-OOC- thread for LOF: Awakenings

[ZFR]

Just few more queries about spells (since I'll be doing some healing on Pandaros now I just thought about this).

Do you allow spontaneous casting? Can I, as a good aligned cleric cast healing spells in place of any spell? If so I will change my spells and remove all the healing spells which are a waste, the next time I get the chance.

Also one more thing, I had to check the Lockesvill post to check which spells I have. aparently they are:

Level 0 (6): Cure Minor Wounds (3), Resistance (3)
Level 1 (5): Cure Light Wounds (1), Bless (2), Protection from Evil (1), Remove Fear (1), + Domain: Cure Light Wounds
Level 2 (4): Aid (1), Resist Elements (1), Slow Poison (1), Bull's Strength (1), + Domain: Cure Moderate Wounds
Level 3 (2): Prayer (2), +Domain: Cure Serious Wounds
Level 4 (1): Neutralize poison (1), +Domain: Cure Critical Wounds

I'm thinking of casting some buffs, and was wondering what is the duration of those spells, since I don't want to cast anything that will run out too fast. Can I use the IWD2 or the NWN manual? It's the only 3rd edition references I have and I have no idea if the spells are different than those in the original 3rd ed handbook.

So what is the duration of: Resistance, Bless, Prot from Evil, Aid, Bull Strength, Prayer?

It's past midnight here. So, goodnight all, I'll try and make a post in the morning.

[ 03-24-2007, 07:04 PM: Message edited by: ZFR ]

[Larry_OHF]

ZFR: This is where I need Cyril because he's not trained me enough to know exactly how to answer you in the way that he would see most fit. He has been very busy lately and will be busy for a long time to come, real soon so I hope to make some kind of contact with him regarding certain rules like spell use.

I can tell you from what I already know that he wanted to get rid of the use of level 0 spells, and transfer them into a level 1 spell, or completely erase them from the game, depending on individual circumstance. I'll have to get back to you on yours.

For the duration of those spells you have asked about, I am pretty sure that Cyril would prefer us use 2nd edition instead of 3rd, if at all possible. But if I cannot find any help on what those durations are, and if Cyril is unavailable, I'll go ahead and accept 3rd edition with some of my own tweaking involved. At the moment, none of the mentioned spells appear to be overblown in power...but I would like to find out what earlier versions of those spells were like.

Your spell chart is exactly as I have it on the file I keep of you. No worries there.

As for spontaneous casting and replacing spells with healing spells...let me research this or try to ask Cyril about it. I'll try to move quickly and get some answer to you on all these points before you get bored with waiting on me.

[ 03-24-2007, 08:29 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Larry_OHF]

Can I use the IWD2 or the NWN manual? It's the only 3rd edition references I have and I have no idea if the spells are different than those in the original 3rd ed handbook.

For a preferred reference to those manuals, this is the page I use for Anarrima's clerical spells. It is 3rd edition, but Cyril is the one that linked me to it to use not with absolute permission, but as the best online source available at the time. Since Xaver and Anarrima are both clerics in this game (though she will not be gaining fighter levels later), why not pull from the same website?


Cleric Spells

Cleric Domains

[Sever]

Originally posted by Larry_OHF: quote: Originally posted by Sever: Another question relating to the passing of time: Any difference between events at the Locke Manor and Pandaros and Xaver's current situation? I'd like to place Sev back with the group as quickly as possible but i don't know if that's possible if the two story tangents are to be considered simultaneous. Do i have to solo it for a while?

You started in the game with your first post towards the Locke manor and have been in there for no measured period of time. That leaves us free to assume whatever we wish in placing you wherever you need to be. I can make allowances for you to get to a certain destination without worrying about the clock because at the moment you have not been clocked. Does that make sense?
[/QUOTE]Perfectly. Check your PM. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Larry_OHF]

Xaver: Let's get to your questions today, and I'll answer them to the best of my ability right now, having received some help from Morgie who fills in for Cyril on helping me understand game law when I need it.

As with Anarrima, spells for clerics are predecided on paper as to what the pool of choices will be until time can be taken to replace and renew the list. This list cannot be renewed with rest and study like mages, but with meditation and direct communion with one's god or goddess. The power for those spells comes from deity and the spells are cast without use of arcane components, but they still have casting times that limits how long it takes to throw a spell. Personally, I like playing Ana with the idea that she makes a connection to her goddess at the time of casting and prays for that particular spell and her prayer lasts as long as the casting time is called for, and when the casting time has been met, she uses a word or two of release and focuses on her target at that time. Its the way I play Ana, but a dwarf might have a different way to cast...and that can be up to you if you have a special way to work out the details...just as long as it appears to satisfy role-playing detail.

As for spontaneous casting, or replacing any non-domain spell with a cure spell, I have been advised that either replacing one or two prepared spells for a cure of equal or lesser value is acceptable. I think that since our game is so stern on the rule that sufficient time spent in meditation is required to get spell lists renewed, that the regular 3rd edition idea of 1/1 will be acceptable.

Thus, the exact verbage of the rule states: A good cleric (or a neutral cleric of a good deity) can channel stored spell energy into healing spells that the cleric did not prepare ahead of time. The cleric can “lose” any prepared spell that is not a domain spell in order to cast any cure spell of the same spell level or lower.

