Author Topic: Various rules questions (please and thank you!)  (Read 1125 times)

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Offline awesomesauce

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Various rules questions (please and thank you!)
« on: April 20, 2022, 08:54:48 PM »
Hello again. Thank you in advance for the amazing help and expertise of this community.

1. Spell-casting failures - I'm certain I have this wrong! It says under spell-casting failure descriptions that you add the spell-casting modifier to the spell-casting failure roll (and sometimes double or triple this number in the case of extreme failures). In some cases, when overcasting or casting without preparation, this number is negative. To 'add' this to the spell failure roll, would make the spell failure less severe. In some cases this is a positive number (when fully prepared casting a lower level spell). To add triple this number to the spell-casting failure roll seems to make failure of easier spells more dangerous. Thus, I am sure I calculating these bonuses incorrectly, or interpreting the rule incorrectly.

I can simply reverse the +/-, but it would mean that absolute failure of a spell with a net positive modifier would still result in the number being tripled to the benefit of the player, which just doesn't make sense to me. The one solution I can think of is to only consider the negative modifiers to the spell cast (and reverse the +/- of the number), and then just use this number to 'add' to the spell failure roll. This still seems odd because many casting modifiers are negative or positive depending on the situation. Another solution could be to only worry about the number if it is negative, and then reverse its +/- and add it to the spell failure roll. This is what I am currently doing. It all just feels like I'm doing it wrong though.

2. Demonic possession of Undead. A warlock in my party recently tried casting demonic possession on an undead skeleton. I'm sure this could be just GM determined as to whether this is possible or not, but I was wondering what the official word was. Can an undead be possessed? It seems improbable to me.

3. Magical PP multipliers (and adders, I suppose). If two PCs have attuned to a PP multiplier, can they pass it between each other freely, as each of them cast spells in turn, to both effectively get the multiplication? I intrinsically denied this request and fudged a statement that once a PC passes it to someone else, they cannot get its benefit again for another 24 hours. But I wondered if there is an official ruling on this.

4. Haste. Normally you can only do 20% of your action in the snap phase, 50% normal and 80% deliberate. If you are hasted (200%), I assume these numbers double? Recently a player hasted in the deliberate phase. Would this mean they have used 10% of their action to cast the instantaneous spell, so they have 70% left. This is now doubled to 140%, so their remaining action is 140%? This was my best guess. It also means part of the haste spell is somewhat wasted.

5. Haste 2. To attack twice while hasted, how much activity do you require? An attack technically only requires a small portion of your activity if you are willing to take a penalty (as little as 60%). Does this mean a hasted character could, if they wanted, make three attacks at -40, which only requires 180% activity, and still have 20% action left? I've capped it at two, just as a GM fudge, but I was again wondering on the official word.

Offline jdale

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Re: Various rules questions (please and thank you!)
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2022, 11:46:17 PM »
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1. Spell-casting failures....   Another solution could be to only worry about the number if it is negative, and then reverse its +/- and add it to the spell failure roll. This is what I am currently doing.

That's how I would do it too: add up the total modifiers, if it is positive disregard it, if it is negative add it as a positive value (e.g. if there is a net -20 modifier, add +20 to the spell failure roll).

The same underlying rule applies in RMU except we made it more clear:
The roll for spell failure is an open-ended d100 roll. Modify the roll as follows: add up all the modifiers that applied to the Spell-casting Roll, sum these results, change the sign so that the number is positive (or zero if there was no overall negative modifier to the SCR), and add this number to the rolled number.

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2. Demonic possession of Undead.

It's theoretically possible. That's part of how Black Reavers are created in fact.

However, if you're talking about the Demonic Possession spells on the Sorcerer's base list Soul Destruction, they are type Fm spells, which means they are mind-affecting. RMFRP says (pg 154) "It should also be noted that these spells are ineffective against any creature or entity that does not have a 'mind' per se (e.g., Undead, plants, politicians, etc.)."

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3. Magical PP multipliers (and adders, I suppose).

