Forum > Rolemaster
Query: Does any one take directed spell?
Ruffie:
Our mage adds into directed spell every level when he can. He uses icebolt almost every round when he can in combat and his directed spell OB is high enough that it’s almost max result against an enemy every round.
OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol:
--- Quote from: MisterK on August 13, 2022, 12:02:48 AM ---Not doing it is just as if a Fighter was not developing weapon skills.
--- End quote ---
Actually, that's not quite true, because of the "parry" system. A fighter "must" develop weapon skills as much as he can because his opponent probably would, and the physical combat system is an opposed system, where said opponent is able to subtract part of his OB from the fighter's OB. However, one cannot "parry" a directed spell so, whilst it may be advisable for a spell caster to maximise his directed spell skill, it is hardly mandatory, as his efficiency wouldn't go down from an opponent to another "higher level", so, along with his level bonus in directed spell if he has any, a spell caster with only a few ranks in directed spell would be potent enough not to matter with developing more.
...then you have the spell attack variability for elemental attack spells, an optional rule with no equivalent for physical combat. If a GM uses it, there's even less need to go overboard with the directed spell skills in any bolt, as one may just spend more PPs and depend on the hit damage instead of the critical hit result.
MisterK:
--- Quote from: OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol on August 24, 2022, 02:14:43 PM ---
--- Quote from: MisterK on August 13, 2022, 12:02:48 AM ---Not doing it is just as if a Fighter was not developing weapon skills.
--- End quote ---
Actually, that's not quite true, because of the "parry" system. A fighter "must" develop weapon skills as much as he can because his opponent probably would, and the physical combat system is an opposed system, where said opponent is able to subtract part of his OB from the fighter's OB. However, one cannot "parry" a directed spell so, whilst it may be advisable for a spell caster to maximise his directed spell skill, it is hardly mandatory, as his efficiency wouldn't go down from an opponent to another "higher level", so, along with his level bonus in directed spell if he has any, a spell caster with only a few ranks in directed spell would be potent enough not to matter with developing more.
...then you have the spell attack variability for elemental attack spells, an optional rule with no equivalent for physical combat. If a GM uses it, there's even less need to go overboard with the directed spell skills in any bolt, as one may just spend more PPs and depend on the hit damage instead of the critical hit result.
--- End quote ---
That's true. However, directed spell attacks are still affected by a number of factors (range and cover, among others) which still provide an incentive to develop the skill. Additionally, the intrinsic DB of opponents tend to increase with level as well (especially because of magical means).
And I'm pretty sure the spell attack variability is mostly useful for the low-level bolts (Shock Bolt being a prime candidate, since it can be raised to near-unholy levels of concussion hit damage if you have a DS skill high enough to reach the double digit hits on the attack result. As far as I remember, Spell Attack Variability raises the effective spell level to the number of PPs you spend, so using it on a lightning bolt would require quite a high-level character, while using it on a shock bolt is available to the masses.
OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol:
--- Quote from: MisterK on August 24, 2022, 11:51:54 PM ---That's true. However, directed spell attacks are still affected by a number of factors (range and cover, among others) which still provide an incentive to develop the skill. Additionally, the intrinsic DB of opponents tend to increase with level as well (especially because of magical means).
--- End quote ---
DB doesn't increase as much as OB does, though, or shouldn't IMO. Also, not all DB actually is useful against a directed attack spell; in fact, most of it is not, as RM2's raw only define the QU bonus and special spells or items to modify the EAR rather than the full DB.
Also, I did mention a need to develop the directed spell skill to a certain level: I never even once contested this fact. What I contested is to compare its development for a spell user to the development of a weapon skill for a fighter. The latter needs to develop it to the highest possible score whereas the former only needs it to develop it to a good score, which isn't even quite high: even reaching 50 OB in a directed spell skill would be enough in many situations.
--- Quote ---And I'm pretty sure the spell attack variability is mostly useful for the low-level bolts (Shock Bolt being a prime candidate, since it can be raised to near-unholy levels of concussion hit damage if you have a DS skill high enough to reach the double digit hits on the attack result. As far as I remember, Spell Attack Variability raises the effective spell level to the number of PPs you spend, so using it on a lightning bolt would require quite a high-level character, while using it on a shock bolt is available to the masses.
--- End quote ---
It also raises the damage inflicted, meaning that, once one reaches a directed spell skill high enough to score say, 5A damage, one doesn't need much to increase one's OB, as multiplying the damage through the spell attack variability is a good enough tactic. Sure, it works better with low-level spells, but it means that if one chooses such a tactic, one doesn't then need much to develop a directed spell skills for later, higher-level, spells.
For instance, the Warrior-Mage, who is plagued with just not enough DPs to develop all of his directed spell skills most of the times, may just choose to develop the shock bolt, forget about the other bolts, then use the SAV rule to increase his damage instead of the critical inflicted. As such, the rule gives an incense not to develop (other) directed spell skills over the lowest level spell.
Hurin:
If you don't use the optional spell attack variability rule, if you're short on Power Points, or if you are fighting high hit point enemies such as a Tyrannosaurus, then it is ideal to have a high Directed Spell bonus.
In my campaigns, every caster maximizes the skill. I don't think there have been any exceptions.
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