(TFT) David's comments --> special spells & items

[Pasha and or Rick Smith <pnrsmith@istar.ca>]

Hi everyone,
	I was rereading David's comments on the
new spell and his line below is causing me to re-
think my stand on making it a thrown spell.

>
>How I weigh the limitations:
>    Then I try to factor in the limitations, which in this case are many, of the spell.
>    "(S). . ."  nice because it can't be cast on someone else.  Only a person who knows the spell can cast it.  This makes it like some kind of personal discipline or something.  It also raises serious questions about the feasibility of a magic item for this ever being invented.  Also nice.

	When I first read this I was thinking 
"but you CAN make magic items of special spells.  
The Dazzle gem, Detect Magic, Detect Life, Detect 
Enemies, etc."

	The major reason I made this spell was
to make more uses / combinations for the 
Shadow hexes.  As such, being a thrown spell 
that you can cast on your friends increases 
the flexibility / usefulness of the spell, and 
make more combinations...

	
	However I started thinking about that
list of magic items that had Special spell effects...

	Most of them I hate.


	Let's look at the full list of Advanced
Wizard items that mimic Special Spell effects.  
The items that bug me just a bit I give one
star to; the ones that really burn my butt I give 
three stars to.

Detect Magic
Detect Life *
Detect Enemies ***
Disspell Illusion
Astral Projection **
Geas *
Long Distance Telepathy *
Long Distance Teleport ***
Word of Command ***

	I am not counting the special spells
that ARE magic items or simply modify other
items (Limiting / Expunge).  Those items I'm
happy with.


	One of the things that I've come to
dislike about TFT is the prevalence of managing
magic items to power game / solve problems /
measure progress.  I want my figures to be
heroic because of what they do and not because
they have a hackmaster 7 with sword of slaying
spell on it.

	Therefore David's comment about there
NOT being a magic item with Body of Shadow 
resonates powerfully with me.  I mean, someone
with a Body of Shadow item and permanent 
shadow hex item over them is like an Apep with 
regeneration. Do we really want to go there?

	However plenty of other magic items 
have been made with special spell effects, which
undermines the strength of his argument.

	My suggestion is, let us make part of 
the description of Special spells so that it reads

	"... special spells are very difficult to 
make magic items of.  When it has been done, the 
item usually has a much reduced effect."
	

	Thus this gives us a perfect excuse to
eliminate or limit items like 'Detect Enemies' 
(every king requires all people around him to
shed Spell Shield items. Whoa! no traitors here!)

	(People may argue that not all kings 
are powerful enough to force their nobles to
shed their magic items. Granted, but do you
WANT the really powerful ones to not have 
these worries?)

	Anyway,  I've been meaning to 
completely revise the item list, and this may 
shape my thoughts. Does anyone have any
comments?

	Rick

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