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Old 09-28-2018, 10:01 AM   #31
Chris Goodwin
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Default Re: Misc. Spell questions

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Originally Posted by Helborn View Post
The description of the Soothe Spell (ITL pg 25) states:

Soothe (T): Calms an upset person or animal. Especially useful for crying babies! Of course, if there is a reason for the baby to cry, it will start again soon. This spell does not change a diaper, though a properly cast Cleaning would. Cast on an animal, Soothe reduces by one die the difficulty of an Animal Handler attempt. Cost: 1 ST.

Question: There is no Cleaning Spell (I think there should be) and Cleansing does not make sense (you want to kill the baby? poop without germs is still dirty....) so .....?
This might be a good submission on the PDF Errata thread.

For discussion purposes... I'd say maybe the Look Your Best spell would clean the poo, and maybe that's what was intended? The Cleansing spell would work on the diaper for sure.

Most Physickers and above (including Vets) would know not to use Cleansing on a living being. Those in areas where the germ theory is known would know why, and they'd probably know a spell called Easy Cure, which is the Ferment spell under another name, and would be the one they use on living creatures, to cleanse wounds and "ease the digestion" among other things. They would use Cleansing on their instruments and operating fields, and I'd probably rule that if they're using Cleansing that their effectiveness is doubled (up to 4 ST for a Physicker or 6 for a Master Physicker; maybe assign a dice value instead, like 1d-2 minimum 2 for a Physicker, 1d-1 minimum 3 for a Master).

On general healing and recovery of fatigue ST: between Drain Strength, and recovery of Powerstones (ST batteries in original TFT) and Staff II mana, there's a general exchange rate of 5 ST to recover 1. Drain Strength specifies that you can use it to drain from and to third parties, so I'd say that would be the one to use to "heal" a person's lost fatigue, using the caster himself or a volunteer as the source.
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Old 09-29-2018, 05:48 PM   #32
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Default Re: Misc. Spell questions

ITL p.27 "A Glamor does not give the disguised creature any of the abilities of his
disguise, and cannot make him appear to be more than twice his actual size."

But there is no limit on decrease in size? Can a wizard glamor himself into looking like a floating dust mote?
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Old 10-02-2018, 03:17 PM   #33
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Default Re: Misc. Spell questions - Glamor

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Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
ITL p.27 "A Glamor does not give the disguised creature any of the abilities of his
disguise, and cannot make him appear to be more than twice his actual size."

But there is no limit on decrease in size? Can a wizard glamor himself into looking like a floating dust mote?
Well, if he can't be more than twice his actual size, then I would say he also can't be less than half his actual size.

And here are more Glamor questions:
It says “to make him appear as other than what he is”. Does this mean that its strictly visual? What about smell, sound, etc.

Is it strictly the naked body that appears different?

What about clothing? If it does clothing also, then when the “giant” shirt is taken off, does it permanently remain a “giant” shirt or does it revert?

If the human is Glamored to be a Giant, is he still his same height but with a virtual image that goes 4 feet higher than he is?

If the glamored human (whose height is 5 feet) goes through a door that is 7 feet tall, does the virtual giant top (which is 10 feet tall) go through the frame above the door, does the glamor make it appear that the Giant bends low to go through or does the glamored human “bang” his head as he goes through the door?

Can you glamor your girlfriend to look like a particular pin-up girl?
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Old 10-04-2018, 10:18 AM   #34
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Misc. Spell questions

And now for some talent questions (that are actually kinda spell questions...)

Quick-Draw (magic staff of suitable shape, say a wand) Are high level staffs immune to critical failures on quick-draw also?

Sex Appeal Is this a one-turn action that the Aid spell might help with? What if the wizard is using his own ST to boost his ST for this roll?

Missile Weapons (Magic Fist) allowable?

Poet Can this be used to write scrolls whose true effect is harder to discern?

Two Weapons How does the attack action of low-level magical staffs interact with this skill?

Weapon Expertise(Club) does this exist even though there is no Club skill?

Writing Any help with writing spellbooks or scrolls?

Weapon Mastery(Club) doable?
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Old 10-04-2018, 10:37 AM   #35
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Misc. Spell questions - Glamor

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Originally Posted by JohnPaulB View Post
Well, if he can't be more than twice his actual size, then I would say he also can't be less than half his actual size.

And here are more Glamor questions:
It says “to make him appear as other than what he is”. Does this mean that its strictly visual? What about smell, sound, etc.

Is it strictly the naked body that appears different?

What about clothing? If it does clothing also, then when the “giant” shirt is taken off, does it permanently remain a “giant” shirt or does it revert?

If the human is Glamored to be a Giant, is he still his same height but with a virtual image that goes 4 feet higher than he is?

If the glamored human (whose height is 5 feet) goes through a door that is 7 feet tall, does the virtual giant top (which is 10 feet tall) go through the frame above the door, does the glamor make it appear that the Giant bends low to go through or does the glamored human “bang” his head as he goes through the door?

Can you glamor your girlfriend to look like a particular pin-up girl?
These are good questions that have always been up to the GM to figure out how exactly Glamour works and where the limits are, in the face of something that's inconsistent. How much is visual and how much is in the minds of the beholders, and how much inconsistency can happen before either

1) it has actual effects since the real person isn't what he looks like
or
2) observers see/hear something that makes will look/sound wrong or make no sense to them.

