Protective Circle

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From: Kirsten K. Niemann (eco0kkn@cabell.vcu.edu)
Date: Fri 01 Oct 1993 - 16:11:08 EET


My good fellow Digesters,

I am the developer for the next RQ scenario pack, Strangers in Prax. One of the sections of this book deals with a Malkioni wizard from Nolos. He comes to Pavis, meets a mixed reception, and generates a variety of adventures.

In part, this magus is being presented as an example of how to work around the problems of RQ III sorcerers. However, in writing it, I have come up hard against a specific problem with the Protective Circle spell description.

In essence, that spell description is nonsensical. As Martin Crim puts it "if that language was in a legal contract, the contract would be invalid." Here's the section causing me delays, from the Magic Book page 49:

"When completed, the Protective Circle will encompass an area
equal to the square of the spell's intensity in cubic meters."

Now, it is possible to squeeze meaning out of the description, but it is not likely that everyone will squeeze the same meaning. For example, what is the shape of the circle in three dimensions? I always thought of it as a hemisphere, but another game group full of bright people think of it as a cylinder with a height = radius. Perhaps it is a cone (like the Law rune)?

There is another problem. The quote above mixes apples and camshafts in that "an area" is technically a measure of well, AREA, that is: length X width or pi R squared. However, the unit of measure for that area is given in cubic meters, which is a measure of VOLUME.

Next there are questions of game balance. Since Pro Circle must be Multispelled with some sort of Resist spell, there is no reason except MP total to have a big, low intensity circle, or a small, high intensity one. Maybe that's not a major point.

However, it seems VERY difficult to get a reasonable size protective circle, compared to the amount of work necessary to get a large Damage Boost or some such. Of course, that all depends on how the GM interprets the difficult language quoted above.....

Further, there is no clear ruling on whether or not the radius (or outer limit, whatever) of the Circle may extend outside of the radius of the object it is cast on. Again, my gaming group never thought of this, but Michael O'brien's did, and he had something like force fields up around his characters.

I can't support that idea (that Circle effects extend beyond the radius of the object it is cast on. Here's why:  

Hang a chair from a rope a few meters off the ground. Cast a Prot Circle + Resist Damage 10 with a radius of a meter or so on it. We'll beg the question of what happens to the rope. Now, lower the chair until it is a meter or so off the ground. What happens when the Resist Damage circle touches the ground? The ground is not generating any damage to the Circle. It seems to me that the chair must, therefore, float off the ground at the radius of the Circle.

I hope everyone will agree that this is a Bad Thing.

So, why am I bringing this up? Just to complain? Thankfully, no. I get to publish errata for Protective Circle! The question is, what will it be? I solict your comments and fixes.

Here's my suggestion. First, Rewrite the quote above:

"When completed, the Protective Circle forms a hemisphere
with a radius equal to the the spell's intensity in meters. The flat plane of the hemisphere follows the plane of the inscribed circle."

Note that with this, you don't have to figure out any squares. Then continue:

"If the spell is cast upon the ground, it cannot be moved. If cast
on a wagon bed, it will move as the wagon moves, etc. Regardless of the intensity of the Protective Circle, the maximum radius of the spell cannot exceed the inscribed radius on the object having the spell cast on it (wagon, floor, cloak, tower, etc.)
Further, the inscribed raduis of the Circle must be approximately circular, with no variations greater than 1% of its radius, and it must actually be inscribed before the spell can be cast. There is nothing necessarily fancy about the inscription; any good circle will do."

Thus, sorcerers must draw their Protective Circle out, just as magicians had to for pentagrams or whatever in other fantasy examples. I like this effect. Before the magician can cast the protective spell to save the wagon train, he has to go scurrying out around it with his wand, dragging a circle into the dirt and planning it to miss any trees in the way.

So what do you think? Yes, I realize that my rewrite of the size makes Circles bigger, but I think the size was too small in most interpretations of the old one. It also has several new crocks.

M >|<

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