 Spell Design Question - Reaction & Initiative |
 Aug 24 2004, 03:49 AM
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#1
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Target  Group: Members Posts: 33 Joined: 7-August 04 From: Las Vegas, NV Member No.: 6,549  |
I have a question for you all, maybe you can point out what I am missing. Going through the Spell Design section in Magic In The Shadows, I was attempting to create a spell that affects both reaction (+2) and initiative (+1D6). The only drain modifier I could find that fits was Affects Initiative (+1 Drain Level). The text of the modifier is as follows:
The problem I am having is comparing a few spells. Increase Reaction has a Drain of +1S which enhances Reaction by one-half your spellcasting successes (max bonus of the spell's Force), while Increase Reflexes is a staged spell (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3) ... I can see how Increase Reflexes works, as you add a Drain Level per each dice added, yet Increase Reaction works differently. How many times should I apply the Affects Initiative drain modifier? I know I would do so at least once for the extra initiative dice, but how many times for the enhanced reaction attribute? Especially considering I want it to be a fixed result... Opinions? Help? Quotes? :D |
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Aug 24 2004, 03:53 AM
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#2
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
Once to get the reaction bonus as per Increase Reaction, plus once more for each die it adds to initiative. All attribute increase spells are success dependant, so you can't make a reliable "Wired 1 equivalent," but you can make a spell that will match wired 1 if you get four successes and is legal (less than force 3).
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Aug 24 2004, 04:01 AM
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#3
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Target Group: Members Posts: 33 Joined: 7-August 04 From: Las Vegas, NV Member No.: 6,549 |
Thank you for the clarification. The problem with rolling for the attribute increase (reaction), is that it makes the spell potentially more effective than is desired. Any suggestion for a cannon way to work around that? Or do I have to house-rule it? |
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Aug 24 2004, 04:03 AM
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#4
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Target Group: Members Posts: 29 Joined: 26-January 03 Member No.: 3,955 |
I'm fairly certain you can withhold dice to tone a spell down. I was recently re-reading MitS, and it mentioned something like that in there.
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Aug 24 2004, 04:05 AM
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#5
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
Effective reaction increase is limited by the force of the spell. Force 2 cannot increase reaction more than 2 points. Force 4 cannot increase reaction more than 4 points.
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Aug 24 2004, 04:10 AM
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#6
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Resident Legionnaire Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,136 Joined: 8-August 04 From: Usually Work Member No.: 6,550 |
So what purpose does force serve in the case of initiative enhancing spells? What would stop somebody from getting a force 1 'increase initiative +3'?
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Aug 24 2004, 04:13 AM
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#7
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
Only the frailty of the spell. Force 1 can be accidentally dispelled by a passing spirit (ok, maybe not, but any ward) and still causes 4D drain to recast. Not something you want to do often during a run.
Such spells at low force are only viable to initiates with masking who don't run into many opponents with masking. |
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Aug 24 2004, 06:46 AM
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#8
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,073 Joined: 23-August 04 Member No.: 6,587 |
I find low force spells to be very workable with or without masking.
Yes they get dispelled occasionally but not all that often. Because you don’t need a loot of successes on the casting test you hold a couple of sorcery dice back for drain dump your full spell pool on drain and if you can use centring to alleviate drain. Say 4 dice to cast and 6 (will) + 2 (sorcery) + 6 (spell pool) 14 dice at target 4. you may need to use a point of karma pool if your unlucky but your probably only going to take light drain anyway. You just need to find 3 seconds of quiet to do it. Edward |
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Aug 24 2004, 04:07 PM
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#9
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
here's a scary thought: manipulation spells can affect initiative. you could, by the rules, create a telekinetic manipulation that increased your reaction and/or initiative without regard to your current reaction/init--the TN for casting would be 6, even if you had wired-3 + reaction enh-6. mmm, +20/+10d6...
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Aug 24 2004, 04:18 PM
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#10
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
Maybe, but unless I am missing a line, the TN is still current reaction. That'll make it much more difficult to get successes on the MBW 4 character than on an unaugmented or synaptic accelerator.
However, boosted 3 doesn't add much to reaction, and synaptic accelerator only adds dice... 5 + 8D6 here we come! |
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Aug 24 2004, 09:12 PM
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#11
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
the only applicable line i see is 'fine control: TN 6' (paraphrased) under the telekinetic manipulation section.
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