Extra Time, 1 Turn

[Rapier]

So, I'm converting AD&D spells into Hero for GenCon next year. It's been fun, but I've made some mistakes along the way that have forced me to go back through what I've already done. 

 

I've finished the Cleric and Druid spells and am getting into the Magic-User spells and suddenly I'm coming up against a bunch of spells that have 3 Segments (1 Segment = 6s) casting times. I'm assuming that everyone is going to be SPD 2, so it works out nicely to a 3 Phase casting time (ezpz). There are some spells that are 2 Segment (which I've given Extra Phase) castings. So I'm trying to draw the distinction between 2 Phases vs 1 Turn. At SPD 2 they are kind of the same thing (I think).

 

My understanding is that (again, assuming SPD 2), Extra Time (Extra Phase) means that it would take two phases and the spells would trigger/cast at your DEX on the second phase. But what about if it is an Extra Time (1 Turn)? If you start casting on Segment 12, it would take your two phases and cast at post-12 the next turn. What happens if you start to cast on Segment 6? I would think that would mean that it would cast at the VERY end of segment 6 of the next turn. But then I argued myself into a tizzy, telling me that it specifically says "Post-Segment 12) so that if you start casting on Segment 6 on Turn 1, the spell would cast at post-12 on Turn 2 (effectively taking 3 phases).

 

I've completely argued myself into a circle. I imagine the real quandary is because they are SPD 2 and an Extra Phase is, in effect, an entire Turn. I'm not sure going on your DEX vs post-segment is worth much of a Limitation. So before I dig myself in deeper and create a situation where I want to go back through and revisit all my previous work...can you weigh in before this argument with myself devolves into a fist fight?

 

--r

[Steve Long]

Well, we definitely wouldn't want you to have a fist fight with yourself. Probably not a flame war either, though if you haven't already posted about this in the Discussion forum, it might make for an interesting group conversation.

 

First off, one problem that's tripping you up is the idea that these spells could potentially activate/take effect during the Post-Segment 12 interlude. That's incorrect. Nothing happens in Post-Segment 12 except the free recovery. So for example, if a SPD 2 character casts a spell on Segment 6 that requires an Extra Phase, it activates/takes effect on the character's DEX in Segment 6 of the next Turn, as discussed on 6E1 372. The "(Post-Segment 12)" parenthetical in the Extra Time Table is probably what's causing the confusion here, and I apologize for that. It's a carryover from previous editions that I should have removed. And I will, in the errata.

 

Now on to the meat of the question. This is a perfect example of a situation calling for the discretion of the GM -- i.e., you.   In a world where you expect pretty much everyone to have SPD 2, Extra Time (Extra Phase) and Extra Time (1 Turn) are effectively the same thing. So you have to decide which Limitation value to use. In doing that, I recommend that you keep one salient fact in mind:  the rules aren't really designed for the average Joe Schmoe on the street, they're designed for heroes and their equally powerful and competent adversaries. Unless you specifically restrict the PCs to SPD 2, the harsh truth of the matter is that every PC will buy his SPD up to 3, or even 4, as soon as he gets the chance. In that case, Extra Phase and 1 Turn have different game effects, so the Limitation value difference between them makes sense.

 

In the case of a character with an Extra Time (1 Turn) ability/spell who casts it in the middle of a Turn, you just count 12 Segments down from when he casts it, and it activates/takes effect on the character's DEX in that Segment (again, the Post-Segment 12 interlude doesn't factor in to this count).

 

I think that covers your questions, but if I've missed something in my run-down, please send me a private message or post another question. Good luck with your conversion project! That's a heckuva lot of work.