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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Joshua Randall" data-source="post: 9591374" data-attributes="member: 7737">Commentary:…"several" dozen well-armed marines…There were only two dozen in the prior section. We should be extra careful around these rapidly multiplying marines.---"I know about 'white' magic and 'black' magic, but this is the first time I've ever heard of 'yellow' magic!" chides Dalris.Sick burn, daughter of Perth.But… are you the same person who objected to the use of Magic Missile to mortally wound a savage, man-eating manticore? I want to understand here. It's unacceptable to use offensive magic on a vicious wild animal whose description includes the terms "man" and "eat", but it is acceptable to use offensive magic on the marines who are just doing their jobs. Is that right?In addition, weren't you the one who told us we haven't learned to temper knowledge with wisdom? Well, it seems much wiser to use gentle, manipulative magic on the SEVERAL DOZEN marines than to use offensive magic that cannot possibly defeat them all in one "round".Yet you decide to insult us as "cowards"!I, the gamebook reader-slash-player, REALLY wish there were an option here to feel so angry at Dalris's insult that we lash out with as much magical might as we can. That would fit Carr's still-mentally-a-teenage-hothead personality much better than meek acceptance of the "coward" label.---"Besides, there's no time. I've got to decide on a spell and prepare it."No. We don't need to "prepare" a spell. All of our spells are already "prepared" (or memorized). The up-front work has been done. The only thing that remains is to cast our chosen spell.As part of casting that spell, we do need to have the material components at the ready. Which we do, because they are all stored nicely in our Deeppockets cloak.---Be sure to mark the spell you choose off your Stats Card before turning to the section shown.Or: don't cheat you filthy cheater!---(38) Friends,(58) Sleep, or(74) Suggestion.Sleep is not going to be able to handle "several dozen" marines. At BEST, AD&D Sleep could affect 4d4 creatures of up to 1 HD; even if the paladin-marines are that low level, max of 4d4=16 is much less than "several dozen".And besides, Arno is not here to get excited and sweaty about the possibilities of doing "anything we want" to the sleeping victims.So the choice is between the weaker and stronger versions of spells that get people to do what you want. The blurbs are not that useful.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Friends (1st level) - Manipulates others by making them like the spellcaster.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Suggestion (3rd) - Enable user to plant ideas in victim's head.</li> </ul>If you didn't play AD&D nor own the Players Handbook, you wouldn't know that Suggestion is a higher-level spell than Friends and much more narratively powerful. But fortunately for you, dear readers, I did and I do.---Friends - PH p. 66A friends spell causes the magic-user to gain a temporary increase of 2-8 points of charisma -- or a temporary lowering of charisma by 1-4 points -- depending on whether creatures within the area of effect make -- or fail -- [sic; should be opposite order] their saving throw versus magic. Those that fail their saving throw will be very impressed with the spell caster and desire greatly to be his or her friend and help. Those that do not fail will be uneasy in the spell caster's presence and tend to find him or her irritating.---Suggestion - PH p. 75When this spell is cast by the magic-user, he or she influences the actions of the chosen recipient by utterance of a few words -- phrases, or a sentence or two -- suggesting a course of action desirable to the spell caster. [...] The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to make the action sound reasonable; a request asking the creature to stab itself, throw itself onto a spear, immolate itself, or do some other obviously harmful act will automatically negate the effect of the spell. However, a suggestion that a pool of acid was actually pure water, and a quick dip would be refreshing, is another matter; or the urging that a cessation of attack upon the magic-user's party would benefit a red dragon, for the group could loot a rich treasure elsewhere through co-operative action, is likewise a reasonable use of the spell's power. The course of action of a suggestion can continue in effect for a considerable duration, such as in the case of the red dragon mentioned above.---One of these spells is an ability score buff and the other is mind control as long as you don't suggest something suicidal (or if you do, cloak it in rules-lawer speak).The choice is obvious.</blockquote>

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