Official ICE Forums
Systems & Settings => Rolemaster => Topic started by: Dark Schneider on April 01, 2008, 05:30:48 AM
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The question is when a target is wet and you cast a shock or lightning bolt against it, how do you modify the attack?.
There are some questions:
1) Modify the attack roll?, adding a bonus.
2) Modify the critical?, for example adding or using (large and huge targets) a slayer critical.
3) Adding a critical?, with same or other roll.
4) Increase the HPs to double?.
5) How to increase the risk of casting 'sparks' under rain?, increasing the UMR fumble?, using a % of affecting other targets (including yourself and those who are near you) by part of the attack (substracting OB from the attack)?.
In spell law there is no rules for that.
How about using 1st water bolt and then (if hits water bolt) lightling bolt?.
The other case is using fire spells in rain, IMO the best is modifing the attack OB by a negative modifer depending on rain quantity (-10 to -100 in a flood), and change the bleeding results to half, removing the 1 HP/round. Any ideas?.
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If simply wet - no effect. We have however converted bolts to balls when shooting at targets immersed in water - say a group of swimmers or people stanging in knee deep water.
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And you are opening a pandora's box of a discussion about reality contra magic *grin* It have been here several times before, so dont go there :)
(If you really, really want to, take a look at an old tread called something like 'Further remarks for "Paladin always in fullplate"' :)
My soulution is normally to keep things as simple as possible (under the rules) and just have fun. :)
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converted bolts to balls when shooting at targets immersed in water
Good solution. So if target is very close to caster, it can hits itself. For very wet (as floody rainy day) cases it could be used too, but changing the radius.
normally to keep things as simple as possible
Then it sounds reasonable only giving a bonus, it is simple.
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Other than the Bolt to ball convertion for Lightning Bolts, I wouldnt do anything. A soaked person (because of rain) isnt an easier target, but maybe saturated mud can conduct a little as well, so maybe smaller radius. A guy soaked in Oil hit by either a Firebolt/ball or a LIghtning Bolt, then I would give him some HEAT crits until he gets the fire out
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Pure distilled water carries no electrical charge -- it's actually the impurities in water that carry the charge. Therefore, I would say if someone were wet as the result of an elemental water attack, the electrical follow-up would do no extra damage.
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I would have the lightning bolt do extra damage maybe x1.3 or 1.5 but no extra damage for being hit by a water bolt first as they are not drenched IMO.
But IMO this is a GM rule that can go either way for your cmapaign. But you do have to watch out for abuse other wise all it does is amplify your Mages damage and you as the GM have to counter that to keep PC balance.
MDC
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From a physics standpoint, if you cover someone with a conductor then hit them with electricity, they take less damage, as the conductor conducts better than they do. Water is dangerous because it makes you more likely to be hit, but I don't see that being an issue when someone is actually guiding the point in.
But it's magic. Do what you like. :)
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Booh, Defendi, BOOH on that text book call of conservative rule design, BOOH I say.
Let that bolt do x50 damage and blast the foe into tiny gibblets, earning some much needed respect for shock bolt casting woosies EVERYWHERE who can rejoice in the spell finally doing something absolutely devestating in a meaningless battle on some random encounter that would have been won anyway when it did not make a bit of difference at all if the shockbolt had been cast or not. Let it be known shockbolt casters detest nit picking.
A true story, every word.
lynn
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Lol
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The rules on page 73-75 of RMC spell law get into these questions. . .how far does lightning "jump", when do you set something on fire? What secondary effects does cold cause? those kinds of things.
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The rules on page 73-75 of RMC spell law get into these questions
Sorry but I don't know about that book, I know about 'spell users companion', but in this one there is no rules about that.
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The RoleMaster Classic version of Spell Law, as opposed to the RM2 or RMSS versions.
The section on Elemental Spells has a breakdown on pages 73-75 of how each of the specific element types affects the environment, in terms of starting fires, breaking things, noise, frost, ice, melting things, shattering things, conducting electricity onto other targets, etc.
