Topic: Spell Mastery Submittals

[Marrethiel]

Present – 04/30/2013
Spell Law – We’re looking for your best story involving Spell Mastery. Whether your spell mastery has saved you just in the nick of time or had terrible, terrible consequences, or even really interesting applications for the spells, we want to hear about it. Even if you don’t win, it’s always fun to reminisce over past glories (or failings as the case may be).

We tend to play in RM2 epic level games where our characters kill gods or become them, so these need to be noted

My Archmage had a crit on him that snapped his torso around 180 degrees in a player on player attack, I had cast a forcefield and spell mastered it from a sphere to body hugging and used this as a virtual exoskeleton... I think it was something like a -50 roll. I then said to the player (expletives deleted); "That is going to take me at least ten minutes to heal!".  I told the GM I was attacking with my staff at full OB (this was a bluff, he had a better OB/DB total). The PC ran away

As an evil Healer I once spell mastered my healing duration from permanent to 1 year per level, then recast the heals while the PC's were asleep every few years... lol... I got busted when the GM disjunted a PC and it collapsed with a decade of game time injuries.

Again with this same healer, I used my spells offensively, the GM ruled that I could change a U type spell to F with a -50 spell mastery (I think this number came from the +50 people get to resist harmless spells). I then took a wound of a PC onto myself then transferred it to the creature that delivered the wound. I pitched this as a neutral act... I'm not sure if anyone agreed with me 

RoCo3 (page 64) and Alchemy companion have an alternate alchemy called Spirit Runes which is effectively alchemy for adventures because you can stop and start without damaging the item. The first level spell Tempers the item, building up the level that you can put enchantments on to it. The GM allowed me to change this spell from touch to 5' radius, allowing me to enchant castle bricks wholesale (with only the PP expenditure of the touch spell). Every brick in that wall had a confusion, sleep or terror spell in it; all effective low level spells that wouldn't accidently kill anyone.

Playing a tourist Kata Viir (spelling?) from Shadow World to Middle Earth (an archmage again) we were helping a fleet (they had a Macros) defend against Dark Space elder gods. I decided that the range on our mechs was too short so I hopped out (planar survival list was handy) and used a joining spell to combine the attributes of two spells.  A following holy bolt (two spells) and a geomancy spell that blessed 1 mile per level (GM ruled cubic not square) area of land. I then Spell Masted this to a 1 inch diameter cylinder... after a bit of maths, carrying the one, this worked out to be longer range by far. Mind you, we were 50+ levels and 200 on all stats.

[Ynglaur]

As an evil Healer I once spell mastered my healing duration from permanent to 1 year per level, then recast the heals while the PC's were asleep every few years... lol... I got busted when the GM disjunted a PC and it collapsed with a decade of game time injuries.

This is clever.

[Modius]

As I make my way through any retool of the spell law I am reminded that RM has always and will continue to have the best magic system in table top gaming! I am looking forward to the coming weeks looking over the updates.

[5th Knight of Xar]

It's been so many years since we actually managed to pull the entire group of RM players together that I've forgot most of the gemstones when it comes to Spell Mastery events. What I can remember from the top of my head, regarding spells and spellcasting was an incident that happened with one of the spellcasting players as he used(or tried to use) lofty bridge to escape some orcs or bandits I believe it was, he fumbled and instant appeared 30 meters above ground instead of moving forward to the spot he wanted to go to. I guess we all know the outcome of such a fall.

[Ynglaur]

He landed on top of his assailants, delivering a Medium Bash at +30 OB, rolling high open-ended, and getting a 97 on the E Krush table?

[Twistor]

Alright, here's an old story from my old group. I think it would fit here fine, though Spell Law category would have worked as well.

I was GMing RMFRP in one of my own make-shift game worlds. I basically let the players create the world by letting them play whatever they'd like as long as they began on level 1. I also let them use spell mastery to improvise spells with some rules I had found in Guild Companion. If they completed some prerequisites, they could try a spell of certain level.

So one of the players wanted to create "a chosen one", arcane magician who was trained to destroy daemons from another dimension. He had some pretty powerful magic items that he had taken for his talents, items like slaying daemons and things like that. For his flaws he had chosen Wrath, so he was chased by the minions of those very daemons. He took it very seriously.

The other player characters were supposed to take him to the temple of knowledge. They had met with a leader of sorts who had briefed them of their mission. Then, as the new guy arrived to the town, he immediately announced he would use his spell mastery to improvise a Teleport III spell to get himself far away from here. I (GM) was of course a bit surprised of this sudden change of events. I asked him if he was sure, because it would be very dangerous and it would probably result into failure. He told me he was sure and would do it as a magic ritual to further his chances.

So he would start to chant magical verses in the middle of the town, next to the stereotypical fountain of angels. People started to gather around to watch this curious sight and also the party arrived to the scene. For some time prismatic lights would flash around and then the smell of ozone filled the air as things started to get awry. His chances of success were not too good, something like 25%. He rolled and sure enough, failed miserably.

