Spell Rules and Clarifications

House Rules: By Kos

Armour-defeating duration spells

If a spell which inflicts damage over an extended duration (such as Pain or Doom Missile) scores an armour defeating attack, then it is classed as armour defeating for the entire duration. This is implied in the description of Doom Missile, but never clarified anywhere.

Effects of duration spells

If a spell affects a target over multiple rounds, and there is a roll of some sort to determine whether the target is affected for that round (eg. Pain, Bone Dance, etc), then make the roll before initiative. If the target is unaffected then he can declare an action and roll initiative as normal. Roll the damage for multiple round damage spells before initiative also (eg. Blizzard Sphere, Doom Missile).

Effect tests on Named spells

In general, the effect test for a Named spell is rerolled whenever applicable, rather than rolling once when the spell is cast and recording the result. This prevents magicians from getting huge bonuses and desperate spell charms and then Naming a spell with a huge effect roll. It also means that you don't have to record the number anywhere and then fiddle around trying to find it again. The GM should reroll whenever he thinks is applicable, based on the spell. Most spells would be rerolled each day.

Eg. A Named Counterspell would be rerolled once per encounter.

Eg. A Named Earth Blend would be rerolled each time it was moved, or each time that new people were looking at it.

Forced Spellcasting

According to Lou's clarification, this knack should be more correctly called "Forced Threadweaving". The character may force multiple threads together, but since he has made a threadweaving test to do so he may not cast the spell in the same round (unless he has some other special ability to allow him to do so).

Naming spells

We decided to put a limitation on Named spells, otherwise the game world would be overrun with them. Named spells must be powered by a thread of rank equal to spell circle in order to have effect. If a thread is not woven (or the thread is removed) then the Named spell is still present, but it is 'dormant', so has no effect until a new thread is woven. The thread may be woven by anybody, and follows the normal procedure for weaving threads to items, ie. the weaver must know the Name of the spell. The weaver pays LPs for the thread as normal, starting at 100.

Elementalist Spells

Lightning Shield

An attacker is only struck by the lightning if his attack would normally have hit but fails to hit because of the lightning shield (ie. rolled an average success but less than a good success). This is still a very powerful spell.

Nethermancer Spells

Bone Dance

A target affected by Bone Dance has a -3 penalty to physical defense because he cannot defend himself properly.

Death's Head

An affected target flees out of LOS of the caster, but once out of LOS he may act normally. If he comes back into LOS for any reason during the duration of the spell then he must flee again. This spell has severe social stigmas attatched if used in public.

Fog of Fear

Affected targets flee out of LOS of the caster, but once out of LOS they may act normally. They may come back into LOS, but may not enter the fog.

Pain

The target is only incapacitated if he actually suffers damage from the spell. Roll the damage before initiative, so that if the target is unaffected that round he can take an action like normal.

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