Topic: Spell Mastery - "No Duration to 1 Round"

[Old Man]

Hi folks,

Any RMSS GM using Spell Mastery, have you allowed the -50 "No Duration to 1 Round" modification (and subsequent X times modifiers) and what were the negative effects?

Regards,
Old Man

[yammahoper]

Yes I have.

Very few negatives.  It does allow for an Alchemist to make any spell constant, such as blade turn.

[MariusH]

How about a constant fireball? That would be awkward...

[Ecthelion]

Any RMSS GM using Spell Mastery, have you allowed the -50 "No Duration to 1 Round" modification (and subsequent X times modifiers) and what were the negative effects?

We have allowed this modification but it has rarely been used.

It does allow for an Alchemist to make any spell constant, such as blade turn.

Even if the GM allows the 'spell-mastered' version of a spell to be imbedded into an item (which, personally, I would not do), this is only a very theoretical approach. The reason is that an Alchemist has to cast the spell to imbed once per day for many, many weeks in the case of a constant item. And chances are quite high that once in this long period of time the Spell Mastery roll has a Spectacular Failure as a result.

[yammahoper]

OTOH if a GM desires a door protected by a constant wall of fire, which auto crits instead of requiring an attack roll, he can do it.  He could also do the constant fireball.  Another problem with a constant fireball: it explodes every "melee", meaning there will be several seconds to get through the area between explosions.  While impressive as a display of power, a constant fireball lacks in functionality compared to other spells rendered the same treatment.

[markc]

 IMHO it would make more people take dispel magic spells.
MDC

[yammahoper]

Dispelling a spell with one rnd duration seems less than likely, and constant can't be dispelled but for perhaps one rnd, so the increase in learning dispell magic escapes me.

Basically, a constant fieball is useless.  So is a constant anybolt spell.  A constant teleport could create a neat teleport booth/room/whatever, but it would be one way.  An intersting trap could be a room with constant teleport to a set location and that location has a constant teleport back to the original location, creating a loop of endless teleports the PC is trapped in, unless a successful dispell (drop from teleport in a random location, i.e. GM fiat).  The teleport would also have to have a radius.  Quite a bit of spell mastery.  Thank goodness for magic ritual.

[mocking bird]

OTOH if a GM desires a door protected by a constant wall of fire, which auto crits instead of requiring an attack roll, he can do it.  He could also do the constant fireball.  Another problem with a constant fireball: it explodes every "melee", meaning there will be several seconds to get through the area between explosions.  While impressive as a display of power, a constant fireball lacks in functionality compared to other spells rendered the same treatment.

That is one interpretation of how a mastered firebll would look.  I and others in my group have ruled that when you give it a duration it does exactly that - instead of an instantaneous effect it becomes constatnt, i.e. it essentially becomes a wall of fire or an extended firebolt becomes like a flame thrower.  Your interpretation seems to make the mastered spell simply be repeated every round rather than an actual extension of the duration.

[Old Man]

That is one interpretation of how a mastered firebll would look.  I and others in my group have ruled that when you give it a duration it does exactly that - instead of an instantaneous effect it becomes constatnt, i.e. it essentially becomes a wall of fire or an extended firebolt becomes like a flame thrower.  Your interpretation seems to make the mastered spell simply be repeated every round rather than an actual extension of the duration.

For the sake of balance/sanity, I'd likely take the "once per round" approach. So you get basically an automatic weapon that you can turn on or off. Hey, a laser pistol (constant shockbolt) or flame thrower (constant firebolt) or grenade launcher (constant fireball), etc....

[yammahoper]

OTOH if a GM desires a door protected by a constant wall of fire, which auto crits instead of requiring an attack roll, he can do it.  He could also do the constant fireball.  Another problem with a constant fireball: it explodes every "melee", meaning there will be several seconds to get through the area between explosions.  While impressive as a display of power, a constant fireball lacks in functionality compared to other spells rendered the same treatment.

That is one interpretation of how a mastered firebll would look.  I and others in my group have ruled that when you give it a duration it does exactly that - instead of an instantaneous effect it becomes constatnt, i.e. it essentially becomes a wall of fire or an extended firebolt becomes like a flame thrower.  Your interpretation seems to make the mastered spell simply be repeated every round rather than an actual extension of the duration.

Constant does not alter the spell.  The fireball will constantly explode in the area.  Any who enter the area will be attacked (at level 30, or +25 to the attack roll).  It is possible an attack will deliver NO damage, unlike a constant burning wall of fire, unless the GM wishes to declare the Fireball auto UM100's every time.