From: Andrew O. Mellinger (andrew@criticalpath.com)
Date: Thu 21 Nov 1996 - 18:06:34 EET
Y'all,
Okay, I've been using Sandy's Magic system for my Seshnelan hero wars
campaign. The system has created a lot of discussion and gnashing of teeth
in our group. I have a few questions / concerns that people might wish to
ponder.
Multispell: Wow this is really powerful. Using ceremony one of our
wizards can damage resist the entire group for ~8 points. With the
presence he can maintain it for however long. Most times our mages usually
always multispell, cause for one extra point they can increase their effect
twofold. Does anyone else think a party of characters each with a Damage
Resist 8 up is unbalancing?
How does multispell really work? How can a single extra spell increase
the effect so much? It isn't an area-of-effect type of skill, 'cause it
doesn't follow the law of conservation of magic. They Multi-spell should
instead be called Multiply.
What we will probably do in out campaign is that Multispell allows the
caster to cast multiplespells with only one extra presence and SR per extra
spell. In essence the caster builds the spell construct then uses it
repeatedly to cast copis of the spell quickly. The means that each copy
must be paid for in MP but not in time, or presence. The multispell levels
will increase presence but not MP. I.E Jed casts his Palsy 4 one 3
briands who are jumped out of an alley. He pays 4MP for the base palsy 4,
then uses multispell 2 to get the other two guys. So, the time to case is
DEX SRM + 4 (base palsy) + 2 (multispell). Presence is 4 (base palsy) + 2
(multispell) = 6. MP is 3 4-point palsys for 12 points.
This solution doesn't solve the problem of a whole party Damage Resisted
level 8, except maybe they can't get enough MP.
Presence: Wow, essentially permanent duration. While being easy to
conceptualize and easy for characters to use, it strikes me leading to
non-gloranthan sitations. I.e. The Ecclesiarh of Seshnela decrees that all
wizards will maintain a 2 point light spell on his cathedral at all times,
demonstrating his glory to Malkion. Or Guilmarn has each wizard
maintaining a light spell in the capital. While these are simple examples,
let your imagination roam.
Maybe to solve this presence should be bound by initial casting range?
That means that maintaing spells on oneself are easy, but on others are
really dangerous.
As a comment on posts made long ago sand talked about using Multispell to
increase a wizards chance of Dominate. I was pretty sure that the results
of Multispell couldn't be used on the same target if they were the same
spell. If they can, then that is *really* unbalancing. The first thing my
wizards will do is multispell 6 point lightning bolts into the same guy.
- -Andrew
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