Magic duels

Deleriad

Mongoose
I've been thinking of adding some extra options into resisting magic and am interested to see what others think. These options are assuming that magic is cast as an opposed roll but probably still work under the old system.

Resist (Dodge). Any spell with this trait is some sort of physical projection that can be avoided physically. This means that the target of such a spell also has some other options.

parrying. Within the limits of common sense, a dodgeable spell can also be parried by a shield or similar weapon. The rules are exactly the same as parrying a projectile weapon.

Counter-casting. A dodgeable spell can also be countered by casting another spell with the resist (dodge) spell as a reaction targeting the incoming spell. For this to work the counter-cast spell must be of greater Magnitude than the incoming spell. In this case, the counter-cast spell effectively destroys the incoming spell. In game terms, instead of resisting with a dodge, the counter-caster resists with their proficiency in the incoming spell. GM's may wish to give positive or negative modifiers based on the possible interaction of the spells.

On the plus side, as a dodgeable spell is a physical spell, the caster can take advantage of the normal options for missile weapons such as taking time to aim or using a Precise Attack to aim for a specific location.

Spells that are resisted by Persistence or Resilience can also be countered through a counter-cast spell but it is far harder. The counter-cast spell must be the same spell as the incoming spell and must be greater Magnitude than the incoming spell. This means that the counter-casting mage must either take pot luck or have some way of knowing that the incoming spell is, e.g. through a spell such as Mystic Vision or successful use of a skill such as a lore or maybe even an Insight test to guess the caster's most likely move.

An example
Bluster the storm priest throws a Magnitude 3 Lightning Strike (skill 71%) at Jemzis the sorcerer. Jemzis reacts instantly and instead of trying to throwing himself out of the way (too many years of fine dying and desk research puts dodging out of the question) he musters up a Firebolt (57%). Knowing he's facing Divine Magic he calls on Magnitude (49%) as well. He spends the two MPs and hopes. Now he can use the lowest of his two skills to oppose the Lightning Strike. Bluster rolls 31, succeeding and Jemzis rolls 41 - making both Magnitude and Firebolt. For a second he lives in hope but with a Magnitude of 49% he can only manage a 5 Magnitude Firebolt but the Lightning Strike is Divine Magic so its magnitude is effectively 6 and overpowers the counter-cast spell. As Jemzis reacted by counter-casting rather than dodging, he can't now try to dodge and is shocked, literally, by developments.
 
Oh and while I'm talking to myself 8) I had also been thinking about "divine protection."

Assuming you're using the pact rules from GFC, then if you have a pact with a deity then you can use each point of "free" pact to act as a 2 Mag Countermagic spell which is cast using your Pact skill. Each point of pact used this way is used up, just like casting divine magic and can be regained in the normal way. Depending on flavour that might look like a devout prayer to save yourself from evil or the intercession of an angel or a lance of blinding light that destroys the incoming spell.

"Free" pact is any pact that is not storing a gift or divine magic. Remember that even spent divine magic still uses up pact, just can't be cast again until it's restored. Same with using pact to countermagic spells.

Finally, it has occurred to me that initiates and above may be able to resist some magic using their Pact skill rather than the usual skill if the spell would have some effect that goes against the initiate's religious beliefs, requirements or myths. E.g. a Storm Bull cultist could resist Demoralise with his Pact rather than his normally rather poor Persistence...
 
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