Openquest errata/clarifications?

[Oni]

Hey, I bought the new version of Openquest and a couple things jumped out at me.  I assume if I post them here the author will see them. 

-Under Call spirit, the section on binding spirits seems to be missing some text. 

-I couldn't find it specified, to resist magic is opposed, unopposed, handled like an attack and dodge?

-There doesn't seem to be an explanation of the relationship skill.  

-I'm unclear on the instant spell trait.  Do instant spells not have a cast time?  Are they cast in reaction.  Do they leave no ongoing effect that can be dispelled?  For instance Avoidance says it is instant, but then describes itself as lying dormant implying it has to be cast ahead of time, also when it says all multiply charges all fire off at once does that just mean you have they have to be used before the end of the round or literally at that initiative count (that seems like a real corner case, but also seems to be how it's written).  Why is Avoidance instant, but not Count-Attack or Counter-Defense, they seem really similar?

-Flying Kick, the kick attack is just a regular unarmed attack, i.e. there's no difference between a kick and a punch?  Shouldn't this be instant?

-Fist of the Wind/Multi-Attack, use dex or int for casting time?  Do they have a casting time, because I assume you get your regular attack that a spell would normally take the place of.  

[Sunwolfe]

19 hours ago, Oni said:

I'm not the author. I'm just a GM, but until the powers that be reply, I figure I can entertain you with my interpretation. I'm sure Newt and sundry will chime-in soon.

-Under Call spirit, the section on binding spirits seems to be missing some text. 

Agreed; looks like some interesting stuff is missing here on page 91.

-I couldn't find it specified, to resist magic is opposed, unopposed, handled like an attack and dodge?

I've always ruled it opposed: Battle Magic/Sorcery VS Resilience/Dodge...highest score wins.

-There doesn't seem to be an explanation of the relationship skill.  

Yeppers. It looks like Simon Bray's optional Relationship skill explanation and chart are missing. It's on pages 40-41 of the deluxe OQ edition.

-I'm unclear on the instant spell trait.  Do instant spells not have a cast time?  Are they cast in reaction.  Do they leave no ongoing effect that can be dispelled?  For instance Avoidance says it is instant, but then describes itself as lying dormant implying it has to be cast ahead of time, also when it says all multiply charges all fire off at once does that just mean you have they have to be used before the end of the round or literally at that initiative count (that seems like a real corner case, but also seems to be how it's written).  Why is Avoidance instant, but not Count-Attack or Counter-Defense, they seem really similar?

Instant spells have the same casting time as concentration spells. The caster begins casting at the top of the round. If he/she successfully rolls below their skill, the spell takes effect on their INT rank. The spells effect is instantly on the caster's INT rank: BAM. Walk away. Concentration spells which require the caster to continue to concentrate on the target for the spell to continue.

Yep. Successfully cast Avoidance and your target is instantly (on your INT rank) protected by the spell. The “avoidance” won't occur until they are attacked. If you have bumped up the Magnitude by pouring extra Magic Points into the spell, they will “avoid” (I.E. Dodge) an equal number of times. Say you raise the spell to Magnitude 3, the recipient will Dodge three times. If they are attacked by three bad guys at once: Zip! Zam! Zoom! Three dodges. If they are attacked three times in succession, they will dodge three times in succession (I house rule it doesn't matter how long between attacks up to ten minutes: the duration of all Battle Magic spells). Avoidance allows for Magnitude manipulation like all Instant spells in the Battle Magic list.

Counter-Attack is an offensive spell unlike the defensive Avoidance. It allows the recipient an additional attack (no penalties) after a normal parry or dodge. It lasts only 10 minutes.

Counter-Defense is very similar to Avoidance but whereas Avoidance only allows the recipient to dodge (no parrying) Counter-Defense allows the defender to parry.

In addition both Counter-Attack and Counter-Defense are Magnitude 2 spells and non-variable...i.e. no raising the Magnitude for extra parries or attacks. These spells only last for 10 minutes...attacked or not. 

-Flying Kick, the kick attack is just a regular unarmed attack, i.e. there's no difference between a kick and a punch?  Shouldn't this be instant?

Flying Kick allows the recipient their Movement Rate (human: 15 meters) as a Normal move FLYING THROUGH THE AIR, delivering a kicking attack at the end of that flying leap..ala Kung Fu theatre! It can't be instant because it's Non-Variable, and we GMs have got to control just how far spell recipients can “fly” (95).

-Fist of the Wind/Multi-Attack, use dex or int for casting time?  Do they have a casting time, because I assume you get your regular attack that a spell would normally take the place of.  

