Review my Spell

[Willow]

I'm doing some prepwork for an Arabian Nights style campaign, with sorceresses slinging spells around. Here's something I did to sharpen my power building skills. Take a look at it, and let me know if I did everything ok. One thing I'm doing is writing up a D&D style stat block so players who are less familiar with HERO can have an easier time understanding how the powers are supposed to work. I'm also concerned that the Detect portion might need another advantage.

Thanks.


Curse of the Ugly Liar


Those affected by this curse lose 1d6 points of Comeliness each time they tell a lie or falsehood. 10 points of Comeliness are regained each minute. To affect the target, the caster must have line of sight and make a successful ECV attack, as well as a successful casting roll (at minus 2 to the roll due to the spell's difficulty). A given target can only lose 10d6 total points of Com from any given casting of the Curse of the Ugly Liar. Multiple castings are not cumulative. The caster may lift the Curse at any time, and the spell expires on its own after 28 days.


The caster must incant for a full phase, the magic does not take effect until the following phase. This spell costs 20 points of End to cast. For +/- 2 End, the caster can add or subtract 1d6 from the spell's maximum possible effect.


(1d3 Active Points Comeliness Drain: 5 pts, Ranged (+1/2), Ego Based (+1), Delayed Return Rate: One Minute (+1/4), Triggered by Lies, uncontrolled by caster, can be set multiple times (+0), Continuous (+1), Uncontrolled (+1/2): 21 Active Points
Limited Duration: 28 days (-0), Extra Time: Extra Phase (-3/4), Incantations for Activation (-1/4), Requires a Magic Roll (-1/4)
Real Cost: 9 points)


PLUS:
Enhanced Senses: Detect Lies: 5 pts, Passive, Sense: +2pts, Uncontrolled, ends if Drain portion ends or is dispelled (+1/2), Only for Curse of the Ugly Liar (-2): 10 Active Points
Real Cost: 3 Points)
Total Cost: 12 Points
Endurance Cost: Drain (2) x10: 20 points of END.

[Lucius]

It's a brilliant idea.

And even better, I don't see anything wrong with the build at first glance. I had actually forgotten that something like this needs a sense attached (unless the caster already HAS Detect Lies.)

Lucius Alexander

I know forty modes of enchantment, by the least of which I can transport this palindromedary beyond Mount Kaf!

[Blue Jogger]

I like it. Normally, there should be a rather common (but not easy) way to dispel the effect before the spell ends.

In AD&D terms, that would be a sufficiently high-level priest or mage doing a Bless spell or Dispel Curse spell.

Although, since the victim can at any time stop saying lies and effectively stop the effect (from worsening), I don't think its much of an issue.

[Willow]

Given that 1) all the player characters will have access to magic 2) the spell expires on its own after a month 3) can be easily avoided by not lying/telling lots of lies to yourself in private given some downtime and 4) doesn't have any combat affects, I didn't feel much of a need to add a Continuous-breaking-course of action.

My main concern is Uncontrolled on the sense- is that even legal, and does it do what I think it does, or do I need a different advantage to make sure that the spell does its thing even if the caster isn't around?

[Lethosos]

Lingering, from Fantasy Hero does that. Alternatively, look at Fantasy Grimore at the usage of Uncontrolled in the spells there.

[Erkenfresh]

You can use Uncontrolled (+1/2) and Costs End Only to Activate (+1/4) from FH. Together this would be an infinite spell. But, FH says combining these advantages should also have a time limit which is up to the GM. 28 days for this spell seems perfectly reasonable. So, just add in Cost End Only to Activate and you're all set.

[Willow]

Erkenfresh, I'm one step ahead of you: I was writing up a "higher level" version of the spell, and it actually came out cheaper on the price!


Curse of the Hideous Liar:


This spell works similarly to the Curse of the Ugly Liar, but there is no limit to the number of times the spell can trigger from the victim lying, and the victim recovers 10 points of COM every 5 minutes.

