Topic: Casting spells when caster gets hit

[Kritilit]

Another question: how do other people resolve the issue of a spell caster getting hurt while preparing a spell (I am playing RMC)? Automatic loss of spell? Or only if a critical is involved? Or if the caster is stunned? The rule book doesn't mention anything and I would love to hear of other people's ideas.
Cheers!!

[MariusH]

The Rolemaster Rulings page says "[Spell] Preparation is only interrupted by down, stun, or kill results". So unless the caster is downed, stunned or killed, in our game the spell preparation continues as normal.

[VladD]

I'd like to add to that list unconsciousness (down is just knocked to the ground, right?) and if the caster is taking evasive action such as running away, diving in a ditch or moving further than 10' or using more than 10% activity.

[MariusH]

Using more than 10% activity will USUALLY break preparation. However, not if that activity is in the round the spell is cast, in an earlier phase. Then up to 25% activity would be allowed. I agree with unconsciousness; I suppose strictly speaking you CAN be unconscious and not "down".

[Marc R]

"Out" in RM2/C is a form of stun, so unconscious is covered.

[GrumpyOldFart]

I've always felt like it should be dangerous to the caster and everyone around him to lose control of a spell in casting.

I can't say I've ever come up with a satisfactory mechanic for that, but still... I just think an attack that makes you lose control of the spell you were casting should be just as "oh noes!" as an attack that makes you lose control of the grenade you just pulled the pin out of, for pretty much the same reasons.

 

[providence13]

The Belgariad novels have a decent explanation for this. Once you start building your will to "cast a spell" it has to go somewhere. You can't commit to an action involving sorcery and then do nothing.

Perhaps the number of rounds of spell prep could be a number of rounds you are stunned from 'internalizing' the spell, if you are interrupted. In a similar vein, the bonus from spell prep could be a penalty to a stun maneuver, decreasing each round as if the spell were prepped that number of rounds.
Just a thought.

[Mergon]

  I usually just have the caster make an ESF roll, with a -1% per level of the caster greater than the level of the spell. Keeps my players on their toes. They tend not to cast spells which take greater than 1 round to caster unless they are sure of their safety. 

[kevinmccollum]

So, along these same lines, if a caster preps a spell for two rounds then decides to stop prepping and start a new spell, does that power have to be discharged somewhere? Does he lose his pp for having prepped that far?

[Marc R]

I think in specific technical word of the rules "Prep" is generic. I could be mistaken, but you declare "I prep for the round" then again the 2nd round, then on the third round must declare what spell on the casting round.

[markc]

So, along these same lines, if a caster preps a spell for two rounds then decides to stop prepping and start a new spell, does that power have to be discharged somewhere? Does he lose his pp for having prepped that far?

 I have always required the caster to say what spell they are preparing to cast. IMHO and in my game world all spell prep is not the same. Each spell has its own unique preparation that is required and one prep cannot be substituted for another. IMHO this "limitation" of spell casting is a power balancing rule.
MDC

[GrumpyOldFart]

So, along these same lines, if a caster preps a spell for two rounds then decides to stop prepping and start a new spell, does that power have to be discharged somewhere? Does he lose his pp for having prepped that far?

I think I'd houserule that if you take X time "prepping", that is, building a power structure, you have to spend 1/2 X time taking it apart safely before you can do anything else, otherwise it's a grenade with the pin pulled. It's a bomb you started building and then left in the middle, without finishing it but without defusing it either.

[kevinmccollum]

I agree that you must state what spell you are prepping when you begin. But it seems some of the people here penalize casters for stopping a spell or losing a spell when they get hit and the rules NEVER called for that.

[providence13]

Yeah, what I said earlier was just an idea for those that were looking to use this sort of thing. IMHO and RAW, a caster should be able to prep or willingly cancel prep at there leisure. My thoughts were that if you wanted to make spell casting more deadly, if prep is violently interrupted in some harsh and extreme manor, a penalty could ensue. Of course losing the prep is penalty enough for me.

For my games, spell prep is preparing to cast a spell, not a specific spell (which may not be RAW). My reasoning is that RM uses PP and not material components, like other game systems. If RMC uses the greatest penalty/bonus on the prep table for all of the 1-9 rnds of prep, then it maybe it is a specific spell. I play RMFRP and I know the OP stated that this was a RMC question, but it is interesting, RAW or not.

[MariusH]

We play that you have to prepare for a specific spell. We also play that you can cancel preparation at any time. RAW says clearly that you can cancel your SPELL at aly time (when within range), so I see no reason why preparation should not be stoppable. Of course, in doing so, you've wasted valuable time, even though you still have all your PPs.

[rdanhenry]

I don't see spell preparation as having to do with energy at all, but taking time to get into the proper mental state. I might make having actual spell-casting disrupted dangerous for a certain setting, but not spell prep.

[markc]

 I see the prep rounds and gradually building the right form for the energy to hold. Then the round it is cast it is filled with energy and the spell goes off. The form is composed of energy but it is so small that it can be lost without any change in the PC's PP
MDC

[yammahoper]

I require a SCSM at -1 per hit taken (in addition to wound penalties).  If a SCSM was already required by struck caster, an additional -20 is applied.

Note that spell failure should require a roll on the spell fumble table.  If you have the arcane spell failure table, us it instead.  It is a much funner table.

Is funner a word?