RMFRP pg 80: "Only one bonus spell item {i.e. an adder or multiplier but not both} is  usable by a given character between periods of rest (usually at least a three hour sleep period). In order to gain the benefits, a bonus spell item should be held or worn, and it must be with the character during the period of rest prior to its use." I would certainly end the benefit for one character if a different character then used the item during their own rest period.

Attunement is not actually required for adders and multipliers though, just as it is not for items that just give other kinds of bonuses.

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4. Haste.

RMSS Spell Law (page 232) says:
A person under the effects of a Haste or Speed spell will have 200% activity each round, but must still abide by the turn sequence restrictions. The effects are summarized below.
Combat -- two melee or missile attacks may be made per round. All bleeding critical results applied to a Hasted individual are doubled, and rounds of stun, parry, or no parry are applied at 2 per round.
...
Spells -- Only one spell may be cast per round, no matter whether Hasted or not. In addition, all spells cast upon a Hasted individual last their normal duration.
Cumulative Haste/Speed -- Only one Haste or Speed spell may be in effect on an individual at any given time. In addition, as Speed requires a 50% activity penalty after the spell effects end, casting a Speed or Haste at that point will only bring a person to normal activyt, rather than extending the 200% activity time (50% x 2 = 100%).


I assume Adrenal Speed is likewise not cumulative with Haste and Speed.

So, while hasted, you can make two attacks, but you are still limited to a total of 3 actions (one per phase). But, there is no limit on the amount of activity per phase -- those limits are only for movement (20% during snap, 50% during normal, 80% during deliberate, any remaining movement can happen after deliberate is resolved). If those limits applied to other actions, no one could attack during the snap or normal phase, since melee requires at least 60%.

Thus you can make two attacks, which must be during different phases, but you can pick which phase.

You could also make three attacks, with one in each phase, each as a 60% action (at -40). That's perfectly valid assuming you don't need any activity for movement. If your foe moves away during the round you are out of luck.


If you cast a Haste spell in the Snap phase, it seems ok to apply it to the current round, but if you cast it in the Deliberate phase you can't take any other actions (except movement). It would make more sense to give the benefit of the spell in the following round.
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Offline awesomesauce

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Re: Various rules questions (please and thank you!)
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2022, 09:03:15 AM »
Great. Thank you for the response. Clarified a lot about how the rounds work for me, too. Awesome.

Offline Cory Magel

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Re: Various rules questions (please and thank you!)
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2022, 12:18:28 AM »
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3. Magical PP multipliers (and adders, I suppose).
RMFRP pg 80: "Only one bonus spell item {i.e. an adder or multiplier but not both} is  usable by a given character between periods of rest (usually at least a three hour sleep period). In order to gain the benefits, a bonus spell item should be held or worn, and it must be with the character during the period of rest prior to its use." I would certainly end the benefit for one character if a different character then used the item during their own rest period.

Attunement is not actually required for adders and multipliers though, just as it is not for items that just give other kinds of bonuses.
Now I'm picturing two PC's holding opposite ends of a magical staff while sleeping. lol

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4. Haste.

RMSS Spell Law (page 232) says:
A person under the effects of a Haste or Speed spell will have 200% activity each round, but must still abide by the turn sequence restrictions. The effects are summarized below.
Combat -- two melee or missile attacks may be made per round. All bleeding critical results applied to a Hasted individual are doubled, and rounds of stun, parry, or no parry are applied at 2 per round.
I could be wrong (and it was a house rule) but I am pretty sure there's a rule in RMSS that says you can only make two attack actions per turn.
The reason this came up is because Dual Wield allows you to make two attack per attack action, which resulted in a Hasted Dual Wield fighter maxing out at 4 possible attacks per round. Just imagine if they could have made three attack actions, resulting in six attacks per round.  That'd get out of hand quick.
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Offline jdale

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Re: Various rules questions (please and thank you!)
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2022, 09:51:44 AM »
Now I'm picturing two PC's holding opposite ends of a magical staff while sleeping. lol

Resolve with dream combat, winner gets the benefit, loser does not get any rest. ;)
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