Spell: Faerie Fire?

[Plucky]

Hi everyone,

 

This is another "how to build this" question. I am designing a weapon that, when successfully striking the target, has a chance of covering the target with an outline of light - a la the old 1st level Druid spell of faerie fire.

 

This is actually a pretty useful spell. The target becomes easier to hit, finds it difficult to hide in darkness/shadow, and (depending on ruling) remains glowing with invisibility running.

 

So, my quick thoughts on this is to build a Suppress Invisibility with link to Image (light only), Environmental Change to impose penalties to Concealment, Shadowing, DVC.

 

However, I am wondering whether there is a simpler, more elegant way to do this. Maybe this had been covered before but I haven't seen it.

So thanks for your help in advance!

 

Plucky

[LordGhee]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

Plucky had this issue come up in my game will show you spell had help from friend and our result was cool (worked in game also).

 

Lord Ghee

[LordGhee]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

This is a result of a need to trak donw an elf (who happen to be a party member). The choice of making everyone have a sense instead of changing the enviroment was because the villian wanted to be sure that the area could not be dispelled, you would have to cast a dispell area or dispell each person.

 

one the villian wanted the orcs to see the elf, to track the elf and to show if the elf was hiding in a tree or house ect. so the three linked effects.

 

here is the basic's

 

Cost Power END

6 Detect Elf: Detect A Class Of Things 12- (Discriminatory, Sense, Tracking), Indirect (Same origin, always fired away from attacker; +1/4), Trigger (+1/4), Usable By Other (+1/4), Megascale (1" = 10 km; +1/2), Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2) (58 Active Points); Independent (-2), 1 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Day each which Never Recover (-1 3/4), Extra Time, Only to Activate Constant or Persistent Power (5 Minutes; -3/4), Character May Take No Other Actions (-1/4), OAF (-1), Always On (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Requires both hands (-1/4), Conditional Power (Power does not work in Common Circumstances; -1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (2x END; -1/2), Linked to sense elf trail (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4) [Notes: Cause all Elf in area to glow to affected target] 12

4 sense elf trail: Detect A Class Of Things 12- (Discriminatory, Sense, Tracking), Indirect (Same origin, always fired away from attacker; +1/4), Trigger (+1/4), Usable By Other (+1/4), Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), Megascale (1" = 10 km; +1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2) (58 Active Points); 1 Charges which Never Recover (-4), Extra Time (5 Minutes; -2), OAF Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; -2), Independent (-2), Linked to ??? (-1/2), Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value (-1/4), Always On (-1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Conditional Power (Power does not work in Common Circumstances; -1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Requires both hands (-1/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4) [Notes: allows affected to see trail (foot prints ) where elf has been] 6

4 Dectect Elf in contact : Detect A Class Of Things 12- (Custom Adder, Discriminatory, Sense, Tracking), Indirect (Same origin, always fired away from attacker; +1/4), Trigger (+1/4), Usable By Other (+1/4), Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), Megascale (1" = 10 km; +1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2) (58 Active Points); 1 Charges which Never Recover (-4), OAF Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; -2), Independent (-2), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12); -1 1/4), Character May Take No Other Actions (-1/4), Linked to Detect Elf (-1/2), Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value (-1/4), Always On (-1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Conditional Power (Power does not work in Common Circumstances; -1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Requires both hands (-1/4), Increased Endurance Cost (2x END; -1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4) 12

Powers Cost: 14

 

 

now it is in an oaf scroll and the gestures, incan are to fire the trigger.

 

one mistake wasw the x2 endurance (time should be state as takes a minute) the orc leader was given the scroll used it and promtly knock himself out. so the ors went into battle (the hunt ) leaderless.

 

now the villian also used Lab, helpers, a day to cast the spell on the scroll and expense and visible, still working out how to build scrolls .

 

could have done change enviroment but that was an easier effect to dispell

 

Lord Ghee

 

The players where not amused

[LordGhee]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

Since the spell effects cv and per it might be better as a change enviroment. special effect glowing, and per mod to deal with invisable charaters.

 

Lord Ghee

[Plucky]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

Thanks!!!!!!!

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

Since the spell effects cv and per it might be better as a change enviroment. special effect glowing, and per mod to deal with invisable charaters.

 

Lord Ghee

 

Yes, that was my thought as well. CE with DCV penalty Combat Effects, Trigger (when sword successfully hits), probably Uncontrolled.

[Old Man]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

How about linking it to an Entangle that does not affect movement or actions?

 

Since all it is really doing is dropping the target's DCV to 0 you could probably stick a -1/2 or -3/4 on it. You'd have to make it transparent to damage though otherwise the target will also be protected by it.

[LordGhee]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

If it only effect one target the hit-e? the hitted the person hitted. . . sorry the target,

 

ok If the effect hits only one target then it would not be a change environment (by definition). Now in a D and D game 25 years ago I had a sword that when it was drawn a Faerie Fire spell went off.

 

Much like now In my game the sword when drawm give off a great light with some of it effects being -4 per rolls to night seeing races, +levels to those around it, increase eog for moral ect.

 

I been trying to redo two famous sword from an earlier game, trip and shatter. when drawn thease spells would go off effecting everyone around them . the players who found thease swords just would not lose a magic sword.

