Making sense of some spells

BlackLiger · April 14, 2013, 12:23am

As far as I'm aware, and I may be wrong, a magus can only create something they've seen. So they'd need to have seen a plant with those properties to create one.

ezzelino · April 14, 2013, 1:16am

As mentioned by others, it would probably be much easier to avoid than TotEV, and even if successful it probably would only restrict the target's movements rather than immobilize him. I'd say qik-enc roll of 6+ to avoid, complete immobilization only on a botch, otherwise just one limb immobilized.

Hmm, no, you could make a vine already entwining a target grow thorns, or you could create a big thorn out of thin air -- but it would not "push into" the target.

These two spells are really one and the same. It's a spell called Acorns for Amusement, in ToME p.55. Damage is: small blunt object +1, arrow shaft +4, log +10 (I'd say sharpened log +13 or so). Note that the spell does not create the wooden projectile. Also, the 100 m per second part sounds very "unmythic", but that's just cosmetic.

As the above spell multicast into 10 copies; so +13 damage applied 10 times. Keep in mind, however, that there's probably not enough room on a single man-sized target for all 10 logs to land solid hits -- I'd probably just allow 1 or 2. On a whale or a dragon, however, it would be fine.

Arcane:

Oaken Egg-Shell CrHe5
R: Voice, D: Diam, T: Ind
A large egg-like shell of solid oak envelops a target for the duration of the spell, trapping it. The shell is roughly 3 inches thick and weighs 80 kilograms. After it's been created, it immediately topples over if on a solid surface, possibly carrying the target with it on a penetrated magic resistance (strength – encumbrance difficulty 9+ to stay afoot). If created in midair it falls, obeying the laws of physics as would a 80-kilo man-sized oaken egg. This spell can also target a size +1 creature, but must overcome spell-resistance to do so, as the target will be almost completely immobilized. Such a target would automatically topple over, and is unable to cast spells requiring gesticulation or any other tasks requiring movement. If the target didn't carry any light sources, the environment inside the shell is pitch dark and silent.
Implications: Not penetrating magic resistance still traps the target, but the weight of the shell cannot topple the target over. The shell will, however, normally be too heavy to lift or push from within, implying that every move the target makes while resisting the topple-effect will move the target into an increasing awkward position. This will often make balance-checks to stay on-foot and concentration checks to cast spells with gestures (and other tasks where the shell might interfere) appropriate. If using wings to fly, the target will likely fall down (as the wings are unable to lift the shell resting atop the flying target. Any movement spell or mode of movement must take into account moving a 100-kilogram shell along with its target. A falling target would take falling damage as normal. A size -3 or lesser target is easily able to keep to its feet if the egg topples over, and is unhindered in spell-casting and the like once the egg is resting on stable ground.
Base 2 + 2(voice) + 1 (diam)

No need to penetrate even for a +1 size target. It's not clear to me, hovewever, how this could work if the target were standing on solid ground (in particular, how could you get the sphere under his feet). I'd allow it only if the target were flying or swimming.

Same problems as Deadly Thorn above. However, you could have the spike drop onto the target, requiring an aiming roll (probably pretty hard for a moving human target). Keep in mind that Mom duration is enough to last about a round, so you could create the spike several dozen yards in the air.

Animating a plant to attack is ReHe Base 4; you should build from there, adding a Creo requisite, yielding a nice level 25 spell. See the ReHe examples for stats (keeping in mind they are for larger plants). Also, keep in mind that the victim can dodge, so the monstrous plant would need a successful attack roll. Finally, any sensible target would keep his distance, so unless there's little room to maneuver, the monstrous plant would have to win initiative and even then would only get one attack.

Finally, no natural digestive fluids dissolve a target in 2 minutes, you'd probably need some extra magnitude if you really wanted some superstrong acid (it's an extra effect) using the Aquam guidelines; or you could just have the plant chomp on its target.

Arcane:

Armamament of the Tree-Hugger MuCrReHeTe40
R: Touch, D: Moon, T:Ind
The spell is cast on a living vine that the caster is wearing like clothes. The vine is covering the caster in leaves, a bit like a coat of metal scales, only more covering. The spell 1. makes the leaves hard like iron. 2 either make a rego effect to compensate for the resulting encumbrance or a creo effect to make there be no encumbrance. 3 make a rego effect that holds the vine firmly connected to the caster at key ponts (part of the vine is wrapped around the caster like a parashute). 4 make a rego effect to have parts of the vine move with the caster with the strength of his rego like a piece of power armour (would the caster get effective stat increases? Would he be able to use rego in leu of physical stats for die-rolls?). 5 make a weak rego effect to have the parts of the vine not affected by the other effects coil up against the caster when not being manipulated by other magic (in other words strong enough rego to hold the vines in place, but weak enough to be easily overcome by other spell effects. 6 have 4 ends of vine tendrils sharpened and hardened for use as weapons.
Base 3 +1voice +3moon +1terram +1creo +1rego(combining effect 3 and 5) +1rego(+stats?) +1muto(would +10 dmg be appropriate?)

Too complex! I'd start with the same Base as Freeing the Striding Tree (ReHe Base 5), and animate the vine to just pick the target up and envelop him, while moving around and manipulating stuff with its own appendages. This would probably require a vine of at least +1 size. I'd also drop duration to Sun, for a total level of Base 5 +1 Touch +2 Sun +1size=ReHe 25. Keep in mind that the vine dies if you keep it too long uprooted. You could add an effect that makes the vine as hard as iron, but I'd say it would be unnecessary -- and it would require at the very least two extra magnitudes for Muto and Terram requisites.

I'm not sure why this would require Armament of the tree-hugger instead of being the usual Acorns for Amusement, above.

Sure!

I'm not sure how this is supposed to work -- MuAq changes water into air. You could create a snorkel-like reed allowing you to draw breath through it while fully submerged.

Sure, you'd need to rework the levels though, based on animating a plant. It's probably better to have a single spell that creates and animates a plant as a multipurpose servant that can attack, defend, carry etc.

You could create a healing poultice, but it would not be nearly as effective as tCHT -- it would probably only provide a small bonus to healing rolls.

That would be CrAq. Better create a wooden javelin and throw it!

Sure! Though stone is obviously sturdier than wood. However, with CrHe you could probably also "fast grow" a single sapling into a large tree, and shape it into a sanctum with a Rego requisite -- without requiring a Ritual.

Tellus · April 14, 2013, 10:18am

Had missed that. Still.

There isn't really a Creo guideline for making an unnatural plant, which is why I wanted the Muto req.
I agree that Complexity might do it, it just feels off.

I was trying to make a joke

Xavi · April 14, 2013, 10:47am

Yup. We have used them a lot in our last long saga, since Severin was a PC, and the spells became quite popular with the other magi as well. We are unsure if we would like to see that level of spells in ither sagas, though, since we are not sure we agree with "1 Individual of He = 1 cubic pace of solid wood" base parameter.

Xavi