Re: (TFT) Critical Spell Failures

[Ed Thorn <prophesor@yahoo.com>]

--- ErolB1@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 2/21/2004 2:23:31 PM Central
> Standard Time, 
> rsmith@lightspeed.ca writes:
> 
> >What are people's feelings about critical
> >spell failure and bigger penalties when a wizard
> >rolls an 18?
> 
> I've noticed that the longer I game, the more I
> loathe it. Now that I've 
> gamed for 25 years, I really really hate the idea. 

Ditto.

As a player, I always marvelled at how these critical
fumbles never happened to the NPC badguys.

DragonQuest: GM says, "Kur'ua'mor has a legion of 200
undead troopers."  I say, "200 at three rolls a piece
is 600 rolls, about six critical fumbles."  GM says,
"Ah... yeah.  He was lucky."


> >I like the idea, but I have not seen 
> >anything better than a roll on a table which, tho
> >flexible, seems a bit clunky.  Any thoughts?

I'm working with another guy on a RPG ruleset where if
you need (for instance) 7 units of magic to get a
spell off, and you only produce 6, those 6 units do
_something_.  This ties the fumble to the intended
effect of the spell, and increases the chance of
fumble as the mage reaches further beyond his
skills/powers/whatever.


> the Death Spell which will
> kill you if you don't have 
> sufficient St, or the long-distance teleport which
> will take you to someplace 
> "interesting" if you fumble the Dx roll. But for
> run-of-the-mill spells, it's 
> a bad idea.

A fumble effect built into a spell is different from a
table of random cheeses.  For one thing, it at least
makes some degree of sense _thematically_.


> I suppose that one other place for spell fumbles is
> in a "bugger the wizards" campaign - but I 
> wouldn't want to touch such a game. 

Ditto.  I think often a GM will 'turn up the pain'
when he's got "giver's remorse".  You know the type,
looks in the mirror, sees Monty Haul, turns around and
maims the wizard.

> But I still wouldn't want to play in such a game.

Sometimes, it's the only game in town.
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