Subject: Walktapus Soup, Volume 4, Number 2
First Distribution:
This issue:
Re: shapechanging (Ken McKinney)
(Element) Bolt Wand (Andrew Bell)
A small issue this time.
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From: kenm@ni700.natinst.com
Subject: Re: shapechanging
In my game I allow shapechanging and diminish/enhance siz to affect
stuff that a person is carrying. I like to see shapechange used as a
mobility/escape type spell as well as a combat spell and this facilitates
this. Also, my devious players would probably take advantage of it
("I pop the runelord in his fancy iron armor!") if I made the shape/size
altering spells not affect inanimate material.
According to the rules, you only have to overcome the guys magic points
with the intensity of your shapechange (plus overcome them with your own,
of course). One can force an opponent to sacrifice all but one magic point,
then turn him into a frog for 10 years or so, if one feels vindictive.
Re: the reduce damage sorcery spell
I like this spell. As I understand it you don't have to overcome the
guy's power to get his weapon. [Correct.-acb] If I introduce this spell,
it'll make my players paranoid and they'll start carrying extra weapons
just like in the old RQ2 days .... he he.
[Glad I got a better response than my last attempt at writing a spell...-acb]
Some Questions of My Own
I find that the rules regarding spirit plane encounters for shamans are
unclear. For example, what happens to a shaman on the spirit plane who
is reduced to zero magic points by a spirit? Is his body possessed? Big
deal, if he has his adventurer buddies around to protect it. What if the
creature is something like an elemental that cannot inhabit the material
plane without appropriate quantities of its element, or some creature that
cannot possess anything. Are encounters with these creatures without risk?
I played in a game once where if the shaman lost on the spirit plane,
his soul was destroyed. This encouraged fear of the spirit plane, but
made things rather deadly. The rules don't seem to support this
interpretation of things, but I tend to go with it anyway.
What if a shaman binds a ghost or magic spirit which has rune magic?
Is this rune magic reusable? How does the spirit regain it?
Can a severed limb be reattached with the spirit heal spell? I find
the rules and the quick reference sheet to be contradictory on this. I've
run campaigns both ways.
When does a shaman get a power check from a spirit encounter? What keeps
a shaman from increasing his power by leaps and bounds this way?
Do you guys enforce the requirement that one have 10 pts of divine magic
for it to be reusable? Does this apply to Priests, Acolytes, and Rune
Lords?
that's all I have for now
Ken (kenm at natinst.com)
National Instruments
Austin, Texas
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Subject: Elemental Bolt Wand
From: bell@cs.unc.edu (Your foolish editor)
For those of you who don't think Elemental Bolt is a total wash, here's
a magic item to go along with it:
The (Element) Bolt Wand
An elemental bolt wand increases the power of an (element) bolt spell.
The wand has a specific strength, and it doubles the effects of the
spell that don't exceed the strength of the wand. For example, if a
sorceror holds a four point wand and casts a six point elemental bolt
spell, the effective intensity of the spell will be ten. A three intensity
spell cast with the same wand will yield a six intensity bolt. Note that
a given wand is tied to a specific element, and will not affect bolt spells
associated with other elements. The wand does not give knowledge of the
spell, but sorcerors commonly enchant a spell matrix for the given
elemental bolt into the wand.
Elemental bolt wands are made by a specific enchanting ritual, which is
as difficult to learn as a spell, although the sorceror will not fail
in learning it if he or she knows the appropriate (element) bolt spell.
Each point of power spent in the ritual will add one to the strength of
the wand.
Wands should be made of exotic sorcery components. For example, a fire
bolt wand could be made from dream dragon teeth or fire elemental essence.
The more exotic the components, the stronger the wand that can be made.
For example, a wand made from mundane components might have an upper
limit of a five strength.
(On the surface, this may seem disproportionately powerful, since
spell matrices have a similar effect but don't provide the magic points
for the increased intensity. However, it does have several disadvantages:
-it does not boost knowledge of the spell
-it is limited on how powerful it can become based on what it is made of
-it requires learning a different spell)
-Andrew Bell
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