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Wizard's Cloak
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 11:01 am
by Flagg
I have a player who believes that this makes the target invisible. They way I read it, it shields you from attempts to magically sense your presence, such as Astral Sense, or Lifesight, but you're still plainly visible to the eye. Is there any official word on this?
Thanks.
Re: Wizard's Cloak
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 11:37 am
by arma
If you roil detection against Spell Defense, Wizard's Cloak helps.
If not, it doesn't.
Re: Wizard's Cloak
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:29 pm
by Flagg
I love being right

Thanks.
Re: Wizard's Cloak
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 4:06 am
by Welt
So for example, with Astral Sight, it would not make your sheer presence harder to detect (flat diff 6+ to see astral imprints), but would make it harder to detect your pattern to analyze for details?
What else detection-wise even rolls vs Spell Defense? Most I can think of offhand rolls vs Perception Table stuff (Dex modified) or a Talent result.
Edit: don't bother answerring, I'm making a list and will post when satisfied with its completeness.
Re: Wizard's Cloak
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 5:17 am
by Welt
So here we go. Alot of marginal things that get protected against (since scrying in general isn't very widespread in ED), but some useful things too.
Certainly alot more than I would have suspected offhand. Huh.
Ze List of Wizard Cloakable things
Spells
all Astral Sensing stuff (Sight, Sense, Detect <type> Magic) as indicated above, but only the deeper analysis bit, not the notice imprint bit
Aura probably. Only makes the aura visible to use Astral Sensing on without strain/sensing, but could be covered
Divine Aura is basically partial astral sensing without the actual AS mechanism. It's information, so covered.
Experience Death. Do spells go on if the target is dead? Either way, when you're dead you probably have bigger problems than scry protection.
Hunter's Sense. Unlikely for beasts to get this cast on them, but could happen.
Seeking Sight maybe. Does a head-up display of targeting data count as information? (We'll revisit the question under talents)
Sense Horror. And similar (custom or other) type detection spells. Well, relevant if the target can cast spells, which some horrors can.
Shadow's Whisper, doubtful, utterances are not presence or information really. (Nethermancers dealing with Death of the Author? Who'da thunk)
Unmask. Would probably slip off the cloak on the casting before it even gets to make effect tests against dispel diffs.
Talents (Guide only, too lazy to dig out Companion)
Astral Sight stuff already covered
Anticipate Blow maybe. Are his planned actions information about him? I'd think so.
Creature Analysis and Horror analogues, obviously
Direction Arrow/Sense
Evidence Analysis! (So get Wizard Cloak if you're murderhoboing on Holmes' turf)
Lifesight
Long Shot, Mystic Aim etc, again, is targeting data information?
Sense Poison when the poisoner has a higher Spell Defense (likely, with Cloak in effect)
Spot/Show Armor Flaw. Weak points certainly are "information" in my book.
Things notably NOT covered one might think would be
Search. For hidden or disguised character, goes against Perception table based difficulties
Tracking. Against Dex-based difficulties
Sense Danger. Social Defense.
Empathic Sense. Social Defense.
Wizard's Cloak is cast on "target", not "target character", this distinction generally indicates something can be cast on objects. If this is the case, some more things get protected against (but often would require a named spell, because either the investigation itself, or waiting until the object is found, take longer than the duration)
Detect Trap. Would be the big one here. Magical traps only iirc, mechanicals dont use spell defense for detection? too lazy to look up.
Evaluate
Item History
Sense Poison, again, this time with unattended poisons too
for spells, also
Inventory, but a fail vs high cloaked object would probably prompt the list incomplete message
Experience Death, again, if casting on a corpse to confound investigation, I guess (corpse is object, right?)
Re: Wizard's Cloak
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:13 pm
by arma
Astral Sight and DN 6+ to detect an imprint is a tricky thing...
...it's solved in a technicality where 6+ would be construed as the Spell Defense of the pattern you project.
The intention certainly is to hide you from all all-magical scrying.
Interesting thought on the objects, hadn't noticed that before.
Re: Wizard's Cloak
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 3:48 pm
by Telarus_KSC
Oooh, sweet. Nice find Welt.
I'd allow Wizard's Cloak to protect against simple astral detection. Useful for the Wizard sneaking into the cursed and Horror haunted Ruins.
Re: Wizard's Cloak
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 4:25 pm
by Welt
Yeah, 6 plus corruption is technically a Spell Defense, sure, but the Spell Defense of Astral Space, not the SpD of the Cloaked Wizard. Hm.
But yeah, might as well allow cloak to avoid Imprint detection too, given that you stay physically visible (and most hack and slashable threats would probably be at most dual, not astral), that's marginal enough as is.
Re: Wizard's Cloak
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 6:26 pm
by Telarus_KSC
It's important to note that Living Patterns can been sen glowing in astral space through non-living Patterns. That's why I'd allow it.