No collateral damage for wizards

[mhd]

I'm currently listening to the Tigana audiobook (by Guy Gavriel Kay), and there just appeared a wizard who's immune to some big mind-control effect targeting a whole peninsula, because he wasn't targeted directly. (I won't spoil it further and expect the same, haven't finished it yet.)

 

That sounds somewhat intriguing. How you would price that as a limitation?

As is it would be for Mental Defense, but could equally used for Power Defense or even PD/ED. Picture wimpy magic users walking through battle fields while fireballs are detonating around them.

[Christopher]

First you have to ask how this Mind Control Spell is even build. Then you can think if it is even a big power used to counter it.

 

I long thought about adding a Life Support/NND/UAA Defense called "Minor Magical Effect"*. Or maybe a whole 5 point group, with subsets like "Minor Magical Mind Control Immunity".

The idea is the same as with conventional Life Support: People who build spells can use this new Defense as target defense for NND and UAA. In turn Characters can be build with being resistant to such attacks. Especially people who temself work magic or are resistant to magic will have these defenses.

It also allows for effects to get past conventional Mental Defenses or Power Defenses.

 

So a Spell like: Mind Control 12d6, NND (Minor Magic Effect (Mental)), Megascale (apropirate area).

would not work against a Mage build with:

5 Immunity to Minor Magic Effects

 

He says "because they did not target me directly" because everyone (relevant) knows mages have that defense. So when you target one, you will not use a Spell with the NND.

 

 

*The name is a work in progress, but with little progress so far.

[Lucius]

That's my zip code, but it's not addressed to me: (Total: 45 Active Cost, 11 Real Cost) Extra-Dimensional Movement (Single Dimension: Not Here), Persistent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Constant (+1/2) (45 Active Points); Limited Power Only to be "not in effected area" of Area of Effect spells (-2), Always On (-1/2), Conditional Power Not when oppposing spellcaster knows character is there and intends to hit them (-1/2) (Real Cost: 11)

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

I have a palindromedary but no bank accepts it as collateral

[Old Man]

I'm currently listening to the Tigana audiobook (by Guy Gavriel Kay), and there just appeared a wizard who's immune to some big mind-control effect targeting a whole peninsula, because he wasn't targeted directly. (I won't spoil it further and expect the same, haven't finished it yet.)

 

That sounds somewhat intriguing. How you would price that as a limitation?

As is it would be for Mental Defense, but could equally used for Power Defense or even PD/ED. Picture wimpy magic users walking through battle fields while fireballs are detonating around them.

 

It's been a really long time since I read that book, so I can't tell whether this should be built as a limitation into the spell or as a defense that spellcasters have.  I mean, that spell didn't target anyone directly, so why does the wizard get a pass?  I'm leaning toward the latter interpretation, much as Lucius has built, but I don't think I'd build it as EDM or Desolid.  I'd be more inclined to go with conditional defenses or some sort of perpetual Suppress.

[L. Marcus]

How about Personal Immunity on the Power itself?

[Lucius]

How about Personal Immunity on the Power itself?

Something like a "Mimic" Variable Power Pool, with an Advantage: Personal Immunity, and a Limitation: Only to Get the Personal Immunity.....

 

 

Or, buy Personal Immunity on X Active Points; since that only protects the character with the Power, I need an Advantage on that Advantage, Usable on Others; since I AM the one wanting the protection from THAT GUY's spell, I need an Advantage on the Advantage on the Advantage of Usable as Attack, to force that guy to have this immunity and the ability to share it and to force them to share it with me....

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says even Lucius is not going to write THAT monstrosity up

[mhd]

I'm merely inspired by the book, I don't really need care about strictly emulating that. If it's only used as a plot device, a limitation is probably the most appropriate choice. But I thought about starting from there, especially in a more "high fantasy" setup, where more frequent and specific spells are cast and not just nation-wide curses.

 

Lucius' solution looks rather suitable, although I'm always feeling a bit "icky" when EDM or Desolidification are concerned, as they seem to be a bit too convenient when it comes to bypassing the "No Absolutes" rule.

[Christopher]

I mean, that spell didn't target anyone directly, so why does the wizard get a pass?

As I understand it, it was targetting "the inhabitants of that island". So far we asumed a Blanket AoE effect. What if it was instead some form of non-selective?

 

Wich gives me with some ideas:

1. Magic is often based on "clear identification" of the Target. This can be name or some very important aspect of themself.

Now a average person in a average medival Village will likely always be in that Village. "Inhabitant of that Island" could be a suiteable definition to target every commoner on that place, because they will not be much else beside being inhabitants of that island.

Either the mage was not a normal inhabitant of tha island, or even a local mage is "more". Being inhabitant there is not a clear identification of a the mage the same way it is for a commoner.

 

2. He was literally not tagetted. The thing with AoE Non Selective is that Targetting difficulties (not seeing the target and range modifier) apply. So in order for this spell to work there needs to be some extra targetting Sense. A Detect, Megascaled. And the Detect only covered "normal inhabitants of that Island".