From: David Baur (david_baur@cl_63smtp_gw.chinalake.navy.mil)
Date: Fri 12 Aug 1994 - 08:36:23 EEST
Same Song, Second Verse 8/12/94 11:42AM
Still At It, Discussing Impobable Uses For Power Spirits
Joerg Baumgartner writes in X-RQ-ID: 5535:
> The munchkin deep inside of me squirms... There _is_ a RQ3 way to use
> someone else's POW, but it is for divine magic users only. It requires
> a casting of Mindlink to the provider of the POW and sufficient Extension
> to last this Mindlink through the ritual. Each participant can use the
> magical knowledge of the other participants, so a POW spirit could use
> the Enchantment skills of a mindlinked enchanter, and, if Commanded or
> Controlled, could produce a magic item.
Though we tend to agree that it is "God Learnerish, mightily frowned upon by a cult", I disagree that it can be done at all, reguardless of Sandy's restriction that an unwilling creature can not be forced to use it's POW like this.
First, a Mindlink has to be cast on a willing target. If you say a Commanded/Controlled/Dominated creature has no will of their own under the influence, then this might work, but the creature should at least get a roll, much like a spirit thinking it can break out of a weakened fetch. The spirit is free to leave the link anytime it wants.
Second, how would this amorphous blob of power without any INT (at least a Bison has a 4 INT) cast the spell when it probably doesn't have an Enchanting Ritual Skill. If this is a knowledge, then it can be shared, but I tend to think of this as a skill of preformance. Just because I can climb a wall doesn't mean my Mindlinked Bison can nor does it mean that because my Allied Spirit in a hawk can fly that I can either. (The creatures and Characters used for this example are fictional. Any resemblance to any Game Characters either alive or with their God(dess) is purely coincidental.)
As to the Blue Wizard in X-RQ-ID: 5566:, I apply the same arguement, unless the Familiar is finished being made complete (too expensive for any character I would care to play), then taught the spell. You'd be better off conning your Allied Spirit to do the work.
QUICKSTRIKE (The Skill)
Devin started this in X-RQ-ID: 5557 followed by Bryan Maloney in X-RQ-ID: 5580 (et. al.). I actually see it as being able to be done both ways. One for those superbly trained and the others wanting to do it fast without the training (Magic can always duplicate a good skill). I see Quickstrike as also being broken down into a slight, conceal, attack, conceal, slight series of rolls being put into two seperate rolls (quickstrike and attack). I also agree that it has to be a small weapon that can't "glitter or reflect light" too much. This would limit non-magical/non-chemical damage that has to first pierce the armor.
In a crowd, this is useful, but in a retinue, people are usually known and limited as to who it could have been. I can see the skill (I'm not going to question or discuss the magic version) as usefull and practical as well as specialized and hard to learn (even worse than martial arts). Unsuspecting is a given and the offsetting bonus should be absorbed so that it is just a penalty.
I agree with Bryan that it would appear like magic, but I would presume that the sheath or other weapon holder is concealled and that the weapon would not necessarily be returned to it all in the same strike rank or even necessarily the same round. A fumbled quickstrike might be dropping the weapon on the ground (how embarasing). A missed attack, but made quickstrike might mean that a breeze was blowing . ;) But, a missed armor penetration (too small of a weapon) would not necessarily go unnoticed and a successful Sense Assassin or Detect Enemy spell would alert the target making a quickstrike impossible.
Since this is a skill, I would imagine that an assassin would want to train up to 70% before trying this for real on someone who mattered as this is a gutsie (sic) manuver to try in the presence of others watching. If I had an assassin, I would rather a crossbow with a quarl massively damage boosted on a called shot to an underarmored vital area, thus giving me time to run (bow and arrow would also work). Poison would be my second choice.
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