Combat: DEX rank. Magic: INT rank. Casting time begins at the top of the round and the spell takes effect on the caster's INT rank.

Fist of the Wind would be cast at the top of the round. It instantly takes effect on my INT rank. For the next ten minutes (or more depending on Magnification) every time I or whomever I have blessed with this minor miracle makes an unarmed attack (which will occur on my DEX rank because now I am engaging in physical combat), I/they get ONE extra unarmed attack for FREE. Monkey kung-fu Yo! Cast this bad boy at Magnitude 4 means four extra blows (95).

Multi-Attack allows the happy recipient the same bennies as Fist of the Wind, but this time it's for “...close-combat” weapons. For the next ten minutes, I'm totally armed with extra-attacks. The more Magnitude involved, the more attacks I have (97).

Anything that I got wrong, I'm sure wiser heads than I will straighten things out. As for the seemingly missing information, you got me--shrug.

Newt?

Cheers,

 

[Oni]

So let me see if I'm getting this right.  

Avoidance is instant, which means once it is cast the spell itself is spent, so the effect will last indefinitely until it is triggered, rather than the normal 10 minutes, and cannot be dispelled in the meantime.  (I take it you read Avoidance to read that the attacks must occur within the same round, not literally at once as the text states.) 

Counter-Defense is not instant meaning it has a duration of 10 minutes, activated or not, it can be dispelled, and will continue to give you an extra defense every round until the duration runs its course. (Although, I'll be honest, fires off implies to me that it's a one time thing, not something that can repeat itself for a 10 minute duration, same with Counter-Attack).    

As for Flying Kick, I'm afraid I don't see the correlation between instant spells and not  being non-variable.  Dragon's Breath is both non-variable and instant.  Also, the spell says how far the caster 'flies', so I'm not sure that's a good reason for it to not be instant.  Actually, if I'm following the string of logic being laid out here, then as written it has a duration of 10 minutes and during that time you can make a jump kick every round for your movement, which would also mean that you get a free attack unarmed attack every round on top of a regular attack since it's part of your movement, which is actually pretty cool.  However, if that's the case, it is no way clear.  

I'm pretty new to BRP and Openquest, but based on the text of the book I've got to disagree with you about Fist of the Wind and Multi-Attack.  They say you get 1 extra attack per magnitude, not one extra attack per magnitude per round.  Also, they're instant, which would imply the spell itself doesn't last and thus can't have a duration, and I'll be honest, it would be an awful low power point cost for violating the action economy so severely for 10 minutes.  

 

Maybe I'm just being thick, but I think the battle magic section of the rules has a real clarity issue.

 

 

 

[Sunwolfe]

6 hours ago, Oni said:

So let me see if I'm getting this right.  

Avoidance is instant, which means once it is cast the spell itself is spent, so the effect will last indefinitely until it is triggered, rather than the normal 10 minutes, and cannot be dispelled in the meantime.  (I take it you read Avoidance to read that the attacks must occur within the same round, not literally at once as the text states.) 

Ah, my bad. The effect will take place only if it is triggered within the normal ten minute duration of the spell.

I want to honor the magnitude my players augment a spell with, so...if the caster has augmented the spell to Magnitude 3, I understand it to mean the recipient of the spell may avoid/dodge up the three attacks.

• If all those attack occur in round one, well and good. The recipient dodges three times.
• If two attacks occur in round one, the recipient dodges twice, but if the next attack doesn't occur until round 16 (a VERY long combat indeed :-), the recipient will get their final chance to dodge using the caster's final Magnitude point.
• If, however, the recipient avoid/dodges twice in round one but is never required to dodge using that final Magnitude point, after the ten minute duration of the spell expires, the option disappears.

Counter-Defense is not instant meaning it has a duration of 10 minutes, activated or not, it can be dispelled, and will continue to give you an extra defense every round until the duration runs its course. (Although, I'll be honest, fires off implies to me that it's a one time thing, not something that can repeat itself for a 10 minute duration, same with Counter-Attack).  

I understand it as the spell will last for 10 minutes, but I agree that it gives the recipient a one-shot extra-defense at the time they are attacked not every round they are attacked within the ten minute duration of the spell. 

As for Flying Kick, I'm afraid I don't see the correlation between instant spells and not  being non-variable.  Dragon's Breath is both non-variable and instant.  Also, the spell says how far the caster 'flies', so I'm not sure that's a good reason for it to not be instant.  Actually, if I'm following the string of logic being laid out here, then as written it has a duration of 10 minutes and during that time you can make a jump kick every round for your movement, which would also mean that you get a free attack unarmed attack every round on top of a regular attack since it's part of your movement, which is actually pretty cool.  However, if that's the case, it is no way clear.  

