Battle Magic Spells

[Neil Barnes]

I was just working out a spell book for the regent of Mesire last night,
and came up with the following ideas for Battle Magic spells. I wanted
to run them past people here to see what people thought.

Sleep Unit (based on Sleep, Enchantment/ Charm)
Level: 1st
Range: 1 Square
Duration: 1 War Card round / level
Casting Time: 1 attack phase
Componants: V, S, M
Area of Effect: 1 Unit
Save: None

This spell puts any unit with three or fewer hits to sleep for the
duration of the spell. If a hostile unit gets an unimpeded melee attack
upon them before the spell's duration expires, they can be killed
immediately.

They can be woken in the following ways:
i) A missile or magical attack upon the unit will wake them after
inflicting damage. Their defence against a missile attak should be
at a -3 penalty. A magical attack will inflict twice the normal number
of hit of damage.
ii) A friendly unit in the same square can wake them after a round.
iii) They will be woken by any combat going on in the square that
they're in. However they'll have a -1 penalty to all combat stats in the
next round (because thjey'll still be groggy).

The material componants are either 400 Grasshoppers or Locusts, 200 lbs
weight of sand or the petals from 600 roses.

Illuminate Unit (Based on Continual Light; Alteration)
Level: 2nd
Range: 1 Square
Duration: 1 Month / level
Casting Time: 1 attack phase
Componants: V, S
Area of Effect: 1 Unit
Save: Negates

This spell causes a unit that fails it's save to glow brightly. Units
that are vulnerable to bright light suffer a -2 to all combat stats,
while units that aren't particularly vulnerable to the light suffer only
a -1, due to being partially blinded.

If the Unit makes it's save the square itelf is illuminated, and any
light-fearing units within that square suffer a -1 to all their combat
stats.

Flaming Shields (based on Fire Shield; Abjuration, Evocation)
Level: 2nd
Range: 0
Duration: 1 War Card round / 2 levels
Casting Time: 1 attack phase
Componants: V, S, M
Area of Effect: 1 Unit
Save: n/a

This spell causes a unit to be protected by either cold-blue or re-hot
flames. For the duration of the spell they enjoy the following benefits:
i) +2 on all unit saves vs the appropriate type of magical attack
(either fire or ice).
ii) Damage caused by that attack form is lessened by one catagory
(D -> R -> H -> F).
iii) Units that attack the protected unit in Melee take the same number
of hits in damage as they inflict upon the unit.

Material componants: 400 live or 1600 dead fireflies.

neil

chuck.taine@lsh.org

[DKEvermore]

You have some great ideas for battle spells. I just have a couple
suggestions.

In a message dated 98-03-24 11:28:51 EST, you write:

> I was just working out a spell book for the regent of Mesire last night,
> and came up with the following ideas for Battle Magic spells. I wanted
> to run them past people here to see what people thought.
>
> Sleep Unit (based on Sleep, Enchantment/ Charm)



> They can be woken in the following ways:
> i) A missile or magical attack upon the unit will wake them after
> inflicting damage. Their defence against a missile attak should be
> at a -3 penalty. A magical attack will inflict twice the normal number
> of hit of damage.

Personally, I would rule that the attack automatically gained a Route result
against the unit. Quick, easy, and reasonable.

> ii) A friendly unit in the same square can wake them after a round.
> iii) They will be woken by any combat going on in the square that
> they're in. However they'll have a -1 penalty to all combat stats in the
> next round (because thjey'll still be groggy).

Hmm... I don't know about this. Battle rounds are quite long...

>
> The material componants are either 400 Grasshoppers or Locusts, 200 lbs
> weight of sand or the petals from 600 roses.

Those components are very appropriate. :)

>
> Illuminate Unit (Based on Continual Light; Alteration)
> Level: 2nd
>
> Range: 1 Square
> Duration: 1 Month / level

Uh... 1 Month/level? I would suggest maybe 1battle round per level.



>
> Flaming Shields (based on Fire Shield; Abjuration, Evocation)
> Level: 2nd



> This spell causes a unit to be protected by either cold-blue or re-hot
> flames. For the duration of the spell they enjoy the following benefits:
> i) +2 on all unit saves vs the appropriate type of magical attack
> (either fire or ice).
> ii) Damage caused by that attack form is lessened by one catagory
> (D -> R -> H -> F).

It would probably actually go from D->R->H and no fallback, since a Fall Back
result can only happen to the attacker.

Overall, nice conversions!
DKE

[Neil Barnes]

On Tue, 24 Mar 1998, DKEvermore wrote:
> You have some great ideas for battle spells. I just have a couple
> suggestions.
>
> In a message dated 98-03-24 11:28:51 EST, you write:
> > Sleep Unit (based on Sleep, Enchantment/ Charm)
>
>
>
> > They can be woken in the following ways:
> > i) A missile or magical attack upon the unit will wake them after
> > inflicting damage. Their defence against a missile attak should be
> > at a -3 penalty. A magical attack will inflict twice the normal number
> > of hit of damage.
>
> Personally, I would rule that the attack automatically gained a Route result
> against the unit. Quick, easy, and reasonable.

Yeah. I just find the image of a unit being asleep then hit by a spell
or magical attack and then running away a bit peculiar.

> Hmm... I don't know about this. Battle rounds are quite long...

Good point. It probably simplifies the spell a bit too.

> > The material componants are either 400 Grasshoppers or Locusts, 200 lbs
> > weight of sand or the petals from 600 roses.
>
> Those components are very appropriate. :)

I's just the componants for Sleep scaled up. One option is to allow the
spell to be used as a way of getting rid of Locust Swarms - use the
Swarm as a material componant.

I also think my Mesiran regent PC is going to have to invest in an
insect House (not just for the material componants - I've always liked
Bee hives and Wasp's nests as catapult ammunition).

> > Illuminate Unit (Based on Continual Light; Alteration)
> > Level: 2nd
> >
> > Range: 1 Square
> > Duration: 1 Month / level
>
> Uh... 1 Month/level? I would suggest maybe 1battle round per level.

Well, it is based on Continual Light. Luminescing Unit, the 1st level
version based on Light should have the short (I round/ level) duration,
while the Continual Light derived spell should last longer.

> > Flaming Shields (based on Fire Shield; Abjuration, Evocation)
> > Level: 2nd

This was a typo. Flaming Shields should be a 4th level spell (as someone
else mentioned).

> It would probably actually go from D->R->H and no fallback, since a Fall Back
> result can only happen to the attacker.

OTOH illusion spells can inflict an F result upon a unit.

> Overall, nice conversions!

I'm thinking about doing a few others sometime - there's some really
nifty 2nd level spells, that could be entertaining when souped up.

neil