How do Multimissile & Alter Target & Dead Eye interact

[Greg Smith]

A character with the Dead Eye heroic ability fires a pistol with a ball that has Multimissile 3 on it. Do all four balls hit the target's head? Or just one?

The target casts Alter Target and the ball(s) goes flying towards a PC2. Does PC2 get hit in the head? Do all 4 balls get deflected towards PC2? If only one ball gets deflected, does the target still get to evade?

After a brief discussion, I ruled on it and everyone was happy. Apart from PC2's player :twisted:

I'm curious as to how others would play it.

 

[alex_greene]

Make it a contested roll - Common Magic versus Common Magic.

Assuming both rolls are successes:-

Shooter - normal success, Defender - normal success: 1d4 balls hit. The remainder have a chance to hit PC2 equal to the defender's Common Magic skill. Roll for each ball that misses the defender.

Shooter - normal success, Defender - critical success: 1d4-1 balls hit defender; all the rest automatically hit PC2.

Shooter - critical success, Defender - normal success: 1d3+1 balls hit. The remainder have a chance to hit PC2 equal to the defender's Common Magic skill. Roll for each ball that misses the defender.

Shooter - critical success, Defender - critical success: 1d2 balls hit; the remainder automatically hit PC2.

Of course, the defender could have fun before he expires from lead poisoning, and select the shooter as the designated PC2 ...

 

[Loz]

The Alter Target spell requires the expenditure of 1 CA per missile redirected. So the target casting Alter Target needs 4 CA available to redirect all four bullets towards PC2 - at least, that's how I'd rule it.

As for Dead Eye stacking with Multimissile, remember that each missile created by the spell must still be rolled for as a separate attack: so although Dead Eye will allow the shooter to hit a location automatically, each bullet still has to succeed in an attack roll against the intended target. And the target gets one Evade roll that each bullet then has to be pitted against.

So for this...

Do all four balls hit the target's head? Or just one?

It depends entirely on a successful attack roll for each bullet, and the Evade result of the target. Those bullets that do hit will hit the head.

And this...

Do all 4 balls get deflected towards PC2?

1 ball per CA available is deflected.

If only one ball gets deflected, does the target still get to evade?

If you mean PC2 - then PC2 would need to be aware that he's the recipient of the altered attack. If you mean the caster of Alter Target, then yes, he does get to Evade - if he has CAs available to do so...

 

[Loz]

Make it a contested roll - Common Magic versus Common Magic.

Alter Target is a Divine Spell. The target may not even HAVE Common Magic.

Assuming both rolls are successes:-

Shooter - normal success, Defender - normal success: 1d4 balls hit. The remainder have a chance to hit PC2 equal to the defender's Common Magic skill. Roll for each ball that misses the defender.

But this completely breaks the mechanics of the Alter Target spell... Plus, Multimissile simply creates additional missiles: it has no impact on the attack roll for the shooter. Each missile created by the spell requires its own attack roll.

Of course, the defender could have fun before he expires from lead poisoning, and select the shooter as the designated PC2

Except you can't. Alter Target: "This new recipient has to be a viable target and cannot be the original source of the attack."

 

[alex_greene]

So, perhaps, the answer to the above question ought to be:

- They don't. You should cast Shield (if your deity allows it) or (if you have Common Magic) Protection or (if you have Sorcery) Damage Resistance.

 

[Loz]

Does PC2 get hit in the head?

Forgot to address this point.

Its really open to interpretation, but I'd rule no. The Alter Target spell would result in the bullets hitting random locations on PC2. Remember, the Dead Eye attacker has taken specific aim at the defender with Alter Target: not PC2. However, there is an argument to say that the Alter Target spell merely redirects the incoming attack without affecting the intended trajectory of the missile - so, depending on how brutal you're feeling, you could rule that PC2 catches the redirected shells in the noggin.

Either way, PC2 is going to be upset...

 

[Da Boss]

So, perhaps, the answer to the above question ought to be:

- They don't. You should cast Shield (if your deity allows it) or (if you have Common Magic) Protection or (if you have Sorcery) Damage Resistance.

Only one of us has any magic - and thats Alchemical in nature

We are fabulous however - I would have been a potential target but I'd run off to save the Moon Princess (!) - when the pistol was fired. Ironically I did come back and shoot the main "evil" Priest with my own Multi-missile bullet with similar effects - although I don't have Dead Shot.

PC2 did IIRc have a Protection Potion on line (I had not bothered and gave it to my fav concubine to keep her safe whilst we fought the evil Priests and then the Hawkmen - yes the game is THAT cool) It kept him alive until the Moon Princess could heal him.

Loz's answrs makes complete sense and was pretty much what Greg ruled after a chat - so all good

We only allow one use of Dead Shot per combat (which is usually at most once per session which also seems to work well.

 

[Greg Smith]

My ruling was Dead Eye only worked on the first shot. The target got to only deflect the first. The deflected shot hit a random location. The target being completely suprised by the extra shots didn't get an evade. PC2 got a perception roll to see if he could evade.

Make it a contested roll - Common Magic versus Common Magic.

That doesn't work because the guy who fired the multimissile wasn't the caster.

 

[alex_greene]

All the more reason to rely more on Evade than on magic.