Alternate Core Documents

[Kkat]

Yes, but 99% of that spell's use is going to be by a GM who wants to shut down a teleport-using PC...

Actually, I would fully expect a lot of PC use for similar purposes. What party wouldn't want to be able to secure a base or campsite from teleporting alicorns or enemy S.A.T.S.?

Also, does it prevent all teleportation inside the warded building or just teleportation in and out of the warded building? The former is an extra kick to combat teleporter unicorns because any pre-war structure that cared about security at all would be virtually guaranteed to have wards up.

It would create a barrier that a spell's effects could not cross, and would have to be inscribed onto a physically existing surface such as a wall or floor. If all exterior walls, floors and ceilings of a building were warded, then characters with teleport would still be able to teleport within the building, but not from inside out or from outside in.

I'm thinking of three ward spells. An object could not have more than one ward, as wards would interfere with each other. In fact, the way to disrupt a ward would be to either use Arcane Mark (with a Science roll, and the threat of backlash if you fail) or to replace it with another ward of greater power.

• One would be a basic ward that would simply function against a specific type of energy damage (fire, cold or electricity), and would only offer a degree of protection against the warded object (not, say, somebody wearing it). This would be based on the arcane fireproofing evident in the Arbu mall. Advanced and expert versions would allow more protection or protection against two or all three energy types.
• The second would be a spell ward. This would be an advanced spell and would be designed to ward against a single spell. The expert version would protect against an entire spell set.
• Finally, an expert spirit ward that would prevent spirits from passing. The ward would have a rating based on Potency, and would not stop spirits more powerful than the rating. (And thus, how Discord could get through Celestia's warded horn-lock door.)

Might make Ward a general school spell with the specification that, in order to make a Ward against a specific spell, you must know the spell OR be able to make a check at a -30.

I really like the idea of needing to know the spell or make that check! I'll definitely include that. I wouldn't want to make it general, though. The Defense set could use more spells, and this is definitely appropriate for that set.

[Thanqol]

Actually, I would fully expect a lot of PC use for similar purposes. What party wouldn't want to be able to secure a base or campsite from teleporting alicorns or enemy S.A.T.S.?

'Campsite defense against teleporting alicorns' has the following usefulness formula:
IF
- Fighting teleporting alicorns
- Fighting teleporting alicorns which are actively hunting you down at night
- Fighting teleporting alicorns who are okay with attacking a fortified position
- Teleporting alicorns are on a time limit so severe they can't wait for you to leave the warded position in the morning
- Teleporting alicorns are at put a tactical disadvantage by being forced to engage from 50 yards rather than melee range
THEN: Useful

That situation might come up maybe once in a game, as opposed to, say, Arcane Blast which has the following usefulness formula:
IF
- Enemy has hit points
THEN: Useful

It would create a barrier that a spell's effects could not cross, and would have to be inscribed onto a physically existing surface such as a wall or floor. If all exterior walls, floors and ceilings of a building were warded, then characters with teleport would still be able to teleport within the building, but not from inside out or from outside in.

There's another question that arises, then: If this spell takes a short enough time to cast to be useful every time a party camps down (say, an hour), and can cover a large enough area to be useful (say, 50 yards) and is otherwise permanent, then it stands to reason that even a single pre-War unicorn with this spell could have warded every single military or government structure of even vague importance. Is this intended?

I'm thinking of three ward spells. An object could not have more than one ward, as wards would interfere with each other. In fact, the way to disrupt a ward would be to either use Arcane Mark (with a Science roll, and the threat of backlash if you fail) or to replace it with another ward of greater power.

• One would be a basic ward that would simply function against a specific type of energy damage (fire, cold or electricity), and would only offer a degree of protection against the warded object (not, say, somebody wearing it). This would be based on the arcane fireproofing evident in the Arbu mall. Advanced and expert versions would allow more protection or protection against two or all three energy types.
• The second would be a spell ward. This would be an advanced spell and would be designed to ward against a single spell. The expert version would protect against an entire spell set.
• Finally, an expert spirit ward that would prevent spirits from passing. The ward would have a rating based on Potency, and would not stop spirits more powerful than the rating. (And thus, how Discord could get through Celestia's warded horn-lock door.)

I do really like these and think they would be super useful. The ability to ward an area against ANY spell (or, as Viewing Glass suggested and I concur with, any spell you know) is fantastic and lends itself to all kind of awesome encounters (Ward against Light while heading into a dark cave!)


EDIT: Question: How would a spell set (Offence) ward interact with a magical energy weapon?

[Godna]

I don't really think it should be that easy to make wards. I mean for the most part if pretty much anyone can just make a ward against it...it really devalues it, and while I do like the idea of certain very important locations being warded if it's so easy any unicorn can do it then why the hell aren't all prewar building warded to heck and back?