I read, "...Normal move..." and interpret that to mean the normal human movement rate of 15m (30+'). I could be wrong, but I don't understand the description to mean the recipient can perform Flying Kicks each round for the duration as they desire. Once the spell is successfully cast on the recipient, they have ten minutes to perform its effect...once.

I'm pretty new to BRP and Openquest, but based on the text of the book I've got to disagree with you about Fist of the Wind and Multi-Attack.  They say you get 1 extra attack per magnitude, not one extra attack per magnitude per round.  Also, they're instant, which would imply the spell itself doesn't last and thus can't have a duration, and I'll be honest, it would be an awful low power point cost for violating the action economy so severely for 10 minutes.  

Actually, I agree with you...LOL! It was late last night, and I didn't proofread my response closely enough. Yes: "...1 extra attack per magnitude not one extra attack per magnitude per round." The phrase "...every time..." was unfortunate on my part.

Maybe I'm just being thick, but I think the battle magic section of the rules has a real clarity issue.

I don't know about being thick. It could be me ;-). I do know that every time I digest another rule set, I run into something that doesn't appeal to my sense of how the world works and I need help. I post about it, ask for clarification, continue to play with it and eventually it clears up in the wash. Hopefully Newt will chime in here with a comment or two you'll find helpful.

Cheers!

 

[Newt]

On 7/11/2017 at 1:08 PM, Oni said:

Hey, I bought the new version of Openquest and a couple things jumped out at me.  I assume if I post them here the author will see them. 

-Under Call spirit, the section on binding spirits seems to be missing some text. 

-I couldn't find it specified, to resist magic is opposed, unopposed, handled like an attack and dodge?

-There doesn't seem to be an explanation of the relationship skill.  

-I'm unclear on the instant spell trait.  Do instant spells not have a cast time?  Are they cast in reaction.  Do they leave no ongoing effect that can be dispelled?  For instance Avoidance says it is instant, but then describes itself as lying dormant implying it has to be cast ahead of time, also when it says all multiply charges all fire off at once does that just mean you have they have to be used before the end of the round or literally at that initiative count (that seems like a real corner case, but also seems to be how it's written).  Why is Avoidance instant, but not Count-Attack or Counter-Defense, they seem really similar?

-Flying Kick, the kick attack is just a regular unarmed attack, i.e. there's no difference between a kick and a punch?  Shouldn't this be instant?

-Fist of the Wind/Multi-Attack, use dex or int for casting time?  Do they have a casting time, because I assume you get your regular attack that a spell would normally take the place of.  

3

OK first off, I will eventually see things that are posted here but the best way to get my attention is to send me a friendly email at newt@d101games.com.  For example, I've spent the last two weeks+ away from the pc in an internet poor area armed only with my smart phone   Also OpenQuest, as much as I love it, is sometimes my not my focus and it a while for me to get my head in gear to answer questions. I'm currently working on Monkey which is as far as you can get from D100, being a card based narrative game, so it took me a couple of days to get my head into the much less hand wavy OQ.

Right down to business. 

Call Spirit - Yup missing some text, sloppy cut and paste on my part. Add the following text  "or possesses the caster if it is a Disease or Passion spirit."

Relationship skill was cut in OpenQuest Refreshed, but I forgot to delete it from the table of skills on page 17. Another item for errata. 

Instant Spell Trait - The spell still takes the time to cast (one combat round as declared on page 89 and taking place on the INT of the caster) but the effect takes place instantly (as declared on page 87). If the spell has been pre-cast the effect of the spell happens instantly when it is triggered.

The difference between Avoidance and Counter Defence. Avoidance only applies to Dodges, while Counter Defence is any sort of defensive reaction (such as parry).  But you are right that both Counter Defence and Counter Attack should have the Instant spell trait. It's implied in the text but it should be there. Another Errata point

Flying Kick - by the fact that it's a spell means it's a magical attack, which sees the recipient being able to fly through the air (15m in one go) and then make a normal kick attack. You could be mean and add the Instant spell trait, meaning that its one use or you can leave it as it is to allow those Kung Fu Wuxia heroes that I had in mind when I wrote the spell

Fist of the Wind - You are right to point out that this is confusing, so I would change the description to read:

Quote

Fist of the Wind
Instant
Each point of Magnitude allows the caster to make one extra unarmed attack. These attacks happen in a blur of motion as soon as the spell fires, at the same INT rank that the spell is cast on instead of the normal DEX rank that the character's attacks happen on.

Another point for errata. 

 

 

[Sunwolfe]

Thanks for stopping by with the errata, Newt, and thanks for the email heads-up link. 

Cheers!