Spell for making a sailing vessel move more quickly

[Devon]

In a recent game our group put together a spell to increase our sail-powered ship's nautical speed, and I wanted to see if anyone had a more elegant way they had approached th ssubject.

We cast it as Aid xd6 to Swim Speed, delayed return rate (6 hours), increased maximum.

If anyone handled such a dweomer differently, I'd be happy to hear of it.

- Devon

[Chris Goodwin]

That sounds about right to me.

[BobGreenwade]

Same here.

[Killer Shrike]

You can also just buy +X" Swimming, 0 END Persistent, UBO, Sailing Vessels Only (-2)

Or Aid to SPD instead (which can make it harder to control for slower pilots) which can be faster in some cases (if the vessel already has a lot of movement or NCMs).

[Black Rose]

You can also just buy +X" Swimming, 0 END Persistent, UBO, Sailing Vessels Only (-2)

This would be the way I do it, unless I were going for something a bit more... random. Then I would do the Aid (or maybe a Suppress).

Or Aid to SPD instead (which can make it harder to control for slower pilots) which can be faster in some cases (if the vessel already has a lot of movement or NCMs).

This "drawback" has potential charms all its own, don't you think?

[Killer Shrike]

This "drawback" has potential charms all its own, don't you think?

I do, but then Im evil like that

[Devon]

Quote:
Or Aid to SPD instead (which can make it harder to control for slower pilots) which can be faster in some cases (if the vessel already has a lot of movement or NCMs).

This "drawback" has potential charms all its own, don't you think?

The GM did offer, in jest, that we add MegaScale to the movement.

The GM was letting us freewheel with our VPPs to move plot along, so adding the -2 "Ships Only" limitation wouldn't have booted us anything, but if that gets drafted as a codified spell, then it would probably be changed, as Killershrike suggested, to: +x Swimming, xNCM, UBO +1/4, 0 END +1/2, Persistent +1/2, Ships Only -2.

I'm forgetting how to code a duration into it without using continuing charges ....

Actually, it could be bought as 0 End Uncontrolled (dispelled whenever weather magics would reduce the wind in an area)

- Devon

[Killer Shrike]

The GM did offer, in jest, that we add MegaScale to the movement.

The GM was letting us freewheel with our VPPs to move plot along, so adding the -2 "Ships Only" limitation wouldn't have booted us anything, but if that gets drafted as a codified spell, then it would probably be changed, as Killershrike suggested, to: +x Swimming, xNCM, UBO +1/4, 0 END +1/2, Persistent +1/2, Ships Only -2.

I'm forgetting how to code a duration into it without using continuing charges ....

Actually, it could be bought as 0 End Uncontrolled (dispelled whenever weather magics would reduce the wind in an area)

- Devon

Yeah, but the thing is w/ UBO if it isnt Persistent then it requires LOS, so leave it off at your peril.

[Devon]

Yeah, but the thing is w/ UBO if it isnt Persistent then it requires LOS, so leave it off at your peril.

Weeeeell, sure, unless you give the caster lots of coffee and tie him to the mast.

I'm going to need to make a cheat sheet pointing out the ins and outs of Persistent, Uncontrolled, Llingering, etc. Maybe a flow chart.

Did Foxbat ever get converted to 5e? He just popped up on that left-hand navigation window. I preferred the 4e rendition of Mechanon.

- Devon

[Arthur]

We cast it as Aid xd6 to Swim Speed, delayed return rate (6 hours), increased maximum.

Sounds elegant enough.

I'd add enough AoE to encompass the ship. After all, it should be more expensive to speed up a battleship than a rowboat.

[Nuke]

You can also just buy +X" Swimming, 0 END Persistent, UBO, Sailing Vessels Only (-2)

Or Aid to SPD instead (which can make it harder to control for slower pilots) which can be faster in some cases (if the vessel already has a lot of movement or NCMs).

I would use your first example, except I would make it Usable Against Others, and increased mass for the ship. Making a boat move faster shouldn't be too cheap of a spell, and swimming is VERY cheap. Then, I'd make the "sailing vessels only" something smaller, and include a -0 limitation, only on the surface =).

[Eclectic Wave]

Rather off the direct target, but can add a lot of fun/newness to a game...

FLIGHT - only in a vertical direction (meaning you still need the wind to move)

Water can be such a drag...

[Devon]

FLIGHT - only in a vertical direction (meaning you still need the wind to move)

That could also work well to simulate an improvement to the ship's friction profile (after applying an "Only on the water's surface" limitation), but only if the GM had a developed system for determining and applying the effects of wind.

The first special effect we tried was to have the ship slough off all of the barnacles on its hull and become squeaky clean. However, we hadn't worked in a duration, so as the points of Aid: Swimming faded over several turns, the barnacles "grew" right back.

- Devon

[Killer Shrike]

I would use your first example, except I would make it Usable Against Others, and increased mass for the ship.

It is UBO in the write up, and as a ship is an inanimate object you would have to take UBO with the increased Mass multiples as described under UBO. That is the intention of the write up.

Making a boat move faster shouldn't be too cheap of a spell, and swimming is VERY cheap.

Why shouldnt it just cost however much the effect works out to cost? Why apply an arbitrary fudging of the numbers for a preference. If you want to spend X points on it, buy as much as X points affords, or if you want to gain +Y" then pay the points for however much +Y" costs. Setting it at Y" and then engineering the cost to come out to a predetermined amount because "it shouldnt be cheap" is missing the intent of a point based system.

Applying 0 END Persistant and UBO (with appropriate mass capacity, obviously) is going to ensure high AP to effect regardless.

Then, I'd make the "sailing vessels only" something smaller,

As you will, but a Power that only works on Sailing Vessels is very limited in scope and easily qualifies for a -2 by-the-book.

and include a -0 limitation, only on the surface =).

Sailing Vessels can already only move on the surface. If they go beneath the surface by some event their sails wont work and thus the vessel is no longer "Sailing" and no longer qualifies for the Power effect.

[Killer Shrike]

That could also work well to simulate an improvement to the ship's friction profile (after applying an "Only on the water's surface" limitation), but only if the GM had a developed system for determining and applying the effects of wind.

The first special effect we tried was to have the ship slough off all of the barnacles on its hull and become squeaky clean. However, we hadn't worked in a duration, so as the points of Aid: Swimming faded over several turns, the barnacles "grew" right back.

- Devon

Keep in mind that Flight has a Turn Mode and costs twice as much as Swimming, so will have double the Active Points for the same effect. Plus, technically, flight would cause the vessel to actually lift out of the water and glide on its keel, and thus navigate with a draft of effectively 0 depth, which might be cool for some effects but definitely would not be cool for others.