From: sjdaskal@unix.amherst.edu (Steve)
Subject: Re: Small query on multiple mages in a party...
Organization: Amherst College, Amherst MA
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 05:01:41 GMT

In article <1992Dec15.155957.17336@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters) writes:
[question regarding what to do regarding players learning spells from each
others books deleted]

>I'd make it a mite more complicated than simply allowing the players to
>swap spellbooks, especially at lower levels.  Unless your players all
>apprenticed to the same mage, or the colleges of magic are standardized, 
>there will be some differences in how the spells are written in the spell
>book.  Even with _Read Magic_, which I'd require when trying to read another
>mage's spellbooks, the differences in explanation of somatic gestures could 
>cause confusion (borrow a couple of books on Sign Language by different 
>authors, ignore the pictures and read the descriptions...).
>
>Thus, the characters would have to teach each other how the spells are cast,
>which should require some kind of check on an attribute besides %know. 
>
>For argument's sake, let me list a set of attributes and why I think they 
>should be included in the formula:
>
>INT:  This score is already considered via the %know rating.
>
>CHA:  A charater with a low charisma score will have a hard time teaching 
>	another, because they do not have the leadership qualities required
>	to hold the trainees attention.  Teaching does require leadership.
>
>But, a smart trainee could glean the needed information from the trainer.
>
>How about something like:  (Made up on the fly)
>
>COS = Roll under INT [trainee] - (18 - CHA [trainer]) on a d20
>      if successful, roll the %know score.
>
>So, a char with 16 INT, learning from another with a CHA of 5, would have:
>
>	16-(18-5) = 16-13 = 3 in 20 chance of being able to be taught by the
>	trainer.  If they made this roll, then the character would have to 
>        make the %know roll to actually add the spell to their spellbooks.
>
>What y'all think?
>
>-Coyt
>
I don't know how you normally play, Coyt, or anyone else out there, but in
my campaigns the only way to get new spells is by finding them in books
or getting someone to teach them to you (very difficult).  I have 
eliminated the concept that one automatically gains a spell of level X as
soon as one is able to cast spells of level X (which I think is in the
Official Rules (tm)) because I find it ludicrous, personally.  Regardless
of this, the point is that if a character finds a spellbook he is able to
learn any of the spells therein that are of the appropriate levels simply by
studying them for a given period of time and making a successful % to know
roll.  I believe this is standard T$R fare, although correct me if I'm wrong.

At any rate, the result is that if two PCs wish to share their spells, it
should be at least as easy for them to learn the spells even with a pathetic
teacher as it is for them to learn spells from a newly found spellbook with
no teacher.  Perhaps I would use some sort of die-roll such as you have 
described to determine how much _less_ time must be spent studying before
the %know roll is made.  Whatever the result, however, it should be no more 
difficult than it is to learn a spell from a spellbook which one finds and
has no teacher for.  (As I understand it, and as someone else already noted, 
I think, the 'spell' in the spellbook is actually a set of _instructions_ on
how to cast the spell, so Read Magic is all that is necessary prior to a %know
roll.  If you judge this otherwise, making characters find someone to teach 
them spells which are in spellbooks that they find, and require a INT/CHA
role or some such to determine if the spell can be taught, then your system
could be applicable.)


--Steve



Organization: Junior, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA