Black Company Casting Time.

Pangias · Apr 7, 2005

We gonna start a new campaign with BCCS.
The guy who will play a wizard was amazed by the casting time. If you use only your Rank in Magic Use, you can cast only very small spell. but if you use your total Magic Use, it's significantly different. (and you can take risks.

So, what is the correct use (only the ranks, or the total in Magic use.)

Tharen the Damned · Apr 7, 2005

Pangias said:
We gonna start a new campaign with BCCS.
The guy who will play a wizard was amazed by the casting time. If you use only your Rank in Magic Use, you can cast only very small spell. but if you use your total Magic Use, it's significantly different. (and you can take risks.

So, what is the correct use (only the ranks, or the total in Magic use.)

Only the RANKS are used!

Tell your Player to let his Wizard prepare Spells beforehand, that shortes the casting time for his combat spells.

Tell your Player, that playing a Wizard can be a lot of fun. This is just not the D&D Core Spellslinger, but a BC wizard.
On the other hand, there are only a few wizards around, so he is an asset for the group.

Henry · Apr 7, 2005

Correction - your MAGICAL APTITUDE is used. Your magical aptitude is equal to the RANKS in Magic Use, plus the bonus given by the level of magic (Dabbler, Student, 1st Magnitude, Second Magnitude, etc.)

A caster who is a 1st Magnitude caster, with 12 ranks of magic use would have an aptitude of 16, which means he could cast any DC 16 spell as a swift action, and up to a DC 26 spell as a full-round action (2 actions).

Henry · Apr 7, 2005

Tharen the Damned said:
Tell your Player to let his Wizard prepare Spells beforehand, that shortes the casting time for his combat spells.

A wizard definitely needs to prepare spells ahead of time - in fact,t he rules on "Taking extra time" can be also used in the prep, which basically means if you bump up the time units (actions, rounds, minutes, 10-minutes, hours, etc) you can get a higher magic aptitude bonus to prepare bigger spells. You can take 8 actions prepping that DC 40 spell, OR you can take 8 full-rounds for a x2 bonus to your magnitude modifier, or 8 minutes for a x4, or 80 minutes for a x8! Your initiator is still the last standard action, and you hold the spell until you speak it.

Tell your Player, that playing a Wizard can be a lot of fun. This is just not the D&D Core Spellslinger, but a BC wizard.
On the other hand, there are only a few wizards around, so he is an asset for the group.

Seconded. A BC Wizard in a BC game is great, but don't expect him to told a par if in the same game with a standard D&D magic-slinger; DEFINITELY lower-powered. The Green Roning Mythic Vistas forums have several Black Company threads that describe the magic system with detailed examples, including one done by a gent named "Yuan-Ti." Great simple examples that are easy to follow.

Wulf Ratbane · Apr 7, 2005

I was just going to pop in and recommend Ian McKellan or Sean Connery for something, anything, but apparently that's not what this thread is about.

Tharen the Damned · Apr 8, 2005

Henry said:
Correction - your MAGICAL APTITUDE is used. Your magical aptitude is equal to the RANKS in Magic Use, plus the bonus given by the level of magic (Dabbler, Student, 1st Magnitude, Second Magnitude, etc.)

A caster who is a 1st Magnitude caster, with 12 ranks of magic use would have an aptitude of 16, which means he could cast any DC 16 spell as a swift action, and up to a DC 26 spell as a full-round action (2 actions).

Whoops,

yeah, of course the Magnitude bonus adds to the Aptitude.