 

Lord Ghee

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

Instead of the Surpress Invisibility, I would put Limitations on the Invisibility (doesn't work as well or is cancelled under the standard AD&D conditions).

 

This sets up nicely for the Improved Invisibility that has a lesser or no limitations.

 

Faerie Fire is just coating the target with an Image (-1 Lim: Light) which negates darkness penalities and gives a -4 to Concealment (glowing in low light) and a -4 DCV by virtue of being glowing.

 

Killer Shrike has Faerie Fire written up on http://www.killershrike.com, he has done solely on being a light-based Image. He has done an amazing job of pounding AD&D into Hero.

[Plucky]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

Faerie Fire is just coating the target with an Image (-1 Lim: Light) which negates darkness penalities and gives a -4 to Concealment (glowing in low light) and a -4 DCV by virtue of being glowing.

 

So this is saying that the -4 penalties are circumstantial modifiers (like cover imposes circumstantial penalty to OCV) and not directly related to the light itself? Therefore, the penalties doesn't have to be "purchased" separately for this spell.

 

That makes sense. I guess I just always thought every effect, direct or indirect, must be separately defined and paid for.

 

Thanks,

Plucky

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

So this is saying that the -4 penalties are circumstantial modifiers (like cover imposes circumstantial penalty to OCV) and not directly related to the light itself? Therefore, the penalties doesn't have to be "purchased" separately for this spell.

 

I was assume that the Image of light which provides +4 PER to be seen (as oppose to -4 to see that it was an illusion), would as result, gives the penalties of -4 DCV and -4 to Concealment.

 

I do think the penalties are circumstantial. The target should not get a -4 DCV against a blind opponent. The -4 to Concealment should not apply while the target is in a Darkness field.

[Plucky]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

I do think the penalties are circumstantial. The target should not get a -4 DCV against a blind opponent. The -4 to Concealment should not apply while the target is in a Darkness field.

 

I think what you say make a lot of sense. Just wasn't sure that it's a 'legal' way of building things.

 

Thanks!

Plucky

[dbsousa]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

This seems to be the very definition of a cosmetic transform...

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

Ah, the beauty of the HERO System.

 

There are actually several ways to build a "Faerie Fire" spell, all legal, and all functional in various ways.

 

 

Reasoning from effect is the key to which is right for your intended purpose, as usual.

 

 

If your intention is to use FF to "lim" an opponent making them easier to see and hit, then a 1 hex Accurate Change Environment bought UAA to "stick" to the target would be a very good way to do this. You could use the options for imposing DCV penalties and define the SFX as "glowing aura".

 

You could also look into using the Negative Combat Skill levels introduced in 5th Edition under Combat Skill Levels. Add Range and preferably 0 END and you are good. Since NCSLs are considered a power and cost END it is technically already visible, even though this doesnt usually make much sense for most applications of the ability; it works out in this case though, since we want the glowing ring effect.

 

 

 

If your intention is to use FF to expose/reveal concealed opponents in darkened conditions then Images is the way to go, because you want to grant PER bonuses, which removing the darkness penalty (-4) via light emmission will do a good job of that, and for some reason light is done via images rather than CE.

 

 

If your intention is to use FF to expose/reveal invisible opponents you start to have a problem. You need to include a suppress vs Invisibility, or a Detect vs Invisible Targets bought Usable By X Others (or AoE using the rules of beneficial AoE's in Fantasy HERO), so that others can detect the invis person to. Unless its linked to some other power this version wont have any effect on someone just ducking behind a bush, but will reveal those pesky flying invisible fireball chuckers.

 

If your intention is to have FF last a while, then a cosmetic or minor Transform (depending on the strictness of the GM) could be used to give the target a DF: Glowing Aura, Not Concealable, Noticed and Recognizable; healable by X Unit of Time Passing, or something to that effect could do the trick.

[Plucky]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

Thanks Killer Shrike!

 

Though that does bring up another question. If someone has Image (Light) stuck to them then turns invisible, would others still be able to see the glowing light (thus possible to extrapolate position) or would the light disappear as well? Same as with the Transform? (Though I think, in the case of Transform, the light would disappear as well.)

 

Plucky

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Spell: Faerie Fire?

 

Thanks Killer Shrike!

 

Though that does bring up another question. If someone has Image (Light) stuck to them then turns invisible, would others still be able to see the glowing light (thus possible to extrapolate position) or would the light disappear as well? Same as with the Transform? (Though I think, in the case of Transform, the light would disappear as well.)

 

Plucky

 

As far as Images based FF and an Invisibile target, I dont see any reason why the targets Invisibility power would affect the Images unless the Invisibility were Area of Effect, but the SFX of the Invisibility and the FF should both be considered. The attacker would still need to target the Invisibile character suffering the usual Invis penalties, but if they hit with the Images it should take effect. If they were visibile when hit with FF, then going Invisible wouldnt stop the FF from functioning. You might consider just treating this like Invisibility with the "Bright Fringe" disadvantage for simplicities sake.

 

If the Transform were used to give the target a non-concealable Distinctive Feature, then turning Invisible would not conceal it.