New Spell: Arcane Synchronization

[Hox]

Arcane synchronization

This long but useful spell harmonizes the caster with arcane energies making him glow with a faint blue aura, and arcane spells to him seem to flow out of him naturally and with little effort.



Element: Arcana (4,10)
Impetius: Enhance (4,12)
Origin: Personal (0,1)
Area: Caster (0,1)
Duration: Sustained (2,2)


First

Arcana/sustained (3,6)

Second

Enhance/Personal (2,7)

Finalize

(3,6)
(2,7)
(0,1)
------
(5,14)/2

= (3^,7)

-1 minoris one skill (sorcery)
-1 extension x5
-1 extention x5
+1 majoris for +2 for every success over obstacle.

Ends with

(1^,175) +2 to sorcery skill for every success over obstacle.

I think I did everything right as far as the math goes.
comments/suggestions?

[luke]

If I were the GM, I'd definitely tweak that. Maybe require the Anima element or something. It's an abusively low obstacle.

[Charlie]

If I were the GM, I'd definitely tweak that. Maybe require the Anima element or something. It's an abusively low obstacle.

Well, being the GM, this was my first thoughts as well. Two extensions on a spell you can easily sustain all day? That doesn't really strike me as much of a hindrance at all.

I assume this is to counteract those botched sorcery rolls last game? :p

When I get home tonight, I'll take a look at it with the abstraction rules.

[GreedyAlgorithm]

I think you mean something like
+2 Majoris (+2D per success)
+2 Majoris (affects your spellcasting pool)

or include Anima, as that's what's actually being affected. Unless you mean that in the area, everyone who casts anything gets +2D to their rolls... :)

Or maybe +1 Majoris (+1D per success / +3D per 2 successes).

[Hox]

Although one could sustain it all day the role playing possibilities would be low as someone glowing all day for every social encounter would make things difficult I think. My idea is that it would be use with the anticipation of future casting and that I have ample time to cast it. Also note that maintaining this removes a will di from my casting pool. I guess raising the obstacle would be ok either by removeing the extentions or I think that adding the Anima element seems appropriate. Considering the reduced actions and increased obstacle I could cast it patiently and carefully (something that I forgot about all game) it would make it harder to maintain and even less in the conversation for all day.
How would I go about adding the Anima element?

[stormsweeper]

175 actions is what, 3 minutes?

For a wizards with 5s, average successes:

1st casting: 10D, ~5 successes. So +8D to Sorcery while sustaining.

2nd casting: 17D, ~9 successes. Another +16D.

3rd: 32D. +30D

4th: 61D. +60D

Now stop sustaining the first 3, and enjoy your +60D bonus to all Sorcery tests for the day.

[Hox]

Good point I wasn't thinking along the lines of multiple castings. I guess I would definitely limit it to one sustained at a time or state that multiple castings don't stack like that. Thanks for pointing out that flaw.:)

[Charlie]

I am not sure being able to affect your sorcery skill should be under a minoris sigil. I would be more inclined to have this affect Will (majoris) and spell-casting pool (marjoris) as GreedyAlgorithm mentioned.

And Anima would seem to be the proper element, instead of Arcane. Thoughts?

[Hox]

I am not sure being able to affect your sorcery skill should be under a minoris sigil. I would be more inclined to have this affect Will (majoris) and spell-casting pool (marjoris) as GreedyAlgorithm mentioned.

And Anima would seem to be the proper element, instead of Arcane. Thoughts?

I would be inclined to say that both Anima and Arcane elements would be used as an Element: Arcane/Anima. The fact that it only effects one skill should have the minoris normally, but in this case since it also will effect the spell pool I would remove it along with the compressions as previously mentioned,and limit it to one sustainable casting so that there is not crazy dice. I was considering it also affect the Aura reading skill; with this addition I would put on the majoris. I don't think that it should also affect Will (adding more to spell pool and number of sustainable spells).

[Charlie]

So what would the new spell be?

