[PnP] Book 2 project - Questions 1-27

[Choinski, Burton]

All in all I'm pretty dumbfounded with all the info.  I have not run the
core rules in a long while, so I can't add too much to this mass of data.
Lots of time on your hands, huh? :}
 
 
   1) Abandon: No MDV Limit?  Seems like this spell would do good with
      a MDV Limit.  I had an optional rule for this spell but think
      a new spell and family group might fit this better.  See below.
This question leads to an overall meta question that has to be answered -
what are the various "rules" of magic in the world, as enforced by the gods
above?  These meta rules will define what sort of resistances targets have.
For example, there must be some sort of covenant or tie that keeps the gods
themselves from coming down and capping your ass if you get too big...they
must resort to champions or lesser avatars, of which they do not have an
unlimited supply (as seen in nearly all fanatasy stories I know of,
otherwise the heros would die as soon as they flipped off the first god.
:}).  Who/what defines or enforces this covenant?  What limits are there on
the powers that be in their impinging of the middle world?
Looking at this, let us assume for example the covenant for the middle world
has a ban that frowns on the elimination of free will.  This means that
users of magics in the middle world will find limitations on spells that
remove free will (compulsion, abandon, fascination, etc).  How the ban is
structured will tell you what limits these spells need to observe, be it an
MDV limit (skill in the spell required to overcome a being's personal power)
or a recovery rate (spell does control "damage" that is "healed" at a
certain rate and control is lost when back to 0) or a simple chance to break
free (using INT or WILL rolls, per some time period).
All spells should be examined and properly classified.  This process will
probably point out spells that are out of whack as defined for the middle
world covenant (the "default" as far as the players go; for other worlds all
bets are off as to what is banned and what is not) that may need to be
tweaked into line, or properly "priced" as "covenant breaking" spells (that
will get you all sorts of unwanted attention from covenant enforcement
and/or the other side).
Of course, Richard is the final say as the Meta-god here. :}  But it would
be easier to make judgments on spells once we were aware of the underlying
laws that judge their use.  Having such a framework may also suggest new
spells or "loopholes" for other covenant breakers. 
As a side note, my brother runs a game using the lands and the list of gods,
but with his own system.  In this game Tehuti (sp? The big Kahuna Balance
God) is the ultimate judge of the covenant (much like Arachne Solara in
"RuneQuest") and this does make sense, preventing the hideous wars of
law/chaos sidhe/kototh from shattering the middle world.
Obviously the gods (or Meta-god Richard) has to decide which is "worse" on a
scale - "control" is obviously worse than "influence", and death by Fireball
is probably worse than death by loss of soul.  But is being instantly killed
by a death spell worse than being vaporized by a high-level fireball, or is
it truly a matter of degree?

   2) Astral Paths: Should there be some form of this spell used to
      travel via the Lower World instead of Upper?  I've thought of
      it but cna't reason out a good way but anyone ever think about it?
      I know in theory this spell works on the godly mystical aspects
      of the Upper World.  but ther are also supernatural forces of
      the Lower World.  So a alternative or option might work, no? 
I view astral paths as a sort of "glass walkway" about 20 miles up.  One can
see the terrain and roughly where you are, based on gross landmarks (and
anything man-made big enough to show.  There is therefore no counterpart for
lower.  I can't remember if you can get encounters on the path, but I would
at least make a roll when you "re-enter" (either terrain or aerial,
whichever makes more sense).

   4) Blindness: Optional rule suggestion - Since some animals like Bats,
      Dolphins, etc. use radar/extrasensory things to 'see' how about
      an optional rule so this spell works on those creatures.  Maybe
      a x3 mana cost for this to be effected or a x2?  Say your swimming
      and suddenly a shark is coming toward you..you cast this spell and
      its magnetic sense/blood sense is lost and it goes off in some
      random direction.   In some regard I recall reading a myth about
      underwater creatures (like Mermen) that had this ability to use
      on the sea creatures when in danger.


I say it should just be simplified to blinding the primary targeting sense.
This will affect vision in humanoids, a bat's sonar, and shark's blood
smell.  For 3x cost a secondary targeting sense can be muted (hearing in
humanoids, vision for a bat, sensing motion in the water for sharks, etc).


  13) Dark Sight:   Alternative or optional suggestion.  How about
      a IR/heat night vision effecT?  Instead of a spell for night
      viewing how about something to see heat or UV signatures like
      animals do?  Maybe a x3 mana option or something.
I would toss the "infravision" D&D stuff and just say it increases your
sensitivity to light (like a cat's eyes).  Or we can just go the "it's real
magic" route and just say that darkness is as much an element in the world
as light is...twighlight is an equal bending of light and darkness elements,
but light is never truly eliminated, only overwhelmed by sheer volume of
darkness.  Thus the darksight is actually the ability to filter out the
volume of darkness out to that range, presenting you with a  candle-level
illumination in the area described.
This suggests a counterpart spell "Light Sight" that filters out the mass of
light in an area that might be too bright to see, down to the level of shade
in a deep forest in full daylight.  Obviously an uncommonly used spell,
except for around the desert areas (an dyou would need to add ambush or
spotting mods if it is too bight to see properly (perhaps on the same scale
as "too dark" mods.  Only on the plane of light would one get 100% light and
need this spell to not be absolutely blind.

  14) Fog of Death:  How does weather affect this spell.  Does it
      magically remain say in high gusts or will it blow away?


It should like any sort of poisonous miasma.


  24) Fatal Spear: I always wondered if there is this and Elf-Shot why
      a spear? Why not dagger?  It seems even the most lowly beggar
      can find and use daggers.  Fatal Dagger seems to be more common
      than a spear :)


In my world elves use "Ael-metal" (sort of an aluminum-bronze ally) for
strong, let light weapons.  They tend to use Elvish Longknives (sot of a
cross between a dagger and a short sword) in matched sets or Greatblades.
The metal is precious, however, so they use hardened wood * leather armor,
with Ael-metal rings or plates in the right places...no elven plate.

  26) Fire Ball: I always wondered what the logic of only 2 phases
      was for the Fire ball?  I know a gaseous ball has to dissipate
      fast but theres no way to vary this based on EL say a bit longer
      so it could do down a LONG hall? :)
I think the spell should be redone such that speed is fairly constant,
though distance will improve.  Unless it is a burning ball of pitch it can
travel only so fast and still hold together.   But again, it's "real magic",
so it can do whatever it damn well wants in this world.  
We did have variants on this one that I can't remember at the moment, but
how about a  "Fire Fan" where arc is increased to 120 degrees and range cut
in half. (1 phase spell)? 


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