the lands have noted the change." See how it goes and let us know.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip

I see your logic. It is a spell that underperforms & is taken seldomly.

I always thought the big problem with it is being a Thrown spell. Change it to be a Creation spell (Sticky Floor as well) and it become easier to use since less DX is required to cast it. But not your point.

Balance questions arise:
- How does Slippery Floor now compare to: Clumsiness, Rope and Sticky Floor. Are those now replaced? Should they be?

I think it is worth a try. Can you tell your players, "There is a shift in the power of this spell. No telling if it is permanent but wizards that use it across the lands have noted the change." See how it goes and let us know.

The range penalty certainly hurts this spell, but no more so than any other Thrown spell.

Sure, a buffed Slippery Floor would compare pretty favorably to Rope, but it is a higher-IQ spell, after all. Also, since Rope is a Creation spell, Slippery Floor is typically less reliably cast than Rope.

If Slippery Floor is buffed, Sticky Floor should also offer some other benefit in order to keep it balanced against it’s slick sibling—perhaps a similar DX penalty and/or making it harder to get up from the ground, pick up dropped weapon, launch into flight, etc. Or maybe it requires a 3/ST roll to move at all.

[Axly Suregrip]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Sure, a buffed Slippery Floor would compare pretty favorably to Rope, but it is a higher-IQ spell, after all. Also, since Rope is a Creation spell, Slippery Floor is typically less reliably cast than Rope.

True. These (Rope vs new Slippery) still seem balanced.

Originally Posted by Shostak

If Slippery Floor is buffed, Sticky Floor should also offer some other benefit in order to keep it balanced against it’s slick sibling—perhaps a similar DX penalty and/or making it harder to get up from the ground, pick up dropped weapon, launch into flight, etc. Or maybe it requires a 3/ST roll to move at all.

Okay, I can see some of this making sense. I disagree with Sticky Floor giving a DX penalty. Stop spell doesn't and it is essentially a area-affect Stop spell. I do like the other ideas you have that seem related to stickiness. May I suggest:

- getting up from prone or kneeling: 4/ST & 3/ST save, respectively.

- picking up a dropped item from a sticky hex (note, since you can pick up from an adjacent hex, the person does not have to be in the sticky hex, just the item): 4/ST save

- I would just keep the 1 MA rule as is. So, for flight they can just take off but go no more than 1 hex the first turn.

[tomc]

Originally Posted by Shostak

The range penalty certainly hurts this spell, but no more so than any other Thrown spell.

A quick buff for thrown spells is to count the range in Megahexes, rather than hexes. There were lots of thrown spells we never used until this buff.

It's very different, but it makes your everyday wizard kinda nasty...

[Axly Suregrip]

Originally Posted by tomc

A quick buff for thrown spells is to count the range in Megahexes, rather than hexes. There were lots of thrown spells we never used until this buff.

It's very different, but it makes your everyday wizard kinda nasty...

Yikes, this is a bit much. Start counting range after the adjacent hex. That is, 1 hex less.

[tomc]

Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip

Yikes, this is a bit much. Start counting range after the adjacent hex. That is, 1 hex less.

Like I said, it's real different when you have to worry about the wizard across the room casting drop weapon.

I'd recommend making wizards rare with this, because they're dangerous. Certainly not balanced against fighters with similar attribute totals.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip

I disagree with Sticky Floor giving a DX penalty.

I know what you mean. The GM in the Saturday night game I play in suggested that Sticky Floor could give a DX bonus to attacks made against the figure stuck, which is a nice reversal

[hcobb]

Enchant the bottom of your boat with mobile slippery floor and sail the land.