[3ED] Resisting spells

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Kosmit
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[3ED] Resisting spells

Post by Kosmit » Mon Feb 13, 2017 6:45 pm

Still playing 3rd Edition and I wonder if resisting spell efects if it is possible wastes character's standard action?

As an example Visions of Death:
This spell calls upon the spirit world to present a per-
sonal horror show to a character. The magician makes a
Spellcasting Test against the target’s Spell Defense. If success-
ful, the target sees a detailed vision of his own death, the exact
method decided by the magician. While watching the vision
unfold, the target knows he is not dying, but the fear and horror
has a mesmerizing effect, preventing him from moving or acting.
Each round, the target may make a Willpower Test against the
magician’s Willpower Step.
If successful, he shakes off his fear
and the spell ends.
Is it a Standard Action?

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The Undying
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Re: [3ED] Resisting spells

Post by The Undying » Thu Feb 16, 2017 1:35 am

To my knowledge, resistance abilities are all Free Actions. A spell/ability might explicitly state Standard Action resist, but otherwise, fairly confident it defaults to Free. This really mirrors saving throws in D&D and other universes - start of round, is the spell/effect still active, if so then X otherwise player can act freely.

Dougansf
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Re: [3ED] Resisting spells

Post by Dougansf » Thu Feb 16, 2017 5:01 am

I would agree that in general resisting spells would be a Free Action.

For this particular spell, I'd make it a Free Action that is taken at the end of the targets turn. So the target suffers the effect, cannot act or move for 1 round, resists the effect, and can act normally next round. Otherwise, the value of the spell is reduced dramatically.

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The Undying
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Re: [3ED] Resisting spells

Post by The Undying » Thu Feb 16, 2017 5:29 am

That feels kind of clunky to me - some resists at start of action, some at the end. I'm of the opinion the spell should stay as it is: chance to resist on cast (via Mystic Defense and via Steel Thought), then resist at start of each turn (via Willpower or any fear-resistant Talents). If it was designed to have some period of guaranteed performance, it would include that as a published effect. HOWEVER, if you want to give this at least one turn, I'd recommend changing the spell text for your table to skip the next turn for the resist, something like "The target cannot resist this effect the next time s/he would act; each round after that, the target may make a Willpower Test against the magician’s Willpower Step"

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RazanMG
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Re: [3ED] Resisting spells

Post by RazanMG » Thu Feb 16, 2017 5:59 am

Or to: Willpower test is made at the beginning of the round, before Initiative is rolled. That will let the target to use Initiative talents.

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The Undying
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Re: [3ED] Resisting spells

Post by The Undying » Thu Feb 16, 2017 6:13 am

RazanMG wrote:
Thu Feb 16, 2017 5:59 am
Or to: Willpower test is made at the beginning of the round, before Initiative is rolled. That will let the target to use Initiative talents.
I'm not sure what your intent is here. Use initiative Talents to help in the resist? I don't think there is anyway way to justify that. Or do you mean so they know whether or not they'll be able to act and, as such, use Initiative Talents to facilitate that action?

Here's how I envision this and other terror related this work:
Turn 0: Nethermancer/Horror used spell/ability on target; target fails and is effected. If the target has already acted this turn, go to "Start Turn;" otherwise, go to "Target Acts."
Target Acts: Attempt to resist. If fail, do what spell/ability effect says. Otherwise, act as normal
Start Turn: Target can't use any Initiative Talets/abilities - they are under the effect of the spell/ability

So, one of the BENEFITS of the spell, even in that first round, is that Initiative Talents can't be used: target is quivering in terror!

Dougansf
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Re: [3ED] Resisting spells

Post by Dougansf » Thu Feb 16, 2017 1:38 pm

RazanMG wrote:
Thu Feb 16, 2017 5:59 am
Or to: Willpower test is made at the beginning of the round, before Initiative is rolled. That will let the target to use Initiative talents.
I considered something like that as well. Without the ability to move or act, their Initiative might become 0, so they get no action at all (certainly no Initiative modifying Talents). So at the end of the 0 Initiative round, they roll Will to break free.

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The Undying
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Re: [3ED] Resisting spells

Post by The Undying » Thu Feb 16, 2017 10:49 pm

Initiative still matters to people crippled by spells/abilities. It's their turn in the order of things, regardless of whether it just means the shiver with fear sooner or later in the turn. Being able to use Talents to enhance that, though, MAY be a different issue.

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