| From: | Sebastian Wiers m0ng005e@*****.com |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Limited spells (was Re: Turn to goo spell effects) |
| Date: | Sun, 18 Jun 2000 11:14:02 -0500 |
> spells on tap. For detection spells, you could cast it as "detect
(chosen)
> object", or even sustain it and change the object in question as a complex
> action.
>>>IMHO, you'd have to recast it to change the subject of the spell, or at
least resist Drain again when you do. If you allow it to be changed simply
by spending an action, here's what'll happen: Players are searching bad
guy's apartment. Mage casts Detect Guns. Mage spends Karma to get lots of
successes (optional). Mage finds all guns in apartment. Mage changes spell
to Detect Money. Mage finds all money. Mage changes spell to ...
>>>Too easy for them, if you ask me.
Maybe, but look at the "Phantasm" spell. It allows a very similar
thing- cast an ilussion, get lots of successes, and then use a complex
action to change the illusions appearance or location.
> The trick would be, instead of having LOWER drain, the spell would
have
> HIGHER drain.
>>>Maybe there would have to be some broad groups (People/Animals, Plants,
Electronics, Vehicles, etc.) from which you can select more specific
targets. You'd learn a Detect (Plants) spell and then be able to cast it
as Detect Oak Tree, Detect Rose Bush, or Detect Grass. This is much more
useful than needing to have all those as separate spells, but not so
powerful that you can detect anything by learning a single spell.
The way we play detection spells in our game, you could already do that with
Detect Life- more successes would yield more information about the life
forms detected. For combat spells, the added utility is pretty small
(compare a variable vehicle targeting area combat spell to the basic ram
spell with area effect), though I guess a "slay variable metahuman" spell
would be handy.
But yeah, maybe that is a more blanced type that to allow- although I do
think something along the lines of a metamagic technique (maybe one per
spell category) could allow versatile selectable target spells without
unbalancing things unduly. Well, at least that would work in games I've
played, where Intiaties who know multiple metamagic techniques are very
rare.
Mongoose
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