[Hox]

Good question. Although I don't know the complete answer as I don't know how to add the extra element(Anamis) to the spell in order to complete it as per the abstraction rules. because the spell/element is not effecting a stat I don't know how to do it. What it could be is

sorcery skill + OB(from other spell facets)^

for the obsticle but that would make the OB crazy.

[Hox]

just a thought.


I am not sure being able to affect your sorcery skill should be under a minoris sigil.

would a spell that affects your sword skill also not be?

[Thor]

Hox, I think you should take a look at the Wisdom of the Ancients spell in the Character Burner. It largely does what you want, although it affects Will rather than Sorcery.

You could make a version with the same facets that affects your Sorcery skill rather than Will. I think it would be just fine to leave it as Minoris for affecting a single skill, as the new Obstacle will be based on your Sorcery exponent.

I think that's the simplest and most elegant solution. No special exceptions are required. If you have a weak sorcery skill, you can use the spell to give yourself a nice 1D boost (net, since you'll have to assign one of your Will dice to sustaining the spell), but the higher your Sorcery exponent, the more difficult and more dangerous the spell becomes.

[Hox]

I see where you are coming from Thor. But the Wisdom of the ancients spell would be always better than the one than I would make.

[Thor]

This long but useful spell harmonizes the caster with arcane energies making him glow with a faint blue aura, and arcane spells to him seem to flow out of him naturally and with little effort. This spell grants the sorcerer +2D Sorcery.

Obstacle = Sorcery exponent, 30 actions

Resource point cost = 10


Element: Anima (Ob 5, 5A)
Impetus: Enhance (Ob 4, 12A)
Origin: Personal (Ob 0, 1A)
Duration: Sustained (Ob 2, 2A)
Area of Effect: Caster (Ob 0, 1A)

First Distillation:
Anima (Ob 5, 5A)
Enhance-Sustained (Ob 3, 7A)
Personal (Ob 0, 1A)
Caster (Ob 0, 1A)

Second Distillation:
Anima-Caster (Ob 2.5, 3A)
Enhance-Sustained (Ob 3, 7A)
Personal (Ob 0, 1A)

Finalization:
Ob 3 + Sorcery exponent^, 6 actions

Sigils:
Cap (-1 Ob)
Minoris (-1 Ob)
Extension (-1 Ob, x5 actions)

Final Spell: Ob = Sorcery exponent, 30 actions

[Charlie]

Hox--

I might be missing my mark, but isn't your intent for this spell to essentially increase your Sorcery dice pool for casting spells throughout the day?

------------

A more general question to anyone-- When assigning caps onto spells, are there any written guidelines anywhere that state what the spells should cap at? Where do you come up with +2D Sorcery and no higher?

[Thor]

The Cap simply means that you can't get more from the spell by rolling successes over the Obstacle. It doesn't have anything to do with the +2D.

I went with +2D for two reasons:
1. There's precedent from other spells, like Wisdom of the Ancients.
2. Giving only +1D would be kind of lame, as the caster has to put aside 1D to Sustain the spell.

[Hox]

Just wanted to say thank you for all your help and time. I feel completely ashamed as I mixed up the rules for sustaining a spell and sustaining a abstraction and the full use of sorcery pool and its influence of all the other spells. This all was just a big mistake on my part and I am no longer thinking of making a spell that will increase my spell pool aside from what Thor has mentioned; which is totally reasonable.

[Charlie]

No problem, Hox. I am glad we got that sorted out last night.

Thanks Thor for clarifying the cap thing. So in general, when using the Cap it is best to look for precedent in the spells that are already in the book?

[Thor]

Glad to help Hox. No need to be ashamed! This is what we're here for. :)


No problem, Hox. I am glad we got that sorted out last night.

Thanks Thor for clarifying the cap thing. So in general, when using the Cap it is best to look for precedent in the spells that are already in the book?

I think it's a good idea to look for precedents no matter what you're doing. The spells in the book are a good guide to what's possible. You can usually find something that is close to what you want to do. Combine that with peer review, with your group or with us here, and it should be fine.