Wizard's Boost

Continuing the discussion from Call for ArM5 Errata:

So, what exactly are the perceived problems? I'm entirely willing to believe that there are problems, but I need a bit more clarity about what people think they are.

What does it boost? What limitations does it have? Does it follow the '2-identifier rule' of Muto Vim?
Basically, @Vespasian's question from here: Wizard's Boost

Does it in fact make Wizard's Reach (Form) etc irrelevant? Wizard's Boost

And then there was this ill-fated thread: Wizard's Boost for R / D / T as example MuVi spell

I personally am of the opinion that Wizard's Boost is a legacy spell that does not conform to the 5th edition, and needs to be either heavily errata'ed (nearly re-written) or taken behind the shed and shot. Metaphorically, obviously.

After the errata:

Wizard's Boost (p. 160): Delete the following sentence: "There are other versions of this spell, each of which affects one of range, duration, and target, for any Form."

at least Wizard's Reach is safe, isn't it?

But it is a good question, what is the purpose in the ArM5 core book of a spell, whose description says:

The effects of the extra 5 levels of power are for the storyguide to determine.

I think the fundamental problem with Wzard's Boost as written is this: it can be resolved in far too many ways -- from the player's point of view it's unpredictable. This is particularly true for troupes that assume the magus cannot not know the result until the spell takes hold.

We run Wizard boost as follows.
Wizard's Boost only affects spells based on General guidelines. It raises the guideline by one magnitude, keeping all other parameters identical. If the guideline is "multi-dimensional" (e.g. increase a parameter by 1, to a maximum 3, and each extra magnitude adds either 1 to the increase or 3 to the cap) then the Boost's caster decides along which dimension the spell is boosted.

Note that we consider General (for all purposes) any base effect that repeats over multiple magnitudes, increasing some relevant numerical parameter(s) -- even if it's not explicitly "General". So we consider General both fire-making CrIg guidelines (create a fire that does +X damage) and CrCo characteristic-boosting guidelines (raise a characteristic by 1, to a maximum of X).

Also note that the new guideline must exist: you can't boost a CrCo Ritual that can push Stamina to +5, so that the new cap is +6.

Do people think we should delete the spell, as too flexible for a formulaic, and replace it with more specific ones?

Yes please.

Probably.
Although for sentimental reasons, I wish one of those could be called Wizard's Boost :slight_smile:

I think Wizard's Boost could be kept, plausibly to upgrade the base guideline (easier with some tech form than others) and other spells should be made for RDT, size.

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Yes, this. We shouldn't lose examples of how bases can be used, so this preservation is good. Meanwhile, we already have other names for a bunch of the other things, so it's not like those other spells would require significant work.

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If it is kept, I would prefer if it was explicit about increasing the base guideline as well as other spells for other things.

Wizards Boost - Base Guidelines
Wizards Reach - Range
Wizards Endurance - Duration
Wizards Prodigious Size - Size Mod
Wizards Promulgation of Targets - Target
Wizards Flexibility - Any of the non-standard modifications (for example, CrAu Unnatural Modifiers)

Alternatively, you collapse Wizard's Boost to explicitly encompass all of these defined at time of casting and make it super cool.

Or you have it default to one of then but allow extra magnitudes for Complexity to allow a single Wizard's X to encompass more of them. So you can have a blanket spell with high Complexity that amounts to Wizard's Fiddling With Minor Spells As He Damn Well Pleases (can even master it for Multicasting so you can spin up a whole bunch of tweaks at once), but you'll want a specific Wizard's Boost and Wizard's Reach to turn Ball of Abysmal Flame into a sight-range ship-killer.

That would violate the MuVi rules, though.

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Yes please.
Wizard's Boost was a very general thing, back from before magic guidelines were set in system and quantified.
I find it more rational to divide a 'boosting' effect into different and more specific types: I.e. one for each of the three parameters R/D/T plus also one for the "power" of the spell (sure this easier for some spells, like Cr Ig) and one for the Size modifier.

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I could also use a more precise description of how Muto VIm spells like this are timed. The Muto Vim box is not too clear about whether the metamagic is cast:
A) the round before the target spell, as preparation, or
B) at the same time, as an exception to normally only being able to cast one spell at a time, or
C) that it needs to Fast-Cast in response to but still almost simultaneously with the target spell, as an exception to fast-cast spells normally being defensive and in response to something else.

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