This has been an enjoyable thread.
Richard has made some excellent observations, but we have not put
pen-to-paper to flesh out the LoTR concepts into actual MEPBM
spells. I appreciate everyone's concern about changing a game that
has stood the test of time, but most of us will admit that certain
classes are MUCH more desirable than others due to the effects those
characters can have on gameplay.
I'll attempt to put some spells into game thoughts, here are nine
spells to consider:
Spell Line - Teleport Mastery (Lost List)
Teleport to Ally
Spell List: Teleport
Difficulty: Hard
Order: Cast Movement Spell - 825
Spell Number: 316
Requirements:
Spell is known by Caster
Destination hex is land
Target character is of same nation OR Nation of Character and Nation
of casting Mage are Friendly toward each other.
Required info: Target Character ID
Description: Teleports the casting character to the hex location of
target character (after movement) regardless of the distance between
them.
Teleport Friend
Spell List: Teleport
Difficulty: Hard
Order: Cast Movement Spell - 825
Spell Number: 318
Requirements:
Spell is known by Caster
Destination hex is land
Target character is of same nation.
Required info: Target Character ID
Description: Teleports the target character to the hex location of
the Mage. Note that the Mage cannot issue a move order, but could
be moved either by army or company.
For this particular spell, I felt it would overpowering to teleport
ally - ie a Friendly nation's character to the casting Mage.
As for giving other Nation's character orders, I disagree with that
from a game point of view, but having the potential to eliminate
opponent's orders may be useful, BUT I'd have strong limits on them
to avoid abuse. For example, you don't want an enemy Mage to be
able to paralyze a Nation completely by having two Mages at
someone's capital eliminating sell orders. Hence the reason to make
them either defensive, or later in the turn.
Spell Line - Coercion
I see this line in the same vein as Curses, spells that don't
interrupt combats, or sells, but can reduce enemy character's
ability to succeed at their orders. I'd limit the effect of the
spells based on their skill ranks, so a 30 mage that happens to
learn "Entrap" can't paralyze a level 70 agent. This idea comes
from Saruman's entrapment of Gandalf at Orthanc, the fear generated
by the Nazgul, and the "dulling" of Theoden's wits by Grima
Wormtongue (although possibly a Double-action is sufficient for this
one).
Mesmerize
Spell List: Coercion
Difficulty: Easy
Order: Cast Conjuring Spell - 330
Spell Number: 522
Requirements:
Spell is known by caster
Target Character in same hex
Target Character not of same Nation
Required info: Target Character ID
Description:
This allows a Character to attempt to reduce the likelihood of an
ememy character's actions. A successful cast will befuddle the
enemy character, reducing the success of his actions by
the "natural" Mage rank of the casting character. Success is based
on the casting proficiency of the character and the skill ranks of
the target.
Stun
Spell List: Coercion
Difficulty: Average
Order: Cast Conjuring Spell - 330
Spell Number: 524
Requirements:
Spell is known by caster
Target Character in same hex
Target Character not of same Nation
Required info: Target Character ID AND Target Order number
Description:
This allows a character to stun an enemy character, thus preventing
their ability to perform one particular action. Success will cause
the target character to not be able to perform the specific order
targetted. However, their other orders will not be affected.
Success is based on the casting proficiency of the Mage, and the
skill ranks of the targetted character.
Entrap
Spell List: Coercion
Difficulty: Hard
Order: Cast Conjuring Spell - 330
Spell Number: 526
Requirements:
Spell is known by caster
Target Character in same hex
Target Character not of same Nation
Required info: Target Character ID
Description:
This allows a character to hold a target character, removing their
remaining orders for the turn. Success will cause the targetted
character to not process orders past #330. Success is based on the
spell proficiency, the "natural" Mage rank of the caster, and the
skill ranks of the target. The spell is unable to affect a
character with a higher natural skill rank than the "natural" Mage
rank of the caster.
Spell Line - Fortify
I think that there may be situations where a Mage outside an army
could affect combats, or effect the results of enemy character
actions. Think about rock/paper/scissors when reading these spells.
Based on Gandalf's rally of Minas Tirith against the Witch-King.
Note that he was not in an army to perform that spell.
Fortify PC Reporting
Spell Fortify
Difficulty: Easy
Order: Cast Fortifying Spell - 200
Spell Number: 122
Requirements:
Spell is known by Caster
PC is of the same Nation
Character in same hex as target PC
Description:
This allows a character to improve the PCs chance to report the
presence of foreign characters. Success is based the "natural" skill
rank of the Mage, the loyalty of the PC, and the skill ranks of the
enemy characters. The effect is reported in the next turn's report
under the individual PC.
Fortify PC Loyalty
Spell List: Fortify
Difficulty: Average
Order: Cast Fortifying Spell - 200
Spell Number: 124
Requirements:
Spell is known by Caster
Character in same hex as target PC
Required info: none
Description:
This allows a Character to bolster the loyalty of the populace,
making it more resistant to enemy influences, such as direct
emissary actions, Threats and Seiges by opposing commanders.