(1d3 Active Points Comeliness Drain: 5 pts, Ranged (+1/2), Ego Based (+1), Delayed Return Rate: Five Minutes (+1/2), Triggered by Lies, uncontrolled by caster, can be set multiple times (+0), Continuous (+1), Uncontrolled (+1/2), Costs END Only to Activate (+1/4): 24 Active Points
Limited Duration: 28 days (-0), Extra Time: Extra Phase (-3/4), Incantations for Activation (-1/4), Requires a Magic Roll (-1/4), Costs x10 END to Activate (-2)
Real Cost: 6 points)


PLUS:
Enhanced Senses: Detect Lies: 5 pts, Passive, Sense: +2pts, Uncontrolled, ends if Drain portion ends or is dispelled (+1/2), Only for Curse of the Ugly Liar (-2): 10 Active Points
Real Cost: 3 Points)
Total Cost: 9 Points
Endurance Cost: Drain (2) x10: 20 points of END.


Lethosos- Sadly, I'm just going out of the HERO Core rules right now, so I don't have access to either of those books. Can you (or anyone else) confirm that the Detect portion of the spell works, and that I don't have to buy an uncontrolled Clairsentience or any similar nonsense?

[Curufea]

Dang-
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Willow again.

We need more curses made up for Fantasy Hero...

(BTW, sorry - I don't have the rulebook on me at the moment either)

[katal3]

ooooh aaah, thats what I call a Beautiful Curse
*puns and runs*

[steph]

why your trigger(lies) is cost nothing (a +0 advantage)
steph

[CourtFool]

We need more curses made up for Fantasy Hero...

Your mother was a troll and your father smelt of faery brambles. Now go away before I curse you a second time.

[Willow]

why your trigger(lies) is cost nothing (a +0 advantage)
steph

You're right. I misread the section on Triggers that the character can't control- allowing the Advantage to cost 1/4 less. However this only applies to Personal powers, which the curse isn't. That changes the active point value to 25, but the real cost stays constant.

[Erkenfresh]

The Trigger should be a +0 actually. Since the power is Continuous, it should work all the time, but the Trigger makes it only work when the person lies. This has both positives and negatives. So, I think it's fine.

[Kortay Mirlor]

(1d3 Active Points Comeliness Drain: 5 pts, Ranged (+1/2), Ego Based (+1), Delayed Return Rate: One Minute (+1/4), Triggered by Lies, uncontrolled by caster, can be set multiple times (+0), Continuous (+1), Uncontrolled (+1/2): 21 Active Points
Limited Duration: 28 days (-0), Extra Time: Extra Phase (-3/4), Incantations for Activation (-1/4), Requires a Magic Roll (-1/4)
Real Cost: 9 points)


PLUS:
Enhanced Senses: Detect Lies: 5 pts, Passive, Sense: +2pts, Uncontrolled, ends if Drain portion ends or is dispelled (+1/2), Only for Curse of the Ugly Liar (-2): 10 Active Points
Real Cost: 3 Points)
Total Cost: 12 Points
Endurance Cost: Drain (2) x10: 20 points of END.
The "Limited Duration" is part of the "how to turn the Uncontrolled off" so you don't list it seperately.

You say 1d6 one place, 1d3 the other; which? Also its 1/2d6, not 1d3, in Hero-speak. ;)

To set up an Uncontrolled Power,....Once successful, the character feeds as much END as he desires into the Power...
If you want only 10 zaps, you need to use Charges. Otherwise I can cast it with a b**tload of END in it and it'll curse for dozens of zaps.

If the Uncontrolled Power is an attack, the target takes the damage when the Power is first used. There-after, on each of the attacker's Phases, the attack uses END from the pool set up by the attacker and damages the target...
Which means 1/2d6 of Drain, over and over again until there's no END left, after detecting the first lie!! You really need Charges, dude.;)