One of the character just learned a level 20muto auram spell (his speciality, he's a two year and a half out of the gauntlet mage) wich is called Talons of the wind (see ARM5 p.127). If you carefully read under Muto Auram spell you'll also notice the level 20 Rain of stones.
Rain of stones turns rain into stones as if fall causing +0 damage every two rounds(maybe less if the rain is very light). With a sun duration, it's fine with me.
Talon of the wind turn the wind into an abrasive medium that tear and claws into everything in it's path. Soft materials are shredded, and people take +5 damage. Fortunately it as a rego requestie to prevent the mage to shred his own skin. The duration of the spell is Diam.
Here's my question:
My player tell me that the spell implied that it does +5 damage as long as the people are standing in the abrasive wind (let's say +5 every two rounds). Is it over powered to allow it? I was about to rule that the spell does it's damage once at every person that enter or was in the radius.
Good question. And even if I have a player with the same spell I haven't really thought of it before - or at least I've forgotten how we handled it so far..
I think the every second round sounds as a fair judgement - even if I'm not partial to solutions that require you to distinguish between rounds in that way (probably prefering less damage more frequent).
I would say every round. Think about it this way, if your spell turned the air to fire, the character would take the fire damage every round he stood in the fire wouldn't he? this spell should be no different.
If you stand under falling gravel, you keep getting pelted.
If you stand in a sand blaster, you keep getting shredded.
Altho' the phrase "innumerable bloody cuts and abrasions" doesn't sound like something that could kill a person very quickly- it would still do so eventually, esp if one of those deeper cuts hit a vulnerable vein/artery (which would happen eventually). It would be like killing someone with a belt sander- not quick, not pretty, but yeah, it would certainly do the job.
(Note that an armored target might, or might not be protected- partial armour would have to be ruled by the SG, and leather armour might get worn away eventually, if not very quickly. Not a spell that should be just treated as simple math.)
Ah, sorry- you're right. In that case, I'd suggest that, just as the "Stones" spell relies on an existing rain, most "winds" won't do be strong enough to do the job without a Rego or Creo aspect to increase their force.
A mild wind with an abrasive content would be uncomfortable, but hardly a weapon.
Thanks for your help. I think that i'll just make it one damage roll (+5) every two rounds as a rule of thumb. With a really weak breeze, i'll allow just one +5 roll for everyone that stand or enter in the radius of the spell. An average breaze will give a +5 every two rounds or so and a strong wind will give a +5 damage every rounds.
After all, rain of stone can make pebble rain all day it's normal it does less damage but i think it can do a tremendous amount of damage if it keep going on for a day (fortunately, if the rain stop, so does the rain of stone!).
So i think i'll just arbitrate the Talon of the wind as stated.
And what happens if the player casts Chamber of Spring Breezes (page 125) first? Talons of the Wind (as written) allows for +05 damage per round. Rain of Stones does less damage , because it is damage by small rain-drop size stones.
One could include a Rego requisite in Rain of Stones to concentrate the rain in tighter groups ,
which should do more damage , and should do extra impact damage (page 181) as well.
At least the DMG (page 95) defines Wind Effects in Table 3-24.
Or in the SRD : Winds
Also, you got to remember that rain of stone asn't any Rego requesite to protect the caster.
But if one of the mage in my troupe use CreAuram to create a strong wind and another cast Talon of the wind i would go for a max of +5 per round for a strong wind.
It would be the same thing with a mage creating rain while the other cast rain of stone... And i like the idea of a Rego requesite to "aim" the rain properly(i know that true aiming require finesse).