Skip to main content

 ...Spell Trappings, Part 2

This post is the conclusion of Spell Trappings, which was published just before this.

Prerequisite

A spell that requires another spell or Clearance Level to learn qualifies for the trapping of Prerequisite, The difficulty of obtaining the prerequisite determines the degree of Difficulty Number reduction.

Restriction

Most spells can be cast over and over. When one Fireball ends, another can begin. Spells that place limits on how often they can be cast qualify for the Restriction trapping. A Restriction's value in reducing the Difficulty Number is based on the amount of time that must pass between castings.

Self

In the original Torg, there was a trapping for Touch. In that version, an unarmed combat or similar test needed to be made to transfer the spell effect to the target. Torg Eternity's Aysle Sourcebook specifies that Touch spells do not actually need to touch the target; merely being close enough to touch the target is good enough. So in my system, a spell with a range of Touch is not a trapping. It is just a way to say that the effect can only be moved to a nearby target.

Self, on the other hand, is a valid trapping. It means the effect cannot be transferred to another target; only the caster is affected. I'm currently considering a -5 to the DN for a spell that can only affect the caster, but that can change. 

Similarity

A trapping of Similarity applies when the spell requires gestures which interfere with other actions the caster may want to take. Thus, not all gestures would qualify for Similarity; only those that create a hardship for the caster. The value of Similarity is based on the hardship imposed on the caster during the casting of the spell. 

Termination

A spell that has built into its own structure a means by which the spell ends qualifies for a trapping of Termination. Absorb Magic has a base duration of Concentration but it ends when it acts on the first spell unless higher Success Levels are achieved. The value of Termination is based on the approximate reduction in utility the activation of the Termination clause has on the spell. 

Voice

Most spells involve saying magic words to achieve effects. This is implicit in the rationale for the Silence spell which makes spellcasting and miracles more difficult due to the increased difficulty of getting spell words correct while under its effect. As such, most spells do not invoke Voice as a trapping, as that is the default setting.

A spell can use the trapping of Voice if the use of words and gestures is abnormally inconvenient. A theoretical spell that required the caster to shout loud enough to attract attention could qualify for Voice. The effect of Voice as a trapping is based on how much of an inconvenience the noise would make in a normal setting. 

Other Trappings

As of now, these are all the trappings I have come up with. If more come up, be sure to look for future updates.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

...Spell Trappings, Part 1 In a previous article, I mentioned that spells can have trappings , additional conditions that can reduce the Difficulty Number of a designed spell. Each trapping must create a situation where the spell either cannot be cast, provides incentive against casting, limits the scope of the spell, or requires additional preparation to cast.  This will list the trappings I have identified so far. Most of these are from the Aysle Sourcebook and reprinted in  Pixaud's Practical Grimoire  from the original Torg, but new ones are added, and all of them will offer suggestions for the player and game master to adjudicate them. In most cases, the value of the trapping has yet to be determined; I am "redesigning" the current published spells to see what values make sense. Additional Cast Time This one is easy enough to understand. Most spells can be cast in a single action, which is one round except in the case of Flurry. So if the spell takes longer than...
Post a Comment
Read more
 ...Tonight's Season Premiere of Survivor Every season of Survivor  (USA) is quite different. There are twists and turns, and the producers try to introduce new things to keep people on their toes. But the main difference each season is the contestants and how they interact with one another. I have seen the early interviews of each contestant prior to this first episode, and it's obvious that the producers cast the most unique cast of at least the modern (i.e. post-pandemic) era, and quite possibly of all time. Each has a unique path for what made them apply in the first place, and now they are being thrown together to see what's up. I will not name names, but here is a sample of some of who we have playing: A man whose house was raided by police at a very young age and realized at that moment that he might have rely on himself to survive. A man whose family encouraged him to apply but is so convinced he's going to be the first person voted out that they're throwing...
Post a Comment
Read more