Spell Design question. Options

[Sunday_Gamer]

Hola chummers,

I'm working on a spell for myself and in so doing find myself taking a long hard look at how certain spells get their drain.

Shapechange has a drain level of M. Can anyone tell me why? It's a caster only spell which affords it -3 drain level. How did Shapechange get to D+1 which is where it would need to be to have an M drain after I apply the -3 drain levels?

I'm curious because I'm designing a precursor to shapechange, it's target # would be the highest OR on the target, me. It's a spell that takes all the gear on me and turns it into tattoos. It's designed to be cast before Shapechange, sure you have to sustain 2 spells, but it would minimize on the monkey nakedness.

I was figuring:

Major physical transformation: Base drain S
Physical Spell (has to affect my gear) +1 Drain Power
Target #: Highest OR of said gear.
Caster Only ( touch range, voluntary subject, very restricted target) -3 Drain Levels.
If the spell is going to transform armor, it must be of force equal or higher than the highest armor rating.

What am I missing?

Kong

[Bölverk]

I don't see anything in MitS that suggests that Shapechange is caster-only. The only difference between Shapechange and Transform, as I read it, is that Shapechange requires a voluntary target, which would explain the reduced drain level.

[Sunday_Gamer]

:eek:

Oh my god, it's the first fraggin line...

I'm so lame sometimes...

Kong

[Glyph]

You didn't miss much. It should also have the Sustained Spell modifier (+1 Drain Power). You can't take the Restricted Target (only effects inanimate objects) modifier because it is not cumulative with the Very Restricted Target modifier. Drain Level cannot be reduced below Light, so your final Drain Code would be +2 (L).

However, I don't see how something that effects gear, not a person, can have the Voluntary spell modifier. Inanimate objects typically don't get any kind of resistance check, so that modifier doesn't really apply. It doesn't make a difference in the final Drain code, though, because the Touch Range and Very Restricted Target modifiers still reduce the base Drain Power to L.

[Sunday_Gamer]

I hear ya but it comes bundled with "caster only". I figure that although there are innanimate objects invovled, they are being turned into ink essentially, which will be tattoos on the wearer, which I figure warrants a voluntary target (no, you may not tattoo me and render me naked)...

So +2 L, is indeed what I had on paper (Missed the sustained in the post, but it's on the almighty paper).

Thanks.

Kong

[spotlite]

In any case, its a damn cool spell. Good idea!

erm. Can I steal it?

[Sunday_Gamer]

By all means, help yourself.

Kong

[simonw2000]

I'm thinking of an Improved Translation spell. The idea behind it is that you can translate the written word as well as the spoken word.

The Modification is Physical Spell (has to affect writing) +1 Drain Power


What am I missing?

So far, the spell is:

Type: P TN: 4 Duration: S Drain +1(M)

[Fortune]

I recall a variation of the Shapechange spell was included in one of the older scenarios. I thought it was Ivy and Chrome, but couldn't find it during a quick perusal.

Basically, it was identical, except that it also transformed a set number of items per success (or maybe Force?!?). I seem to remember that it was included to preserve the modesty of the (4?) young teen females that use the spell.

Anybody have anything more concrete on this?

[simonw2000]

There was a See-Me-Not spell in Silver Angel. When cast, it makes the target distracted whenever the caster is seen. They stay distracted until something else distracts the target.

[Fortune]