Topic: Base-Casting Roll

[Nejira]

A bit confused here. Is the BCR just a d100 and if you dont roll 01-02 you cast the spell?

What if Option 5.3 is used where it says it adds +5 to the BCR of non-attack spells. how does that work?

Can bonuses to BCR modify penalties to ESF? EG: I get a ESF penalty of 20 but got a BCR bonus of 10, does that mean the spell fails on UM 01-12?

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

Basically, yes, you have it correct.

(The +5 from the option would be added to your "Casting Bonus" and/or dice roll, with the biggest benefit coming from ESF spells.)

[kevinmccollum]

unless they changed it from RM2, isn't ESF a seperate roll from BCR?

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

unless they changed it from RM2, isn't ESF a seperate roll from BCR?

In RM2, the ESF roll was separate. You totaled all of the ESF mods and then had to roll above that total or triple the mods and roll on spell failure table.

In RMC, the ESF mods are totaled and added to the fumble range of the spell.

Can bonuses to BCR modify penalties to ESF? EG: I get a ESF penalty of 20 but got a BCR bonus of 10, does that mean the spell fails on UM 01-12?

I messed up on my previous answer (my fault for trying to answer first thing in the morning when I am still half asleep.

Bonuses to BCR do NOT change the Fumble Range on ESF spells. In your example,  the UM Fumble Range would be 01-22 regardless of the bonus to the casting roll.

My apologies for misunderstanding what you were asking (and for trying to answer when half asleep). If Kevin had not chimed in, I would not have realized I answered you incorrectly.

[Nejira]

No problem, but what does a BCR bonus do then? I mean if you just have to roll over 02 on a d100, it hardly seems to do much.

[kevinmccollum]

IF BCR is the same as BAR (Base attack roll), it adds to the chart whose result is a modifier to the targets RR.

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

Kevin -- He is referring to Utility spells and yes, the BCR (Base Casting Roll)  is essentially the same thing as the BAR.

Nejira - don't forget, you can always fumble, and there is always having to overcome negatives from damage or other adverse conditions.

Plus, you could always take a page from HARP and have high rolls give extra benefits (an extra target or double range or duration, etc..).

[Hurin]

This is more of a philosophical question, but in the end, do you really need the Base Casting Roll at all?

A random element is added into the equation of a spell being cast by the target's Resistance Roll. Why not just do away with the BCR altogether? It would mean one less roll and faster combat resolution with essentially the same results.

You could just convert the caster's base spells bonus (+1 to +3 per level, depending on class) to a subtraction from the resistance roll, and you'd have a much faster and easier combat resolution.

Just a thought.

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

Personally, I think that it should be removed on the other end (as I think that the caster should ALWAYS have a chance of fumbling - or else you are playing D&D). Have the target have a static Resistance (much like DB), and then the attacker has to roll over that number.

For example, a RR could consist of the following:

50 + racial mod + stat mod + defender's level expressed as a  "rank bonus"

Note: "level expressed as a rank bonus" means +5 for each of the first 10 levels, +5 per level for the next 10, and so forth.

Thus a first level human caster, with a racial mod of 10 vs Essence and a 80 in each of his Intuition/Empathy/Presence would have Resistance Bonuses of:

CRB = 50 + 0 + 5 +5 = 60
ERB = 50 + 0 + 5 +5 = 60
MRB = 50 + 0 + 5 +5 = 60

A first level wood elf would have the following:

CRB = 50 + -5 + 5 +5 = 57
ERB = 50 + -5 + 10 +5 = 62
MRB = 50 + -5 + 10 +5 = 62

And a first level dwarf would have:
CRB = 50 + 0 + 5 +5 = 62
ERB = 50 + 40 + -5 +5 = 92
MRB = 50 + 40 + -5 +5 = 92

So, for a first level caster to cast a first level Sleep spell on these three, the caster would have to roll above the ERB (Essence Resistance Bonus) of the target.

The Casting Bonus for that caster would consist of +1 for every rank in the spell list, the realm stat bonus, and their level bonus. Thus a first level human Magician with a 90 for his Empathy and who knows the list to 5th level would have a Casting Bonus of 5 + 10 + 5 = 20.

[Hurin]

Cool! That's an even better way of doing it!

[Nejira]

Hi, just came home from a session and still a bit puzzled. So hope you dont mind a few more questions.

A: Just noticed that the Magestaff list also grants a bonus to all spellcasting. Does this included BAR?

B: What adverse conditions can there be to spellcasting that isn?t ESF?

C: Isn?t fumble results (spellcasting) relatively light compared to it so rarely happens?

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

A: Yes, that bonus applies to all casting rolls (not Directed Spells rolls)

B: only one I can think of off the top of my (my poor, abused, about to explode) head is modifiers from damage and so forth -- situational modifiers....

C: Not really going to comment on that, other than to say that if fumbles are too easy, then ESF fumbles are perhaps too nasty (adding 3x the ESF mod to the fumble roll).

[Nejira]

if fumbles are too easy, then ESF fumbles are perhaps too nasty (adding 3x the ESF mod to the fumble roll).

True.

Thanks, and sorry about any pain it may have caused No more BCR questions, promise

[kevinmccollum]

<<B: What adverse conditions can there be to spellcasting that isn?t ESF?>>

I don't know about RMC but one "adverse condition" for BCR (BAR in RM2) is sometimes race. A races realm bonus was subtracted from the BAR so a dwarf would give a caster a -40 to an essence or mentalism users attack roll, same with a halfling. On the other hand, an elf would give any caster a +5 to his BAR against it. Range could also be an advers condition, there were penalties to the attack roll (base and elemental) for longer ranges.