Spell Balance

Discussion on game mastering Earthdawn. May contain spoilers; caution is recommended!
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The_Gun_Nut
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Re: Spell Balance

Postby The_Gun_Nut » Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:58 am

Fire is actually easy to get. The firestarter common magic item has a kernel of true fire in the tip which activates upon command. It is good enough to use for a fireball, IMO, but (as the Elementalist in my group is soon to discover) using it in this way will deplete it.
There is no overkill.

Only "open fire" and "I need to reload."

Gkeckley
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Re: Spell Balance

Postby Gkeckley » Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:59 am

A firestarter only costs 100sp. Every Elementalist should get one as soon as possible for spells such as flame strike and fireball, they just require a fire source they do not specify the size of the fire. Heck everyone should have one of these as the ability to start a fire instantly is just extremely usefull. Icy surface does not require water to cast, you are just required to blow on the surface. Puddle deep does which is one of the reasons I would rarely have it in a matrix.
Personally I find the elementalist to be the best spellcaster to play. They are good at healing, heat food is good at all levels. They get decent to good damage spells. Yes at 1st circle they lack a 0 thread spell for damage, but at 2nd circle flamestrike is wil+6, pretty sweet. They also get ice mace and chain at 3rd and then ricochet attack at 6th which is will +12. They get good defensive spells such as air armor, throne of air, and spirits of death sea for those fear attacks. They get good combat spells that don't deal damage directly but are still awesome. I have seen many fights won with icy surface and stick together. They have great utilitarian spells such as metal wings (flight for everyone for 20+ minutes), plant talk, plant feast, porter, and repair. Then lastly and probably their greatest asset is the ability to summon elementals at 5th circle. The aid summoner powers that elementals have is awesome.
All in all the elementalist is one of the best classes out there. Every time we start a new campaign the first question that is asked is who is playing the elementalist. The campaign I have been running for awhile now the party had an elementalist to start with, but the player was unavailable for quite a few several sessions in a row. After a session or two of no elementalist, the group went out and hired an elementalist to travel with them because they could not live without one.

Meat Puzzle
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Re: Spell Balance

Postby Meat Puzzle » Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:57 am


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Re: Spell Balance

Postby arma » Fri Feb 10, 2012 4:01 am

Unless it gets specific, anything is fair game.
("a source, such" is something different than "a large source, like")
Best kaer anywhere.

Gkeckley
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Re: Spell Balance

Postby Gkeckley » Fri Feb 10, 2012 4:08 am

Actually for a fireball and flame strike the rules specifically state from a fire source such as a torch or campfire. It just gives them as an example of possible sources It does not state the flame needs to be as least as big as a torch or no larger than a campfire. I guess a gm can interpert it either way. However, you could just as easily have a firestarter made where the fire is as big as a torch. Also, since it is using true fire I would say it is an acceptable source, again subject to individual gms interpertation. I also like the earlier suggestion that using the firestarter this way burns through the fire kernal, definetly using that one at some inconvenient point. As flameshaw you are absolutely correct it does specifically require a large source of fire, I did not mean to come across as all fire spells could use the firestarter. I was just trying to point out there are plenty of great spells for the elementalist and they are a very versatile class. Are some spells unevenly balanced between different spellcasting classes, sure. But I do not think you should just focus on one or two spells and individually compare them to other spells of different disciplines. While the spells of any class at the same level should be close to each other in power level, sometimes a variance occurs and that could be for any number of reasons.

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The_Gun_Nut
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Re: Spell Balance

Postby The_Gun_Nut » Fri Feb 10, 2012 10:54 am

Water for puddle deep just needs a bit of water to succeed. So our Elementalist carries a flask of water with her. Which she then empties at the feet of her target and <sploosh>.
There is no overkill.

Only "open fire" and "I need to reload."

Nerik
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Re: Spell Balance

Postby Nerik » Fri Feb 10, 2012 4:35 pm

One thing that recently struck me - compare the following two Elementalist spells:

Fireball
5th Circle, 1 thread, Weaving 12/20, Diff. TSD*, Range 40 yards, Duration 1 round, Effect: Will+8 in a 4 yard radius. Needs to hit highest Spell Defence in area, hits everyone in area.

Flame Darts
7th Circle, 2 threads, Weaving 13/23, Diff. TSD, Range 16 yards, Duration 1 round, Effect: Will+7 in a 2 yard radius. Needs to hit highest Spell Defence in area, hits everyone in area.

:shock: :crazy:

...err... am I missing something here?

Gkeckley
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Re: Spell Balance

Postby Gkeckley » Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:48 pm

Hmm. Never noticed that one. I tend to avoid most 2+ thread combat spells. However, in the description of fire darts it refers to opponents two seperate times Perhaps flame darts is selective in who it hits as opposed to fireball that hits everyone in its radius. At the very least it is only targeting people with darts so there is no possible damage to items they are carrying, or items/structures within the radius of the spell.

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The_Gun_Nut
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Re: Spell Balance

Postby The_Gun_Nut » Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:03 am

Flame darts needs no fire source. Gkeckley is also correct in that it hits specific targets.
There is no overkill.

Only "open fire" and "I need to reload."

Telarus_KSC
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Re: Spell Balance

Postby Telarus_KSC » Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:28 am

Those are pretty much the stats/effects all the way back to ED1 + Arcane Mysteries of Barsaive. It's because Fireball wasn't designed with the Spell Design rules, and Flame Darts was (as AMoB was released after A Manual of Mystic Secrets). I'd like to see an errata personally.


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