<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Courier;
panose-1:2 7 4 9 2 2 5 2 4 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
panose-1:2 11 6 3 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.CODE-top, li.CODE-top, div.CODE-top
{margin-top:5.0pt;
margin-right:22.3pt;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.25in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
background:#F2F2F2;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Courier;}
p.CODE-mid, li.CODE-mid, div.CODE-mid
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:22.3pt;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.25in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
background:#F2F2F2;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Courier;}
p.CODE-bot, li.CODE-bot, div.CODE-bot
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:22.3pt;
margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.25in;
background:#F2F2F2;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Courier;}
p.CODE, li.CODE, div.CODE
{margin-top:5.0pt;
margin-right:22.3pt;
margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.25in;
background:#F2F2F2;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Courier;}
span.EmailStyle22
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
color:black;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:511338824;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-1868125084 144332288 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:38.25pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
margin-left:38.25pt;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>How does everyone deal with the various spells
that effectively give the players a “win the game button”? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>In the standard Book 2 set of spells there
are certain ones that, even for mid-level characters, are effectively an “easy
button” that can short-circuit any reasonable plot difficulties a GM might
present to them. An example spell is “Insubstantiability” – forget ever having
the threat of imprisoning the players. Likewise for teleport or interworld
travel.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Obviously the first warning flag is
mass-effect spells – if the MDV is just the highest MDV of the target area, you
can wipe out a hundred men with the ease of wiping a single man – there is no
mechanic in the canon rules to increase difficulty based on increased numbers.
I’m not sure what the best way to deal with this is – perhaps MDV for a single
target, +1 for each additional target possibly affected? I saw this in my last
game where the elf could easily toss off a sleep mist at a 10 or 20 man squad (average
man MDV of 4) and pretty much nullify the entire threat with a single snap of
the fingers. Granted, for high level characters it still is not much of a hindrance,
but more mid or low it does force them to re-evaluate tactics. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>In a related vein, how do you deal with
spell failure? We have a house rule, carried forward in all our games, of a “triple
wipeout” – if you fail 3 times with a spell, or skill, you are simply unable to
cast that spell or perform that skill for the rest of the “scene” (limited to
the end of the current session, or the next 24 hours of “game” day). With our
recent return to P&P, we have also decided that one Abysmal will have the same
effect. This has had the effect of having players who try to do something
(usually low skilled, or skilled with high modifiers) at least some chance of
retry, but eliminates trying forever – they eventually have to think of another
tactic.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Some troublesome spells, and my ideas on
toning them down somewhat:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:38.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=3 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Courier New";color:black'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'><font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font color=black><span
style='color:black'>Astral Fire: Ignoring the MDV limit, which is a pretty weak
limit, it’s basically a low-level nuke that will screw over any decent sized
gathering. It is effectively an instant death spell, but the ability to target
a possibly huge area screams for the increased MDV for multiple targets. This call
for increased difficulty applies to all damaging/neutralizing and a case could
be made for other area spells.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:20.25pt'><font size=3 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:38.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=3 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Courier New";color:black'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'><font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font color=black><span
style='color:black'>Compulsion: This is one of those spells our group will be
flagging as a “Ceremony” spell – casting speed result is rated in hours, not
phases like a combat spell. It makes no sense that you can whip this off (at
EL0 even since EL has no effect on MDV limits or duration) left and right on
targets in the enemy battle line and have them effectively neutralized as they
run off to get you a tuna sandwich or something. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p><strong><b><font size=1 color=gray face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:gray'>_______________<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></strong></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=1 color=gray face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:gray'>Burton Choinski</span></font></b></strong><strong><b><font
size=1 color=black face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:black'> </span></font></b></strong><strong><b><font size=1
color=red face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:red'>|</span></font></b></strong><font size=1 color=gray face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:gray'> Principal Software
Engineer </span></font><strong><b><font size=1 color=red face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:red'>|</span></font></b></strong><strong><b><font
size=1 color=black face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:black'> </span></font></b></strong><strong><b><font size=1
color=gray face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:gray'>ENOVIA MatrixOne</span></font></b></strong><font size=1
color=black face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:black'><br>
</span></font><font size=1 color=gray face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:gray'>210 Littleton Road </span></font><strong><b><font
size=1 color=red face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:red'>|</span></font></b></strong><font size=1 color=gray face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:gray'> Westford, MA
01886<br>
Office: 978 589 4089 </span></font><strong><b><font size=1
color=red face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:red'>|</span></font></b></strong><font size=1 color=gray face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:gray'> Fax:
978 589 5903 </span></font><b><font size=1 color=red face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:red;font-weight:bold'>|</span></font></b><font
size=1 color=gray face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:gray'> Cell: 508 843 7183<br>
</span></font><u><font size=1 color="#3366ff" face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:7.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#3366FF'>burton.choinski@matrixone.com</span></font></u><u><font
size=1 color=black><span style='font-size:7.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p><font size=1 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:7.5pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>The information in this email and
subsequent attachments may contain legally privileged, proprietary and
confidential information that is intended for a particular recipient. If
you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any
disclosure, copying, distribution, retention or use of the contents of this
e-mail information is prohibited. When addressed to MatrixOne clients or
vendors, any information contained in this e-mail is subject to the terms and
conditions in the governing contract. If you have received this e-mail in
error, please immediately notify us by telephone or by return e-mail, and
delete the e-mail.</span></font><font size=1 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>