[pnpgm] Question on Spells & Alignments - re: Law, Chaos, etc for Protection, dispel, etc

[Murtha, Mark]

Let me give the most basic example.

Bob casts Prot V Elder, EL3.    He is going to fight some Dark Elder wizard or shaman.
The spell works.
The enemy has the roll modifier.  Does Bob, as he is a Grey Elder wizard?  If so, then Protection is a very mis-named spell... Imo.  And the example with Oom is confusing in the magic book.

In my mind, Protection is for Protection, not annoyance of the caster as well as annoyance of the other things.  (That's more a Monty Python spell.)


Ensorcel - Prot.  Does this give the passive, always on protection?  Or is Protection now castable from that item?  I am looking for the passive, always on effect.  This is listed in the treasure section of the Human Encounters book, always on protection items.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Adams [mailto:longshotgm at netzero.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 3:11 AM
To: Murtha, Mark; PBEM List
Cc: 'Sanders, DavidX A'
Subject: Re: Question on Spells & Alignments - re: Law, Chaos,etc for Protection, dispel, etc

At 02:03 PM 3/2/11, Murtha, Mark wrote:
>Hey Everyone,
> 
>I've been thinking on this for a bit and need to make sure I'm clear.
> 
>All Alignments:
>Law
>Chaos
>Neutral
>Balance
>Elder       (includes Grey wizard and Shamans, and Dark elder)
>Sidh        (or is this included in elder?)

I've considered it a subset of Elder but since it has such a huge race behind it and its own culture it tends to be on its own. 
So its how you view it.

>Shadow   (not sure if this is valid, but seems it should be valid)
> 
Its one now.  Closer in some ways to neutral than some things...


>So - for each alignment, there are these alignment specific spells:
> 
>Protection
>Summoning
>Dispel/Banish
>Purification
> 
>Correct?


Yes. 

> 
> 
>Protection question.  I read Protection and it implies that caster must cast the spell against a specific target to protect against that target.  In other words, it's an active targeted spell.  Against two things:
>1.  That specific target
>2. All things of that alignment
>Side Effect: The spell then also gives a "passive" protection against the Spell, not target's, alignment.  Is this true?

More or less.  It protects against a Chaos sword spell but if you walk on teh Chaos Step Stool of Evil Pinching then it also protects that way in a passive way.  

> 
>Active Example.  Bob is invading a Chaos demon-infested tomb.  He sees his first demon, and casts EL3 Prot v Chaos against that demon, targeting that demon.  Demon gets regular MDV to resist.     Duration = 8 turns. Roll Modifier = -5.  Only for that demon attacking him.
> 

Believe so.  Let me rescan.  Ok.  Affects enemies plurarl and rolsl plural.  So it affects ALL those demons that come in the radius so about 15 feet around him.  Though Repel Evil might work better.  

> 
>There is no purely "passive" protection spell. 
>  -  i.e. Cast Protection v Chaos on wizard Bob.  Bob now has protection against all Chaos attackers at the specified Roll Modifiers.
>          Passive Example.  Bob is invading a Chaos demon-infested tomb.  He casts EL3 Prot v Chaos on himself.  Duration = 8 turns. Roll Modifier = -5.  For any and all chaos creature attacking him.  Other alignment creatures have no modifier.  Hope there aren't any Kotothi monsters Bob!
> 
> Its passive in that if the demons take 3 turns to sacre bob then it works on the 4th turn.  Same with talismans an dsuch.  Technically its both active and passive.  But more active.  Passive would mean it suddenly acts out while caster is sleeping.  If a item.
> 
> From the Book for Protection:
>EXAMPLE  Oom, a Balance Wizard, casts Protection against Balance to oppose a Chaos Demon. The demon resists with triple MDV. If Oom succeeds, the spell affects Chaos while retaining its virtue against Balance. The attacking demon and Oom both add the Roll Modifier.
> 
>I don't understand the point that Oom adds the roll modifier. Help!
> 
>I believe that is the "..and magic success " line.  So if Oom casts a spell the roll is there.  But I dont' recall that there..hmmmm... 
> 
>Followup Question. How can one create a Protection Item, of the passive version?    I want to make "shield of protection" that give -4 to all chaos, -4 to elder, and -4 to shadow attackers rolls.  Is this Protection or some other spell?  
> 

Ensorcellment.  Protection spell.  Make Item.  Poof Ask Alex he is the creator of many...But Ensorcel is the spell de jur...

>Dave is right.  This is where teh trick likely come sin.  If you creatur a prot vs chaos bubble around you and cast a chaos spell then you have the roll mod.. some could argue law spell would have some roll mod as well based on alignment dispute.  But likely Oom would get the Mod if cast the spell of that protected alignment while spell active.


There is a major issue with spell disagreement.  Some GMS ignore it.  But I keep it in mind.  If you have a Ring of X and a Amulet of Y.  I can't come up with the spells now.  But like concealing mist and there is some spell that neutralizes it but can't think of it (distracted by movie).
They would conflict and cancel each out.  

this is where a Toy Warehouse of magic items can be dangerous.  If youuse -6 protection chainmail and -2 protection underwear than they might beth conflict and overlap say law/chaos.  The -2 might be gone and the other might go down to -4...but its a case by case thing and depend son teh item and how its used and all that.  Just have to be careful when having a warehouse of items on you.