Topic: Single Roll Spell Resolution

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

- RR was successful

This gave me an idea...

Make a character's RR mods into a Target Number that the caster has to exceed in order to affect the target.

For example, Jon the Fighter has a normal mod versus Essence of 35. Ok, so at first level, you add 50 to that so a caster has to exceed an 85 to affect him.

Now, since the RR table uses level as mod, you add +5 at levels 2-5, and then +3 per level at levels 6-10, and then +2 at levels 11-15, and then +1 per level after that.

For the caster, he makes his roll as normal. However, reverse the sign on the result from the Base Spell Attack table (i.e. a + becomes a - and a - becomes a plus) and add the result to 50 (also adjusted for level as described above).

So, a 10th level caster has a base attack mod of 85, and the 5th level target (with a RR mod of 35)  would have a RR TN of 105.

The caster (using RMC's core rules) rolls a 28 (+10 from level) for a total of 38 (we will use the General column) which the table says is +15, so we change it to -15 and then add is to caster's base --

85 + -15 = 70

And since this is less than 105, the caster's spell does not affect the target.

He tries again a few rounds later, and rolls a 71, for a total of 81 which results in a -40 on the Base Attack Table, reversing it, that makes it a +40, so....

85 + 40 = 125

The spell succeeds.

If you are using stats with spell casting, then that can make it easier to cast a spell on somebody...

Anyways... this is just an idea I thought I might toss out....

[Marc R]

Seems workable, the only resistance or issue I can see on that is:

GM: "Cleric casts "Dark Absolution" on your PC. I roll a 92, it works, you're dead."

It's utterly irrational, but players seem to want to roll the RR that determines if they die, even if the odds are all the same all around.
 

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

That's simple, for life or death RR, just handle it normally...

Addendum
Remember, this idea was sparked by the passive roll thread linked to by the quote in the first post. Thus it is more suitable for passive RR situations, and a life-or-death RR like the spell you mentioned (and others of the same type) should never be considered a "passive RR".

[Langthorne]

I think that for passive spells this could work very well, and it seems a more elegant mechanic.

I would certainly agree that certain situations demand a resistance roll though.

[Fidoric]

Besides, it simplifies mass resistance rolls against bad guys for example when your spell caster casts a Lord Sleep against a bunch of 1st lvl critters.

[Dark Schneider]

It could be easy too using always a fixed mod, for example 2 per lvl, and then for RR you only need to make:

50 + attack bonus - target resistance + (attack lvl - target lvl) x2.

So you don't need to see the RR table never, that IMO is the slower process for spell attacks.

Example: a lvl 10 essence caster attacks a lvl 14 target with +15 to essence, it rolls 1st in spell attack table with a result of +20 mod., then for RR we make:

50 + 20 - 15 - 8 = 47. target needs to roll 47+ for saving.

This removes the original precision that there are greater or lesser modifiers depending of levels, but is much more quick. It can be worst for low lvls spell combats (for example in lvls 1-10) but is much more generic.

We only need to see the original RR table, try this method and then decide which is the best modifier (2 or 3 IMO are the candidates).
'2' is more conservative and the RR depends more on resistances, defenses (as magic shield) than on lvl, see for example that if lvl dif. is 15, using 2 you have 30 mod. and using 3 you have 45 mod.
But if you think that the lvl dif. (a lvl 30 caster attacking to lvl 10 targets) is really important, surely you like more the '3' mod.

At this moment I don't know what one is nearer the original.

[Cloven-Fruit-Games]

What about simiply subtracting the RR from the spell.

I have a total of a 67 on the spell roll. Target has a 45 on the RR.

(67 + roll)-45

[dutch206]

Wasn't single-roll spell resolution covered in one of the companions?

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

Yes, there was an option for it in one of the Companions, RoCo IV (page 26) to be exact (I just looked it up).

Under those rules, you had to roll and get 100+ to succeed in the attack, and you had a big list of modifiers that were applied to the roll.

[Fenrhyl Wulfson]

Just like in the other thread. If such a system is used, it should not be possible to roll lower than your passive resistance value.

[Pit Ote]

I prefer the blanck get his RR, so the player has the last word on instantaneous death as Absolution spells.
This rule also has some points in common with rule in RoCo VI (pg 26) but without the "Spell Resistence" Skill.