Ooops! Just realised that I posted an old version of our Concentratio
house rules. See changes below.
Regarding the questions...
I wrote:
> 3) When a concentrated character deals with another
> type of magic, however, this ability operates as a
> flaw.... a 'negative augment' (i.e. -1 per 10 rating).
Jane Williams wrote:
> Do you find that gives enough of a disadvantage to
> using other types of magic, though? Or has the game
> not yet got far enough to say?
I think this needs clarifying. These rules should be read in
conjunction with the standard Concentration rules. Hence concentrated
characters are still unable to use other types of magic - the negative
augment that I refer to operates when they are e.g. resisting a
different type of magic used by an opponent - or even being healed by
alien magic!
I wrote:
> 4) Unconcentrated characters suffer a -10 penalty in all
> Otherworlds. Concentrated characters don't suffer this penalty in
> their own Otherworld, but suffer a penalty equal to their
> Concentration ability in the others.
Gavain Sweetman wrote:
> As it stands for 1 HP you can get Concentrated in theism and have 0
> penalty for Theistic realms and only -1 penalty for all other
> realms. i.e. he gets better in everything!
No: it's the ability rating that determines the penalty. So with a
standard starting rating this would be a -13 penalty.
However, I should note that we've dropped this rule about Alien World
Penalties altogether in the latest version of the rules. There's also
a modification of the rule about using CM abilities actively.
Here are our latest rules in full (with a new one at the end for clarity):
- Concentration is not merely an abstract binary state, it is an
ability Concentrated on [Magic], which represents the character's
level of commitment to a magic system.
- This ability can be used to augment any magical abilities within
the system to which it pertains, or other relevant situations (e.g.
the contest to be accepted as an apprentice).
- When a concentrated character deals with another type of magic,
however, this ability operates as a flaw. If your character is
resisting magic that originates in different Otherworld, for example,
the flaw automatically counts as a 'negative augment' (i.e. -1 per 10
rating).
- The rule about halving the cost of increasing magic abilities for
concentrated characters does not apply; instead all characters pay the
concentrated cost for magic abilities.
- Concentrated characters may use a Common Magic ability as a primary
ability in the following circumstances:
- Automatically, if the ability is less than or equal to the
'Concentrated on X' rating
- Subject to a contest ('Concentrated on X' vs ability rating;
succeeds on any victory) for higher ability ratings
- For abilities that specifically require a character to be
concentrated (e.g. a devotee's feats, spirit allies), the
concentration ability must have attained a mastery in their
Concentrated On X ability in order to use these abilities.
- Concentration is an ability like any other, so you have to buy it
in the first place and spend HPs (or the initial 20 character creation
points) to improve it (or decrease it).
- In order to learn a secret, the character must have attained a
level of at least 1W2 in this ability, in addition to the normal
requirements.
- Unless modified or contradicted by the preceding rules, all of the
standard HQ rules regarding Concentration still apply (e.g. a
concentrated character cannot have any abilities from a different
magic system).
Further comments and questions would be most welcome.
p