Magic Difficulty

[DJGanektakazoink]

Hey all, just a quick question:

Why are Abstraction difficulties so high? It seems to me if there is so much wild potential in the actual casting (success is no safety from variance), it doesn't strike me as really worthwhile if casting it is not only very hard for damaging effects (for example the Fire Bolt described, basic attack spell) but perilous! I mean granted in the example I listed it is Ob 6, but that means for a character with Will B6 and Sorcery B6, the law of averages says they SHOULD make it every time, if only by the skin of their teeth, but even then variance can utterly change and twist the magic. Just the few horror stories I've read (blindness, destruction, etc.) make it seem a little dangerous.

Granted, I didn't write this incredible roleplaying system which I love and will keep playing regardless (abzu), but I don't know, it seems a little unbalanced against Abstractions when one can, for example, use White Fire (Ob 3, 8s, Power = Will + 2/extra success) versus Fire Bolt (Ob 6, 18s, Power = Will + 1/extra success). Which brings me to the second, more minor point: How about area effect in a ray or cone?

[luke]

Hello Mr Long-Unprounceable-Name,

I'm sorry don't find the Abstraction obstacles to your taste, but they are what they are for a reason. Magic is hard. Wild magic is harder. Casting wild or, as we call it, abstracted magic quickly is paramount to suicide. Abstractions are meant to be cast slowly. These are not the momentary, off-the-cuff spells. These are patient solutions to a problem.

The firebolt spell simply demonstrates how to combine facets into a recognizable effect. That's a spell to be practiced and worked on until it can be distilled and used with frequency.

But I gather from your post that you're only looking at the numbers (in horror), and that you haven't experienced the joy of abstractions in play. Am I correct?


To answer your second question, use the Measured Paces area of effect to produce your geometric shapes. No one ever said it has to be all circles and squares. Just approximate the same rough area you are after in your new shape.

hope that helps
-Luke

[Kublai]

Although I understand perfectly where Abzu is coming from and agree with him to a certain extent, there are some spells in the Burner which would be fairly impossible to create in-game using the Abstractions. This leads me to question how these spells came about in the first place! :shock: