 Area of Effect Combat Spells, Am I missing something? |
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 Sep 30 2005, 03:06 AM
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#1
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Target  Group: Members Posts: 64 Joined: 7-July 02 From: NY Member No.: 2,942  |
Perhaps I have missed some vital pc of information. I can't seem to figure out how this works.
If an AOE Direct Combat spell targets multiple opponents with one attack roll how do you deal with visibility/cover penalties that may be different per target? Raizer |
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Sep 30 2005, 03:32 AM
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#2
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,598 Joined: 15-March 03 From: Hong Kong Member No.: 4,253 |
As a quick fix, you can try applying as bonuses to reaction any penalties that mage woulh have taken to hit a target.
Say mage gets 3 hits. Two targets in the open get reaction to deodge, and the guy behind cover gets reaction + 4? (cover penalty is 4?) to dodge. |
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Sep 30 2005, 01:05 PM
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#3
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,665 Joined: 26-April 03 From: Sweden Member No.: 4,516 |
Hmmm...this may be an oversight in the rules... this bears looking into...
(Though you could just reduce the hits for the covered ppl by half of the dice lost for the penalty - or 1/3rd of the penalty (round up) if you feel nicer) Or just email Mr.Boyle. |
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Sep 30 2005, 03:00 PM
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#4
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
what kind of spells are we talking about now?
powerball/stunball or fireball? if its the former then no amount of visibility or cover mods help unless the did a realy big rewrite on how magic works in SR4. if not then why not deal with it kinda like how one deals with a grenade detonation? i dont know the SR4 rules for that but it would be kidna logical that they would behave kinda similar. as in, a wave of something going out from the point of origin rather then as an effect that hits all at ones. in either case im not so sure what kind of help visibility mods can be to the target as its more of a area denial effect then a bullet. and cover only have effect if its a wave from point style attack. if it fills all available space withing the area off effect at ones then cover have no effect as the spell just travels "around" it. or more correctly appear on both sides of it at the same time ;) |
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Sep 30 2005, 03:08 PM
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#5
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,718 Joined: 14-September 02 Member No.: 3,263 |
I didn't think you needed to see someone to hit them (effectively) with an Indirect AoE? One of the little nice things that together help make up for the extra drain. But then what would the perception modifiers be for? To extra effort put into placing the center of effect where you want it? *shrug*
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Sep 30 2005, 03:50 PM
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#6
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Target Group: Members Posts: 64 Joined: 7-July 02 From: NY Member No.: 2,942 |
Well, in the instance I'm having trouble with I am talking about Direct Combat Spells such as Power Ball, Mana ball, and Stunball. I am thinking of house ruling that the cover dice would add to your opposed test dice to determine success. It doesn't seem to work any other way.
Related, someone brought up Grenades. I can't seem to find anything about how one is partially protected from grenades if in the area but behind cover. |
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Sep 30 2005, 05:34 PM
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#7
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Target Group: Members Posts: 10 Joined: 21-September 05 Member No.: 7,768 |
Ahh, nice. :) Looks like they simply copied that rules from SR3. Well now, one way to deal with it would be to determine the individual dice pool for every target. Then start rolling the sorcery test for the target that is effected by the minimal dice pool, continuing stepwise, rolling for each subsequent target an amount of dice equal to the difference between the dice pool for the last target and the one that would apply for the current target. Alternatively you could just number the dice from left to right as they have fallen before you, counting only the first n dice for a dice pool of size n. But it sounds to me that the problem is inherent to the mechanics of tests. Are there any other expressions of that problem? |
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Sep 30 2005, 07:43 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 128 Joined: 6-January 03 From: In front of my laptop Member No.: 3,860 |
We always joked about putting an LCD visor on the mage. The visor would cover friendlys with a black box making them out of the mage's LOS. Then he could toss AOE spells as much as he wanted and stop hitting his friends.
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Sep 30 2005, 08:43 PM
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#9
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 238 Joined: 18-August 05 Member No.: 7,569 |
Mana spells shouldn't be affected by cover, should they?
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Sep 30 2005, 08:50 PM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 128 Joined: 6-January 03 From: In front of my laptop Member No.: 3,860 |
Its not the cover really it the visibility mods. For mana spells the mages has to be able to see some one to link them in to the spell. For physical or elemental spells you are generating an effect on the real world over an area and people just need to get out of the way weather yo can see them or not. at least thats the way I do it. |
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Sep 30 2005, 09:58 PM
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#11
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
sounds a bit like targeting a ball spell thru a keyhole to only hit one target. was it in awakenings i read it or maybe grimoire for 2ed? |
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Sep 30 2005, 10:50 PM
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#12
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Target Group: Members Posts: 10 Joined: 21-September 05 Member No.: 7,768 |
According to the rules they are:
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