Bone Shatter (4ed)

[riis1971]

If you have 6 rank in spellcasting and you roll x2 success on the attack.

Can you then hit 6 npc with 2 times effect?
Or can you hit 2 npc with 1 time effect?

If you increase effect (+1 success), can you then hit 1 npc with 3 time effect?

Best Regard

[Mataxes]

With 2 successes on the Spellcasting test, you can hit 2 targets with 1 effect test each (so the second option).

With a third success (whether from extra threads or rolling 3 successes on the Spellcasting test), you cannot hit a single target 3 times ("no more than two Effect tests against an individual target").

The primary limit of the spell is the number of successes rolled, as this determines the total number of effect tests you can distribute among targets in the area. The other rules limit the way those successes can be distributed.

So your example (Rank 6 spellcasting) would effectively 'cap out' at 12 successes -- you can't affect more than 6 individuals, and you can't allocate more than 2 successes per target.

[riis1971]

thx

[Crusader]

Wow, the nerf is strong in this one.

I was about to say that makes Bone Shatter a poor man's fireball, but I guess its application against single target makes it incidentally ok. Or you need to know you're up against groups with a very low highest mystical defense.

[riis1971]

The text says

“The magician makes cracking sounds and then makes a Spellcasting test against the highest Mystic Defense among any targets in range.”

If a player is in a fight with 5 low circle npc and 1 high circle boss, are the player forced to cast against the high circle boss mystic def., or can hi say that am only targeting the 5 low circle npc?

[Razan_GM]

Whenever it says "targets", caster choose who the target is.

[Mataxes]

I was just taking another look at this one...

Since you aren't sure before casting how many effects you will have to distribute, and it isn't really an area effect spell (like Fireball), it is a little bit unfair to restrict the potential of this spell simply because one individual within range happens to have a higher Mystic Defense. Here's how this spell should be handled.

Before making the Spellcasting test, you decide which are the potential targets for the spell (up to the maximum allowed). You then make the Spellcasting test against the highest Mystic Defense of these designated targets. The resulting effects can be distributed as desired among the designated targets (subject to the normal restrictions of the spell). If there are any successes that cannot be allocated, they are lost.

So, for example, there are three potential targets, a high Mystic Defense 'boss' and his two less potent lackeys. The Nethermancer decides he will target only the two lackeys and casts the spell. If he gets one success, he can apply it to either. If he gets two, he can do one on each or two to one and none to the other. If he rolls really well and gets five successes... two go to each lackey, but the last goes nowhere. He didn't target the boss, so he can't apply successes to him -- even if the Spellcasting test would have been successful against the boss. You want to affect him, you need to target him.

[Griznah]