Confused about magic

From: aspolito <aspolito_at_...>
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 02:10:29 -0000

I finally got a chance to read HeroQuest (stupid work getting in the way of reading time) and I've got to admit everything was making pretty good sense until I hit the magic system rules. I've only read the Common and Theist sections so far but I've got way too many questions about how tihngs work and it is begining to make my head hurt. It is especially maddening becuase up till now there were very good examples that explained how the rules worked but now it seems all the examples are about spending hero points to gain abilities. Grr.

Anyway, biggest confusions:

Concentrated magic. What does this mean? It says non concentrated magic can't be used for an active effect. I got that means it can only augment an ability, but does that make the act magical? Suppose I use my Climb Walls talent/feat/charm/ whatever to augment my Climb skill, is that now a magical act? If climbing a really slick tall wall do I still roll against a target number of 14 or do I roll against the target number I'd use for a non augmented skill check, say 10W1 or something. If using a magical healing ability to help my first aid skill is that magical healing? Or is it mundane healing and the magic was just some innate "you do this a bit better"?

In the magic rules there is an example of someone having magic boots to jump over trees. She is rolling against a 14 target because it is magic. Does she have concentrated common magic or is having a magic item somehow different?

And then there are feats. Ok, I get if using a feat you jsut roll your affinity+feat+any augmentations. But what if I'm augmenting with the feat? Do I augment with (affinity+feat)/10 or do I augment with affinity/10+feat. If I had the affinity of 1W2 and the feat at +6 would that be an augmentation of +3 or +8?

And If you have concentrated your magic and want to use an affinity to do a feat like "active effect" but aren't a devotee yet is there a penalty? Is that what the -10 they are talking about is?

Oh and is there a good explanation for what determines a feat vs a talent vs charm vs all these different types of magical abilities?

I'm sorta avoiding reading the Animist and Wizardry sections because so far the magic rules have really confused me and I had really liked how simple everything was up until now.