Author Topic: Mana Law questions  (Read 1404 times)

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Offline providence13

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Mana Law questions
« on: December 01, 2017, 03:52:24 PM »
First time we're using an Arcanist in the group.

 1) Does 3rd lvl Magelight I make "all spells visible" to everyone and not just the caster? Do you need light to actually see the flows of magic?
I'm guessing it does and produces it's own light, about like a bright rainbow.
I'm using both options of the spell.
Just because you can see the flow of magic, doesn't mean you can read it. But a +50 Power Perception would even give non-casters a chance.
Using this spell in a small halfling town is getting some cross stares.

2) Can you use Eldritch Weapon with Bladerunes? A non-magical weapon with Bladerunes is still non-magical until they are activated, right? As long as the runes are activated after the spell is cast, would that work?

3) Mana Pool.. As a utility spell, I assume that only friendlies can be affected, but the AoE is 10'rad. With a Duration of 1min/lvl, that is a lot of time for say..
...someone in the area to be Charmed and decide that the enemy is now a "good friend".
"Why is my fellow caster -in the 10'rad- attacking my (new) good friend? I'd better do something about that!"
Even friends can fight sometimes. Now you have 2 casters affected by the spell, possibly attacking, or at least trying to subdue the other.

...given the duration and the fact that Arcane spells are flying around, are the casters in the AoE immune to Power Burn?
They don't have individual PP anymore. As long as they are in the AoE, they can only draw from the Mana Pool and it/they don't regain PP.

... Since they don't have PP (they draw from the Pool), can they be affected by Power Draining effects?

I have ideas on how I want to handle these, but I wanted to hear about  other people's experience.




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Offline jdale

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Re: Mana Law questions
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2017, 09:10:25 PM »
1) It says "all spells become visible" so I take that as meaning visible to everyone. Otherwise it would say something like "all spells become visible to the caster". There is the parenthetical option if the GM doesn't want it to be visible to everyone. This is definitely something that is subject to how you want your world to work.

It doesn't say anything about light but I agree with you, I imagine it as luminous. If you are using Power Perception instead of making it visible, I imagine Power Perception can be used regardless of lighting conditions, although again this is a GM call.

2) It's kind of borderline. My personal feeling is that Eldritch Weapon overloads the item's aura with raw mana and would burn out the bladerunes, or the bladerune enchantment ("Bladerunes are short-lived enchantments placed upon the exterior of an item's aura") would interfere with the Eldritch Weapon spell. But that said, I don't see a significant balance issue with allowing it.

3) It's a utility spell so by definition it will automatically fail to affect any unwilling target. I was initially thinking the spell would end (at least for the individual now in conflict), allowing them to retain their remaining PP as if the spell had ended, but actually I think it would be more interesting to just let it continue as the pool is already established. You could allow the caster to end the spell prematurely.

I don't read it as saying the participating spell users have no PP of their own. Rather, their PP is being freely shared. But it would be reasonable to say the capacity of the pool is not exceeded unless the total PP available exceeds the total capacity of everyone present -- overloading a single individual may not cause a problem if someone else is below their capacity. If burnout occurs, I would roll for one target at a time, going in arbitrary order (if it was triggered by someone getting hit with a Mana critical start with them), until the pool is below its capacity, so that could affect everyone but might not. Likewise, Power Drain is possible only if the total combined pool is emptied. You could rule that having no power left at all immediately ends the Mana Pool spell, since there is nothing to maintain the pool.

I haven't encountered these in play so take that as off the cuff remarks rather than experience....
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Offline providence13

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Re: Mana Law questions
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2017, 10:20:18 AM »
Hey, so you bring up a good question.
What happens when the spell duration ends?

Is it like this..?
You're in the candy store with some friends.
You each brought money and laid it on the counter but no one has pockets (everyone was swimming in the creek).
Although everyone brought a different amount, you decide that all the money (but not candy) will be shared.
The candy store will close in about an hour, but until then, you can have your fill.
If you leave the store before it closes you must leave your money on the counter.

But if someone is outside, they can't give you any more money; you don't have any pockets.
The counter is only big enough for the original pile of cash.

If the spell ends prematurely or the duration runs out.. you got kicked out of the store/or it closes and any money left on the counter is gone.
 
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