Winged Knife - Turns to Use

[Calvin]

Working out a build for a Mage, and I'm looking for clarification on Winged Knife. I thought there was a Kromm post on this, but I can't find it.

For Winged Knife (and Poltergeist) my understanding is that the object is propelled on the same turn you cast the spell. The actual text of the spells is pretty clear, though the categorization as a Missile spell does add some confusion.

Is there a Kromm post on this, or has this not been settled?

[Rolando]

Winged knife is a bit different to other missile spells because it doesn't create the missile, but the caster must still cast the missile spell at a subject, so that takes a turn, just like creating a stone missile or other missile spell.

After that the weapon is the missile and the caster may aim or attack as normal.

[Calvin]

Originally Posted by Rolando

Winged knife is a bit different to other missile spells because it doesn't create the missile, but the caster must still cast the missile spell at a subject, so that takes a turn, just like creating a stone missile or other missile spell.

After that the weapon is the missile and the caster may aim or attack as normal.

If that's true, doesn't that defeat the purpose of having such a spell? Because now you've got an attack that's capped at 1d, maybe 2d if you have a swing throwing weapon, that takes three turns to execute.

One turn to draw the weapon, one turn to cast, and one turn to actually throw. If the whole point of Poltergeist and Winged Knife is to throw a thing except at a higher ST, then it seems to me that casting the spell should just throw the thing on that round.

[Stormcrow]

I was struggling to figure out why this spell is classified as a missile spell at all. I think the point of the spell isn't speed; it's to attack with a weapon that is far away from you. The spell's prerequisite spell is Poltergeist, after all, and the spell talks about "distance purposes (from the weapon) when determining whether the spell succeeds."

I think a secondary purpose of the spell is to attack with a greater Strength than your own; the spell attacks with ST 15, which is pretty high.

So as a missile spell, you make a spell roll to see if you get control of the weapon. In this unusual case, apply a range penalty as if it were a regular spell. Once you have remote control of the weapon, use your Innate Attack (Projectile) skill to hurl it at its target. Two turns.

I'm not totally convinced that makes sense, but that's my best guess.

[Edges]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

I was struggling to figure out why this spell is classified as a missile spell at all. I think the point of the spell isn't speed; it's to attack with a weapon that is far away from you. The spell's prerequisite spell is Poltergeist, after all, and the spell talks about "distance purposes (from the weapon) when determining whether the spell succeeds."

I think a secondary purpose of the spell is to attack with a greater Strength than your own; the spell attacks with ST 15, which is pretty high.

So as a missile spell, you make a spell roll to see if you get control of the weapon. In this unusual case, apply a range penalty as if it were a regular spell. Once you have remote control of the weapon, use your Innate Attack (Projectile) skill to hurl it at its target. Two turns.

I'm not totally convinced that makes sense, but that's my best guess.

This is how I ended up using it as well. The Psychic Guidance perk (I think that's what it's called) can help here. Also, casting it on a weapon that is behind your target could allow an attack with no defense.