Idiots Guide to Lone Wolf Magic?
- Thread starter Reveille
- Start date
The magic system is not as unified as it is in D&D. The spells work more like class abilities, with each class having access to a limited number of spells. There is little crossover between classes for their spell lists. Magic tends to work a little differently for each class. For example, Brothers of the Crystal Star roll Occult checks vs. a DC 15, 20, or 25 for the tier I, II, or III effect of the spell they are casting. Each tier of the spell has an Endurance cost associated with it, that must be paid each time the spell is cast. You learn one spell for each class level, and when you learn a spell you learn all its tiers of effect (though at lower levels, you might not be able to reliably make the Occult checks for higher tier effects). Most spells are a standard action to cast, while some (like Lightning Hand) can be cast as often as your Magical Base Combat Skill allows (multiple attacks at +6, +11, and +16 like normal attacks), and others (like Counterspell) can be cast as a reaction to someone else's spell, out of turn. The specifics are listed with each spell. Magicians of Dessi, on the other hand, cast spells using their Willpower stat (like psychic Endurance), and have a completely different set of spells than Brothers of the Crystal Star. If you pick up Magic of Magnamund, you'll find that each class has its own list of spells and spellcasting mechanic, though some are more similar than others.
Magic works very differently for the Magicians of Dessi than for the Brothers of the Crystal Star. Alchemy costs no Willpower, but requires time to brew the potions, as well as the skills Craft (alchemy) (to brew the potions) and Knowledge (nature or arcana) (to gather ingredients). Most other spells require just the expenditure of Willpower, with no Occult check necessary to cast. Force Blade (under Sorcery) requires a ranged magical attack to hit, but nothing special to cast the spell. Most Dessi spells can be resisted with a save (type listed under spell description), DC = 10 + 1/2 Dessi level + Wis modifier (making Wisdom more important than Intelligence to Dessi). When you learn an Elder Art, you learn all the spells associated with that art.
If you pick up Magic of Magnamund and need help with the magic systems there, just post your questions here and I'll help you out. You might also check out http://www.towerofthesun.com, the forums there are full of people who know the ins and outs of the various magic systems in Lone Wolf.
If you pick up Magic of Magnamund and need help with the magic systems there, just post your questions here and I'll help you out. You might also check out http://www.towerofthesun.com, the forums there are full of people who know the ins and outs of the various magic systems in Lone Wolf.
Bon-Al Ironforge
Mongoose
The Wolf said:I do highly recommend the Magic of Magnamund book, it certainly is worth it imho. Also do check out the TotS - it is a great place to be, just watch out for the active Dwarf recruitmentjust kidding there - Al and his crew are great people
I could not agree more!
Al
Balgin Stondraeg
Mongoose
Don't forget that members of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star also have daily casting limits. I think it's unlimited for Tier 1, Int bonus +1 for Tier 2 and Int bonus for Tier 3 (that's for each individual spell, not for all of them put together).
I'll need to check that. I was under the impression that lightning hand was a single attack spell and the Tier 3 effect was the chain lightning one that actualy says it lets you make multiple attacks up to as many as your attack bonus allows whilst the Tier 1 effect seems to indicate a single attack against a single target. But I don't have my book to hand so I'll actualy have to check.
I'll need to check that. I was under the impression that lightning hand was a single attack spell and the Tier 3 effect was the chain lightning one that actualy says it lets you make multiple attacks up to as many as your attack bonus allows whilst the Tier 1 effect seems to indicate a single attack against a single target. But I don't have my book to hand so I'll actualy have to check.
Bon-Al Ironforge said:The Wolf said:I do highly recommend the Magic of Magnamund book, it certainly is worth it imho. Also do check out the TotS - it is a great place to be, just watch out for the active Dwarf recruitment
I could not agree more!
