Magical Basic questions

By KelYco, in Rules Questions

Hello to all,

I have few basic questions regarding Magic:

  1. When i cast a spell and i concentrate (if the spell need it), i spend 1 maneuver to keep the spell active. My question is, if i want to perform a move in the same time, i still can but it costs 2 strains to do my second maneuver, correct ?
  2. Can i concentrate (maneuver 1), moving (maneuver 2 with 2 strains cost) and do a attack spell (1 action) in the same turn ?
  3. Counter spell seems pretty easy : « If the character performs the counterspell maneuver, all opponents within medium range upgrade the difficulty of checks to cast spells once, until the end of the character's next turn. » Is there any price like Strain or skill check to perform a counterspell maneuver ? Furthermore it is considered as a maneuver and not an action ! It means i can do a counterspell and next casting an attack spell for example,isn't it ?
  4. There is table III 2.4 for spending Threat and Despair on magical skill in CRB, but i haven’t found a table for Spending Advantage and Triumph ? Do someone create one table or how do you manage this ?
  5. We can summon some objects and creatures. I guess we can summon spirits and elemental but how do you evaluate their strengths and damage power ? Do you add an adversary talent depending of the advantages and Triump when performing the check skill ?
  6. If we consider having few turns in 1 round and most of spells last until the end of character ’s next turn, so it means that a spell last few seconds only ? How do you deal with this please ?

Thank you for your help.

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. Maybe, if it's your 2nd Maneuver, or you did it twice.

4. Use the standard table for spending Advantages and Triumphs in combat, or any effects you added to a casting a spell.

5. Good ideas to ask your GM, I would say yes as your GM, and direct you to make the chart for it subject to my approval.

6. Most of the stuff ends at the end of your next turn, so it sticks around for a round of activity. A GM could certainly allow items/critters to stick around longer based on results of the roll.

? Thank you 2P51, it' clearer for me now.

NP, njoy.

Just to be sure about Counterspell, but if i understand well, a beginner wizard or a talented wizard using Counterspell will only spend a maneuver to do it ? that is ?

There is no difference ?

3 hours ago, KelYco said:

Just to be sure about Counterspell, but if i understand well, a beginner wizard or a talented wizard using Counterspell will only spend a maneuver to do it ? that is ?

There is no difference ?

No difference. A manoeuvre is a manoeuvre regardless of how much XP you have or your skill ranks.

Ok...it is’clear.

a little weird but clear.

thank you c__beck

Define weird.

In my vison, an powerful wizard can impose a stronger force as a counterspell than a beginner wizard.

it is like a good combat warrior, he will better counter my attack, he will easely read and anticipate my moves than a novice.

Edited by KelYco

You're looking for too much mileage out of a Maneuver. An advanced wizard will cast Barrier and definitely be better protected more consistently than a novice.

The powerful wizard will have more green dices upgraded in yellow so he is more likely to have more un-cancelled success and one or more triumph than the beginner wizard.

Yes, it's true indeed.

So "Counterspell" is maybe a word too strong (from my perspective) as i undestood in CRB. It is more like a maneuver to parasitize enemy's spell and as you said 2P51, if as a powerful wizard i want to counter a enemy's spell, i better cast a barrier or a dispel. ?

Edited by KelYco

There are Talents that enhance Maneuvers, True Aim in Star Wars leaps to mind. I would entertain a player presenting a Talent that increases Counter Spell's upgrade by 1 per rank per additional Strain for each rank or something along those lines.

Interesting ... a side effect for counterspell upgrading by rank! ? ?

Tks

Edited by KelYco

Another idea is to handle it is via magical implements. For instance; in my setting your magical skill (Arcana, Divine, Primal, or Verse) determines what type of magical implements you can use. I made a magical implement that makes called Tap Shoes that only bards (or those with the Verse skill can use) can use. It makes the counterspell maneuver more powerful and is balanced by the fact that Verse is already designed as a "support" magic.

