[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Hedge Wizards (was Re: (TFT) New way to improve characters.

(Industrial Abuse alert)


Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 20:46:56 -0400
From: Stan <srydzews@ix.netcom.com>

Repair (IQ 9, 3 fST) The Repair spell fixes broken items.  It will rejoin two
pieces of an object that has been broken, for instance a rope that has snapped
or a board that has been sawn or chopped through.  Only minor amounts of
material may be missing (for instance the sawdust from a cut board).  The
quality of the repair depends on how well the two pieces fit together but in
most cases the repair is perfect.  Nothing larger than six inches in diameter
can be rejoined with this spell.
Cheaper and just as good as the original (Repair, IQ 12, ST cost 6) from AW for most breaks (arguably, the GM can correct by insisting that most breaks go into multiple pieces. Can multiple castings of this spell put together an item broken into (say) 5 or 6 pieces?) 


Reconstitute (IQ 12, 4 fST) Similar to the Repair spell, Reconstitute will
restore an item of up to 20 pounds, no matter how many fragments into which it
has been broken. At least 90% of the item must be present. It will not restore 
chemical alterations; an item that has been burned or dissolved can not be
Reconstituted. The workings of the spell will not forcibly drive out one object 
from another.  For example it will not fix a nail-hole if the nail is still in
the hole.
*Way* better than the original, still cheaper in ST and works up to 9 kg or so vs. the original 2 kg. Both this and the last make me nervous, because they practically obsolete the canon Repair.
Burnish (IQ 8, 1 fST) This spell will remove rust or other oxidation from metal 
items having a total surface area of no more than 12 square feet.  If multiple
items are to be affected they must all be touching.  It can affect a large box
of tools, weapons or nails, or a section of a larger surface.  If cast on
rust-free items it renders them polished and (if appropriate) sharpened.
Lots quicker than sharpening swords, either at forging or after a battle. Wizard (and not a great wizard) can do one of these every 15 minutes. It'd take *way* longer for an armorer to polish and hone a new sword. If an item repeatedly rusts and gets "Burnished", does it get thinner? (i.e., does the spell get rid of the oxygen or the oxidized metal?) 
	Will become de rigeur for ceremonial guards.
Can this make axles, gears, siege engines, etc more efficient by truing and smoothing their bearing surfaces? 


Charm Vermin (IQ 9, 1 fST) Affects vermin of up to rat-size in the megahex
surrounding the caster.  Only the type of creature specified by the caster is
affected.  Affected vermin will docilely follow the caster for 15 minutes if
they are physically able.  For instance the caster could walk through a house,
casting this on occasion, to rid it of mice or roaches. When the spell ends the 
creatures resume their normal activities, although the caster will often lead
them into a stream to drown them or an enclosed area to trap them.  Note that
the spell will 'penetrate' into holes at least as large as the vermin
themselves; it can draw termites from wood or rats from their dens.

[The item version of this spell of course would require a musical instrument.]


