Sorcery Spells - Concentration and Duration

[rust]

We have a little problem to agree on the meaning of "Concentration"
for the duration of sorcery spells, for example the spell Fly.

One "school" insists that the duration of the spell is open ended and
the spell continues to work as long as the caster concentrates on it,
which could easily give a Magnitude 1 spell a duration of many hours.
For example, the caster can Fly as long as he concentrates.

The other "school" insists that the maximum duration of a Concentra-
tion spell is determined when the spell is cast, and that the spell ends
after that duration, no matter whether the caster still continues to con-
centrate on it.
For example, the caster can Fly POW x X minutes, but the spell ends
early if he cannot concentrate until the end of this pre-determined du-
ration.

How do you handle this ?

Thank you.

 

[alex_greene]

It really depends on your setting, and on your interpretation of the rules.

I'd rule that a Concentration spell remains in place but inactive if the sorcerer is not concentrating on it - and that it will remain in place unless the duration expires or the sorcerer actively drops the spell.

Let's say a sorcerer throws up a wall of water using Form/Set, and stops concentrating on it once it's formed. The water will remain in place, a standing wall, barring the fire elemental from getting any closer to the party, unless the sorcerer reshapes the wall of water into something else or drops the spell, or the duration expires and the water crashes back down into the pool it came from.

Let's say another sorcerer, 15 POW, Grimoire 65%, Manipulation 75%, throws Fly over himself and sets the duration of the spell at 3 x POW minutes; that's 45 minutes of flight time. He rises up to the domed ceiling of the huge chamber where he is waiting for the enemy to come bursting through the door so he can launch a hail of arrows at them from above. Per my interpretation of the rules, if he drops his Flight spell or its duration expires, he'll come crashing down all six metres to his likely death; but because he is merely letting his concentration lapse for a while while he readies his bow and takes aim, the spell is still in effect and will maintain his lofty position until he resumes concentrating on it to bring him back down to the ground again.

In both cases, the spell will function for as long as its duration unless dispelled or dropped, but if the sorcerer drops his concentration it will remain in place and the progress of the spell will halt until the sorcerer picks it up again.

And so to the idea of extending the spell past its duration. Again, it depends on what you want to do. Let's say your character has just enough flight time to get to the ledge, or else he's got a 200 metre drop to his certain death. But just as he approaches the ledge, a headwind blocks him, forcing him away - and he realises he will no longer make it to the ledge in time, forcing him to have to concentrate on maintaining the spell past its expiration.

You can rule that the character won't make it, that the spell will fall away and down he goes. Or you could rule that he can spend a Magic Point to sustain the spell past its time, but he'll have to maintain full concentration and if it falters for any reason, the spell ends and down he goes.

Or as a third option, since these spells cost no more than 2, 3 CA to cost - a fraction of a 5 second combat round - unless the fall was a trivial distance like one metre, the sorcerer could drop the old spell as a Free Action and cast a new one with a new duration to allow him to complete the distance.

Whatever option makes your game more exciting.

 

[rust]

Thank you very much for your ideas.