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Developer Perspective: Judgment Calls We'd Make On Spellcasting

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iago:
Judgment calls for spellcasting that we would make at our table (and will try to squeeze into the text if we can find room):

Armor and protective blocks can be mobile if cast by evocation. Generally speaking -- though there are exceptions for specific protections against specific things -- armor and protective blocks established by thaumaturgy are rooted to a specific place, being immobile.  Therefore, armor and protective blocks when put into an enchanted item should be regarded as working under an evocation model in terms of what that implies for things like duration.

Spells which have a maneuver-like effect (placing a temporary aspect on a target) are governed by the ways maneuvers typically work. Extra shifts can be invested beyond the core effect to build a case that the temporary aspect is "sticky", but if you want to simply allow spell-maneuvers to produce sticky effects, we will not tell you that's wrong.

Holding someone in place can be done several ways. You should figure out if you want it to simply slow them down (a maneuver might do the trick then) or if you want to hold them in place (a block against movement is appropriate). If you're going the block direction, consider an examination of the grapple rules. If you're achieving this effect via an evocation, you'll need to think about adding shifts for duration at some point.

Veils produced by Evocation are an edge-case when it comes to the duration rules.  Since they aren't, strictly speaking, protection, it may be appropriate to allow them to run for longer than a single exchange without investing shifts in duration.  While you could concept them as a block, really, they're just a simulation of a REALLY GOOD Stealth roll, and each "exchange" of a veil's effect should last about as long as the GM would normally allow the results of a really good Stealth roll to stand before calling for another one.

No effect produced by evocation should last beyond a single scene unless there is a very very good reason to do so. (Your GM/table is the arbiter of what constitutes a good reason.)

Now, like I said up top, I'll try to get this into the text if I can, but space is at a premium right now and we can't afford to trigger a massive reflow of the chapter, so what gets squeezed in will be a few words here & there, maybe in the margins, if we can get it there at all. And since these are "judgment calls" that doesn't mean they have to be right for your game and how you run it.

Deadmanwalking:
Cool. Good solid info on what you'd do. If it's not gonna get into the book, I'd advise making this sticky or something, so we don't lose track of it. Though admittedly maybe after the errata's go away, since there are sn awful lot of sticky threads and messages right now.

iago:

--- Quote from: Deadmanwalking on April 13, 2010, 02:22:22 AM ---Cool. Good solid info on what you'd do. If it's not gonna get into the book, I'd advise making this sticky or something, so we don't lose track of it. Though admittedly maybe after the errata's go away, since there are sn awful lot of sticky threads and messages right now.

--- End quote ---

Yeah. I think I'll definitely be putting in something about the mobility/immobility thing as far as wards go (though I may have to leave it implicit rather than explicit as to what that means for enchanted items due to space), and the Veils duration stuff seems particularly worth getting into. Grappling, hm, I'll have to see if I can find a space for it.  The bit about maneuvers I consider to be covered implicitly already, so if anything's going to fail to make it in in any form I'd bet it's that.

iago:
YS252:

HARRY: Hey Billy, would you use a “block” effect to hold a target in place, sorta like (click to show/hide)Elaine did to me in the SUMMER KNIGHT case?

BILLY: Probably, yeah. The thing to remember with any “how would I” question is that there are probably multiple answers.  You could model an entangle spell as a maneuver (the aspect used to slow you down), a block (against movement), or that special sub-type of a block, the grapple (page 211). Intent precedes mechanics; figure out what you want to do first, then find a system concept that matches it.

YS255:

BILLY: Duration with Evocation veils is largely a matter of GM judgment call. Personally I wouldn’t go for “1 shift gets you one extra exchange” with a veil; I’d just let it hang around until something pierces it, or until the end of the scene. I see them simply as REALLY GOOD magical Stealth rolls.

YS277:

BILLY: Bob, do I have it right that wards are usually immobile, so if you want a big, long-lasting spell of protection it has to be rooted to one location? So if someone wants mobile protection, it’s all short term evocation and things like enchanted items?

BOB: Very good, William! Your conclusions are generally correct. With magic, there are always exceptions—but they’re rare and tied to specific circumstances.

Archmage_Cowl:
Clears up the confusion and gives nice character flavor. I love the way you guys fix problems ;D

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