It leads into the "Material Objects and Structural Integrity" section.
It's one of the sections of completely new material added to the book.
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Ok, what other books have changes in RMC?.
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There's at least a bit of new material in each of the books. There's a thread on it in the RM2/RMC section somewhere. The "Rolemaster Classic Updates" thread has a link in the first post leading to a discussion of what's new in RMC.
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Could that material be included in RM Quaterly for those players that use RMFSS/RMFRP?.
Much time there is no new Quaterly.
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Sounds like a good idea to me. My suggestion would be to speak to Rasyr.
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Alright, I don't own the RMC books and so I have to ask this question.
My group will probably get ambushed by some bandits in a forest very soon. As one of the mages is not only able but also very likely to cast a fireball I thought I'd ask you about the chances of him accidentally burning down the wood and being hunted by angry elves for the rest of his miserable and very short life:D
Any suggestions?
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IMO it really depends on how wet the forest is and how dry the trees and underbrush are. Are they trying to light the forest on fire? [IMO very bad unless they can controll the flames.] Or are they just shooting at a target? Also FB's are a sudden release of energy and almost as qyuckly go away so you do not have an long lasting application of flame to material.
In the end it comes down to a GM to guide the story as he see's fit. If you want it to possibly catch fire give them some background hints before the battle so when it does or does not occure you have your bases covered.
Does that help or is it just a lot of GM speach and hand waving?
MDC
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That's more or less what I thought as well. :)
The player of the mage is a bit ... unstable... so i if I give him some hints that a fireball might lighten up the scenery but noth the atmosphere, he might actually do it on purpose. I guess I'll just have to risk it. Maybe give it a percentile chance to happen, depending on the weather and overall dampness of the forest.
But hey! At the end of the day I like a good fire as much as the next man, who might just be that mage :D
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You are right the great % dice roll is the untimate equalizer.
MDC
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I would treat the forest as a static target (!), with no DB and AT8 (wood ;)) and then use the fireballa attack table result as a % to determine if it catches fire...
For example: the mage make his attack and roll a 54, +10 for static target = 64, which means 11B for AT8. That would mean that the forest has a 11% (base) chance of catching fire.
Then you would probably want to roll for the critical: add together any additional damage, plus the double of any bleeding damage to the base chance of catching fire: the total is the actual % chance of fire (for example, if you rolled a 46 on the B critical you should add a total of 10% to the 11% chance of above, for a total 21% chance of catching fire).
Like it? ;D
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Arioch,
You could also add to the % depending on the crit letter.
MDC
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That's a good idea, makes things easier: I think that a flat 5% per level of the crit (A=5; B=10;...) could be fine.
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Dry wood and leaves burn, fireballs burn REALLY hot. . .the flash should ignite all the dry tinder available.
It's a fast flash of fire, unlike say Wall of fire, so it's extremely unlikely to set actual trees on fire. (Though it might set some of the leaves on the trees on fire)
That said, if the area is right, it's certainly more than tossing a cigarette out of a car, which is one of the leading causes of wildfires in the real world.
If it hasn't rained in more than a week, and the area is wilderness, then likely the area is full of dry tinder. In more inhabited areas, the people haul off all the wood on the ground for firewood, and tend to cut out dead trees for the same purpose. . .but if the land isn't in regular use, or is relitively new growth, there may be a lot of low brush.
Low brush and dead wood would likely ignite with a fireball. . .dry leaves and dry tinder small branches definitely would. . .green and live wood would likely char and smoke a bit but not flame . .and likely all the green leaves would curl up and die. Pine trees. . .well, I've seen scary things happen with all the dry tinder you get inside the green cone of live needles still on the tree. . .a fireball into a pine tree might have a rather dramatic effect. . .
If you get one started, they tend not to just go out. . . .if he's got some cold or water spells you could probably put the fire out.