Re: (TFT) The philosophy of writing Tightly defined spell effects

["rmorger" <rmorger@mail.ev1.net>]

>	Anyway the following questions would be
>interesting to me if the gentle readers would like
>to tender some opinions:
>
>1)	Is TFT magic too predictable / mechanical?

In some instances yes, combat/defense type spells should be 
predictable. Enviornmental, control, summoning and other spells 
that draw on areas outside the Mage/Wizards direct control should 
have some variable in it. Possibly this would be minimized as the 
Mage/Wizard becomes stronger and more practiced in his art.

Fer instance the weather spell that is being batted around right 
now that is the type of spell that should always have some sort of 
variable associated with it even if it very remote. 

[The grand Wizard of Id (IQ 17) attempts to push back the last 
heavy rainfall of spring and have it come down a month latter when 
it will be very dry. He botches his roll very badly 16 or 17 roll 
one die check a chart for what happens on a 18 torrential rains 
flood the area killing many and destroying villages, towns 
horribly damaging large cities near water ways including those 
down stream etc. The wizard would be a very popular guy if anyone 
found out he caused the flooding!
 If the Wizard of ID's IQ was five greater or more than the spell 
then the spell would only go awry on a 18 and the damage would be 
to a lessor extent. It still would fail on a 16 or 17 or any Adj. 
DX roll just not disastrously.]

I think that ANY Hero type that casts a spell should have some 
kind of variable thrown in, since they are not deeply trained in 
the art.

>2)	In what ways would it be best to make it 
>more flexible?

Don't know for sure but am thinking about it.

>3)	How do mechanical spell / talent descriptions
>interfere / affect story telling campaigns?

PC's/GM,s can become too narrowly focused on the letter of the law 
and not the richness and intent of these guidelines.

>
>4)	How can we have weakly defined or vague spell
>descriptions with out pissing off the PC's (who 
>went to some trouble to get this spell)?

By letting them know up front that until they master the spells 
that some things go awry. "The best laid plans of mice and men.."
>
>5)	Are there any points that relate to the
>questions that I've raised that I've not addressed?
>
>
>	Rick
>=====
Robert Morger
Boerne, TX
rmorger@2ev1.net 

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