Remember that I said this is conditional upon our rule that sufficient time be spent in meditation, which will need to be RP'ed and the DM decides if the time is filled completely or partially. I don't like the 3rd edition's way of explaining meditation time. Cyril has mentioned in our list of game rules that Depending on the number and level of spells involved, this can take as long as a couple days. Everybody saw Anarrima in her room meditating until Tao told her she was ready to go. Since the time was so short, she only replinished a few spells. More time will have to be spent in meditation which I will RP when I can.

Morgie made another suggestion about spell casting. He said that a cleric could trade two prepared spells for one non-prepared spell of equal or lesser value. This is an interesting idea that has not been used so far in our game, but I would consider it if Cyril was okay with it...though I am unable to communicate with him at this time. We'll leave this one alone for now and find out about it later.

For 0 level spells, Cyril basically dropped their presence with our two new mages, but you were approved of those spells back in the previous chapter of this game. Therefore, I'll leave those alone until Cyril tells me otherwise. Anarrima does not use level 0 spells.

For spell duration of the spells you specifically mentioned (Resistance, Bless, Prot from Evil, Aid, Bull Strength, Prayer), I do not see a good enough reason to limit the duration beyond what 3rd edition states. Therefore, follow the guidance of that website I linked you to for duration of these spells. They seem balanced enough for our game.

[ZFR]

Originally posted by Larry_OHF: Xaver: I like playing Ana with the idea that she makes a connection to her goddess at the time of casting and prays for that particular spell and her prayer lasts as long as the casting time is called for, and when the casting time has been met, she uses a word or two of release and focuses on her target at that time. Its the way I play Ana, but a dwarf might have a different way to cast...and that can be up to you if you have a special way to work out the details...just as long as it appears to satisfy role-playing detail.

Thanks, Larry [img]smile.gif[/img]
I can drop my level 0 spells if you're not using them. I don't think I'll miss them much anyway.

I have a question to what you wrote above. Forgive my noobishness, but since all my RP experience has been limited to Baldur's Gate and the like, I thought that the way a cleric casts a spell is he says the proper incantation and the spell is cast. From your text above I gather that's not the case? If so then next time I'll try and RP it in a better way. SOrry for doing it the way I did till now [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img] .

And this meditation thing... I thought you just rest and presto: spells restored. I'll have to be more careful the way I cast spells now.

[Larry_OHF]

Quoting from the 3rd edition rules on that website:

Clerics meditate or pray for their spells. Each cleric must choose a time at which he must spend 1 hour each day in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain his daily allotment of spells. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a cleric can prepare spells. A cleric may prepare and cast any spell on the cleric spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation.

However, we are not going to follow the 3rd edition rule of 1 hour a day = a full list. That is the only thing being changed.

Since spells have casting times, I spend that casting time in a RP situation...which translates to praying at the moment of casting. A level 1 spell can be cast nearly instantaneously while my level 7 spell takes several rounds before it can be used. She spends those rounds in prayer (to pass the time while role-playing and not appearing merely idle).

Edit: The only thing I can find in the 2nd ed. Players' Handbook on Cleric Spells is this:

The cleric receives his spells as insight directly from his deity (the deity does not need to make a personal appearance to grant the spells the cleric prays for), as a sign of and reward for his faith, so he must take care not to abuse his power lest it be taken away as punishment.

[ 03-26-2007, 01:19 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Morgeruat]

What Cyril was referring to is that in 1st ed (and 2nd ed although it was much less emphasized) was that spells require 10 minutes of study or meditation/prayer per spell level to memorize, a 20th lvl mage would require 27 hours of study to memorize his full complement of spells, a 20th lvl cleric would require an additional 30 minutes (and don't forget to add in extra time for bonus spells from high intelligence or magic items).

Additionally you require a certain amount of rest to memorize spells of a certain level (4 hours for 1-2 lvl spells, 6 for lvl3-4, 8 hours for 5-6th lvl spells, 10hours for 7-8th lvl spells, and 12 hours to memorize 9th level spells). However hope is not lost, spells not cast can be retained for up to a month, depending on the spell level. (this is far more draconian than we require for this game, but is a useful starting point for roleplaying out fatigue and how that can limit your faculties for memorizing spells)

[Larry_OHF]

Originally posted by Morgeruat: What Cyril was referring to is that in 1st ed (and 2nd ed although it was much less emphasized) was that spells require 10 minutes of study or meditation/prayer per spell level to memorize, a 20th lvl mage would require 27 hours of study to memorize his full complement of spells, a 20th lvl cleric would require an additional 30 minutes (and don't forget to add in extra time for bonus spells from high intelligence or magic items). Additionally you require a certain amount of rest to memorize spells of a certain level (4 hours for 1-2 lvl spells, 6 for lvl3-4, 8 hours for 5-6th lvl spells, 10hours for 7-8th lvl spells, and 12 hours to memorize 9th level spells). However hope is not lost, spells not cast can be retained for up to a month, depending on the spell level. (this is far more draconian than we require for this game, but is a useful starting point for roleplaying out fatigue and how that can limit your faculties for memorizing spells)

Thanks, Morgie. You're right...that does sound like Cyril was leaning towards that information, but he has his own spin on it that I have not actually been trained on...so I'll do my best with your help while he's away.

[Larry_OHF]

I hope my set up for team TAVY is acceptable and that I did not leave anything overlooked. Ana needs to be gone for a while and Tao has her own agenda to deal with, which she can RP through as she sees fit. She may decide to keep contact with the guys if she wants to. I included her with Ana's description of needing that private time.

Vincent and Yevaud are free to communicate together or with Tao if she has reason to, and if an emergency arises, Ana can be asked to leave her meditation. There may also be dangers in the forest that will keep you two busy.