Al
Thirded. Definitely consider joining Tower of the Sun, if you're a fan of Lone Wolf (be it the RPG, the books, or whatever).
columbob said:
I think that Electric Pulse (Tier 1) is usually a standard action for 1 attack, but that a brotherhood magician can cast as many electric pulses as he gets magical attacks. (eg a 12th rank can cast 3 at 12/7/5 Base Magical Combat Skill.) Full cost for each attack must be paid, although I think it is permissable to cast fewer than the maximum number, and that the magician doesn't have to decide whether to carry on with the full attack until he's seen the effect of the first spell.
Balgin Stondraeg
Mongoose
If you play it that way you've just made the 2nd and 3rd Tier efefcts of the spell redundant as that's almost basicaly what the 3rd tier effect is.
2nd tier effect of Lightning Hand puts the mage's base magical damage onto a weapon, so that it does magical electricity damage in addition to its normal damage. This is especially useful against creatures with DR/magic (if there is a shortage of magic weapons in the party) or against creatures with vulnerability to electricity (can't think of any off the top of my head), putting some of the mage's magical might into the hands of his more combat-oriented comrades. 3rd tier effect of Lightning Hand can potentially affect more targets than multiple attacks from 1st tier, since magical combat skill caps out at 4 attacks per round, just like regular attacks. Also, against multiple targets, the 3rd tier effect is cheaper in Endurance to cast, an important issue for a class that only gets a d4 Endurance die. Generally, 3rd tier is better when surrounded by weaker enemies in close proximity, while multiple 1st tier is better against a single tough opponent (magical damage applied multiple times) or against opponents too spread out to be hit by a single 3rd tier spell. Also, remember that each successive attack with 1st tier gets a -5 to the attack roll (just like normal attacks), while all attacks from the 3rd tier are made with the highest attack bonus. Finally, 3rd tier can be useful at lower levels, since it allows a mage to attack more than one target, while the 1st tier can't do that until at least 6th level (though at low levels, the DC 25 Occult check is hard to make).
A
Anonymous
Guest
I got my copies of the LWRPG books and it came quite as a shock to me.
The first reason was that I just LOVED the stuff, the way the background was detailed, and How I could throw my player in Magnamund, and so on.
The second reason was that the rpg system seemed TOTALLY ALIEN AND BEYOND COMPREHENSION to me... But, then, I cam across TOTS and the community, and, though I didn't post that muche, I learned a LOT. Moreover, I simply advise you to keep on going through the core rulebook again and again, and things appear clearer and clearer. For magic, this was really crucial. Hang on, and you'll see, the D20 system adaptation to LWRPG is quite simple, in fact, but it's presented in a way that makes it LOOK complicated : many rules are explained several times, at various places in the book, but in slightly different words, which may sometime being rather confusing and contradictory. But with a little bit more time, the rules appear really clearly.
I must admit that I had a hard time figuring how to use properly the occult skill, and how to comine it with the magical attack roll. Also, the different categories of actions you can make during combat are logical, though not presented logically (to me, and I'm a legal advisor...). Same thing for the summary of physical status and combat terms : it's a section where everything is mixed up, but it's a very thorough study of important combat issues...
But now, it's pure fun !
Enjoy and hang on !!
The first reason was that I just LOVED the stuff, the way the background was detailed, and How I could throw my player in Magnamund, and so on.
The second reason was that the rpg system seemed TOTALLY ALIEN AND BEYOND COMPREHENSION to me... But, then, I cam across TOTS and the community, and, though I didn't post that muche, I learned a LOT. Moreover, I simply advise you to keep on going through the core rulebook again and again, and things appear clearer and clearer. For magic, this was really crucial. Hang on, and you'll see, the D20 system adaptation to LWRPG is quite simple, in fact, but it's presented in a way that makes it LOOK complicated : many rules are explained several times, at various places in the book, but in slightly different words, which may sometime being rather confusing and contradictory. But with a little bit more time, the rules appear really clearly.
I must admit that I had a hard time figuring how to use properly the occult skill, and how to comine it with the magical attack roll. Also, the different categories of actions you can make during combat are logical, though not presented logically (to me, and I'm a legal advisor...). Same thing for the summary of physical status and combat terms : it's a section where everything is mixed up, but it's a very thorough study of important combat issues...
But now, it's pure fun !
Enjoy and hang on !!
