Topic: Tweaks for HARP College of Magics?

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

We will be opening HARP College of Magics for rebranding and adopting improvements from HARP SF and the tweaking of HARP Fantasy. If you have spotted an error that has niggled at you for years (like a spell that needs more clarification or an adjustment to a scaling option) or have found an issue that you think is a problem, post here please.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[munchy]

For someone, like us, who is working with hit locations it would be nice to have a scaling option for spells like inflict critical. If for example the culprit is fleeing a randomly hitting critical might not be as helpful as a crush critical targetted at the legs of the running man.

Just an idea.

[Zhaleskra]

The way I see it, Energy Weapon from here, and Shadow Blade from the Codex are the same, stinking, spell. EW requires any gem, SB requires obsidian. Sure, the critical type is different, but as far as I'm concerned they're the same spell.

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

The way I see it, Energy Weapon from here, and Shadow Blade from the Codex are the same, stinking, spell. EW requires any gem, SB requires obsidian. Sure, the critical type is different, but as far as I'm concerned they're the same spell.

Actually both of the spells above are in Codex.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Zhaleskra]

Actually both of the spells above are in Codex.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

That'll learn me to make suggestions based on memory alone. Thanks.

[munchy]

I am not sure whether some of the costs from the spell development system should be revised as well. It seems a bit unfair that it is cheaper to scale an elemental attack spell than a magical attack spell that targets RR Will/Magic/Stamina.

Also, I was wondering whether the artificial daylight scaling option from the core rule book should be more expensive than it is or even not available in the sphere available to all spell users.

Ball spells should be a bit more expensive than in the core rules, but if they are revised anyway I hope everything will be fine afterwards.

[Zhaleskra]

I am not sure whether some of the costs from the spell development system should be revised as well.

Some of them were, they had their PP costs increased. This didn't happen in CoM, it happened in the Codex.

[Uriel]

I haven't looked through it in ages,honestly.
A bit off-topic,but... I think that new Art is vital. Material is top-notch, but folks want something that looks great as well. Just a thought...

Uriel

[Zhaleskra]

I think that new Art is vital.

Definitely agree. Recycling the same art constantly, and using it in different contexts in different books looks, well . . . cheap.

[GMLovlie]

New art would be great, but that would postpone the release of these books even more… also its pricey (I assume) to get lots of new art. Unless this is something that has already been thought of by GCP… although for some reason I think they focus on the content that is vital for the game to played… although I agree with your sentiments regarding re-use of art.

[Zhaleskra]

also its pricey (I assume) to get lots of new art.

They could gain some money for art by not reprinting spell descriptions in their entirety for every profession that uses that spell or in every book that covers magic. Plus it would lower their printing costs by lowering the amount of ink used, and possibly even the page count.

[ironmaul]

New art would be great, but that would postpone the release of these books even more… also its pricey (I assume) to get lots of new art. Unless this is something that has already been thought of by GCP… although for some reason I think they focus on the content that is vital for the game to played… although I agree with your sentiments regarding re-use of art.

The price of art varies from many aspects such as size, colour, detail and the big one, who owns the copyright to that image. If the image is copyright to the publisher then that publisher would expect to pay more than if the image belonged to the artist.


On topic: There is something in CoM that I thought could have been added to the spell creation section. IIRC I think it was the cost on one section of the aspects etc.? but wasn't added to the other page that described them. I've haven't looked at that book in years..it's packed away in the shed with all my other rpg books, so I hope you understand what I mean.

[Zhaleskra]

For magic in any of the books, where a scaling option has extra bells and whistles, nest the description with the additional power points. For example, let's take Nature's Strength.

Boar Strength +4 PP
    <Boar strength scaling description>

That sort of thing.

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

We already have a list of interior art pieces for the HARP Fantasy core rulebook that we would like to replace with new art.

We'll be recruiting a team of artists to accomplish this very shortly.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Zhaleskra]

Perhaps the professions and spells from the Codex can be added to College of Magics, as 100% of those professions are casters.

[munchy]

Some of those spells from Codex should be a bit reworked, however. Sanctuary, for example, is just broken, duration and "real" world parameters, this spells is so abusable, it's really getting annoying.

[allenrmaher]

CoM is and excellent HARP expansion, I don't have any suggestions for major tweaks, however I would echo a call for inclusion of the best parts of the Codex into CoM.

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

Some of Codex (especially the Mystic profession) will find its way into the new Something Wicked manuscript.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Uriel]

Some of Codex (especially the Mystic profession) will find its way into the new Something Wicked manuscript.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

Great news...I really love the Mystic.

-Uriel

[jd.]

I'd like to touch upon a very nice idea I saw in Novus RPG (hoping that mentioning a game written by Tim Dugger will not start hard feelings) : spells are arranged in Spheres as in HARP (except it's another word, but the notion remains the same), but they also have a keyword that describes the general type of spell: sample keywords are "Ward" for defensive spells, "Divination" for information-gathering spells, "Heal" for healing spells and so on.

I seem to remember someone complained that a mage could throw a fireball but not heat up a nice cup of tea. (And someone else replied that spells are fixed techniques that allow for one specific effect, not an array thereof. Which I disagree with, as most spells can be scaled up in various ways, not counting the various ways in which talents alter spell effects.

So I'd like to propose that every spell gets associated with a Domain: Arcane Bolt with "Attack", Divine Hammer with "Boost", Long Door with "Movement" and so on. And for every level you learn in a spell, you get a cumulative +1 bonus for casting freestyle spells in its Domain.

Another possibility would be to list more than one Domain with some spells (Elemental Bolt (Fire) getting "Fire" and "Attack"), and the player chooses which Domain gets the aforementioned bonus. 

Oh and by the way, could it be possible to scale down some spells? The most obvious option would be to have spells with a Touch range cost 1 PP less when cast with a Self range.

Note that scaling down might also cost more PPs: say you want to cast an Elemental Ball on three enemies who threaten a friend of yours, but there is no geometric way that you can fit the three hostiles in a 10' radius ball without one of your friends being caught in it too. (And they are really threatening, so you can't take the time to Elemental Bolt them in the face. Actually, say you don't even know Elemental Bolt. Only Elemental Ball and other, non-aggressive spells.) You might want to throw them a 5' radius Elemental Ball, which could scale up the spell because it's actually more difficult to release the elemental energy on a smaller area.