I would actually strongly recommend making it a perk and working it into Arcane mark if you are absolutely positive that you're going to add it....,but blech I do not like it.

[TyrannisUmbra]

Wards can be fun, and Defense really needs more interesting decisions to play with. Right now it's pretty much Buffs: The Spell School, plus shield. Effective, sure, but nowhere near as interesting as it could be.

One thing I would suggest is allowing wards to be pre-placed on a suitable object, allowing casting and placement in combat, similar to the way Spell Closet works -- Pay the cost of casting the ward when you have the time to do so out of combat, onto some portable object, but inactive. Then, during combat, you can say, place the object from your inventory and activate the pre-cast ward as another spell cast, or something.

Rules should probably be explicitly defined for the kinds of objects wards can be cast on. Also make reasons why you can't just cast a ward on your saddlebags and carry around immunity to x spell forever, because that would be ridiculous. (One for your saddlebags! One for your armor! One for your weapon! Definitely needs hard set limitations. )

[Seraph-Colak]

Permanent wards would likely require complex arcane marks.

[Ghostpony]

I would think a permanent ward would have to but done while a building was being put up. Scribed into the foundation and walls, for example. A ward that projected a area of effect as some people have worried about would have to be made immobile, or some other limiting factor such as a number of times it would block the spell before breaking, otherwise it would simply be to powerful.

[Seraph-Colak]

Perhaps a mark drawn in the dirt? Would serve as a physical medium for the ward to take hold. I imagine it would have limiters as any shield spell does on how much force it can take before it collapses, tests of potency perhaps?

[TyrannisUmbra]

Perhaps a mark drawn in the dirt? Would serve as a physical medium for the ward to take hold. I imagine it would have limiters as any shield spell does on how much force it can take before it collapses, tests of potency perhaps?

And maybe for my idea of quick-cast wards, the mark can be inscribed with Arcane Mark on a disposable object, which is destroyed after a certain duration? The initial cast would be inactive, then you can activate it with another cast of Arcane Mark or w/e?

[Thanqol]

Perhaps a mark drawn in the dirt? Would serve as a physical medium for the ward to take hold. I imagine it would have limiters as any shield spell does on how much force it can take before it collapses, tests of potency perhaps?

And maybe for my idea of quick-cast wards, the mark can be inscribed with Arcane Mark on a disposable object, which is destroyed after a certain duration? The initial cast would be inactive, then you can activate it with another cast of Arcane Mark or w/e?

Maybe a Warded item drops Condition much more rapidly, meaning permanent wards had to be cast into material that never degraded. Seems like a reasonable sanity check.

"If the Ward is ever breached, the Warded item drops one Condition level immediately. After 24 hours the Ward reasserts itself, and continues to rebuild itself from nothing until the item it is affixed to has totally melted away..."

[LuminousNight]

I'm a little nervous making such suggestions in the midst of such a conversation, but I've had a couple ideas I've been wanting to pitch since my group switched over to this system so I hope you'll forgive my impatience. I'm terrible with making balanced ideas though, so I'm certain the crunch will need work. But here's a couple of trait ideas anyway, weaker one first:

Better Lucky Then Good:
Requires Pony or Zebra
Cannot take with Blank Flank

You're special talent doesn't rely on skill, either natural born or taught. You just do what you do and no one can explain how. Not even you.

Your tag skill tied to your special talent is based on Luck rather then it's normal S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (effectively making it 2.5*Luck) Your skill also has a +2 chance for a critical success outside of combat.

This is the weaker one because Traits are supposed to have drawbacks, and I haven't gotten an idea for one here...

Star-Crossed Friendship
Requires Pony or Zebra
Requires at least one other with Star-Crossed Friendship tied to the same event

Though you didn't know it at the time, a single event that affected you deeply affected others as well. Gaining your cutie/glyph marks from the same event bound you together by the deepest and most mysterious magic in Equestria before you even met.

When acting in accordance with your virtue on behalf of a friend tied to you via this perk, you may gain a bonus on a single skill check equal to 10*the number of friends so tied to you, or a bonus on a single S.P.E.C.I.A.L. equal to the number of friends so tied to you. These bonuses can cause you to exceed normal maximums.

However, such powerful magic never fails to draw the eyes of destiny. You will find yourself facing truely daunting tasks, with large enough groups facing challenges equal to those faced by the Ministry Mares themselves. Challenges they ultimately failed.

At least you won't face them alone.

This one is obviously story intensive, but I know I'd enjoy a group based entirely around this trait and I like the idea of being able to express something like this mechanically. Not to mention having a mechanical reason for virtues. And a GM of such a group has the freedom to challenge their PC's virtues often.

I haven't done any kind of rules creation before, mostly I just memorise them, so I know these ideas are rough. But where better to get help with them?