I have a doubt:

when a spellcaster add effects on their spell, does he need to get 2 advantages on his check to trigger the effects (as item quality (blast, ...)?

tks

Edited by KelYco
5 hours ago, KelYco said:

I have a doubt:

when a spellcaster add effects on their spell, does he need to get 2 advantages on his check to trigger the effects (as item quality (blast, ...)?

tks

Yes, you need to add effects and increment difficulty and then get at least 2 advantages on the check to trigger the effect, like a normal attack check.

Thank you Lord_Lele

i mist this point!

i have also one more silly question about dice; it s not the right topic, but despite the podcast i would like to be sure about Triumph and Despair.

if i have 2 succ + 1 triumph and 3 failures; it means that i failed because Triumph count as a success too. But do i still have a Triumph ? Do i still take into account the triump as a very big advantage?

how do i manage this pls ? It is’not clear in my mind.

i guess the opposite works for the despair.

thank you again

11 hours ago, KelYco said:

if i have 2 succ + 1 triumph and 3 failures; it means that i failed because Triumph count as a success too. But do i still have a Triumph ? Do i still take into account the triump as a very big advantage?

Yeah you fail, nevertheless you still gain a huge advantage thanks to the triumph (the same in case you succeed with a despair).
For example, in case of attack checks failed with triumph, you miss with your attack but you can have some benefit (taken from core rulebook):

- Upgrade the difficulty of the targeted character’s next check.
- Upgrade the ability of any allied character’s next check, including that of the current active character.
- Do something vital, such as shooting the controls to the nearby blast doors to seal them shut.

The most funny things are where you have a triumph AND a despair in the same result (they didn't cancel each other) and you have to play both.

Some players call this the success (or failure) of Schrödinger :)

Thank you Lord_Lele

now i’m sure and it is clear! ?

indeed 1 triumph and 1 Despair in the same check must be funny!

Edited by KelYco

I have a doubt about:

1.Magic and Knowledge : Do i need as a player to spend XP separately for Magic skill (ex: Arcana) and the knowledge related to ?

2.Conjure weapon with item quality effect: my mago player want to conjure 1 arrow for his friend (a ranger with a bow) with a blasting effect or fire effect.

Do you agree: 1 image.png.75cbbfcc3e22763ab3c159a274a8e51d.png basic difficulty check for 1 arrow + 1 image.png.75cbbfcc3e22763ab3c159a274a8e51d.png engaged to short range +1 image.png.75cbbfcc3e22763ab3c159a274a8e51d.png to add blast effect ?

Thank you

22 minutes ago, KelYco said:

Do  yo  u agree: 1 image.png.75cbbfcc3e22763ab3c159a274a8e51d.png basic difficulty check for 1 arrow + 1 image.png.75cbbfcc3e22763ab3c159a274a8e51d.png engaged to short range +1 image.png.75cbbfcc3e22763ab3c159a274a8e51d.png to add blast  effect ? 

That difficulty seems right to me, but I would say that it provides as many arrows as are needed, until the mage stops concentrating on the spell. The idea of that spell is that whatever the benefit it should stay in effect for an extended period of time rather than a single use

3 minutes ago, Richardbuxton said:

That difficulty seems right to me, but I would say that it provides as many arrows as are needed, until the mage stops concentrating on the spell. The idea of that spell is that whatever the benefit it should stay in effect for an extended period of time rather than a single use

As many arrows are needed ? not too much powerful ?

Was more thinking about each uncancelled success add 1 arrow and 2 Adv trigger the blast effect.

Nah, the loss of an action, 2 strain, and a manoeuvre each round afterward, is a high price to pay for arrows that explode. Don’t underestimate that requirement to use a manoeuvre every round to concentrate, it significantly hampers a character.

A player can conceivably summon Plate Armour and a Great Sword for themselves with exactly the same cost and difficulty.

My player wants to play a catfolk which has one free maneuver. So concentrate is not a big deal for him (zero cost).