One of the new optional rules is a different level of difficulty for spellcasting depending on the caster's and the spell's rank. Great idea, but I noticed that for my player's Rank 1 wizard, casting one of his Rank 1 spells has just gone up from a 0 challenge die task to a 2 challenge die task. Seems a bit of a rough jump, and a big increase in spellcasting difficulty for beginning spellcasters if you use this optional rule.
Or have I got something wrong?
I don't think you have it wrong if you are referring to the rule in the GM's toolkit?
However, i think the rule suggests that this new difficulty replaces the default difficulty on the spell card (or if you want to make it really difficult use both), so yes in some instances the difficulty will have gone up but in other cases the spell will become easier, espeically once the PC reaches higher ranks.
I however, prefer the rule in WoM which just increases the default difficulty if you cast a spell of higher rank.
pumpkin said:
I however, prefer the rule in WoM which just increases the default difficulty if you cast a spell of higher rank.
The GM toolkit solution is quite interesting when you get 1 fortune dice for the spell of your rank or lower. It counterbalances a bit all those white dices you get beside your skill and characteristic while casting spells (attuned stick, career ability, probably an aethyric talent too, a "rank X spell" specialisation...)
What about having a flat standard difficulty ?
willmanx said:
pumpkin said:
I however, prefer the rule in WoM which just increases the default difficulty if you cast a spell of higher rank.
The GM toolkit solution is quite interesting when you get 1 fortune dice for the spell of your rank or lower. It counterbalances a bit all those white dices you get beside your skill and characteristic while casting spells (attuned stick, career ability, probably an aethyric talent too, a "rank X spell" specialisation...)
What about having a flat standard difficulty ?
that could work, although I think you'd need it to replace the difficulties listed on the card, as the higher rank spells tend to have a higher difficulty listed on the cards and that added to the hard/daunting difficulty for a rannk 4/5 spell could make those spells simply too difficult to cast?
The rules seems disappointingly vague for such a drastic change to the power of magic. It says that listed difficulty modifiers can be replaced or added.
If they're replaced, it all seems very arbitrary. For example, for a Rank 1 spellcaster who once cast everything at 0 difficulty, the difficulty of casting the Rank 1 spell Pyrokinesis jumps to 2. To cast the Rank 1 spell Flameblast (which has an existing +1 difficulty modifier), the difficulty jumps to either 2 or 3.
The basic, vitally important spell Channelling , for a Rank 1 spellcaster, jumps from difficulty 0 to 1 or 2. Big difference!
Yer, I don't like that particular optional rule, but it is afterall optional
The one listed in WoM doesn't seem to be suggested as an optional rule and i think that works better as a way differing spell difficulty based on rank. It compliments the difficulties listed on the card rather than conflicts with it, IMO.
I fully expect to see a similar rule introduced for Priests in SoF when it arrives!
We use the rule from WoM not the one listed in the GM toolkit, although i generally increase the difficulty of spells in combat by a purple anyway due to the hectic nature of it all.
I don't have cards with me, but is Channeling actually a spell or is it a support action?