14 is also for resisting "the World" when you have nothing better, and for the world to resist *you* when it has nothing better. (HW 124)
According to Greg's ideas (and no, I really don't want to get into whether they are good or bad ideas, please), using a magical effect exactly as it says (Frex, using "Leap over tree" to leap over a tree, no matter how high, as long as it isn't defined as "magically high") meets a basic resistance of 14.
> >while directed magical effects
> >would use the rating of the magician or magical force.
>
> Not so according to the example on p171 where Rurik
> uses a resistance of 14 instead of a toughness of 12
> to resist a magical flame.
That example shows that a Toughness of 17 would be used to resist the (physical, though magically produced) flame. *IF* Rurik's toughness were only 12, *THEN* he would use 14 as the "default" resistance because it is higher than his toughness. Dabranilla's ability is not affected by Rurik's toughness or lack thereof; it is still 5w (or whatever, I can't remember if I ever statted her up).
Personal Opinion only:
IMG, *I* would allow a Valinding to "reduce" the effects of purely mundane
winter weather from any rating to 14 (for himself only, non-transferable)
once he knows the Valinding secret of "Survive Winter". However, Winter
(Dark Season) in Sartar isn't *just* a case of mundane winds & snow, it
includes actively *magical* winds and storms.
Say Veoslin Valinding goes out in the teeth of The Howler (TR 123) who has a "Bitterly Cold Wind 10w4" ability. He can add his "Survive Winter" ability to his Toughness or an affinity (say, North Wind, which allows him the feat "Command North Wind Umbroli") (See the Secret description, ST 234), but he doesn't "reduce" the Howler's ability. He still has to face "Bitterly Cold Wind 10w4".
RR
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