Effectiveness of spells, particularly Conjure Elemental

[davidw]

Hello -

I was looking at the book last night, and I am a bit concerned about some of the spells. Particularly Conjure Elemental. It seems that for 1 PP a magician can summon (and presumably control) a nearly unstoppable creature. What does the "level" of the spell mean for this spell anyway?

Are elementals automatically controlled?

[NickMiddleton]

Hello -

I was looking at the book last night, and I am a bit concerned about some of the spells. Particularly Conjure Elemental. It seems that for 1 PP a magician can summon (and presumably control) a nearly unstoppable creature.

Per the stats on page 355+ they are not "nearly unstoppable" - and the Magician only gets the elemental for 10 combat rounds and CANNOT do anything else during those ten rounds ("For the duration of the spell, the elemental must be directed with your character’s full attention.") - and I'd argue that said elemental can't go further than 12 meters from the Magician either...

What does the "level" of the spell mean for this spell anyway?

Generally, the spell descriptions tell you, but Conjure Elemental doesn't - so logically extrapolating on that basis from other spell descriptions I'd say each additional level over 1 for a Conjure Elemental spell would add EITHER 10 rounds to the duration OR 12m to the distance the elemental can travel away from the conjuring Magician.

Are elementals automatically controlled?

See the above line I quoted from the spell description - yes, but it takes ALL the Magician's concentration whilst the elemental is present.

Cheers,

Nick

[davidw]

Well, let's consider that "unstoppable" comment.

Air elementals are invulnerable to normal attacks, as are fire elementals, and water elementals.

I would say that unstoppable and invulnerable are pretty synonymous in this case. Only a very few select foes will be able to do ANYTHING to either.

[Charles Green]

Well, let's consider that "unstoppable" comment.

Air elementals are invulnerable to normal attacks, as are fire elementals, and water elementals.

I would say that unstoppable and invulnerable are pretty synonymous in this case. Only a very few select foes will be able to do ANYTHING to either.

The controlling magician, however, is very vulnerable.

[threedeesix]

Hello -

I was looking at the book last night, and I am a bit concerned about some of the spells. Particularly Conjure Elemental. It seems that for 1 PP a magician can summon (and presumably control) a nearly unstoppable creature. What does the "level" of the spell mean for this spell anyway?

I ran across this problem when writing Classic Fantasy as well. The following is how I handled it, and it has Jason's blessing via e-mail as well.

From Classic Fantasy: The method of conjuring an elemental was inadvertently left out of Basic Roleplaying as it pertains to what each spell level actually accomplishes. For the purposes of Classic Fantasy, each spell level will conjure 3 SIZ points.

This allows a mage to conjure a small elemental for just a few power points, while something really big and nasty will cost considerably more.

Rod

[Nightshade]

I ran across this problem when writing Classic Fantasy as well. The following is how I handled it, and it has Jason's blessing via e-mail as well.

This allows a mage to conjure a small elemental for just a few power points, while something really big and nasty will cost considerably more.

Rod

Yeah, the original version of the spell in MagicWorld was like that, as were, in different ways, the RQ2 divine spells that did this. Of course those elementals weren't invulnerable, even to non-magic, as I recall; the bigger ones just had a lot of hit points.