Full Version: Spell Defense
I am guessing that nearly every group has a slightly different set of house rules on this, but I was wondering? How does your group use spell defense, obviously it applies against things like combat spells, and elemental manipulation attacks, but what about other spells. From what I get from the BBB if you get more successes on spell defense than the caster got when casting then the spell fizzles. So what about a mana ball, can you protect one target and vaccum the whole spell up with spell defense in your group? Also how do you use it for illusions, I know that people viewing them are considered targets and get resistance rolls, but do you let them use spell defense if they have them up? By the BBB if you walked up and looked at someone who had been sitting invisible for hours, and got more successes than the caster, wouldn't it fizzle the invis? Just some thoughts....
| QUOTE (Brazila) |
| So what about a mana ball, can you protect one target and vaccum the whole spell up with spell defense in your group? |
Not exactly. The spell would fizzle for defended targets. Remember, however, that you can protect up to your sorcery rating in targets.
| QUOTE (Brazila) |
| Also how do you use it for illusions, I know that people viewing them are considered targets and get resistance rolls, but do you let them use spell defense if they have them up? By the BBB if you walked up and looked at someone who had been sitting invisible for hours, and got more successes than the caster, wouldn't it fizzle the invis? |
The Target gets to add the Spell Defense dice to their resistance roll. Indirect illusions don't 'fizzle' if one target defeats them, they only fail for that target. The spell still affects the subject until the caster drops the illusion.
I've been studying up on Spell Defense, both the official use of Sorcery and other methods of defending against magic and using magic for defense. There's a character concept bouncing around in my head for a defensive-oriented shaman ... more as it develops.
| QUOTE (Brazila) |
| From what I get from the BBB if you get more successes on spell defense than the caster got when casting then the spell fizzles. So what about a mana ball, can you protect one target and vaccum the whole spell up with spell defense in your group? |
Our team plays that if a spell comes in on a subject who is protected by Spell Defense, the defending Magician rolls his Spell Defense against the overall spell, removing the caster's successes starting with the caster's highest die rolls. We treat the Spell Defense as taking away power from the spell, not giving more successes to the target.
If the spell strikes multiple targets, all targets get the benefit of the caster's fewer successes.
If multiple magicians are providing Spell Defense to target(s) of a spell, I make each magician select, without talking to the other magicians, how many dice of Spell Defense they are using against that spell.
nit: a spell (other than elemental manipulation) has no effect if the targets get equal or greater number of successes
eh, i don't like that as much; makes it too useful.
I have a question about this as well ...
Say a mage is protecting 3 people with 4 dice. One of the people is hit by a mana bolt and that person receives the dice.
What if another of the 3 is hit by a spell in the phase after that, but before the mage have had a phase, is the defense dice then used up or do all the 3 people under his protection get 4 individual dice?
Say a mage is protecting 3 people with 4 dice. One of the people is hit by a mana bolt and that person receives the dice.
What if another of the 3 is hit by a spell in the phase after that, but before the mage have had a phase, is the defense dice then used up or do all the 3 people under his protection get 4 individual dice?
The SD dice would be used up in that situation. However, sheidling dice are not used up and are given to all spells cast on the covered targets, but they have to be in LOS.
Besides raising the TN to affect an individual, Shielding gives more dice to that individual for the resistance roll. It does not "block" the incoming spell, like Spell Defense does.
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