	Of course.
What's the *minimum* size of the vermin? Else could become a very cheap "Cleansing" spell (cure any disease caused by invading bacteria, viruses, etc.).
Separate (IQ 10, 2 fST) Affects a single hex of material (approximately 10 cubic 
feet).  The caster names a particular sort of substance present in the hex and
it is drawn forth from the remainder. It can draw pure water from mud, separate coins by type, wheat from chaff, etc. The spell will not break chemical bonds, 
so for instance it can't draw iron from iron ore.  Living organisms and
components thereof can not be affected by the spell, nor will the Separated
material burst through sealed containers or other substantial barriers.
Oh my gosh. Instant dry clothes, or freeze-dried (preserved) foods. Powdered milk. Instant pure water. Instant clean air in a smoke-filled room. Is it smart enough to tell *hot* water from *cold* water? If so, Maxwell's Daemon for only IQ 10 and 2 fST. Remove poison from poisoned foods. Remove toxins, then bacteria and fungus from tainted foods. How smart is it, actually? Could render many inedible items (mushrooms, etc.) perfectly edible, by sucking out the toxins. "Cleansing" for much cheaper. Can you "draw forth" enchanted (cursed) items off a character? Can you draw forth magic items out of a pile of loot? Can you draw forth Gold from gold-bearing ore (as it probably isn't chemically combined) or diamonds from piles of diamond-mine tailings? Can you draw forth *everything* inside a jar, leaving a perfect vacuum? That's gotta be good for some relativistic gate abuse later on .... Nearly or completely obsoletes: Fresh Air, Remove Cursed Object, Detect Magic, (item) Unicorn Horn. Could correct *some* of this by saying what's left behind is shredded/rendered useless, but players will then try to draw forth the diseased person leaving the disease germs behind, etc.
Heat/Cool (IQ 8, 1+ ST) This spell raises or lowers the temperature of a single solid item (or body of liquid) weighing no more than 20 pounds. The temperature 
is shifted 10 degrees Fahrenheit per point of fST invested.  The item radiates
heat according to its adjusted temperature.  The effect lasts for 24 hours.
Living creatures can not be affected. It can be used to make ice or a lightless 
'campfire'.  Gasses can not be affected by the spell, nor can any substance be
heated to the point where it would become gaseous.
Metalworkers and glassworkers will *love* this spell if it can be cast repeatedly on a single item. 50 ST to put 20 pounds of metal up 500 F for a whole day? Wow. And then there are superconductors, only 45 ST in the other direction. Or plain water, which becomes a very practical structural material for about 7 fSt/20 lbs. What use is a fire that doesn't use oxygen? Plenty, I'll bet. Can catch almost anything on fire with enough ST. Is this thrown? If so, can kill almost anything biological up to 20 lbs. If it has a multi-strength version, can kill humans for (say) 10 fST, by messing up internal body temp. 


Remove Blemish (IQ 11, 4 fST)



Remove Defect (IQ 14, 6 fST)


These seem hard to abuse too much.


Proof (IQ 9, 1 or 2 fST) This spell will affect up to fifty square feet of
material, rendering it impermeable to water (1 fST) or air (2 fST).  Nothing
with large gaps or holes can be affected.  For instance it can render a sack
capable of holding water, but will not make chainmail waterproof.  The effects
last one week.
Makes He/H2 airships/balloons *much* easier to build (unless the "Air" version does not include other gases).
Rotproof (IQ 10, 3 fST) A casting of the Rotproof spell affects up to 100 pounds 
of material, which will then not decay for a period of one month.  Meat or
vegetables will not rot, metal will not rust, etc. Living creatures can not be 
affected.  Of course the spell will not prevent pests from infesting or
devouring affected materials.
Wow. This would be *incredibly* valuable for a campaign or an ocean voyage. 100 lbs. of rations for just 3 fST? Fresh eggs, fruit, etc for a whole month? Are there abuses involved with stopping stuff that *wants* to rot? ("Why isn't my cheese/beer/compost/whatever working?")
The weapon/armor enchantment could potentially be expanded so that it is useful 
on tools.  I would expect that in general, each plus would add 20% to the
effectiveness of the item.  Who would bother?  Well, a cross-cut saw that let
you cut down 40% more trees in a day would probably add 20% to the daily profits 
of a lumberjack.  (If we assume half of his workday is spent actually cutting
down trees.) It could easily be worth it over time. Tools that routinely break 
when in use, such as mining picks, would NOT be good candidates for this.
... unless they were also "fine" in which case they would break much less often. Or immune to Break, in which case they wouldn't break. I'd say this would be absolutely typical for any hard-use tool (axes, saws, scythes, etc. etc. etc.) But I don't see much disadvantage to allowing this. Same deal for mining picks. Buy lots, as you need them, for a high cumulative price, or buy a really good one and pay it off with increased productivity.
BTW, my favorite "Hedge wizard" spell is "Light". Set out the lanterns every evening before turning in. Advertising. Reading lamps. Light up dark cellars or closets. Same goes for the "Light" item. Light pollution may be a big problem on Cidri. 

--
					- Mark
			210-522-6025, page 888-733-0967
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"