From: | Bull <chaos@*****.COM> |
---|---|
Subject: | Stun Rant (was Re: Favorite spells) |
Date: | Thu, 25 Sep 1997 14:37:58 -0400 |
>Thats ok, i'll take it nicely and explain why i like stun spells
>
And I'll take this oppurtunity to explain why I LOATH the stune spells...:]
[SNIP explanations and Stun Cannon]
Now, don;t take this personally... This is just a rant pertaining to what
I see as a general imbalance that cropped up about 6 months ago when a
couple of my players started abusing these spells...
Ok, can someone PLEASE tell me why there is such a serious imbalance
between the stun spells and the physical damage spells? I mean, the
difference between the two is staggeringly patehtic...
Sleep: At Force 6 has 2S drain. Base Damage: 6M
Powerball: Force 6, 4S drain, Base Dam: 6M
Fireball: Force 6, 6D drain, Base Dam: 6S
That's some pretty overwhelming differences, especially between the
Fireball and the Sleep spell...
Ok, pros and cons...
Sleep is easier to cast in the first place, under normal circumstances. In
general, you will always have a much lower TN for willpwoer than you will
for Body. On average, against a moderate threat Guard, you'llneed TN's of
6-8 with the Fireball, and TN's of 3-4 with Sleep. And if you're fighting
another runner, or heaven forbid, Orks or Trolls (WHich I can imagine MOST
of the Sec Guards and the like being Trogs), Body shoots right up, giving
TN's of 8-10 minimum.
Sleep Drain is MUCH easier. Even at a high Force, like Force 6, it's still
a TN of 2!
Plus, Sleep has the added benefit of NOT causing physical damage, so that
you can still interrogate them afterward, or conversly, cut their throats
if you want with no one to stop you. Either way, they're down, out of the
fight, and out of your way. And in our games, it's MUCH safer NOT to kill.
So that's a HUGE benefit over Powerball or Fireball.
Powerball: Can kill, has a drain TN of 2 higher at the same Force 6. And
will usually have a Higher TN to effect it's target.
Fireball: Can Kill, Has elemental Effect of Fire (WhoopyDoo), has the same
casting TN problems as Powerball, does one damage code extra (S vs. M, once
again, WhoopyFraggingDoo), and has a MUCH more serious drain code. 2S vs.
6D is a HUGE difference.
Now, with these rules, would ANYONE take a Physical Spell over a Stun
Spell, unless they really wanted to effect something like a Motorcycle or a
Street Sign (A Physical Object)?
I guess the whole imblance when I let someone play a Physical Shaman, and
he took 5 points of PA powers and 1 Magic Rating point for spells, then
proceed to abuse his spell choices and despite slinging almost a dozen
spells per game, not take a point of crain, thanks to Stun Cloud/Sleep.
The only way I ever got to slow this spell down was by putting the players
in confined spaces, so that when the spell went off, it took out the PC
team's two heavy Hitters cause they were inside the area of effect...
I guess I see Sleep as the PAC of the Magic World. It's overpowered,
underdrained, and can be hideously abused by anyone with number crunching
abilities. I've already made it a house rule that the STun Spells' Drain
Codes are equal to the equivelant Power spell (i.e., Stun Cloud=Power ball,
Stun Bolt=Power Bolt, etc.), and am even considering upping that to the
status of the Fire spells...
<shrug>
ok, rant over... We now return you to your regularly scheduled Mailing
list Posts...
Bull
--
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