From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Casting the Fireball (was Re: On mages and fighters)
Date: 6 Nov 92 10:39:26 -0600
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <memo.723213@cix.compulink.co.uk>, thiggins@cix.compulink.co.uk
   (Tarry Higgins) writes:
> [...]
> It is really not very much at all, in fact 
> the fighter, unless armed with something other than a polearm/2h 
> sword will be within 1'-2' of the wizards body, not the end of his 
> finger.

   Actually, the fighter will be farther away than that, because most of the
swords require a bit more room than just 1'-2' distance to wield
effectively.. a Long sword is about 3' in length, just as an example, if not
longer.

> Yes you can do 
> the mathematica, but then is the ground perfectly flat? of is there a 
> bump (either up or down) in it? if there are undulations in the 
> surface of the ground then your calculations are up the creek.

   Which is why the mage can look at the ground, and make calculations in
his/her head to compensate for those bumps in the ground.  A mage with a high
Int, like 17 (equiv to about 170 IQ?) should be able to do calculation in
his/her mind really fast and accurately!

> but in the case of the pinpoint accuracy such as we have 
> here, a slight mistake means that the wizard would be caught as well. 

   You don't need _pinpoint_ accuracy, you're not trying to hit a pin, you're
trying to catch a large Fighter.  But this is why I like the idea of making a
Spellcraft proficiency check for those instances where measurement is
important.  Or better yet, give the mage the benefit of the doubt (not caught
in the spell effect), but by doing this, also give the Fighter a +4 on save
and -1 on each die of damage (minimum of 1 each).   Actually, I like this
idea now that I think about it (for situations caught not in melee, no need
to use this, of course)..

> There is just no way a referee should allow a wizard to cast a spell 
> with an area of effect (especially fireball) to catch the person he 
> is meleeing with and exclude himself.  It is almost impossible to do 
> successfully.  

   Does that mean I'm a very improbably person, for having done this feat
many times over 10+ years of gaming?

   Actually, would be a good incentive to research that new spell you've
always wanted to try, FireCube.. :-)

> Taz AKA thiggins@cix.compulink.co.uk AKA Tarry A Higgins

                                        John "Nightwind" Boelter

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