Aeletheros:
In reply to GM (msg #583):
That all makes sense in general, and of course time permitting casting from spellbooks is the best plan. With it taking 1 minute per spell level it is definitely not something that can be done in combat or even if combat is impending.
Absolutely. That said, I've re-read the "casting from written works" section of Codex Magicus, which is distressingly different from the main 4th ed. without much explanation. I'll have to review further and decide what I'll use. Also, there's not much discussion of scrolls, and creating them in the first place.
Aeletheros:
That being said a caster with Attack spells really doesn't have much choice about casting from memory in combat, as often they have no other form of offense. It is the same for casting defensive spells as well, with the exception of Cryptomancers which can cast triggered spells that hang until activated. Acquiring an enchanted item is a nice thought but they tend to be prohibitively expensive (look at Aeletheros's coin purse, he can't even buy a healing elixir) and making them (assuming you have the Enchant skill) is a time-consuming process that does not fit well in a PbP game.
True to an extent. If you want to have a combat mage, have high attack/defend modes! :)
Yes, enchanted items are expensive. You'd have to have a lot of money from some career where you hit it rich. Like if you were an adventurer, say. :)
Speaking of adventuring, one of the main motivations for adventuring in Talislanta, as I understand it, is for magicians to get their hands on some really cool Archaen spells and artifacts, instead of the crappy New Age stuff. Something to keep in mind!
As far as enchanting being time consuming, yes, it is. That said, we just had a Talislantan month and a half of essentially "down time" for PCs and NPCs alike to train. That is certainly an option if you should desire as a group.
Aeletheros:
So basically Aeletheros needs to focus his XP on increasing the level of the Modes he would likely use in combat (Attack and Defend definitely, with Move as another possibility). That of course takes time as each new level is more expensive than the last. As an example he is currently at level 3 in Attack, with an additional +4 for his MR giving him a +7 total. To get to a total of +10 he needs to add levels 4, 5, and 6 which will cost him 30 total XP. Thirty XP is a lot to come by, and that is for one Mode only. Once he gets his modes up enough he can maybe take that -6 to casting to avoid spell penalty and still be able to do some damage with a spell.
I am not saying you need to change anything, casters in Talislanta are significantly at risk up until their Mode rating crack +10, that is pretty obvious. They are that way for a reason. I am just sharing my thoughts. I could have gone a different route but I like creating spells, it is fun. I just wish the dice roller was a touch more friendly to him. I can also up his skill with longsword and longbow so he is a bit more effective in combat, but again that gets progressively more expensive for each level (the 1st couple levels don't cost too much, but it goes wild from there...lol)...
Right. As I said, I am certainly open to suggestions to make the game more fun. Because that's what it should be all about.
And while I tend to let a lot of the world run on its own (as opposed to tailoring it to the party's actions), placing treasure often tends to lean towards what will benefit the PCs. So if the next time you all go and investigate some ancient ruin, it might just be you could find a wand of fire bolts in there.
All that said, it looks like we are closing in everyone doing their actions; I'll get an update out tonight!
