Re: [Slope: Ch 10] Thrown Spell talent - change?

[jackal@speakeasy.net]

Rick - 

I agree that some thrown spells can "automatically mess up" a foe. But only if successfully cast!

So if the two Thrown spell resolution mechanics are "nicely balanced" as you say, Peter, why replace caster DX with target "resistance"? Why lose the tactical calculations behind getting your glass canon in close enough to have an effect without him shattering? Why convert player guile to a die roll?

(Full disclosure: I hate saving throws. Too abstract. Too nebulous. Too anti-Appendix N. Robert E Howard never wrote about Conan's "resistance" to some spell. I don't recall a single Tarzan story where "resistance" played a role. HPL would have had to throw out the Mythos if he'd have had to contend with "resistance": "And Great Cthulhu rose from the waves, casting sanity-blasting shadows in the gibbous moon. But Bob just laughed, his resistance to fear holding...")

Meh, just thinking out loud. What a wonderful game!

- Jack


On Thu, 03 May 2018 15:27:42 -0700, Peter von Kleinsmid  wrote:

At 10:04 AM 5/3/2018, Rick wrote:
>   One change I’ve made to TFT is most of the thrown spells give the
>victim a saving throw.  For example, the sleep spell gives you a 4 vs
>(the victim’s LOWEST ST, DX or IQ).
>
>   These saving throw are typically pretty tough, but anyone might get
>lucky.
>
>   I like my suggestion about lowering range negatives by 5 since it
>makes casting thrown spells at range easier, which I think is a neat
>change to TFT.

Yeah, that seems like it can balance nicely, 
since you offset the reduced range penalty by 
adding a saving throw, and the saving through 
nicely includes the target's stats, so it's less 
of a "anyone is automatically messed up if you 
cast this spell on them" thing. I like that 
thrown spells are a consideration at longer range 
but less certain even if the caster has high DX 
since it's also about the defender's resistance.

PvK 


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