Official ICE Forums
Systems & Settings => Rolemaster => RMSS/FRP => Topic started by: katastrophe on January 25, 2022, 06:06:01 PM
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We had an interesting discussion regarding when directed spell can be bought in RMSS.
We understood that DS couldn’t be bought while a mage would have to overcast a spell. Ie a level 5 mage can’t buy DS fire bolt ranks until he reached 7th level even though he could have 6 or more ranks in Fire Law and could cast fire bolt with plenty of negatives. (This also has to do with when skill purchase is done for level up since you buy level 6 skills while technically still level 5).
After taking a look back at the DS skill, the limitation seems a bit more complicated. It reads in essence that DS ranks for a bolt cannot be bought until the mage can cast the spell once per day intrinsically or through an item. What does that mean?
Can a level 3 mage buy rank 6 of Fire Law and then purchase next level buy ranks of DS Firebolt?
I also looked at the Hard Knocks book (our reference for some clarity from time to time) and it reads in essence the mage must be able to cast without a spell casting static maneuver. Ok, that’s interesting because in RMSS a casting maneuver is needed for any spell over the character’s level. Hence, supporting the interpretation that a mage can’t buy directed spell (sans an item that allows for casting) prior to reaching the level above the spell desired for directed spell purchase.
Any other interpretations?
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RMSR says "must be able to cast it at least once a day (either intrinsically or from an item)" on page 167, but if you turn the page and read the fine print on 168 it says "must be able to cast it without the need of a spell roll at least once a day, either intrinsically or from an item or runes (i.e., it cannot require overcasting, etc.)." So that actually matches SoHK.
The mention of runes is interesting, because if you can qualify with single-use items that raises the question of how many days you need to practice and therefore how many runes would you need to buy?
The restriction seems pretty steep to me. As written, at 6th level a Magician could not have any ranks in Directed Spells: Fire Bolt, even though they could cast the spell. Can't develop them until 7th. And likewise they could not have any ranks in Directed Spells: Shock Bolt until 3rd level, even though they can cast it at second level. Of course if a GM wants to skirt that, they can easily give the character a daily item, but still. Overcasting by a single level outside of combat is quite easy in RMSS. With a realm stat bonus of +5 and five ranks in a list, you could be rolling at +85 (+50 base -10 for max prep +10 deliberate action +10 shout +5 base list +10 +5 stat +5 ranks), with success on a result of 76 (partial success, spell goes off the following round). To me, that seems reliable enough for practice. Yeah, maybe once every three weeks (4.4% of the time) you might fumble the spell and suffer a few hits and a little stun, but that's part of the learning experience. More ranks (e.g. at 4th level you could have 15) and a better stat bonus would mean casting fire bolts even at 4th level is even safer (another -5 for overcasting by an additional level, but +10 for the additional ranks).
And some flexibility here would allow a 1st level magician to overcast those shock bolts and maybe occasionally hit something lightly armored.
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If there are formal schooling options in the game world, one may expect that schools for Magicians, at least, would have items for practice, with more sophisticated environments having magical items that simulate a given bolt (through illusions or a de-powered version) that may be cheaper to make and/or easier to attune to, but certainly safer to put into the hands of an unskilled user.
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I have always allowed casters to develop Directed Spells at the same level as the spell, so a magician can buy DS for shock bolt at level two.
Having read the other responses I’d allow someone going to a college or school to pick up ranks earlier in exchange of time and money.