Manipulation of Sorcery Spell Enchantments

[SSWarlock]

Do the RAW allow a spell cast from a sorcery spell enchantment to be manipulated over and above the original manipulations of the enchantment? In other words, if a spell enchantment contains, say, Duration 2, can a person using the enchantment to cast the spell further manipulate the Duration above 2?

I seem to remember this being allowed under Avalon Hill's version RQ if the caster using the enchantment also knew the spell himself but I'm not sure about Mongoose's RQII.

 

[Loz]

I'd rule that it can't. Its not in the RAW, so its largely down to how to you'd want your campaign to run, but personally, I wouldn't.

 

[SSWarlock]

Cool. Thank you for the response.

 

[PhilHibbs]

I think it would be way overpowered if it were possible. You could make a maximum Magnitude spell, and then cast it with max Range, making a new matrix of the new spell, then repeat until you have, say, a Magnitude 7, 5km, 60 min, 6-target matrix given a 51% skill and 10 POW. Even if you arbitrarily ban making a matrix with a matrix-cast spell, allowing two full manipulations would be excessive - the example above could still do 5 targets & 50m range in the matrix and then boost all 5 spells up to Magnitude 7 with his skill.

Hm, I'm coming round to the opinion that sorcery is a little overpowered anyway. 5 targets, 50m range, cast in 2 actions for 3MP, that's a lot of Wrack for not much effort. The rules aren't very clear whether the "targets" can all be the same person, but that would just be icing on the cake. Can "Concentration" spells be cast with multiple targets? Probably not, so that would make Palsy or Holdfast much more effective than Wrack. You could still Wrack all 5 people, and then just concentrate each of them to death in turn while the rest of the party keeps them at bay.

*Update*: I think it's actually only 2MP cost, and a clarification in another thread says that all the spells can be Concentrated on simultaneously. So it's even more powerful than I thought.

 

[SSWarlock]

I agree about manipulating spell enchantments being overpowering. I'd forgotten that ranged spells in RQII are an automatic hit, rather than a rolled-for attack as some of the spells in AH RQ are.

 

[PhilHibbs]

I agree about manipulating spell enchantments being overpowering. I'd forgotten that ranged spells in RQII are an automatic hit, rather than a rolled-for attack as some of the spells in AH RQ are.

I don't remember that, it was just skill% and then MPvMP resistance roll.

 

[SSWarlock]

Sorry for the confusion; the skill % you're referring was an attack skill roll in my mind. We're thinking the same thing.

 

[Simulacrum]

I may be missing something, but I cannot see where the "power" of a sorcery spell placed in an enchantment (A&E p96ff) is set.

I presume references to Magnitude relate to the sorcery manipulation of that name for when applying additional punch for overcoming magical defences etc. So if I have acquired a wand with an Animate Sand sorcery spell matrix, a spell in which I have no Grimoire skill - is it the grimoire skill of the enchanter that sets the number of SIZ points I can affect? If that is the case, presumably all enchantments of this kind need a grimoire skill noted? ) Or is it that the wand gives me a Basic Percentage chance with the spell?

Any enlightenment much appreciated!