Re: rulesy spells

From: David Weihe <weihe_at_gsidanet.danet.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 96 16:05:55 EST

> From: Saravan Peacock <saravan_at_perth.DIALix.oz.au>
> My problem with battle magic spells is: how are the offensive ones aimed?
> Presumably it's a point and shoot type thing, but how do you ensure your
> disruption hits the broo fifty metres away rather than the Storm Bull
> maniac who is freziedly trying to chop it to bits? It seems there should be
> some sort of Aim skill too. But that repels me enormously so I just
> blissfully close open my eyes wide and say, "well of _course_ it hits the
> broo...". Any plausible suggestions on the nature of spells which would
> explain this remarkable (and probably universal) phenomenon?

Spells are not physical, so they are not targetted physically. Rather, they are aimed by the mental map of reality that we all have. This is why they can be aimed by Second Sight, or through Sorcery Sense Projections, as well as by sight. The clarity necessary for aiming requires some highbandwidth  sense, so most races can't target by sound, The Crimson Bat probably can, and Trolls using DarkSense certainly can, as both are acute enough for those species. Presumably, those dolphins and whales with nonfixed INTs can do the same.

Or at least that's my explanation. I remember reading about some experimental rules that did have aiming, and that it was rejected for game-mechanical reasons (made spell combat as much fun as multidimensional integrals). Perhaps there *is* an aiming skill, but that children learn it to 100% with their first, harmless, spells, which are forgotten once one gets the first "classical" spirit magic or sorcery spells. Thus, it can be ignored except when attacking children, or when playing the defending child.

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