Topic: Changing Action and Instant spells?

[Dreven1]

Hiya all!

Anyone have any input on canceling/changing action and the -60 (martial arts companion) which is applied if the change action is an instant spell? 

Here's the summary:

Canceling/Changing action –
If a character has less than 60% of his activity left in the round the character can move 10% of his normal movement.
If a character has 60% or more of his activity left in the round the character may:
1. Move at 50% normal movement
2. Engage in melee with a -60 OB mod
3. Make a maneuver with a -60 mod

Questions:
1) Does the -60 apply to a SCSM?
2) Does the fact that its an instant spell overrule the -60
3) Is the -60 just for melee/missile and physical maneuvers?

Thanks!
Drev

[Cory Magel]

We've used a house rule for so long I'm not sure what the 'official' way was anymore (and I can't find it in the RMSS books).

Some people think you need to declare them (which is silly imo as it defeats the purpose of an 'instant' spell).  Some think you have to cancel your current action to use one, which makes sense but we dislike.

There's two ways GM's in our circle view it, but I suspect the sensible one that stays more true to the official rules is that you can cast an instant spell whenever you want, your just lose 10% off one of your currently in process actions.

Technically you're not supposed to be able to cast a normal spell (75% action) and an instant spell (10% action) in the same round due to the one spell per round rule, however we've modified that to one normal and one instant spell per round.

[jaranka]

1) I would only have it apply to non-instant SCSMs.
2) I would not incur the penalty on an instant spell. See 3).
3) I would impose the -60 on any maneuver that would normally take most or all of the round.  The reason you get the penalty is because of the time you lost not doing that activity earlier in the round.  If an instant spell only takes 10% activity, there's no reason to give it a penalty if you've got several seconds at the end of the round.

[Vesuvius]

Similar to other posts I've always used my own interpretation.

For changing action the character must use 50 initiative points. There is no effect on action. As long as the character has enough IPs left to change action and do the new actions(s) then fine.

With respect to Instantaneous spells, I've always played them as requiring no action and no IPs as long as there are 50 IPs between each instantaneous spell. Since they require no action or IPs there should be no penalty to casting one as long as the previous instantaneous spell was more then 50 IPs ago.

[providence13]

In our games,
We also allow 1 instant and 1 standard spell/rnd; mx. I do like the new RMU method and we talk about switching to that.

(Normally, we only use -40 for changing stated actions. You don't have to state all of your actions in a round. We assume holding action can apply, which eats up one of your actions but you will have init on the "phase" you go.)

Instant spells occur on your init or anywhere in between. They can interrupt other people's actions. Let's say your opponent has init and shoots an arrow in your direction. Even though you lost init, you could cast Deflections. IMO, that's what instants are for. So we don't penalize instants for being instant. But you must have an action left in the round (it eats up one), you couldn't have already cast an instant and you must have the required 10%Act.
In our games..