From: CRIMMARTI@urvax.urich.edu
Date: Wed 19 Jun 1991 - 09:56:33 EEST
A Sorceror's Lot Is Not an 'Appy One--
Everyone wants to "fix" the sorcery rules. Yeah, all right, they
do read like they weren't playtested, and like someone "game-balanced"
them without thinking much about playability. However, everyone's rules
differ from everyone else's as far as fixes go, and it's pointless to
discuss whose fix is better. Andrew's rules were basically mine when I
was running, and the small amount of playtesting they got indicated that
they work O.K. Here's another set of rules I have playtested extensively,
and they work fine (if you're not hung up about sorcerors being powerful.)
As Andrew noted, the Gloranthan materials indicate that sorcerors ARE
powerful, and tend to beat up on divine magic users. Note, however, that
they have to specialize heavily in order to be halfway-competent. Someone
who knows a few points of sorcery spells at low skills is no match for
an initiate. Without more ado, here are Mike's rules as I understand them
(Mike, correct me if I'm wrong). Use them or not, as you like.
Discard free INT. The maximum "through-put" of a spell (intensity
plus duration plus range, totalled if using multispell) equals the sorceror's
personal POW. [Note: Green elves are psychologically incapable of using
sorcery; however, Mistress Race trolls are as scary as they wanna be; Tappers
increase their effective POW, making Tapping very tempting.]
The Sense spells are durational, but can't be "tuned" to a different
SIZ/whatever after casting. Mystic Vision is passive. Form/set is active
until set, then passive--the sorceror can return his attention to the target
with a successful concentration roll. [Form/Set is the best spell, by the
way, and my sorceror's primary offensive spell. He specializes in making
people's helmets into close-fitting opaque pots while they're still on
someone's head. Breaks the ice at parties.] Protective Circle creates
a hemispheric volume of protection. Sense Projection (a/k/a "Doom Portal")
allows not only spells but spirits to pass through and attack the caster;
thus, smart sorcerors multispell it with Spirit Resistance, which may block
the spirit long enough for the sorceror to drop the spell. Tap is passive.
Oh, yes, having a high Mystic Vision up all the time is dangerous--one can
be blinded by seeing a highly-magical thing. The information Mike gives
for Mystic Vision tends to be non-game-speak: this is simultaneously more
informative than the spell is written, since it gives clues as to what the
hell is going on in his intensely-magical world, and less informative,
since he won't tell me what ten-point range everything fits into. That's
it. No complicated formulas, no long list of exceptions and quick fixes.
I hope y'all like it.
-Martin
CRIMMARTI@urvax.urich.edu
P.S. The only other spell that needs to be fixed is Haste. It should only
cost the target extra FP when the extra movement rate is used. Otherwise,
Haste 1 is a slow-acting Drain 15.
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