This may have already been said, but if so, I missed it:
This is an unplaytested idea that I am considering. To differentiate
between mundane and magical abilities, have the magical ability use either
14 or a magical resistance rating (ignore mundane resistance) and have the
mundane ability use mundane resistance and suffer a large improvisational
penalty for being resisted magically. The four possible cases are:
- Mundane ability vs. mundane resistance - use the mundane resistance rating.
- Mundane ability vs. magical resistance - use the magical resistance
rating and apply a steep improvisational modifier to the mundane ability
(for facing magical resistance).
- Magical ability vs. mundane resistance - use the default resistance of
14 (with improvisational modifiers if the magic is not completely
appropriate for the task).
- Magical ability vs. magical resistance - use the magical resistance rating.
Here is an example: Climbing; let's assume that there are magical and
mundane climbing abilities. Let's also assume that there are mundane walls
and magically high (or hard to climb) walls.
- Mundane climbing vs. Mundane city wall (10w) - resistance is 10w.
- Mundane climbing vs. Magically hard to climb wall (10w) - resistance is
10w, but there is an improvisational penalty to mundane climbing ability.
- Magical Climb Walls vs. Mundane city wall (10w) - resistance is 14.
3.1. Magical Climb Walls vs. Mundane tree (10w) - resistance is 14, but
there is an improvisational penalty for Climb Walls.
- Magical Climb Walls vs. Magically hard to climb wall (10w) - resistance
is 10w.
4.1 Magically Climb Walls vs. Magically hard to climb tree (10w) -
resistance is 10w, but there is an improvisational penalty for Climb Walls.
Improvisational Penalties:
- Mundane ability vs. magical resistance - I suggest making this steep,
perhaps -10 or -20. This is based loosely on alien world modifiers with the
reasoning that magic is from another plane. Maybe the penalty is -10 for a
worshipper facing a familiar style of magic (theist vs. feat) and -20 for
facing another style (theist vs. blessing). Mystics are at the most
disadvantageous penalty at all times, but any mystic should be used to that.
- Inappropriate magic penalty - I am inclined toward harshness here too.
Magic is specific and I advocate -10 (minor discrepancy) to -20 (the
maximum penalty, just because I don't want to say no to an attempt.)
I hope to gain differentiation of mundane and magical abilities with few
special cases. Mundane abilities have a wider area of effect (Climb works
on walls, trees, etc.), but do not ignore mundane opposition (mundanely
higher or smoother obstacles are harder to climb). Mundane abilities are
not set up to overcome magical obstacles, but they can be increased to
levels that can overcome magical resistance even with a huge penalty (Climb
10w3 easily beats magically hard to climb wall 10w, even with a -20
penalty). Magical abilities ignore most mundane obstacles, but they are
narrowly focused. Both types of abilities still can augment the other, so
there is interaction.
Links to old posts: I think that this solution takes care of the Jump Over
Tree vs. jumping problem without Run Upon Snow and flying being applied
differently.
Thanks,
Andy