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

[Rick <rick_ww@lightspeed.ca>]

Hi Jack.
  I had given most thrown spells saving throws long before I added a 
talent to make Thrown spells better.  The first was not intended to 
‘balance’ the other.

  I found Sleep spells to be a bit dull.  You are fighting the big boss 
and SLEEP!  Combat is over.  It is even worse when the sleep is 
aimed at the players.  A player is instantly taken out of the combat.  I 
don’t mind sleeping minions and lower level figures, but it is too easy 
to handle bosses this way.

  I’m not troubled by saving throws.  I bet I could find a Conan story
where some spell is cast on him, but he resists it just a few moments 
longer than the average hero and gets a final blow in that kills the 
horrible whatsit. Certainly that sort of thing happens from time to time 
in heroic fantasy.

  As for improving Thrown Spells, generally I like them.  Buffs and 
debuts are more interesting than throwing another missile spell, or 
summoning yet more illusions.  But the offensive thrown spells are 
hard to use because the range penalties rack up so quickly.  

  I also like that some wizards are ‘thrown spell specialists’.  It makes
wizards vary a bit more than usual.

  Warm regards, Rick.



> On May 4, 2018, at 10:31 AM, jackal@speakeasy.net wrote:
> 
> 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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