Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

[Hierax]

Any suggestions for handling how to restrict spell casting in Armor:

 

Here's a specific example of what I'm considering:

-1 to Skill Roll per 1rDEF of Armor (Arcane Essence Magic-using Wizards) or

 

-1 to Skill Roll per 1rDEF of Helm or other Restrictive Protective Headgear (Psionic Mentalists)

 

Are these just part of the Requires a Skill Roll Limitation or is it an extra -1/4 Limitation?

What about for magic systems that doesn't use Skill Rolls, how much is a Limitation of not allowing things like Armor and Helms worth? How do you guys handle/simulate this sort of thing?

 

Thanks!

 

(FWIW, here I'm trying to simulate xD&D and Rolemaster spell casting)

[badger3k]

Re: Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

 

For me, this seems to be more of a Disadvantage than a limitation. Having the caster buy a phys or psych lim (whichever is appropriate) to simulate this would be the way I'd go, although I deliberately left such a device out of my magic system (although I have a few spells that take penalties for encumberance). I personally don't like the reasons given (limited movement or metal disrupts spells) - except in limited cases (such as dance-oriented magic).

 

Used as a limitation, is there a normal skill roll involved? If so, then it could be similar to the "requires 2 skill rolls", and take an extra -1/4. However, you'd have to take into account any defensive spells and how many spells can be cast - if the spellcaster has a lot of defensive spells that last a long time, making armor wearing unnecessary (and IIRC Rolemaster had some, depending on the class/list, and some D&D versions had obscene amounts of protection available), then the limitation may not really be a limitation. Do you see what I mean?

 

Going back on it, I'd still keep it as a Disadvantage. If you want some casters to be able to cast in armor, they can either buy off the disad, buy skill levels only vs the penalty, or use an advantage (maybe +1/4: Spell can be cast in armor/helmet).

 

Hope that helps any.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

 

Last time I ran FH, I had a rule where every 1 DEF of armor you were wearing imposed a -1 on your Magic Skill Roll (using the 'average' DEF ... so if you had DEF 4 on half your body, you were only at a -2). It was an 'inherent' part of the magic system, so there were no points given or lost for it anywhere.

[JakSpade]

Re: Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

 

Unless you're truely dealing with a DnD style world, casting spells in armor wouldn't be a hinderance unless they required Gestures (-1/4)... Then only stiff, heavy armor would cause you large problems. Shouting a "Word of Power" type spell shouldn't cause you to worry about your armor or helmet, but waving your arms around would.

 

But that's just my opinion...

 

Jak

[Ternaugh]

Re: Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

 

If I understand correctly, the penalty is to represent the "insulation" of the spellcaster from the magical energies, rather than a Gestures/movement issue. I would probably build it in as a design feature of the magic system, rather than a specific limitation, but I have seen the "Caster cannot carry more than a dagger's worth of metal -1/2" and "Caster cannot wear armor while casting -1/2" in various fantasy games over the years.

 

JoeG

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

 

Most of this document will get phased out when I finish overhauling the Magic System section of my site, but the Armor restriction options will survive.

 

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/GreyHEROContent/ArcaneMagic.shtml

 

[JJR]

Re: Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

 

I do not impose magic skill penalties for wearing armor, other than any encumbrance penalites from fred, because it is too simple for wizards to have shield spells. If you are going to allow them to have 8/8 force fields without problems then you should not make them have a problem for wearing plate mail.

[Guest Worldmaker]

Re: Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

 

In my FH setting, casting arcane spells creates heat, which tends to wear a caster out if he can't disperse it. Hence, all magical spells in my setting have the following limitation:

 

Increased Endurance Cost (4 x Endurance Cost if Caster is Wearing Metal Armor) (-¼)

[MarioTani]

Re: Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

 

uhmmm... I've not this kind of problem in my setting, but If I would have to create a Magic system with that kind of limitation I could do one of three things

 

The first one would be to rule that thing as a campagin base rule balanced by power frameworks, that is the mage cannot wear metal armor but can buy the spells in a power framework (MP I would Rule)

 

The second Would be to let the mage limit the spells, I would use a Limited Power Limitation, with a value based on how combat centered is the campaign. In a typical Hack And Slash campaign it could be even a full -2, but I would differentiate between the kind of spell. Healing would not get more than a -1/4 lim (for the occasional way you have to heal someone in combat) and only if it cannot be used at range, a full -2 for a HtH Combat spell obviously. Obviously if the caster have easily access to armor or other power to "defend" himself, I would give a lesser valued limitation.

 

as a third way I would not full fordib the use of magic, I would let the mage buy his powers is steps, the first unlimited, the second maybe more END Costing, the Third as End consuming as the second, but unusable in Armor, in this case the "Only When Not In Armor" limitation for me could not be valued more than a -1/2

[McCoid]

Re: Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

 

One thing that might be worth considering with regards to helmets, is that some of them especially the likes of great helms have a very limited field of vision, which could with spells requiring a line of sight mean that the caster would have to make a perception test in order to see their target if they're moving around and possibly also in combat.

 

Just a thought to bear in mind.

[Wil Hyral]

Re: Limitation for Spell Casting with Armor and Helms

 

Have you considered encumbrance? It's working just fine for my group so far. I just mandate that all spells have a "gestures" limitation, so a wizard can't have say, Str +10d6 spell (thus negating any weight armor could ever add to him) without the "gestures" limitation (thus he can walk around armored, and when he enters combat, just cast the str. spell without having to use gestures.)

 

I hope that made sense. Either way, consider it.