[ArM5] First Questions!

[Daniel C. Sobral]

Graham McDonald wrote:

> Daniel wrote :
> 
>> A remark by someone somewhere led me to a question about Puissant 
>> Art/Ability. It says you add +3/+2 to any total including it. Now, 
>> when it comes to spell formulas, you have "xxx score" and "xxx total". 
>> In particular, spontaneous spells totals divide the score by 2 or 5. 
>> So, what is the correct when it comes to (spontaneous) spell casting 
>> (assuming you have puissant art):
>>
>> (Score + 3) / 2 or Score / 2 + 3
>>
>> ?
> 
> 
> its (casting score + stress die + 3)/ 2   because the other way is  ( 
> casting score + stress die + 6 )/ 2 which = (casting score + stress 
> die)/2 + 3

Well, you see, the problem is that the Casting Total is (Casting Score + 
stress die)/2, and it so happens that the virtue bonus adds to the 
total, not the score. It says right so in the virtue. So, if you have 
Casting Total + 3, that's (Casting Score + stress die) / 2.

I'm just hoping that it was "totals", not "Totals", and things just got 
confused because the formulas *do* distinguish between a "Score" and a 
"Total". And because it would make more sense. BUT, if I were to go by 
the rules as written, I'd rule Casting Total + 3 indeed.

So if what you wrote above is based on something written somewhere in 
the book, please state page and paragraph.

>> And, then, there's Magic Theory and preparing magical items. You 
>> cannot use more than Magic Theory x 2 pounds of vis. So, if you have 
>> puissant magic theory, what's the maximum amount of vis:
>>
>> (MT + 2) x 2 or MT x 2 + 2 or MT x 2
>>
>> ?
> 
> 
> Vis limit : Magic Theory (Score) x 2 pawns per season. So that would be 
> : (MT score + Mt score + 2) x 2 = (MT score x 2 + 4) pawns per season
> 
>>
>> Now, another question. It's not clear (to me) when CrCo is Ritual and 
>> when it is not.
> 
> 
> from page 114 : "Ritual spells are always at least level 20 , even if 
> the level calculation would make them lower." and from page 130 : 
> "Unless otherwise noted , a healing spell cast other than as a Momentry 
> duration ritual actually suspends the healing process ....." .
> Any spell which gives a bonus to Recovery rolls is not a ritual spell as 
> it augments natural healing rather than speeding it up and they are all 
> under level 20 anyway (level one : +1 to level 15 : + 18).

There are under level 20 under the "baseline". If you change RDT, you 
change the level. What that little tidbit on page 114 is saying is that 
if I made Bind Wounds a Moment spell, instead of Sun, thereby decreasing 
it's level to 4 and requiring it to be a ritual to be of any use, the 
actual _casting level_ for the spell would be 20.

So one can't use the page 114 quote to understand the page 130 quote.

> The guideline says it's ritual unless stated otherwise,

Ues, that's the point. But most effects are actually exemplified by 
spells, so we know if they are ritual or not (including recovery bonus). 
What I'd actually want to know (besides point out the apparent problem 
with page 130 remark) is the following (which you did not answer):

>> but there's nothing stating otherwise anywhere! Particularly, since 
>> there are no spell examples for those, what about increasing 
>> characteristics or making someone reach full maturity?

So... which are these?

-- 
Daniel C. Sobral			(8-DCS)
dcs at newsguy.com
dcs at freebsd.org
capo at the.great.underground.bsdconpiracy.org

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