"I'm afraid you have to roll for spell failure adding 3x your penalties." I quoted the rules. He looked shocked, as his penalties were impressive (he was a level 1 arcanist after all, going for a spell of level 15 (or so) he didn't even know how to cast). He grabbed the dice and rolled a large number, maybe even open-ended a bit.

You know what it says about rolling a force-type spell failure of Essence and max the chart?

The crowd was at the same time impressed and horrified of the prismatic gore display that took place as the magician's brain was scattered all over the fountain and the town center. The rest of the party was dumbfounded by the stupidity on that day and for a moment no one could do anything but laugh with a sheer disbelief. After a while they proceeded to collect the rather impressive belongings of the would-be magician and set on a journey for the temple of knowledge.

Improvised teleportation was used again later in the campaign, this time with impressive open-ended success, when the group's druid was trying to escape from water demons. He was a) low level (like 3rd), b) underwater and could not speak, c) being attacked and thus was fast-casting and d) didn't know the spell (to top it Teleport I was of different realm than him) either, but somehow he still managed to pull it off with an open-ended roll of 300+. He was one of the luckiest players I've seen, as he did things like this on a routine basis.

Hopefully you enjoyed this piece of sillyness. =) Game on.

[Old Man]

** From the annals of my Rolemaster campaign of old **

The Man Who Was the Sea Dust

In a time long ago in the real world and the my campaign world (about 20 or more years in each), there was an adventuring company of great renown who became known as Kelly’s Heroes.

Kelly’s Heroes headed to another continent to explore a place called the Sea of Dust. This “Sea” was formed 1500 years ago in the aftermath of the destruction of the Empire of the Night and covered the ruins of that once powerful nation. History recalls that Kelly’s Heroes heard rumor of many coins in the Empire’s ancient treasuries.

Once they reached the Sea of Dust, Kelly’s Heroes discovered that the Sea, a thin layer of dust that appeared to hover over the Empire’s remains, was very unusual. As well as being a magical phenomena, there appeared to be a spirit bound into the Sea and the Dust might actually be that spirit’s physical remains.

Kelly’s Heroes quickly determined that the spirit was a Sorcerer named Takkakit. History records that Takkakit led a group of adventurers, 1500 years ago, that were responsible for the downfall of the Empire of the Night. Apparently he gave his life in the process, becoming bound to the borders of the ancient Empire as the “Sea.”

Via spell, Kelly’s Heroes chatted with the spirit of Takkakit. By spell and prayer they consulted with their deities. Much discussion ensued about their camp fire. The driving reason is lost to History, perhaps Kelly’s Heroes thought it would be interesting or perhaps it was due to enemy forces in and about the ruins, but eventually the adventurers decided to undertake a most powerful ritual of magic to attempt to rebuild Takkakit’s body from his remains, the Sea of Dust.

The decision was not an end but a beginning. The various spellcasters of Kelly’s Heroes, which included Falling Light the Conjurer, Feanna the Dervish, Elessa the Lay Healer and Girra the Sorceress, began round two of much discussion at their campsite. First they sought an auspicious site for the ritual. Fortunately, the very center of the Sea of Dust, marked by a Silver area in the Sea above, had become Blessed by a Lord of Light through the actions of a young priestess several years ago,

Kelly’s Heroes travelled to the center of the Sea, found the priestess and discovered she was amenable to hosting the planned magicks. The mages pooled their resources and estimated how much mana each could contribute, but it did not seem to be enough. They had the time and had the skill in such a ritual, but needed raw magical energy to power the event.

Fortunately, Kelly’s Heroes were successful adventurers. A time previous, they had helped rid a place called the Enchanted Woods of a particularly nasty undead-magician. The fairy denizens of the woods gave them several golden acorns to use in time of need. The company’s Healer planted her acorn in the Light-aspected soil at the center of the land under the Sea. A tree grew in an instant and from within stepped out the Queen of the Enchanted Wood’s Nymphs, Shiallia. After some convincing, the Fairy Queen agreed to help with the ritual.

The four spell casters of Kelly’s Heroes, joined by the young priestess, Celeste, and the ancient Fairy Queen, Shiallia, gathered together and over the next three and a half days they labored and chanted and channelled energy and moulded magicks. The Sea of Dust in the skies above slowly dissolved, fragments falling like an ancient rain, as the body of Takkakit was restored to existence. The Sorcerer's form shuddered alive, Takkakit transferred his own spirit into the vessel and in an instant he stood again, reborn.

Takkakit, and others who followed his faction in the fallen Empire, were grateful. Kelly’s Heroes gained much “face” on that day. Takkakit remained with the adventurers for a time, helping fight the interlopers on his soil. History records that due to later services he rendered to the Crown of the land, he was granted title to the lands once under the Sea. Kelly’s Heroes continued to adventure for a number of years to follow, securing their own place in the History of this World.

** Old Man **