Author Topic: Need some spellcasting advice  (Read 2007 times)

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Offline Kornetto

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Need some spellcasting advice
« on: March 11, 2017, 02:50:44 PM »
Hi all. I'm brand new to rolemaster but, our dm has been playing for many years but could never find a group to invest in giving the system a go. Enter our little group (3 perm members, 2 who rock up whenever they can). We were a bit hesitant, at first. We've all. Been playing, exclusively, d20 systems. But, and owing a great deal to our dm's experience and play style, we are pretty hoooked. Upon seeing this, dm has decided to throw caution to the wind and start building us up for a massively powered campaign. Starting with my humble magician who has now undergone a transformation and is now an arcist. I've been given 8 free empty spell lists, which I have decided to assign as follows:

Buff
Debuff
Healing
Battlefield control
Offence
Defense
Social
Summons

He has also given me 1-4 level spells on four of these lists, plus my previous 6 essence lists (he's not messing around). I would ask if anyone could give advice of spells from any lists that would fall I to the first four lists posted.

Thanks in advance

Offline Hurin

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2017, 10:08:20 PM »
Do you know which version of RM you are playing? I am familiar with RM2 (the one with the red bands on the left of the cover and awesome art by Angus McBride).

For offense, the elemental bolt and ball spells are what you are probably looking for. Lightning Bolt tends to be the most damaging single-target spell.

For control, Sleep and Charm spells are very good.

For defense, Shield and Aura (which stack) are great general purpose spells. They raise your Defensive Bonus. Bladeturn (for melee attacks) and Deflections (for ranged attacks) are very good as well, as they reduce the Offense Bonus of attacks against you.
'Last of all, Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed'. --J.R.R. Tolkien

'Every party needs at least one insane person.'  --Aspen of the Jade Isle

Offline Kornetto

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2017, 11:50:05 PM »
Sorry. I should have specified. It's rolemaster classic. I've also been given access to arcane spell lists

Offline Spectre771

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2017, 09:31:29 AM »
If Elemental Companion is allowed, you may want to look there for elemental attack spells, barrier spells, wispling/familiar spell list.  They have been very helpful and have the added bonus of being made of Proto Elemental Material (PEM) which is not "normal" fire/water/air, etc.  Given that you were allowed 8 lists, it sounds like a really heavy campaign.  Please keep us updated.  I (as well as others, I'm sure) would love to see what you choose and how the campaign progresses.

As was mentioned in a different thread, for healing, I believe one can only cast one type of healing spell per injury, not multiple spells for the same injury.  Depending on what healing spell lists you have access too, Stun Relief would be high on my priority list.  Nothing worse than "Stunned and unable to parry for 6 rounds" while you get tooled on.  Close 2nd places would be Stop Bleed or Set Bone.  Maybe, 3rd on my list would be Concussion Relief.  Your PC will only be able to regenerate so many HP per rest period.  Save the potions and herbs for immediate relief in battles or dire emergencies when you have no PP left for the day or when you really need to save those PP to set a bone.



If discretion is the better valor and
cowardice the better part of judgment,
let's all be heroes and run away!

Offline Kornetto

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2017, 01:57:47 PM »
I think he's planning a world changing campaign. The closest I've ever experienced to anything like this was a mythic pathfinder campaign and that just seems like child's play now, lol.
To update exactly where I'm at: I was a level 4 magician who had focused on "the elements" spell lists (cue Captain Planet intro). I had a somewhat harrowing and awakening experience in which I became the first witness of things to come. My mind has been blocked of certain things I saw (ooc: basically, the coming of a Cthulhu like world destroyer) but I've been left as a level 5 arcist with 8 empty spell lists, 4 of which I have the first 4 levels for free and the 6 "elemental" spell lists unlocked to 50, despite not being powerful enough to cast them. I was the first of the 5 main characters (2 of mine, 2 of another player and 1 of another's) to undergo the transformation because, in GM's words, I'd have a lot more work to do with it. If people are genuinely interested, I will post updates and, in the interest of fairness, they will be without requests for advice.

Offline OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2017, 06:52:54 AM »
Starting with my humble magician who has now undergone a transformation and is now an arcist.
...what? For real? :o
The world was then consumed by darkness, and mankind was devoured alive and cast into hell, led by a jubilant 紗羽. She rejoiced in being able to continue serving the gods, thus perpetuating her travels across worlds to destroy them. She looked at her doll and, remembering their promises, told her: "You see, my dear, we succeeded! We've become legends! We've become villains! We've become witches!" She then laughed with a joyful, childlike laughter, just as she kept doing for all of eternity.

Offline Cory Magel

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2017, 08:30:43 PM »
Starting with my humble magician who has now undergone a transformation and is now an arcist.
...what? For real? :o
It's only pretend OLF.  Don't go giving us Role-Playing Gamers a bad name again... ;)
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
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"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2017, 07:02:33 AM »
It's only pretend OLF.  Don't go giving us Role-Playing Gamers a bad name again... ;)
Come on, you complained about the possibility of an invisible flying fireball-casting mental manipulating spellcaster and here's a class that creates its own base spell lists by cherry-picking spells from all existing spell lists! :o
The world was then consumed by darkness, and mankind was devoured alive and cast into hell, led by a jubilant 紗羽. She rejoiced in being able to continue serving the gods, thus perpetuating her travels across worlds to destroy them. She looked at her doll and, remembering their promises, told her: "You see, my dear, we succeeded! We've become legends! We've become villains! We've become witches!" She then laughed with a joyful, childlike laughter, just as she kept doing for all of eternity.

Offline Kornetto

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2017, 07:49:58 AM »
Yeah. I was given a choice between becoming an archmage or an arcist which, my gm explained, was an almost brokenly OP class but would require far more hard work on my part to create and he would still have veto on what spells I could pick. Me, being a sucker for power, chose the latter. Got one more list up to 4 to finish before tomorrow.

Offline OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2017, 09:53:01 AM »
I think it's because you're "brand new to rolemaster", so, not only would you not know what the best spells are, you wouldn't know which spell combinations are the deadliest either.  :P
The world was then consumed by darkness, and mankind was devoured alive and cast into hell, led by a jubilant 紗羽. She rejoiced in being able to continue serving the gods, thus perpetuating her travels across worlds to destroy them. She looked at her doll and, remembering their promises, told her: "You see, my dear, we succeeded! We've become legends! We've become villains! We've become witches!" She then laughed with a joyful, childlike laughter, just as she kept doing for all of eternity.

Offline Cory Magel

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2017, 07:36:46 PM »
It's only pretend OLF.  Don't go giving us Role-Playing Gamers a bad name again... ;)
Come on, you complained about the possibility of an invisible flying fireball-casting mental manipulating spellcaster and here's a class that creates its own base spell lists by cherry-picking spells from all existing spell lists! :o
Yep, it'll be too powerful if not controlled correctly.  Remember the comment about power creep later in that post your referencing?  Certain versions suffer more from it.
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
(Channeling Companion, RMQ 1 & 2, and various Guild Companion articles author).

"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline DeadBob

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Re: Need some spellcasting advice
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2017, 10:52:31 PM »
In any scale of magic in a campaign, I always try to make sure that an essence caster at least considers Spirit Mastery (for the Sleep spells!) that someone has a spell list to halt bleeding, and at least one person can cast magical light.

After that, it's all up to the player to decide the role they want to fill.