Talent/Spell of the Week: Aid

[Shostak]

The humble IQ 9 Aid spell sits among the most useful spells in the book, increasing one of its target's attributes by one for each point of ST invested in the casting. Most often used to buff others (at least in my experience), Aid can be used by a caster on himself to prepare for an immediate challenge. The spell is requisite for anyone wanting to work as a wizard's apprentice or a journeyman wizard, and one of the best spells for someone who likes helping others shine.

Aiding DX and IQ is perfectly straightforward, but Aiding ST is another matter, as I had confirmed by TFT's Line Editor. If, for instance, a wizard has his ST raised by Aid from 10 to 12 and then casts a 2-ST spell, when Aid expires, he still has ST 10. However, if that same wizard didn't cast a spell while Aid was in effect but instead received 2 points of wounds, he would have ST 8 when the spell expires. So, Aid helps most with things that can be chalked up to fatigue, which explains its presence among the apprentice wizard's prerequisites.

Aid enjoys common use in my games by both PCs and NPCs. The most memorable use I witnessed was years ago by a PC who buffed up another PC's ST so that he could continue fighting a trial-by-combat duel, keeping him alive long enough to win and then offer a dying soliloquy. In this way, he let a character's death turn from catastrophic failure to heroic (albeit tragic) triumph.

Conversation starters

• In your games, is Aid more frequently chosen by PCs or NPCs?
• Do you find players select Aid mostly because of job requisites?
• How often do you see Aid being used in combat situations?
• What is a memorable use of Aid from your table?
• Have you tweaked Aid with any house rules?