Re: Creating New Spells

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 14:35:13 -0800

> >What is the general thought on the list about creating new spells for
> >saintly scriptures during play? Can an orderly do so, is it just a
> >matter of spending the HP and saying that you have deciphered a new
> >page in the book?
>
> If "during play" means through the course of researching and not just 5
minutes of staring at the pages and saying "hmmmm...".
>
> If I remember correctly (don't have a copy of HQ handy), creating a new
spell includes creating a link to a note on the saintly plane.

Two different questions, with two different answers...

If the *Player* wants to invent another spell that is already in the book (just not listed among the four or five presented in the magic keyword), then yeah, I'd allow him to spend the HP and "invent" a new spell just like "remembering" a new feat from an affinity. Of course, the spell has to fit the nature of the Grimoire. If the Grimoire is "The Book of Really Nasty Ways to Slice Your Opponent into Little Pieces with Various Sharp Implements", then a spell of healing is probably not suitable, nor is flying or fireballs or basketweaving.

The rulebook is silent on "creating/inventing" new spells (There is a couple paragraphs on creating new grimoires, on page 165), but I'd require some sort of research to determine what Node to link to, then creating a Portal of Power to that node, then opening the portal and entering the node to learn the spell. Then, remember, this spell is *not* part of your grimoire; it is an independent spell. The spell would be on the Magic plane, so only a 10w3 resistance to the portal of power. The real hard part (to my mind) is the research. Is this a spell that the character has seen done (ie, he knows that it is possible, he just doesn't have the right formula for it) or is this something completely new, that no-one has ever dreamed of before? For a simple contest, don't want to worry about it" type of research, I'd assign a resistance of somehwere between 10w2 (for a spell you've seen/heard of) to 10w4+ (for "Theoretical Spell Research" ). Looking over the various keywords, I don't see any ability I'd use as a "research" ability, so would probably require a special "Spell Theory" or similar ability (rather than, say, Read [Grimoire] or Rule of [Founder]). otherwise the world would be over-run with new spells, and people wouldn't need to steal them from each other.

I doubt that a Liturgist can "discover" a new blessing/curse in the Scripture, since it's been picked over by top-notch scholars in the past. An Orderly would probably need to discover a new aspect of his Saint to "invent" a spell.

All in all, I think that a character "inventing" a spell should be a difficult thing, akin to heroquesting for a new ability. (though maybe not with the Heroquest challenge at the end).

RR
It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of this has done what he has done.
- Richelieu