There are numerous such issues and a wide range of possible setting for them, ranging from many powers of deception that come built in and the minds of viewers go along with and suppress their own noticing inconsistencies (e.g. will a hand-maiden assisting someone try on a variety of very wrong-sized clothing notice the clothing changing size or it not making any sense that the clothing sizes don't make sense), to (at the other extreme) it just being a visual projection that looks visually like "bad clipping" in a video game when your glamour is off-size and you interact with unmoving objects or even floors/stairs/walls.

To me it feels like it should be up to the GM how powerful he wants the spell to be, and now with the Look Your Best spell, he might need to think about that sooner rather than later (since it's a much lower spell in IQ and cost).
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Old 10-04-2018, 11:00 AM   #36
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Misc. Spell questions

These are good questions that mostly need rulings since they're not fully defined, but my rulings would tend to be:


Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Quick-Draw (magic staff of suitable shape, say a wand) Are high level staffs immune to critical failures on quick-draw also?
Yes, it's just another way to accidentally drop your weapon, so it is covered.


Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Sex Appeal Is this a one-turn action that the Aid spell might help with? What if the wizard is using his own ST to boost his ST for this roll?
It would apply for two turns, but then drop out, so unless for some reason the subject is basing their reaction to someone on how they were for that 10 seconds, no. If it was a big Aid spell, they might even be negatively struck by the sudden drop. "Oh, they were really charming for 10 seconds, and then seemed to become much more dull." Also, unless the spell-casting right before it wasn't noticed, it could distract from the atmosphere to have someone casting a spell. (On the other hand, I can imagine there might be some wizards who have a culture where it is part of social exchanges to Aid your own IQ for moments of extra wit... but even so, I'd think less superficial mages would develop a keener discernment for what people's actual wits (and glamoured appearance, etc) are like. "You KNOW that's a glamoured nose, don't you? Oh, and Artaud? He's a ten-second wit, that's for sure...")


Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Missile Weapons (Magic Fist) allowable?
It's not needed and doesn't exist because Missile Weapons still applies to all missile weapons and missile spells that you know. It's not re-learned per missile talent.


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Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Poet Can this be used to write scrolls whose true effect is harder to discern?
I love that idea! I imagine the effect would be less on people who also have Poet and/or maybe Writing.


Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Two Weapons How does the attack action of low-level magical staffs interact with this skill?
Good question. I'd tend to think it's probably the same only one attack is the staff attack, and that if the staff isn't something that can parry (like a light wand) then it can't be used for defensive options.


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Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Weapon Expertise(Club) does this exist even though there is no Club skill?
Weapon Mastery(Club) doable?
Nice question! I'd say sure. Is this what Jackie Chan uses to fight like a master with improvised objects? Improvised Object Master?


Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Writing Any help with writing spellbooks or scrolls?
Good question. I would say so, and also for magic books, and continue to hope that the rules for how long exactly it takes to learn from magic books and other sources return somewhere.
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Old 10-05-2018, 06:26 AM   #37
Helborn
 
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Default Re: Misc. Spell questions

Quote:
Originally Posted by Skarg View Post
Originally Posted by hcobb
Weapon Expertise(Club) does this exist even though there is no Club skill?
Weapon Mastery(Club) doable?


Nice question! I'd say sure. Is this what Jackie Chan uses to fight like a master with improvised objects? Improvised Object Master?
Weapon Expertise and Weapon Mastery are not per weapon talents but per weapon talent talents ;-) just like missile Weapons. You get Expertise for all swords not just a Broadsword. Clubs are listed in the Ax/Mace group. While Clubs are usable by all, the skill is part of the Ax/Mace weapon talent.
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Old 10-05-2018, 09:29 AM   #38
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Misc. Spell questions

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Originally Posted by Helborn View Post
Weapon Expertise and Weapon Mastery are not per weapon talents but per weapon talent talents ;-) just like missile Weapons. You get Expertise for all swords not just a Broadsword. Clubs are listed in the Ax/Mace group. While Clubs are usable by all, the skill is part of the Ax/Mace weapon talent.
Ah, interesting observation. So if you want expert-level club ability, you'd need to learn Ax/Mace and then Ax/Mace(/Club) Expert.

What version of Missile Weapons are you reading that says it breaks down by type of missile?
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Old 10-09-2018, 05:34 PM   #39
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Default Re: Misc. Spell questions

If a Blur spell is cast on an Illusion (or an Illusion cast duplicating a blurred figure) does the Blur affect attempts to disbelieve? It could make it harder to notice fine incongruities and inconsistencies; it could also alter the integrity of the spell by changing it's appearance. If you regard Disbelief as a zero level spell, would it make disbelief harder to "cast?" Or does the blur have no effect because it alters DX instead if IQ, even if it does so by altering viewer's perceptions?
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Old 10-09-2018, 07:15 PM   #40
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Misc. Spell questions

As written, Blur (and obstacles) don't affect IQ rolls to disbelieve. (I can see it as an interesting reasoning for a GM's added house rule.)
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