Powers (Magic) Casting Time Discrepancy in Rules?

[Redge]

Page 89, Casting Time paragraph says - "Spells each cost a single DEX rank to cast per level of the magic spell and are considered to be an attack action for that combat round"

Page 189, Power Use paragraph says - "Most powers require exactly one full combat round to prepare and use, with their effects occurring at the beginning of the next combat round during the powers phase"

Does a magic user in melee get to cast one spell per combat round as page 89 seems to suggest or one spell every other combat round as page 189 seems to suggest?

Interested to here your thought.

[Narl]

There are some discrepancies in the rules between how Magic works and how Powers work by default. I generally have the rules in the Magic section take precedence over the default rules. Magic assumes that you will have spells go off in the Action phase based on DEX rank (per the optional rule on page 189). You can cast one spell per round (as long as it isn't so high level that its DEX rank cost puts you into the next round) instead of an attack.

I have casters declare their spells at the start of the round, and they go off at DEX rank minus the level of the spell. If a caster is interrupted in some way before the DEX rank their spell goes off, they need to make an Idea roll or it fails.

[Redge]

I have casters declare their spells at the start of the round, and they go off at DEX rank minus the level of the spell. If a caster is interrupted in some way before the DEX rank their spell goes off, they need to make an Idea roll or it fails.

That's what I'd hoped and I like the bit about the idea roll too :-)

Son #1 is running Troll Slayer soon for me and son #2. Happy days!

Thanks.

[pansophy]

You forgot to quote this part of p189:

"Powers used in a previous round will “go off” at the beginning of a new combat round if their effects are not instantaneous"

So if they are instantaneous, the power goes off at the characters INT rank (or DEX rank, if you use the optional rule). Otherwise, the power gets of at the beginning of the next round (again the INT rank), if it takes longer to cast. Some spells need to be cast longer than one round.

To me it seems there is no discrepancy in the rules, only is a bit left off at one point.

[Narl]

You forgot to quote this part of p189:

"Powers used in a previous round will “go off” at the beginning of a new combat round if their effects are not instantaneous"

So if they are instantaneous, the power goes off at the characters INT rank (or DEX rank, if you use the optional rule). Otherwise, the power gets of at the beginning of the next round (again the INT rank), if it takes longer to cast. Some spells need to be cast longer than one round.

To me it seems there is no discrepancy in the rules, only is a bit left off at one point.

I think trying to combine the two rules just muddies things up. I'd just go with what it says in the Magic section, which is right in line with how it was done in Worlds of Wonder. Pretty much the entire magic section is straight from Magic World.

[Narl]

That's what I'd hoped and I like the bit about the idea roll too :-)

Son #1 is running Troll Slayer soon for me and son #2. Happy days!

Thanks.

Awesome! I run a BRP game for my three kids and they love it.

Note that there are some issues with the pregenerated wizard character in Troll Slayer. Magicians who use Magic don't memorize spells by levels, they just memorize INT/2 in spells and can cast them at a level up to INT/2 (as power points permit).

[Redge]

Awesome! I run a BRP game for my three kids and they love it.

Note that there are some issues with the pregenerated wizard character in Troll Slayer. Magicians who use Magic don't memorize spells by levels, they just memorize INT/2 in spells and can cast them at a level up to INT/2 (as power points permit).

Yes I thought that looked odd. So the wizard should have more spells?

[Narl]

Yes I thought that looked odd. So the wizard should have more spells?

He has the capability to have in memory up to nine spells. Though that doesn't mean he necessarily knows that many. The ones he does know, he can cast at up to ninth level.