Re: rulesy spells

From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_toppoint.de>
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 96 20:39 MET

Saravan Peacock
>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 frenziedly 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?

Any pointing etc will just help release the flow of magical energies, the important part in aiming is that you _see_ the target. (At least, that's for humans, with trolls it is probably darksense. Elves and dwarfs are a different matter, since their special senses aren't as dominant in perceiving targets...)

Apparently the magic follows the sight-beams (emitted by the eye, or emitted by the target, depending on what school you're following). The eye has a very quick and efficient targetting system, and isn't easily confused.

However, vision-affecting spells like Shimmer seem to have no detrimental effect on aiming spells. Possibly because even a shimmering target remains locked by the eye.

(Aside: should a shimmered character trying to hide gain a bonus or a malus on his hiding chance? Does Shimmer affect Darksense? Second Sight?)

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