Hi
I normally rule that best magical defense, and apply improv mods off
of piety -3 for concentrated and -5 for not concentrated. I don't
apply a difference because of status. and I also don't ask them to
always come up with a reason *how* the defence works, unless its fun
to do so!
Further the magical protection is always on but cannot be augmented
by as many other abilities as they would if they were thinking about
it.
I guess it depends on how you run magic, but in old RQ you resisted
all magic unless you specifically allowed magic to affect you (like
healing magic I guess)
YGMV of course
Regards
Rob Soon 2B Player not Narrator - Huzzah!
> I have a question about magical defenses in a surprise situation.
> That is, when you are attacked by magic, the most appropriate
> response is a magical defense, ideally one appropriate to the
attack,
> and if you don't have anything specific you default to something
like
> piety or initiate of your god. But how much choice do you have in
> the matter when you are attacked by surprise? Of course, there
are
> differing levels of surprise, so I'll provide some examples
courtesy
> of the unfortunate hero band Braggi's Braggarts, all of whom are
> initiates or devotees of various "fighting storm" cults. Braggi
> himself is a devotee of Yavor Lightning.
>
> Example 1:
> The Braggarts are conducting a pre-dawn cattle raid against the
hated
> Black Turnip clan. Unfortunately on the way there they offended a
> talking fox. Never offend the talking fox. The fox has notified
the
> Black Turnip clan of the raid, and the Braggarts are soon seeing
hot
> action. The first response from the Turnips was a wave of
> skirmishers, who kept the Braggarts busy while more fearsome
brawlers
> got to the scene. So under the brightening sky dome, just before
> Elmal's fire comes through the dawn gates, the Braggarts are in
full
> combat mode, fighting, alert, various magical defenses active.
Then,
> a just arrived Elmal devotee, up until then unseen in the dim
light,
> uses his blinding flash attack on Braggi and one of his
companions,
> an initiate of Tatouth the path-finder named Beveren.
>
> Although they were generally ready for anything, they were not
> prepared for that specific attack, or for that attacker in
general.
> It would seem that Braggi's "Lightning" affinity would make a
> reasonable defense with only a small improve penalty (he's used to
> bright flashes in dark conditions, so isn't easily blinded by
them).
> But the attack happens unexpectedly, where he has no chance to
call
> upon that magic. Does the magic protect him automatically? And
what
> about Beveren? He has nothing more appropriate than "Initiate of
> Orlanth" at a substantial penalty. Assuming this is better than a
> default 14, can he use it—Orlanth is already watching over him
since
> he's been calling on Orlanth's magic during the battle? Or does
he
> have to be aware enough of the attack to call on Orlanth's
protection?
>
> Example 2:
> Later, Braggi is driving a cart loaded with his wounded along a
> narrow track through the woods. It is wild country with who knows
> what dangers, so he is generally aware. His "first magic" is one
of
> his wind feats, to deflect any incoming missiles, but he doesn't
have
> any other magic up, both so as not to attract too much attention
and
> because he doesn't have any feats that would be particularly
useful
> as general defenses. Unfortunately for him, he passes under the
> arboral hiding place of a hungry rebel who happens to be a devotee
of
> Yinkin. The ambusher uses his "leap from hiding" feat to jump
down
> on Braggi from behind just after the cart has passed his hiding
> spot.
>
> Braggi is not totally surprised by the attack in that he knew an
> ambush was possible, but he has no awareness type magic to
anticipate
> it, nor any active magic to interfere with it. What magic defense
> can he use? His wind blast would be a weak defense (not apt to
stop
> a downward leaping body), plus he wouldn't even be calling on it
> without knowing the attack was happening. His other feats have
the
> same objections that he wouldn't use them without knowing of the
> attack, plus they are not his "first magic." He's not been
calling
> on Orlanth's aid, and would have no reason to do so until the
moment
> he's knocked from his seat. Does he have any magical defenses?
>
> Now, if Beveren had been driving, presumably he could have used
his
> path finding affinity as a defense, since it would be an
appropriate
> defense against this sort of attack, and would seem to be a
> reasonably "passive" response. Or would he have had to have it
> already active in some way (first magic, have called upon it—but
> remember he is an initiate, so probably wouldn't have been using
it
> actively).
>
> Example 3:
> After further misadventures, the Braggarts have fled far, far
away.
> They've set up camp in the shelter of a crumbling stone wall.
> Unfortunately the camp is just off a trail used as a short cut
> between church and fields by some of the local men. Braggi is
> keeping watch, and sees the men coming. He doesn't want them to
spot
> the camp, or to draw attention by killing or capturing them. The
day
> is already heavy with cloud and the promise of rain, so thinking
> quickly he uses his storm magic to call up a sudden squall, hoping
> the men will be so focused on fighting the wind and rain and
staying
> on the muddy path they won't look around them much, and the rain
will
> help block their vision, so they will miss seeing the camp.
>
> The farmers don't even know they are being attacked. The sudden
> cloud burst seems consistent with the day, so they aren't even
> suspicious. The storm isn't hurting them directly, just attacking
> their perceptions, so they aren't actively calling upon magical
> defenses (and they don't have any magical perceptions to tell them
> that this is magic). However, they are just coming from church
where
> they received the "resist heathen spell" blessing. What do they
> resist with: The base 14 plus the bonus from the blessing, their
> piety with the bonus from the blessing, or the value of the
blessing
> itself?
>
> Thanks for any help in sorting this out! (and if we make any
sense
> out of this I'll gather it up, summarize, and send it in for the
FAQ
> or something like that)
>
> Regards;
>
> Bryan