 Best magic skill? |
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 Sep 5 2006, 07:34 PM
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#1
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Dragon  Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019  |
For a while, I would have thought that Spellcasting won, hands down, with Summoning a distant second. Then Street magic came out with invoking and the binding of free spirits, and I became conflicted. I will not vote in this poll.
What do you think? |
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Sep 5 2006, 07:43 PM
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#2
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
Run out of room for Astral Combat, eh?
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Sep 5 2006, 08:00 PM
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#3
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Forgot it because it SUCKS. :D
And why do you like it, anyway? You seem authoritative enough to convince me... |
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Sep 5 2006, 08:16 PM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 984 Joined: 15-June 06 Member No.: 8,717 |
Participating in Astral Combat is not hindered by Backgroud count. When the count is high, stop casting weak spells and roll up your astral sleaves. It does have it's uses.
I said Ritual Spellcasting, though. SO POWERFUL! |
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Sep 5 2006, 08:21 PM
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#5
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
Actually, I voted for enchanting, for obvious reasons.
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Sep 5 2006, 08:44 PM
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#6
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 750 Joined: 9-August 06 Member No.: 9,059 |
You've played too much Morrowind? |
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Sep 5 2006, 08:57 PM
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#7
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,206 Joined: 9-July 06 From: Fresno, CA Member No.: 8,856 |
Bah, morrowind was all about alchemy.
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Sep 5 2006, 08:57 PM
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#8
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
No, can't say I've ever played that one at all.
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Sep 5 2006, 09:08 PM
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#9
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
What... are the obvious reasons?
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Sep 5 2006, 09:11 PM
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#10
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,206 Joined: 9-July 06 From: Fresno, CA Member No.: 8,856 |
Probably because he wrote the section on Enchanting.
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Sep 5 2006, 09:29 PM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 745 Joined: 12-August 06 Member No.: 9,097 |
I vote Spellcasting for one reason, and only one reason.
That reason's name is Orgasm. |
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Sep 5 2006, 09:47 PM
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#12
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Target Group: Members Posts: 71 Joined: 29-July 06 From: Orlando, FL Member No.: 8,981 |
I have a hard time finding a reason why Ritual spellcasting is a great skill. Please give me some.
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Sep 5 2006, 10:00 PM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 734 Joined: 30-August 05 Member No.: 7,646 |
Summoning. let your spirits handle the spellcasting :D
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Sep 5 2006, 10:13 PM
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#14
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
YOU'RE the one who decided orichalcum doesn't take away karma cost anymore? A pox upon thy fucking house! :grr:
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Sep 5 2006, 10:17 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 750 Joined: 9-August 06 Member No.: 9,059 |
Remote assassination (combat spells), intelligence gathering (mindprobe), run prep/utility (influence/control thoughts to force a target to turn off a security system, call in a false alarm, whatever). With Sympathetic Linking in SM it becomes much, much more useful. You'll need to do legwork to get a ritual link, but the ability remotely manipulate people important to your run, who can't always been in a ward, can be very useful for clever players. But the best skill? No. |
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Sep 5 2006, 10:30 PM
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#16
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,206 Joined: 9-July 06 From: Fresno, CA Member No.: 8,856 |
I'm guessing on that btw. I just thought that he was group freelancers, so it was a decent bet based on context. And as to the Ritual thing: Ever have a time you wish you had 40 dice for a spellcasting test? Could you have found a way to take [force] hours to cast it, and found a few friends? The second I put my vote in I regretted not picking ritual. Espeically now that material links have been reintroduced. The core rulebook ommitted it and I thought that they just choose to strip what used to be a key point in SR fluff. But it's back and a good ritual group that can work together can name their price for a ton of things... |
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Sep 5 2006, 10:41 PM
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#17
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 588 Joined: 27-February 06 Member No.: 8,316 |
spell casting cause there's so many times you don't have time to do ritual (combat)and there's so many things that spirits can't do (heal you fopr instance).
However, summoning is a close second if they did a decent job of fleshing out what constitutes a physical service (can air spirits now take the place of a levitate spell? can earth spirits dig massive holes down to that under ground bunker for you? etc etc. Haven't gotten the new book so I can't speak to ritual realy except to say that it takes too long to be useful often (like when you have a run that has to be done that night.) in combat at all. I'm surprised no one voted for binding over summoning since a bound spirit is way more useful than a summoned one. My real runner up though would defintely be counter spelling. Especially need to add some counterspelling foci and sheilding so that you might have a chance of blocking an incoming spell. |
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Sep 5 2006, 11:43 PM
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#18
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
There are decisions I made as the writer of the enchanting rules, and there were descisions others made I had to work in. That's not to say maybe I didn't eliminate the less-Karma-per-unit-of-orichalcum rule, but don't make too many assumptions. 'sides, I warded my house. Your poxy little pox can't do /squat/. |
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Sep 6 2006, 12:09 AM
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#19
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,556 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle Member No.: 98 |
:please: |
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Sep 6 2006, 12:40 AM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 750 Joined: 9-August 06 Member No.: 9,059 |
This was good in SR3, but isn't possible in SR4. With teamwork rules, your added dice from people aiding you in the ritual are cut by 2/3. And then you've got the force cap. The only groups ritual that can do in SR4 what a normal group could do in SR3 is 30 blood mages using Great Ritual to get enough dice and Sacrifice to handle the drain so they can put those successes to work. Good luck with that. The only real use of group ritual spellcasting is maxing out your Force/successes (which won't be too high) with a few friends. The best use is just the ranged spellcasting part of it, at the cost of time and making a link somehow. |
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 Sep 6 2006, 01:00 AM
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#21
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jacked in Group: Admin Posts: 8,986 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 463 |
That rule was broken beyond belief. Glad it's gone. :) Voted Spellcasting, because there is no real contest. Summoning is great, no kidding, but nowhere near the power and utility (and cost in Karma (for the spells) :D) of Spellcasting! Banishing is by far, far, far the worst of all the magical skills. It's so bad, it would still be bad even if you got it for free on the same level as your Summoning (or rather Binding, which would make a little more sense probably). Bye Thanee |
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Sep 6 2006, 01:17 AM
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#22
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 750 Joined: 9-August 06 Member No.: 9,059 |
Worse than Astral Combat? I don't know. And, uh, Banishing is a lower drain and faster way to get rid of a hostile spirit than a mana bolt against...a high force SM spirit that has Magical Guard? Yeah, that's the ticket. Actually, Frank Trollman suggested a "fun" reason to have banishment - banish, control, and then bind spirits not of your tradition so you'll have access to unique spirit powers/services you wouldn't normally have. Efficient? No. But fun! |
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Sep 6 2006, 01:22 AM
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#23
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 745 Joined: 12-August 06 Member No.: 9,097 |
What's wrong with astral combat? It helps keep people from beating the crap out of you kung fu style while you're out and about on the astral plane.
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Sep 6 2006, 01:30 AM
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#24
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 734 Joined: 30-August 05 Member No.: 7,646 |
Aside from brokedness versus unbrokedness, it seems that Enchanting is greatly diminished in SR4. How do you view the function and utility of Enchanting as a PC skill (as opposed to a background NPC task that will likely be handwaved as opposed to meticulously rolled out) |
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Sep 6 2006, 02:40 AM
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#25
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Heehee, permanent orgasm spell. o_o
It's not broken if I like it. :grr: |
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