Post by Rigil Kent on Feb 14, 2016 17:16:06 GMT -6
I don't think it is much of a spoiler to reveal that, at some point, I want to have Sofia engage in a wizard duel one-on-one against another spellcaster. It might happen Friday. It might not. So I want to have the capability to run cool wizard duels like this and am struggling with regards to the rules to allow this:
My initial thinking is to use the existing "Path" skills from Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic and have everything be effectively "opposed" rolls. So, FREX, using the above video as an example and jumping straight to around 0:31 when the actual duel begins, I'm thinking it would go something like:
So the real question here is how do we do that with the existing ruleset? One can use RPM defensive rituals as "blocking" spells if it makes sense (so water versus fire, FREX) but is difficult. Ambient energy can be gathered instantly at -10 to the skill and energy sources can be tapped at -5 to the skill. Given that Dumbledore is the headmaster of the wizarding school and Voldy is a evil wizard MacGuffin, it is probably logical to presume their respective Path skills are in the 20+ range (from time use alone for Dumbledore). So they might actually be doing a lot of that, although it doesn't help us since that means Sofia might have an effective skill of 3 in some instances which is absolutely certain to crit fail.
What I was considering here is to use the rules as more of a guideline and have a sort of "cinematic wizard duel" bit that is based more on cool visuals and descriptions and general ideas than a rigid, lockstep rule system. Maybe using these "guidelines":
Feedback and commentary greatly requested and appreciated.
My initial thinking is to use the existing "Path" skills from Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic and have everything be effectively "opposed" rolls. So, FREX, using the above video as an example and jumping straight to around 0:31 when the actual duel begins, I'm thinking it would go something like:
- Initial engagement: Dumbledore and He Who Shall Not Be Named engage in direct Path of Energy contests although a case might be made for Path of Magic. I'd lean toward Energy because it almost looks like Fire vs Lightning. This lasts from 0:31 to around 0:58, so :27 seconds pass. Could this possibly just be a visual special effect for them gathering energy and the GM doesn't want to just have them stare at one another for half a minute? I lean toward no because the lightning effect blows apart some wall stuff and imperils Harry.
- At 0:58, Voldemort again uses Path of Energy to fashion a very large fireball that he shapes into the form of a snake. At 1:10, this attack meets Dumbledore's counter ... which I'm not sure what it was. Air, maybe? Did he counter with his own Path of Energy and take control of the fire snake to throw it back at Voldemort? I'm leaning toward a Path of Energy (Air) or Path of Magic (took control of the spell.) At 1:16, Voldemort dispels the incoming fire; he does this by either succeeding with a Path of Energy check or uses Path of Magic which makes sense if this is his spell being reflected at him.
- At 1:20, Dumbledore goes on the offensive by pulling the water from the big fountain and wrapping it around Voldemort in a drowning bubble. This, I would call Path of Matter (and a Greater Effect at that given it is acting against water's nature.) He is momentarily distracted at 1:31 when he zaps Harry to get him clear of the fight which looks like him casting a second spell that ends his current water spell and allows Voldy to fall free at 1:33.
- I have no idea at all what spell Voldemort casts at Dumbledore once free (1:34) ... or if that is Dumbledore casting a spell that is affecting Voldy. Based on 1:39, it does look like it is Voldemort initiating the spell, not Dumbledore. Maybe a shadow assault? Let's call that opposed Path of Magic and move on, shall we?
- At 1:40, Voldemort unleashes a pretty potent Path of Energy attack (kinetic force?) and, based on Dumbledore's reaction at 1:42, it knocked him down. This strike also shattered a bunch of glass, which Voldemort used with Path of Matter at ~1:50 to attack. Again, this is definitely a Greater effect since glass normally isn't going to fly up like this. Dumbledore counters this with a shield of some sort at ~2:00 - based on the resulting transformation of glass into sand, I'm thinking this is either Path of Matter (returning glass to sand). The shield is blue so it could theoretically be Path of Energy (super-heat!).
- Frustrated (and probably low on FP), Voldemort retreats at 2:15 using Path of Crossroads.
- The entire fight lasted about 1:45 ... in GURPS terms, that is a freaking eternity.
So the real question here is how do we do that with the existing ruleset? One can use RPM defensive rituals as "blocking" spells if it makes sense (so water versus fire, FREX) but is difficult. Ambient energy can be gathered instantly at -10 to the skill and energy sources can be tapped at -5 to the skill. Given that Dumbledore is the headmaster of the wizarding school and Voldy is a evil wizard MacGuffin, it is probably logical to presume their respective Path skills are in the 20+ range (from time use alone for Dumbledore). So they might actually be doing a lot of that, although it doesn't help us since that means Sofia might have an effective skill of 3 in some instances which is absolutely certain to crit fail.
What I was considering here is to use the rules as more of a guideline and have a sort of "cinematic wizard duel" bit that is based more on cool visuals and descriptions and general ideas than a rigid, lockstep rule system. Maybe using these "guidelines":
- Let's presume both parties in this example have straight 13s for Path skills. So Path of Matter and Path of Magic and Path of Spirit are all 13. And so on.
- Use Path Skills directly as opposed rolls. So if I hurl lightning at someone, I'm going to roll against Path of Energy-13. If that person throws up a barrier of ... let's say stone torn from the ground, they would use Path of Matter to counter. In this case, both parties roll vs 13. Say I roll a 10 to attack but my opponent rolls a 9 to defend, then my lightning explodes against his stone wall but does nothing since I succeeded by 3 but he did so by 4.
- Characters may pump FP into this to boost their effective skill. Using above example, when I threw lightning, I pushed 2 FPs into this spell; this makes my effective skill a 15 instead of 13 so my success would have been by 5.
- Descriptive flair may be, at GM caveat, worth bonuses. My opponent, in describing his sudden wall of stone, says something cool - e.g., "the ground directly in front of me turns muddy for a half moment, then a jagged stone hand that is as big as a normal man punches up from the earth and catches the lightning bolt." As GM, I think that sounds pretty cool, so I award opponent a bonus (probably +1 to +3 tops).
- Damage is where I struggle the most - should the amount of damage being caused match how much FP is pumped into the spell? So, 1d for no FP but 3d for 2 FP and 5d for 4? Should margin of victory apply? I succeeded by 3 so you take 3d? Definitely would like some feedback here.
- I also lean toward this duel taking place in abstract rounds ... which unfortunately means that other, regular fights are going to be hard to handle if, FREX, Sofia faces off against Evil Warlock #5 while the other PCs start fighting his Minions. Using RPM by standard rules, gathering ambient energy will take a minimum of 5 seconds, during which time a shooter could conceivably empty a 30 round magazine (RoF 15) and then freaking reload (3 rds to reload).
Feedback and commentary greatly requested and appreciated.