Success is based on the casting proficiency of the spell's caster,
and the loyalty of the PC.
Fortify PC Espionage
Spell List: Fortify
Difficulty: Average
Order: Cast Fortifying Spell - 200
Spell Number: 126
Requirements:
Spell is known by Caster
Character in same hex as target PC
Required info: none
Description:
This allows a Character to magically enhance the PCs natural counter-
espionage efforts of the local militia. Successful casting of this
spell reduces enemy actions aimed at local sabotage or stealing from
the treasury. Success is based on casting proficiency of the
spell's caster and loyalty of the PC.
Fortify PC Defenses
Spell List: Fortify
Difficulty: Hard
Order: Cast Fortifying Spell - 200
Spell Number: 128
Requirements:
Spell is known by Caster
Character in same hex as target PC
PC has fortifications.
Required info: none
Description:
This allows a Character to galvanize the PC's fortified defenses,
increasing the defensive value of any fortifications by
the "natural" Mage rank of the caster. Success is based on the
casting proficiency of the spell's caster. Successful casting will
add the "natural" Mage rank percentage to the defensive value of the
PCs current fortifications. For example, a Castle with a defensive
value of 10000, fortified by a 60 Mage rank spell would have a
defensive value of 16000 - of course additionally modified by the PC
loyalty.
This category of spells was hard to place in game terms - the
character reporting sounded like a Lore Spell, the loyalty spell
sounded like a Conjuring spell, and the defensive spell sounded like
a Combat spell. Thus the new spell order, otherwise I'm not sure
how to incorporate the timing of the spells well in the turn order.
Sorry for the length, but I wanted to give some examples based on
Richard's (and others) thoughts, while limiting them to a reasonable
level. And it might make some actually want to have Mages for
something other LAT, Curses, and Conjure Mounts.
Mark F.
From: "ME Games Ltd" <me@M...>
To: <mepbmlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 12:06 AM
Subject: [mepbmlist] Spells in LoTR
> Can you guys think of any specific spells that were actually
cast in the
> LoTR books? (Maybe Silmarillion as well etc?)
>
> Wonder what they'd be in ME terms.
>
> Clint
Gandalf is the first person to spring to mind.
1) He 'arranged' a 'chance-meeting' with Thorin Oakenshield.
2) He 'persuaded' Thorin to recruit Bilbo, a fat, lazy,
unadventurous hobbit
as a burglar, even after Bilbo fainted at the mention
of a dragon. If that wasn't magic I don't know what was.
3) He made himself invisible first from the trolls, and then the
goblins,
that Thorin & co encountered, so that in each situation, he alone
escaped.
4) Having fouled up a fire spell, dropping sparks into wolves' fur
but
setting the trees in which they were hiding on fire, he summoned
Eagles to
rescue them - did that a few times, actually.
All those from The Hobbit.
In LOR:
5) He spoke a Word of Power which temporarily blocked the Balrog
and left
him (Gandalf) exhausted (before the fight at the bridge).
6) He countered Saruman's enchantment of Theoden, healing him.
7) He summoned Shadowfax - last of the Mearas - and rode him when
nobody
else could.
8) He encouraged the garrison of Minas Tirith, quite literally,
countering
the fear induced by the nazgul.
9) He stopped the Witch-king from entering Minas Tirith even after
the gates
had been blasted open (as he had earlier stopped the Balrog from
crossing
the bridge of Khazad-dum).
10) out of sequence: when threatened or attacked by Aragorn & co,
he said
'your weapons have no power over me!'
1) movement spell, to intercept chosen ally (or possibly enemy?).
If
teleport is average, this spell should be hard.
2) Give an order to an allied character, overriding one of the
orders given
by the controlling player.
3) More magical stealth than a spell.
4) Call Eagles: if within 12 hexes of an eyrie, Eagles will carry
you where
you want to go (up to 12 hexes); or, Eagles will assist in
imminent battle.
5) Block spell: enables character to escape unhurt (or maybe with
some
health loss) from deadly encounter (or challenge?).
6) Major Heal.
7) Another movement spell.
8) Courage spell: raises morale.
9) Block spell(2): cancels one of the target character's orders
(random, so
can stop an agent sabotaging fort or assassinating, or at least
from getting
away afterwards, maybe also exposing him to challenge).
10) More of an innate ability than a spell.
11) Beorn shapechanged into a bear, Sauron into a werewolf, to
increase
their combat (and scouting/) ability. They would have to give the
orders:
···
--- In mepbmlist@yahoogroups.com, "richard devereux" <rd@p...> wrote:
----- Original Message -----
1) shapechange
2) whatever (scout, challenge, give combat bonus if in battle).
The shapechange would only last for the turn on which it was cast.
I'm sure I can find more!
Richard.
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