Topic: Spell Casting House Rules

[yammahoper]

For as long as I can recall, I have had a small list of house rules I use when players make BAR mnvs.

We all know an unmodified roll (UM) on the BAR table is either a fumble or a spell cast so well it is harder than normal to resist.  When an UM 96-97 is rolled, I assume the spell will have 2x duration, or two times targets, or two times area of effect, etc.  I typically only enhance one peramiter of the spell.  For a 98-99 it is times three, and for a 100 it is times five.

When RMSS came out with the better defined spell mastery rules, I noticed my house rule fit within the guidelines established in those rules...maybe with a dash of smugness

Another house rule is that spell users cast their spells at a level effective to the highest level they know their respective list to.  So if the Mage knows Firelaw to level 3 and Lofty Bridge to level 7, then spells cast from fire law are level 3 attacks and lofty bridge would be level 7 attacks.  This does remove common overcast rolls, but not all of them.  I often have keyed items in my world that are keyed to work/activate only if a specific spell of a specific power level is cast.  Example, the party discovers a door and determine through power perception it is magical.  The High Elf fighter has a disturbingly high attunement skill and after a few miuntes in a trance, ask the party who can cast a heat solid spell at mastery level of the fourth circle of power (the first circle is spell levels 1st-5th, 2nd circle is 6th-10th, etc.  I try to avoid game jargin as much as possible in play...oh sweet jesus, none of you have the slightest idea how anal I can be ).  Using the above mage, he would need to pump 20 pp into the spell, or 19 more than needed, 17 higher than his effective casting level, requiring a SCSM for a spell 17 levels higher...or, no way in hades.  I have found keying items this way is a great way to keep PC's out of where I don't want them they might get in serious trouble.

My daughter is out of her bed.  I have to go put her back in it. 

lynn

[markc]

 Yamma,
 I also use the attack level is equle to the level at which the list is known as well as for dispelling the spell.
 Another rule I use is the almost auto cast rule for spells, so as long as they do not fumble ie roll 01-05 the spell goes off. But all spell casting mods are included into this roll which in the scheme of things makes mods more influnential. I also do not use the above rule for over casting.
 
 I am also thinking about a rule to allow more PP's to be spent when a spell is cast to add to or subtract to spell factors. But it is a thought in process not even a work in process.

MDC

[vroomfogle]

I use a similar House Rule, which we put in RMC's Spell Law as Option 3.1.

The level of the spell (for purposes of RR's, Duration, # of Targets, Range, etc) is the number of PP's put into the spell.  The maximum PPs that can be put into a spell is the Casters Level or the level to which the list is known.   The effective spell level is used even for purposes of figuring casting time.

You can be Level 20 but if you cast Projected Light with 1 PP it will only last 10 minutes (10 minutes/level).  If you want it to last 200 minutes then you must cast it with 20 PPs, and you must also know that list to Level 20.

My players sometimes gripe about how harsh this is, but it makes them put more tactical thought into spell casting.

[markc]

I use a similar House Rule, which we put in RMC's Spell Law as Option 3.1.

The level of the spell (for purposes of RR's, Duration, # of Targets, Range, etc) is the number of PP's put into the spell.  The maximum PPs that can be put into a spell is the Casters Level or the level to which the list is known.   The effective spell level is used even for purposes of figuring casting time.

You can be Level 20 but if you cast Projected Light with 1 PP it will only last 10 minutes (10 minutes/level).  If you want it to last 200 minutes then you must cast it with 20 PPs, and you must also know that list to Level 20.

My players sometimes gripe about how harsh this is, but it makes them put more tactical thought into spell casting.

 I do not have RMC so I was wondering if you adjusted the base amount of PP's? Or the max amount?

Thanks
MDC

[vroomfogle]

The core rule in RMC is still the same as in RM2, based on stat.  So you have  between 0 and 3 PPs per level, typically it's going to be 2.    Power Point Development is an Option, but works differently then in RMSS.  The number of Ranks in PPD you multiply by your PP/level to get total PPs.   Pures and Hybrids can develop PPD twice per level max so this will increase their PP total by up to two times normal.  Semis can only develop 1x level however.   I don't much like the RMC PPD method, and dislike basing PP's so much on stat.

That being said, RMX does use a new method for calculating Power Points that  gives more PP's at lower levels.  I think this is very necessary, core RMC is quite harsh in this regard.

I personally use something a bit different and more like RMSS.    I use a progression for PPD like any other skill (though I use 5-3-2-1 like RMSS rather  then RMC's 5-2-1-0.5).   So you get +5 PPs per rank for the first 10 ranks, etc.    I figure Racial modifiers apply already to the stats that are used so find the separate racial progressions for PPD unnecessary complicated.   My method does drastically slow down PP's at higher level though (as above 10 ranks you only get +3 per level).  The way I see it is PP's have an effective cap, as eventually you get to +1 PP/rank.   But at these higher levels is when enhancers are more common, and also become necessary at those levels.    At lower levels they are not necessary as this method gives far more PPs at low levels then RMC.    But by level 10 or 20 new spells are quickly outpacing the rise in Power Points. 

[markc]

 I have not had a spell caster in RM2 so do you know approx. the aveage level they would max out in PP's do to race? And I used to reading old MERP stuff so do max PP's apply to spell multipliers? The last is one area I was allways confused on as I try and realate the system ruls to something I know.
Thanks
MDC

[vroomfogle]

As far as I know there is no maximum Power Points in RM2.

[markc]

As far as I know there is no maximum Power Points in RM2.

 I will have to go back and check the rules and comp's, but I do remember a chart that had max hits and PP's on it for RM2.

 I will get back to you tomorrow, well that is today since it is 3am.
MDC 

[yammahoper]

SUC offered a table that provided racial maxes in pp dev.

IIRC.

lynn

[RandalThor]

And Hits. They had a different "Hit Die" for different races. Boy am I glad RM went away from that in RMSS/FRP.

[vroomfogle]

Maximum Racial Hits (and a racial hit die) are core to RM2/RMC.   RMX introduced a new method for PPs that gives higher starting PPs as I mentioned above, but also had a new way for hits that gave you higher starting hits and also a fixed amount/rank.  The hits/rank is actual the average of your hit die, so if your hit die is d10 then it's 5.5 round up to 6 hits/rank.

While I think RMSS was a big improvement over that I also think it overcomplicated things, as every race has all these different progressions.  The entire thing could be far simplified with this:

PP Development and Body Development use the standard (combined) skill progression:   5-3-2-1.  Stat bonuses gives a flat bonus.
Your race already affects stats so if you are a race with a Presence bonus you are already getting a PP bonus to Mentalism.   

To further customize by Race use Rank Bonuses, which apply a fixed bonus per Rank Developed, up to a maximum of say 30 ranks.
Dwarf: +2 Hits/Rank
Gnome: -1 Hits/Rank
Elf: +1 Essence PP / Rank.

You get the idea.   Rather then having lists of all these progressions you can condense essentially the same information to a single number.

You see, +2 Hits/Rank is really the same as giving a progression of 7-5-4-1 (Rank Bonuses stop at Rank 30).

While this is essentially the same rule it is more consistent with the rest of the rules as it makes BD and PPD the same as all the other skills rather then an exception.

If it made sense you could also have Races give other Rank Modifiers.  For instance rather then Dwarves getting -50 to Swimming they get -2/Rank.

[markc]

 Thanks all from saving me time looking through a stack of books.

 In RMC it sounds like the house rule race creation system I use is close to that. As well as the way I use the recosted talents for PC's and NPC's.

MDC